A Good Father

"The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether." - Psalm 19:9

     Have you ever loved something you've been afraid of? Most people either avoid what they are afraid of, or face their fears and try to overcome them. Sometimes our fears tend to be something small, like being afraid of failing a test, to something large, like being afraid of a carnivorous wild animal. Smaller fears, such as failing a test, are fears that we need to live with and deal with on a daily basis. There isn't much danger in these, and they can usually be overcome by addressing them. Larger fears, like wild animals, are fears of something that could do personal harm to us, and the things we're afraid of should probably be avoided. I believe God gave us those fears to teach us caution and to help keep us safe. What we're afraid of and how serious the fear is can be determined by common sense.

     So, when the Bible tells us to fear God, where exactly does that fit? And why should we be afraid of someone who is supposed to love us? Is God dangerous?

     The fear of God is a fear that should be taken very seriously. No, God is not malicious; He is, in fact, very loving, but He also will not be mocked. The Bible also refers to God many, many times as a Father.

     "Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?..." Malachi 2:10a

     When you think of God as a Father, the fear aspect makes more sense. God is not malicious, and that's not what the fear should be based on, but it should be a respectful fear. God is a good Father. In fact, He's the best there is. A good father raises his children to respect him, love him, and fear the consequences of disobeying. A good father doesn't punish his children just because he feels like it, but to correct them on their path, such as correcting a bad behavior or habit. A good father shows love to his children and is happy for them when things are going well. When a father balances love and discipline correctly, as he is taught in the Bible, he will earn his child's respect.

     Yes, we are to fear God, but not in a bad way. If we pursue a relationship with Him and have that respect for Him, our fear will not be based on trying to avoid punishment, but it will be based on not wanting to disappoint Him. Our fear will be based on love, just as we don't want to hurt others that we love.

     God is patient, and He is not quick to hand out judgment, but He knows our hearts, and He will correct us when the need is there, especially if we take a step down a sinful path that leads away from Him. He will always try to direct us back.

     When that happens, do we throw a fit, blame God, say He hates us, and continue on the path anyway?

     Or do we love and respect Him, and do what it takes to come back to Him? Life is always better when we are covered in His blessings than when we stray and try to do things "on our own."

To Pray or Not To Pray

"Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." - Matthew 7:7-8

Do you ever ask yourself if you should pray about something? Have you ever felt like there's no point to praying because you think God would never give you what you're asking for anyway?

Jesus makes it perfectly clear in these verses that all we have to do is ask. That doesn't mean God works like a genie in a bottle and grants us every wish exactly how we want it, but it does mean that we have to ask to receive blessings.

James 4:2 tells us that we can go about many ways to gain what we want, but when we do it our own way, we still don't end up with what we're trying to get. Why? James tells us, "ye have not, because ye ask not."

While it's true that God knows our hearts and what we need before we ask for it, He wants us to talk to Him. He doesn't hold back blessings, but I think sometimes He waits for us to realize we want and need them (and then ask for them) before He sends the blessings our way.

So, can we pray for a million dollars? Sure, but again, God is not a genie in a bottle, and we can't forget the part of the prayer that says, "Thy will be done." Ultimately, God knows what's best for us, so much more than we think we know. If we had everything we ever wanted, we'd probably all be spoiled brats. Sometimes, we need the hardships to help us grow, and to help us grow closer to Him.

As far as praying for a million dollars, James 4:3 goes on to say, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." What would you do with a million dollars? How would you glorify God with it? Or would you buy yourself a nice little present first, like a new car or better house? What is your purpose for asking for a million dollars?

While we can always pray about things like finances, we need to remember that God will always give us what we need. Sometimes He will bless us with a little extra, sometimes it may seem like He blesses others more than us and it may not seem fair; we want what they have.

