I'm posting this to apologize to all of you. Over the past several months I have allowed things to slip to allow life to get in the way of my relationship with God. If you are reading this then you probably know me and I'm sorry for being the hypocrite I have been and if you don't then I hve mis-represented my God and I apologize to you for that.
I just read through my previous posts and the truths that I spoke of I haven't applied to my own life. I have forgotten about the war for our souls, thinking I was safe. I have forgotten to slow down and stop and wait on God. I have forgotten to give thanks in everything. I have forgotten to look for the Light. I have forgotten that I am not the only person in the world. And I'm so sorry. I apologize to you and more importantly to God. I have mis-represented Him and I'm sorry. I have failed him when I should have stood firm.
Know that I am once more making an effort to get right with God agian, but that I WILL fail again. I am only human. But with Gods help these last several months will not repeat themselves again.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Friday, May 22, 2009
Love? Like? Obsess? Make-out?
I've been thinking a lot about "love" lately. Ya know, the real stuff, the temporary stuff, the one that is not even real... I'm really kinda confused on the whole topic. So I guess this is not so much of my telling you guys what I think about something as asking what your thoughts are. What do you think about "love"? I'm not looking for cliches or quick answers. I'm trying to get serious answers. That doesn't mean long. Just answers that mean something. What do you guys think?
Monday, January 5, 2009
Stop.
Stop.
When was the last time you remember really feeling like you just came face to face with God?
There are so few times that I am able to step out into God's world at all without seeing billboards selling the latest "need"; few times that I can stop and listen for His voice without hearing the sound of a hundred cars rushing to "important" places; few times that I can stop and smell the roses without also smelling the fumes from the factories across the river; few times I can stop and just enjoy a meal that God has given me without worrying about what is in the food; few times that I can even just give someone a hug because I care about them without having to worry about what other people are going to think about me.
But then, there are those moments... When all of a sudden everything is still, silent, full, rich, filled with color. Those moments when your heart says "Yes! This is how it was meant to be!" Those moments in which creation is just completely flooded with God's glory and I am able to stop and soak it all in.
So often I am just another billboard, another car, another fume, another calorie, another assumption.
I forget to look for God. I get so caught up in my "life," that I forget to search Him out. I forget to seek those moments, because they are there. We just have to pay attention.
We forget to listen. We say we are listening. Are you? Or are you just hearing? We say that we have prayed about it. Have you? Or did you just complain? We say that we are going to help those in need. Are you going to? Or are you just saying that for the image?
Do you see my point? We have to actually stop.
So what are you doing now?
Why don't you stop now. Go look for one of those moments now. Go talk to God now, and wait for Him to answer. Go simply be now. Turn off you phone, computer, radio, TV, whatever. Don't give yourself a time limit.
Wait on God.
Stop.
When was the last time you remember really feeling like you just came face to face with God?
There are so few times that I am able to step out into God's world at all without seeing billboards selling the latest "need"; few times that I can stop and listen for His voice without hearing the sound of a hundred cars rushing to "important" places; few times that I can stop and smell the roses without also smelling the fumes from the factories across the river; few times I can stop and just enjoy a meal that God has given me without worrying about what is in the food; few times that I can even just give someone a hug because I care about them without having to worry about what other people are going to think about me.
But then, there are those moments... When all of a sudden everything is still, silent, full, rich, filled with color. Those moments when your heart says "Yes! This is how it was meant to be!" Those moments in which creation is just completely flooded with God's glory and I am able to stop and soak it all in.
So often I am just another billboard, another car, another fume, another calorie, another assumption.
I forget to look for God. I get so caught up in my "life," that I forget to search Him out. I forget to seek those moments, because they are there. We just have to pay attention.
We forget to listen. We say we are listening. Are you? Or are you just hearing? We say that we have prayed about it. Have you? Or did you just complain? We say that we are going to help those in need. Are you going to? Or are you just saying that for the image?
Do you see my point? We have to actually stop.
So what are you doing now?
Why don't you stop now. Go look for one of those moments now. Go talk to God now, and wait for Him to answer. Go simply be now. Turn off you phone, computer, radio, TV, whatever. Don't give yourself a time limit.
Wait on God.
Stop.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The War
The Civil War. World War I. World War II. The Vietnam War. The Korean War.
What came with these? Peace? In the end yes... But during? No way! Blood. Man slaughter. Brothers killing brothers. Families torn apart. Complete and utter destruction.In World War I submarines were used for the first time. An army could now attack and destroy a whole fleet without anyone knowing that the enemy was there until they were dead.