In the end, we need to focus on our relationship with Him. Thank Him for what He has given us. Prayer is important. Yes, God knows our needs, but we also need to realize we are relying on Him to fulfill those needs. We need to talk to Him so we can build a relationship with Him. He's not just some random person in the sky, He's our Father, our Friend, and so much more; so pray, talk to Him like you talk to those you are close to (and even more; you can even trust Him with your deepest secrets).

Living My Life

"Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to his edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.""

Romans 15:2-3

 

----------

     Have you ever heard someone who said they lived however they wanted and didn't care about what other people think? Perhaps you've said it yourself. It certainly is a free and confident way of living. It allows one to live the way they want without worrying about what other people think. While we may not want to worry about what others think, what about what God thinks? Do we worry about that? Or do we disregard His opinion along with everyone else's?

     What about 1 Corinthians 8:9 - "But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours becomes a stumbling block to them that are weak." If one of those things we do causes someone else to stumble, that's as much on us as it is them. If someone is trying to stop a bad habit, sees us do it, becomes influenced, and starts to do it again, that's as much our fault as it is theirs. Yes, they're the ones who started the habit up again, but we influenced them. According to this verse, we should have taken their weakness into account. We should have cared what they thought of what we were doing. There are many grey areas amongst Christians; things that are not specifically prohibited in the Bible, some say that makes them okay, some say it's coming too close to the line, some ask why take the risk, and some stay away because it's controversial and they see no need to take part. I won't get into a list, but a good example would be alcoholic beverages. What's my opinion? I think Jesus should be our only addiction; God should be our only source of comfort and stress relief. For the sake of this topic, I will mention that alcohol is something that could be seen as a stumbling block to someone else. You want to go out and party? That's between you and God, but don't disregard the opinion of others when your actions could be, say, causing a recovering alcoholic to bend just a little. And when it comes to addictions, "just a little" could be all they need to fall right back into the addiction. We need to care about how we present ourselves. We need to care about how others (especially the world) see us.

     As Christians, we are supposed to be representing Christ in everything we do. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul encourages us to. "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." If Christ truly lives in us, the world should see it. What do they see when they look at you? Do they see a reflection of Christ? Or do they see someone who's just living life their own way? If you've never thought about it that way, perhaps that's a question to start considering.

     There is another side to the coin, however. In Matthew 10:22, Jesus tells us, "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake..." For Christians, the world will not agree with what we believe. If we're living by what the Bible says, they will judge us, look down on us, make fun of us, persecute us, etc. While we can't change our beliefs to suit them, we shouldn't disregard them. We can still pray for them. Those who don't live by what the Bible says, they are still loved by God. He still wants to have a relationship with them just as much as with us. If they judge us and taunt us, the best thing we can do is be a witness to them. John 15:18 says, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you." We can't turn our backs and plug our ears to tune out the insults. God still loves them, and we need to follow that example. We need to show them His love, and try to help them see how wonderful a relationship with God truly is.

Tough Love

"Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure." - Psalms 2:5

     Have you ever had one those days where it seemed like nothing was going right? Perhaps this feeling lasted for more than one day, maybe one or more weeks, or maybe even years. When you feel like everything is coming against you, when you feel as if your world is falling apart, what do you do? Do you try to fix it? Pray about it? Change your attitude? See what you can learn from it? Blame God?

     A lot of modern preaching teaches that God is a God of love and He wants nothing more than to see us live happy lives, so He gives us whatever we want or need to be happy. As a result, when things go wrong, it's easy to become confused and say that God must not love us. Further, wouldn't that lead many to ask the question, 'How could He let so many things fall apart in our lives and not fix them for us?'

     Yes, God does love us. In fact, His love for us is so great, we can't even comprehend it. Jesus loved us so much that He gave His life so we wouldn't have to spend eternity in Hell. When we accept Him as our Savior, we also accept a responsibility to live in a way that honors and glorifies Him. He died to save us because He loves us. It's not just that it's a responsibility, but living for Him is something that every Christian should want to do. If we accept His gift, His love, we can't do that without loving Him in return, and that gratitude should make us want to please Him.