Not one person I know will deny the occourance of any of these... So why do people have such a hard time acknowledging the slaughter of our souls?
The battle for our souls is just as real, if not more so. This is not a game. People are dying out there and so often we are too blind to see it. Soul slaughter. People's souls are literally dying. The have no purpose to their life. Families are being torn apart. Heart are breaking. There is a void.
But the problem is that so many people view this battle as a joke, a cartoon, somthing to laugh at. Satan is just a figment of your imagination. There is no real danger. When people picture evil and Satan they get all these fake images. You know the ones I'm talking about. A red, pitchfork bearing, cartoon demon with horns and a silly grin.
That's not true. That's just what Satan wants you to think because either #1 you stop believing in him or #2 you stop taking him seriously. That is a grevious mistake.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)
He is planning, plotting, scheming at this very moment to take you down and it's no joke, no game, no stroll in the park. Not even Michael, God's strongest angel, would pick a fight with Satan (Proof of this is in the Bible.). So if God's head angel doesn't even have power over Satan, what does that say about our need to take him seriously? It says that we'd be stupid not to!
You've got politicians everywhere listening to what you say
You've got false apostles teaching lies perverting the only way
You've got principalities and powers waiting to obey
You've got philosophies and vain deceipts lying to deceive
You've got hate, and greed, ungodly lusts in the deadly web you weave
Somehow you've got so many thinking you're not even there
One look is all it takes to get them blinded by your glare
"Angel Of Light" by Bob Hartman
What came with these? Peace? In the end yes... But during? No way! Blood. Man slaughter. Brothers killing brothers. Families torn apart. Complete and utter destruction.In World War I submarines were used for the first time. An army could now attack and destroy a whole fleet without anyone knowing that the enemy was there until they were dead.
Not one person I know will deny the occourance of any of these... So why do people have such a hard time acknowledging the slaughter of our souls?
The battle for our souls is just as real, if not more so. This is not a game. People are dying out there and so often we are too blind to see it. Soul slaughter. People's souls are literally dying. The have no purpose to their life. Families are being torn apart. Heart are breaking. There is a void.
But the problem is that so many people view this battle as a joke, a cartoon, somthing to laugh at. Satan is just a figment of your imagination. There is no real danger. When people picture evil and Satan they get all these fake images. You know the ones I'm talking about. A red, pitchfork bearing, cartoon demon with horns and a silly grin.
That's not true. That's just what Satan wants you to think because either #1 you stop believing in him or #2 you stop taking him seriously. That is a grevious mistake.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)
He is planning, plotting, scheming at this very moment to take you down and it's no joke, no game, no stroll in the park. Not even Michael, God's strongest angel, would pick a fight with Satan (Proof of this is in the Bible.). So if God's head angel doesn't even have power over Satan, what does that say about our need to take him seriously? It says that we'd be stupid not to!
One person described it this way. "According to Ezekiel 28, Satan is the most powerful and beautiful angel ever created. Think about that for a minute...and according to that same chapter, after he got kicked out of heaven for trying to lead a rebellion against God (never a good idea, by the way) - he apparently kept his power and beauty. Nowhere in the Bible do we read verses like: 'and after Satan fell from heaven, he turned really red from embarrassment and sprouted horns. And the only thing God let him keep was his trusty pitchfork...'"
Even if you do believe in Satan and his power we often miss it because we look for him in forms of evil when often he can creep in it the good and pure things. Like your best friends. Like television and movies. Like the internet. Like a self-righteous attitude. Like a lot of things you never considered before.
Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:13)
Get it? That means that Satan is WAY too good at making himself appear to be something that he's not. He puts on his holy angel costume and then uses that to bring you down. That means that if you came face to face with him today, he could very easily make you believe that he is one of God's very own angels sent down just for you to _______ (you fill in the blank). That's a scary thought.
Here's the way one friend described her thoughts of evil and Satan. "A black presence, not really defined... Darkness... Attacking... Yelling.. I feel fear, not like I'm afraid though. This fear is different. It's like I can't stop it. Almost like it's not mine..."
"And of course, there are roadblocks and detours that try to slow us down or get us to drop out of this amazing race completely. They don't come from God, however, and here is where the competition comes into play. We are not competing with each others as believers - rather we are in competition with ourselves. It is abundantly clear to me that we are most often our worst enemy when it comes to serving Jesus.
We let discouragement and lack of faith detour us and get us off course. We let sin and rebellion roadblock our progress and trip us up so we start to fall behind. And if we aren't careful - we may end up getting the wrong idea about the race and dropping out."
You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn't God, for he is the one who called you to freedom (Galatians 5:7-8).
So what? Now what do we do? So Satan is really real and He's out to get us, and he's really good at it. We're in serious trouble.
We do the only thing we can.
"When life knocks you down remember that you're in the perfect position to pray."
And, when we ask Him, He WILL help us! He is with you-ALWAYS. Even when you don't feel Him, He is there. I'm learning this right now. He promises to never leave you (Deuteronomy 31:6, Deuteronomy 31:8, Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5), and He never breaks His promises and never changes.
When I asked my friend how she could still trust that things would work out she said "Well, it's not me exactly. I don't know...I trust God and I know he will win. When I have have fear I take it to Him. I know it'll all work out."
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." (Ephesians 6:10-13)
City lights are flashing, they call you to the streets.
Hearts are filled with passion in everyone you meet.
The Boulevard is waiting, it wants to get you high
Neon signs are waiting to sell you anything you want to buy
But I know your devices, it shouldn't seem so odd
You lied from the beginning, I see through your facade
(Chorus)
Angel of light, I see you glow in the night
But you only bring darkness to my soul
Angel of light, You're telling me wrong is right
I won't let you're evil take control
They follow in your footsteps not knowing that you fell
Bumper to bumper on the freeway to hell
You lead them into wrong and you make it look so right
You lead them into darkness and make them think you lead them into light
But I know where you're going, too bad you're not alone
If it wasn't for the real light I might have never known
You've got politicians everywhere listening to what you say
You've got false apostles teaching lies perverting the only way
You've got principalities and powers waiting to obey
You've got philosophies and vain deceipts lying to deceive
You've got hate, and greed, ungodly lusts in the deadly web you weave
Somehow you've got so many thinking you're not even there
One look is all it takes to get them blinded by your glare
"Angel Of Light" by Bob Hartman
Everything?!
"Be joyful ALWAYS; pray CONTINUALLY; give thanks in ALL circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 emphasis added)
Isn't that what everyone is talking about right now? Giving thanks? I mean, that's the point behind everything tomorrow... Thanksgiving.
You probably already know this, but I'll remind you... The first Thanksgiving was done to celebrate the harvest after a long, hard winter when the pilgrims first came to America. The winter was so hard that half of the Mayflower's passengers (45 of 102) died. Some of the local Indians, the Wampanoag Indians, befriended the pilgrims and taught them to hunt and garden, so they had a flourishing crop and full meat houses the following year. So they had a lot to be thankful for. Their lives, families, crops, and the friendship of the Indians, who they thought they should fear.
Okay, now that the history lesson is over, I'm sure you know what I'm going to say. "Give thanks." "Be thankful for everything." And yes, you might be right, but keep reading okay? I just might surprise you. (I do that a lot, don't I?)
What pops into your head when you hear "be thankful?"
I know that, for me I don't think about actually being thankful. I think about little kids and Sunday school craft projects (Remember the "hand turkeys?"). When I hear the phrase "be thankful" my brain automatically shuts down. And, if I had to guess, I would guess that there are a lot of people who are like me in that area.
Why? Why do we shut down? Why do we have such a hard time being really thankful? Why do we sometimes cringe, even at the mention of that word?
I think it is because being thankful has become so cliche. People just aren't thankful anymore. Oh, they say they are. They say all the right words, and do all the right things. They say "thanks you" when they are given a gift. Some people even write thank you cards! They're thankful, right? I say...
WRONG!
I think most people say and do these things because it's expected of them.
I'm not exempt from this.
I'm just as guilty as the next guy.
Most times I send off my thank you cards the day after something is given to me and then never think about it again. When my mom makes dinner, I'll say "thanks mom," inhale my food, and walk away, without a backward glance.
Even God!
Often I'll forget to thank Him for things, even for the big things! Like keeping me alive! That's a big job and I don't make it any easier on Him! Or how about the fact that my Grandpa is still alive? Or that I have a house to live in and food to eat? Or how about all my friends, who somehow seem to know me even better than I know myself? Who know exactly what to say when I'm upset, and who know how to laugh with me, even if my jokes are lame? What about my family? Even though they drive me up the wall sometimes, I love them dearly! I don't know what I would do without any one of them!