     God has our best interests at heart. When things are going wrong and our lives seem to be at their darkest, that may be hard to believe, but it's still true.

     When we accept Christ, God becomes our Heavenly Father, and He treats us like a good Father should. When we obey Him, He blesses us. When we disobey Him, he punishes us. That modern preaching I mentioned earlier? That's the part they like to leave out. People don't like to hear that God can get angry with us, so some preachers, to please the people, seem to have resolved to just leave that part out.

     So, when things go wrong in life, does that mean God is angry? No, not necessarily. God has a plan for each of our lives. He exists out of time, so He knows our future, and He knows the best possible path that we could take. If we stray from that path, He might allow a few negative things to happen to us to encourage us to get back on the right path.

     Sometimes we're stubborn and we get it in our heads that we know better than God. Again, we're limited to our human understanding. We can't see our future, we only know what we want to have happen. If God doesn't allow it, then we sometimes forget that it means He has a plan that is even better.

     God's plan is perfect, one hundred percent fool-proof. Does that mean if we completely follow God's plan that nothing bad will ever come our way? No. God may test our loyalty at times, but the more devoted we are to God, the more Satan will try to break us away.

     If we stray from God's plan, God will not bless the path we try to take because He knows it is not what is best for us (even if we think it is (again, our minds are limited; His is not)). He allows us to struggle sometimes because He knows that we learn from our mistakes.

     The more we intentionally sin against God (repeatedly doing things we know are wrong or ignoring and running away from the path He laid out for us), the more severe our punishments may become. Job 1:21 says, ". . . the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD."

     Like a good Father does, God blesses good behavior and disciplines the negative behavior in order to keep us on the right path. He does this to help us grow and weed the sinful tendencies out of our lives.

     Does that mean we can learn to live without sin and be perfect? No. We can never be perfect and sinless until we get to Heaven. We still live in a sinful world, and still have every capability of being tempted by Satan to walk away from God. God knows even our thoughts. If we consider a sin, even if we don't do it, we need to repent of it. Repent. Recognize your sin and be truly sorry, and He will not only forgive you, but He will wipe your record clean. That's the beauty of God's grace. Total forgiveness. God is quick to forgive us when we've done wrong, and all we need to do is ask.

     So why do we go through struggles? Punishment? Redirection? Is Satan trying to bring us down? How do we know for certain? The only answer is to pray. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray without ceasing." Read your Bible regularly so you can learn the principles He wants You to live by. God will never leave you confused as to what is going on. He may not show you the whole picture, but He will help you from situation to situation. He loves you, He will guide you, He will carry You through your hard times. He wants you to trust Him completely. Sometimes it's hard to let go of certain things in your life (trust me, I know), but He always has the best plans for you.

     "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 20:11

God's Guidebook For Life

     "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed." - Galatians 1:8-9

     What do you think it takes to get to Heaven? Does it involve being good enough? Maybe it just matters whether or not your good outweighs your bad? Maybe it doesn't matter at all because a loving God would never send anyone to hell, right? Well, not exactly.

     It's not possible to be "good enough" to get to Heaven. We are all sinners, we were born that way, and whether you try to live a good life or not, if you have never let the blood of Jesus wash away that sin, there is no way you (with that sin) can enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

     What makes us sinners? When the first sin was committed and sin entered the world, we were all cursed with a sin-nature. Sin is a desire to do things that are not Godly. In Exodus, God gave Moses ten specific commandments of things that should not be done. They are:

     1) "You shall have no other gods before Me." - Exodus 20:3. This includes anything we spend our time with more than God.
     2) "You shall not make for yourself a carved image." - Exodus 20:4. We should not be worshipping anything other than God, no images, no pictures, no items, nothing.
     3) "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain." - Exodus 20:7. Every time someone uses His name as a curse word, it is taking His name in vain.
     4) "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." - Exodus 20:8. When God created the world and rested on the seventh day, it wasn't because He was tired. He did it as an example that we are supposed to follow. We can work six days, but we need to take a day out of the week to rest - it works to both recharge us and to keep us humble.
     5) "Honor your father and your mother." - Exodus 20:12. - You may not always see eye to eye on things, but God appointed the adults in your life for a reason. If your parents don't honor God and you find it difficult to honor the things they do, then perhaps He placed them in your life for YOU to be a witness to them.
     6) "You shall not murder." - Exodus 20:13. Even hatred toward someone is unacceptable.
     7) "You shall not commit adultery." - Exodus 20:14. - Literally, don't even think about it. If you followed God's guidance for a spouse, then you should not even be thinking about looking elsewhere. This includes pornography - God is not pleased with such activity.
     8) "You shall not steal." - Exodus 20:15. - It doesn't matter how small something is, if it does not belong to you, it does not belong in your possession without the consent of the owner.
     9) "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." - Exodus 20:16. God wants us all to be honest. Even little white lies, while we make think they are innocent, can always have the potential to hurt somebody.
     10) "You shall not covet." - Exodus 20:17. Don't ever be jealous for anything someone else has. You can be happy for them, but when you let the selfish desires of jealousy cloud your judgment, that is putting your wants before God's, and that is not where your priorities need to be.

     Breaking any of these commandments is what makes us a sinner. If God is not in your life, you're already breaking the first three, and therefore have absolutely no chance of gaining access into Heaven. As I said before, you cannot possibly be "good enough" as long as your soul is still stained with sin. Heaven is perfect and, as such, it is impossible for sin to enter, and there are no exceptions to that.

     Now, what about the statement that God is a loving God and would never send anyone to hell. While it's true that God loves us, there is still that little problem about sin not being allowed to enter into Heaven. God may love us, but He is still a judge, and He is a good judge, at that. No sin, no matter how great or small, can pass the gates into the Kingdom of Heaven. When we sin, we are giving in to the temptations of the devil. One day, Satan will be locked in hell, and he wants to take as many people with him as he can. Satan wants you to fail. Some people may even find it fun to sin, after all, when you go against God, there are no responsibilities, no rules to uphold, but that attitude is what makes Satan very happy and he knows he can trust that those people will be right next to him in the fiery pit. Are the eternal consequences worth it to you?

     Some people are under the illusions that hell will be a place to just have a big party. Why don't we research what hell will be like? Revelation 21:8 calls it a "lake which burns with fire and brimstone" and a "second death." Matthew 13:50 says, "There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Jude 1:7 call it an "eternal fire." Have you ever burnt yourself? Imagine the way that felt, except it's all over your body. There is no water, the fire never goes out, it's extremely hot and you might feel thirsty, but that thirst can never be quenched. Hell is a real place, but it is not a place for a party. Hell is a place of eternal (yes, I mean eternal, as in never-ending, and once you're there, there are no second chances) torment.

     Many churches today don't like to preach about the reality of hell because it scares people away. The truth is, we need to be scared of it. What encourages us to live for God if we're not afraid of the alternative? How can we appreciate the gift of God if we don't understand the horrific details of what Jesus died to save us from? Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice so we wouldn't have to go to hell, so we could choose to accept Him and go to Heaven. Yes, we have to choose Him. His death wasn't a free pass that would save everyone. It created the POTENTIAL for everyone to be saved, but if you don't accept Him and live for Him, if you choose to still live in your sin, then that sin will prevent you from having access to Heaven.

     The opportunity for salvation was a gift, but if you don't open it, you won't have it. Accepting the gift, accepting Jesus, and letting Him be ruler of your life, is the one and only way to Heaven.

Living Like Christ

     "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.." - 1 Corinthians 11:1

     What does it mean to be a Christian? Does it mean God finds favor with us? Of course, just like any child finds favor in the eyes of their father, God is our Heavenly Father and we are His children who are all very precious to Him. Being a Christian means that we have accepted God's gift of salvation and have given our lives to Him to follow the amazing plan He has for each of us.