Or how about even the small things, like hot chocolate on a cold day, or a pool in August, and my job?
Those are all things that I take for granted every day. I don't think twice abut most of those things!
Many of them I even complain about! I don't enjoy my job. So what? At least I have one! Who cares if dinner tonight isn't my favorite meal? At least I get to eat! My grandpa may not be around much longer, but he's still here today!
Do you see my point?
God has given us so many things that we should be so thankful for! Yet, even if we say thank you, often times we don't mean it.
God said be thankful in ALL circumstances! Not some, but all! That means, if you just lost a loved on, thank Him that they no longer have to suffer. Find some way, any way to be thankful! If you just lost your job, thank Him that you get to spend time with your family. If you just found out that your husband is having an affair, thank God that you have an opportunity to trust and lean on Him for support, and you have the advantage of knowing that God loves to bind up the wounds of the afflicted and comfort the downcast. When you don't have enough money to go to the grocery store to buy food for dinner tonight, thank God that you didn't have to a carry a heavy bag of food into the house! Even in the very worst situations, find SOME way to be thankful!
That's a hard thing sometimes. Trust me, I know this! But, even Jesus, in the midst of His crucifixion, was thankful that, because of His current suffering, He would get to spend eternity with you! That's thankful!
Bing thankful doesn't mean you feel good. "Feeling good" is an emotion. Being thankful is a state of being. You don't FEEL thankful (though you can). You ARE thankful.
God said be joyful always. He didn't say "be happy always." Joy is based on the state of your heart. When you are joyful, you are able to appreciate the small things in life, like flowers in the spring, warm water for your shower, and a sword to swing in battle.
When you are joyful you are thankful!
When you are thankful, you are joyful!
The two go hand in hand! And, when you can't find anything to be thankful for or joyous about, pray.
That is the other thing God tells us to do. Pray continuously. That means all the time! When you wake up in the morning, while you are at work, when you are at home, while you are eating, when you are getting ready for bed. Tell God about everything. Pray continuously.
I've really been learning to be thankful for everything lately. God and me have been working on this a lot. I've taken that verse, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, and posted it up on my mirror, where I will see it every day, where it will remind me to be thankful. I've still got a LONG way to go before I can consider myself truly thankful, but I'm working on it.
I'm starting by making a list.
Every time I think of something that I should be thankful for I write it down. My list is growing quite lengthy.
So, what are you thankful for? Are you thankful? Are you just going through the motions? Give thanks? How? Find one thing you are thankful for. More will come. Eventually being thankful will become part of who you are. You will automatically look for things to be thankful for.
"Be joyful ALWAYS; pray CONTINUALLY; give thanks in ALL circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 emphasis added)
Isn't that what everyone is talking about right now? Giving thanks? I mean, that's the point behind everything tomorrow... Thanksgiving.
You probably already know this, but I'll remind you... The first Thanksgiving was done to celebrate the harvest after a long, hard winter when the pilgrims first came to America. The winter was so hard that half of the Mayflower's passengers (45 of 102) died. Some of the local Indians, the Wampanoag Indians, befriended the pilgrims and taught them to hunt and garden, so they had a flourishing crop and full meat houses the following year. So they had a lot to be thankful for. Their lives, families, crops, and the friendship of the Indians, who they thought they should fear.
Okay, now that the history lesson is over, I'm sure you know what I'm going to say. "Give thanks." "Be thankful for everything." And yes, you might be right, but keep reading okay? I just might surprise you. (I do that a lot, don't I?)
What pops into your head when you hear "be thankful?"
I know that, for me I don't think about actually being thankful. I think about little kids and Sunday school craft projects (Remember the "hand turkeys?"). When I hear the phrase "be thankful" my brain automatically shuts down. And, if I had to guess, I would guess that there are a lot of people who are like me in that area.
Why? Why do we shut down? Why do we have such a hard time being really thankful? Why do we sometimes cringe, even at the mention of that word?
I think it is because being thankful has become so cliche. People just aren't thankful anymore. Oh, they say they are. They say all the right words, and do all the right things. They say "thanks you" when they are given a gift. Some people even write thank you cards! They're thankful, right? I say...
WRONG!
I think most people say and do these things because it's expected of them.
I'm not exempt from this.
I'm just as guilty as the next guy.
Most times I send off my thank you cards the day after something is given to me and then never think about it again. When my mom makes dinner, I'll say "thanks mom," inhale my food, and walk away, without a backward glance.
Even God!
Often I'll forget to thank Him for things, even for the big things! Like keeping me alive! That's a big job and I don't make it any easier on Him! Or how about the fact that my Grandpa is still alive? Or that I have a house to live in and food to eat? Or how about all my friends, who somehow seem to know me even better than I know myself? Who know exactly what to say when I'm upset, and who know how to laugh with me, even if my jokes are lame? What about my family? Even though they drive me up the wall sometimes, I love them dearly! I don't know what I would do without any one of them!
Or how about even the small things, like hot chocolate on a cold day, or a pool in August, and my job?
Those are all things that I take for granted every day. I don't think twice abut most of those things!
Many of them I even complain about! I don't enjoy my job. So what? At least I have one! Who cares if dinner tonight isn't my favorite meal? At least I get to eat! My grandpa may not be around much longer, but he's still here today!
Do you see my point?
God has given us so many things that we should be so thankful for! Yet, even if we say thank you, often times we don't mean it.
God said be thankful in ALL circumstances! Not some, but all! That means, if you just lost a loved on, thank Him that they no longer have to suffer. Find some way, any way to be thankful! If you just lost your job, thank Him that you get to spend time with your family. If you just found out that your husband is having an affair, thank God that you have an opportunity to trust and lean on Him for support, and you have the advantage of knowing that God loves to bind up the wounds of the afflicted and comfort the downcast. When you don't have enough money to go to the grocery store to buy food for dinner tonight, thank God that you didn't have to a carry a heavy bag of food into the house! Even in the very worst situations, find SOME way to be thankful!
That's a hard thing sometimes. Trust me, I know this! But, even Jesus, in the midst of His crucifixion, was thankful that, because of His current suffering, He would get to spend eternity with you! That's thankful!
Bing thankful doesn't mean you feel good. "Feeling good" is an emotion. Being thankful is a state of being. You don't FEEL thankful (though you can). You ARE thankful.
God said be joyful always. He didn't say "be happy always." Joy is based on the state of your heart. When you are joyful, you are able to appreciate the small things in life, like flowers in the spring, warm water for your shower, and a sword to swing in battle.
When you are joyful you are thankful!
When you are thankful, you are joyful!
The two go hand in hand! And, when you can't find anything to be thankful for or joyous about, pray.
That is the other thing God tells us to do. Pray continuously. That means all the time! When you wake up in the morning, while you are at work, when you are at home, while you are eating, when you are getting ready for bed. Tell God about everything. Pray continuously.
I've really been learning to be thankful for everything lately. God and me have been working on this a lot. I've taken that verse, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, and posted it up on my mirror, where I will see it every day, where it will remind me to be thankful. I've still got a LONG way to go before I can consider myself truly thankful, but I'm working on it.
I'm starting by making a list.
Every time I think of something that I should be thankful for I write it down. My list is growing quite lengthy.
So, what are you thankful for? Are you thankful? Are you just going through the motions? Give thanks? How? Find one thing you are thankful for. More will come. Eventually being thankful will become part of who you are. You will automatically look for things to be thankful for.
"Be joyful ALWAYS; pray CONTINUALLY; give thanks in ALL circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 emphasis added)
Saturday, November 22, 2008
The drums... What are they telling you?
"We cannot get out. The end comes soon. We hear drums, drums in the deep. They are coming. We cannot get out. We cannot get out... We cannot get out. The end comes... Drums, drums in the deep. They are coming."
Dark. Suffocate. Despair. Trapped.
No escape.
"God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" (Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6)
Dark. Suffocate. Despair. Trapped.
No escape.
There is no end. No light is in view. All is lost in the oppressive darkness of our minds, of our lives, of our souls.
Those moments, days, weeks, months, when these are the only things that our brains seem to contain, the only thoughts that we have, we all have them. Those times when we are merely trying to exist.
Where do we go? What do we turn to when the challenges that life gives us seem too much to bear? When the great Oppressor seems to be giving us everything he has, and we are drowning, drowning slowly, alone in our pain? When we feel as though we cannot go any more? When we want to just lay down and give up.
There is a way out.
There is a light. Even when we don't see Him, there is always One person there, One person who loves you and will NEVER leave you. One person who is with you in your darkest hours. One person who has been through everything you are experiencing and has come through it.