     There seems to be a lot of controversy as to how Christians should act. Some people may say that they believe in Christ and that is enough, but they can still do whatever they want because God loves them anyway. Yes, God loves them, but as a child disappoints a father, that sin is disappointing to their Heavenly Father.

     Others may say that they believe in Christ, and for the most part, they're good people, and the good outweighs the bad, so that's good enough. Just giving God what you deem to be 'good enough' will still disappoint Him. Revelation 3:15-16 says, "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish that you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth." When you only give what you say is 'good enough' rather than giving Him your best, that is like an insult to Him. You absolutely cannot ride the fence. If you love Him, give Him your all, and He knows your heart, He knows where your true devotion lies. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties." - Psalm 139:23.

     Another group of people might say that the best way to act like a Christian would be to follow the example of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul wrote to the people of Corinth to imitate him because he was imitating Christ. In essence, Paul didn't actually want the people to imitate him, but he wanted them to join him in imitating Christ, in acting like Christ, loving like Christ, teaching truth like Christ.

     I remember a movement that began years ago where everyone was using the phrase WWJD - What Would Jesus Do? While it was a good thought, the idea began to be over-used. People would wear the WWJD bracelets, but they didn't know what it meant. You could tell by their actions that they weren't applying that question to their lives, and they were only wearing it because it was a fad. Truthfully, though, according to Paul, we need to be applying that question to our lives every day. When we're faced with a decision, well, what would Jesus do about it? He would have us consult with Him (pray about it) rather than make any rash decisions on our own (Proverbs 3:5-6). When we're feeling angry, what would Jesus do about it? He would speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). When we're feeling depressed, what would Jesus do about our situation? He would encourage us to think about something positive, something noble, just, pure, lovely, and good report (Philippians 4:8).

     The bottom line is that a Christian should be living in a Godly, Christ-like manner.

     Why is that so important?

     When we call ourselves Christians, we become ambassadors for Christ. We bear His name - 'Christ'-ian, and therefore, we represent Him in everything we do.

     What do you want the world to think about Christ? As a Christian, it's YOU the world is looking at to find out why you say Christ is so amazing? You're a Christian, you can talk the talk, but will you walk the walk?

Prayer Makes A Relationship

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

     How do you pray? Do you actually talk to God as if you were having a conversation with Him? Do you have a regular prayer you pray every morning or night, saying the same thing over and over each day? Do you even pray every day, or only when you need something? Do you stop to thank Him when He answers your prayer in the way you were hoping for? Do you praise Him every day? Do you still praise Him when He gives you what you need rather than what you want?

     God is our Heavenly Father and we should feel like we can have an open conversation with Him. He wants us to talk to Him. Tell Him what you want, tell Him what you feel like you need, tell Him your hopes and dreams, tell Him your fears and frustrations and things you're struggling with.

     After all that, though, don't forget to listen for His response. Yes, He will talk to you. The Holy Spirit is always talking to us, encouraging the choices we make every day. The closer you get to Him, it will seem easier to recognize His guidance. Don't forget to read your Bible because that is the main tool He uses to talk to us. Pray before you read that you will get something out of it, and you most definitely always will.

     Some people might say they don't know how to pray. It's easier than you might think. Just talk to Him like you would talk to anyone. Talk to him like I'm talking to you right now. Prayer is a one-on-one conversation with your Creator. That might make it seem a little intimidating to just talk to Him casually, but that comes with having a relationship with Him. He is also our Heavenly Father. Talk to Him like you would talk to your dad, or you could also talk to Him like you would talk to your best friend (which is another part of the relationship we have with Him).

     By the way, yes, I called prayer a conversation. Like I said, God talks to us all the time. Sometimes He might choose to do it through your Bible reading. Other times, we just need to be still, be quiet, open our hearts, and listen.

     Just like any relationship, it takes time and effort to help it grow. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says simply that we are to "Pray without ceasing." Jesus will always make the time to talk to us. Will you make the time to talk to Him?