But only that One person can help you.
Jesus is that person.
He is there. He is with you through it all.
He is there. He is with you through it all.
"God said 'My precious child, I love you and will never, never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you.'"
When you think you are all alone God is carrying you.
"God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" (Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6)
He is there to help you through every single black void, through every place that you stumble, fall and can't stand up again.
Call out to Him. Cry to Him. He is your Father. He will NEVER leave you. He won't give you more than you can handle. He wants you to tell Him everything. It isn't wrong to tell God what you are truly thinking and feeling, to tell Him the anguish of your heart, to tell Him that your heart has been ripped out of your chest and slashed to pieces, and is now laying on the ground, broken, at His feet. Lay your broken heart, your darkest moments, you dirtiest thoughts at his feet.
Give Tell Him about the cancer that is killing a loved one. Tell Him about the husband that left, taking your heart with Him. Tell him about how you slept with your girlfriend. Tell Him how you don't think you can keep going anymore. Tell Him everything. He is there. He is waiting for you.
He wants to help you through your darkest moments, the ones when you can no longer stand. He wants to heal your wounds. He want to take your hurts and transform your broken heart into something beautiful, something worthwhile, something that will inspire those around you, that are going through their own black pits of despair and anguish, to keep going, to keep trying, and to run to the same source of strength that you have gone to.
Run to that light. The darkness may not come to an end but you will have someone with you so it doesn't seem quite so dark.
He is there.
Call to Him.
Light. Air. Hope. Freedom.
What are the drums telling you? Are they bringing your doom, hailing your destruction? Or are they heralding your victory, and announcing your freedom?
Light. Air. Hope. Freedom.
What are the drums telling you? Are they bringing your doom, hailing your destruction? Or are they heralding your victory, and announcing your freedom?
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Taken for granted...
Friday night I went to the Sanctus Real concert over at McMorran. It was absolutely awesome! It was loud. It was long. It was energy filled. More than that it gave me a chance to worship in a way that I generally don’t. It recharged me, so to speak. But even more than all of that it left me inspired. Sometime in the middle of the concert Sammy Adebiyi came out to talk to us. But it wasn’t like any sermon or preacher-talk that I’ve ever heard. You see, Sammy’s from Nicaragua. He wanted to tell us that he believes God is calling all of us to the front of the line. Not the front of the line at work. Not the front of the line at school. Not the front of the line at home. He believes that God is calling us to the front of the line in the world. Yes, we’re itty-bitty, and he gave us a good picture of how small we really are in a world of 6 billion people, on a world with a surface area of 100,000,000 square miles.
But God is still calling us to the front of the line. Why? Why is he putting us at the front of the line? God is putting us at the front of the line so that, don’t miss this, God is putting us at the front of the line so that we can help the people at the back of the line. Let me say that again. God is putting us at the front of the line, so that we can help the people at the back o f the line.
When people used to fight a battle they would form lines. The people in the front of the line would fight until they had no more-they were either completely spent, or dead. Then they would move around to the back of the line, so that new, strong guys could come in and take over. So the people in the back of the line were doing worse than the whole rest of the army. The people in the front of the line were coming in to help the people in the back of the line, because they had more to give.
I can say that I know all of you are in the top 1% of the world. 50% of the world is malnourished. I know none of you are malnourished. We are in the top 1% of the world. We have home, jobs, internet access, and a computer of our own! God put us at the front of the line so that we could help the people at the back of the line. This really struck me.
As Sammy continued to talk, he gave us a picture of the number of people in thee world that are starving to death. I mean literally starving to death. 31, 000 children die from hunger a day. That’s 12,000,000 children dying a year from hunger. Not death because of violent acts or accident, from hunger and because they couldn’t find clean water. They literally just died because they didn’t have enough food. Guys imagine your kids. They are all alive and well, but people just like them are dying! Imagine them sitting there in your arms breathing their last breaths, because they don’t have enough food, and there’s nothing you can do for them, because you don’t have any food to give them. Children die because they can’t even find clean water. How many times a day do you go to your faucet and turn on the water and just let it run, while precious drops of clean water fall down the drain, drops of water that would save the life of a child in Africa, in Russia, in Brazil. Some sources say that every 3 seconds a child dies of thirst. One. Two. Three. Somewhere in the world a child just drew it last breath because it didn’t have the water it needed. Matthew 25:41-46 says…
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Why aren’t we doing anything? When we die and God asks us why we let his precious children die of thirst without at least trying to help what you say? I didn’t know? Or I didn’t care? That’s what it really comes down to. Do you care? But Jesus also said in Matthew 25:34-40…
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'”
Can you imagine receiving that kind of praise from the God of the universe because you gave up a few of your “extras” so that you could help these thirsting children? How many things do we do, do we have, that we don’t need of even use. How many coffees do you buy a week? Those children would kill for a single glass of clean water. How much junk food do you eat every day? There are children that literally eat bugs, in a attempt to simply stay alive. How many extra clothes or pairs of shoes do you own that you never wear? There are children that have never owned even one pair of shoes. How many television sets or computers do you have in your house? There are kids who don’t even know what those things are. God puts us at the front of the line, so that we can help the people at the back of the line. So here’s my question… Do. You. Care.? Are you going to do more than just sit there and agree with me and then walk away and disregard this? Because if so then just remember One. Two. Three. Another life was just lost.
So do something. Help change our world. Don’t do this because Samantha said so. Do this because you care. If you just help because you feel guilty or because you think it’s something you “should” do, it means nothing. Nothing. Zero. Zip. Nil. Nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says…
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
God put us at the front of the line to help the people at the back of the line. One. Two. Three. Do you care? Do you care? One. Two. Three.
But God is still calling us to the front of the line. Why? Why is he putting us at the front of the line? God is putting us at the front of the line so that, don’t miss this, God is putting us at the front of the line so that we can help the people at the back of the line. Let me say that again. God is putting us at the front of the line, so that we can help the people at the back o f the line.
When people used to fight a battle they would form lines. The people in the front of the line would fight until they had no more-they were either completely spent, or dead. Then they would move around to the back of the line, so that new, strong guys could come in and take over. So the people in the back of the line were doing worse than the whole rest of the army. The people in the front of the line were coming in to help the people in the back of the line, because they had more to give.
I can say that I know all of you are in the top 1% of the world. 50% of the world is malnourished. I know none of you are malnourished. We are in the top 1% of the world. We have home, jobs, internet access, and a computer of our own! God put us at the front of the line so that we could help the people at the back of the line. This really struck me.
As Sammy continued to talk, he gave us a picture of the number of people in thee world that are starving to death. I mean literally starving to death. 31, 000 children die from hunger a day. That’s 12,000,000 children dying a year from hunger. Not death because of violent acts or accident, from hunger and because they couldn’t find clean water. They literally just died because they didn’t have enough food. Guys imagine your kids. They are all alive and well, but people just like them are dying! Imagine them sitting there in your arms breathing their last breaths, because they don’t have enough food, and there’s nothing you can do for them, because you don’t have any food to give them. Children die because they can’t even find clean water. How many times a day do you go to your faucet and turn on the water and just let it run, while precious drops of clean water fall down the drain, drops of water that would save the life of a child in Africa, in Russia, in Brazil. Some sources say that every 3 seconds a child dies of thirst. One. Two. Three. Somewhere in the world a child just drew it last breath because it didn’t have the water it needed. Matthew 25:41-46 says…
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Why aren’t we doing anything? When we die and God asks us why we let his precious children die of thirst without at least trying to help what you say? I didn’t know? Or I didn’t care? That’s what it really comes down to. Do you care? But Jesus also said in Matthew 25:34-40…
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'”
Can you imagine receiving that kind of praise from the God of the universe because you gave up a few of your “extras” so that you could help these thirsting children? How many things do we do, do we have, that we don’t need of even use. How many coffees do you buy a week? Those children would kill for a single glass of clean water. How much junk food do you eat every day? There are children that literally eat bugs, in a attempt to simply stay alive. How many extra clothes or pairs of shoes do you own that you never wear? There are children that have never owned even one pair of shoes. How many television sets or computers do you have in your house? There are kids who don’t even know what those things are. God puts us at the front of the line, so that we can help the people at the back of the line. So here’s my question… Do. You. Care.? Are you going to do more than just sit there and agree with me and then walk away and disregard this? Because if so then just remember One. Two. Three. Another life was just lost.
So do something. Help change our world. Don’t do this because Samantha said so. Do this because you care. If you just help because you feel guilty or because you think it’s something you “should” do, it means nothing. Nothing. Zero. Zip. Nil. Nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says…
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
God put us at the front of the line to help the people at the back of the line. One. Two. Three. Do you care? Do you care? One. Two. Three.
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