Rest in being a child

I want to just write down what the Lord has been speaking to me about.

Recently, a friend of mine handed me a book called "Justification and Regeneration". It explains what happened when we placed our trust in Christ and what it means to be justified and made a new creature. The truths taught in this book have been life changing.

A few years ago I did a in depth study in the bible on the topic of "eternal security". I had always thought that once you were saved you still had the choice to "divorce God", as I would say, and lose your salvation. I got stuck on the passage in Hebrews 6:4-6 for a while as I studied the original Greek words. I tried talking to a couple leaders in my life about it but no one seemed to help my thought process.

As two years went by, God took the time to walk me through this patiently, one step at a time. I didn't know it at the time but in thinking that I could lose my salvation, I lacked peace about who God was to me and who I was in Him. I had an underlining feeling that it was up to me to keep my relationship with God. My understanding of justification was very shallow. I thought "Ya He sees me as "just if I'd never sinned" but I'm still a sinner." I never really thought about that statement being a contradiction. Justification doesn't just mean that on the day of conversion, God declares you innocent until you sin again. It means that He declares you to be innocent once and for all time. Not only that but He creates a whole new person out of you. He changes you from someone who loved being a criminal, so to speak, to someone who loves to obey. He give you a new nature.

One huge piece of this that is changing my whole perspective is that salvation is His work. He wooed me, broke me, killed me, buried me, created a whole new me, and now keeps me until the very end. What choice did I have in this? It was all Him. And since it was all Him, it will continue to be all Him. I can just cease. Cease striving and know that He is GOD. Nothing is up to me. Nothing! I can now change my prayer from, "Lord what can I do today?" to "Father You are doing a work today, I just want to be with You.".

I really feel like the pressure is off. Jesus' yoke is easy and His burden is light.

"Now to Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." Jude 24, 25

Sat. street witnessing

Pre-Game Story. Before I even headed out to meet you guys, I ran into my neighbor who saw my Jesus shirt which prompted him to ask about Jesus. I didn't share what Jesus did for him. Man, can you imagine an easier witnessing encounter? The guy meantions Jesus, asked what religion I am, and I still didn't share the gospel with him. I went in the house and Bre asked me if I shared my faith with him. I said "He caught me off guard.". She said "Ryan you have gospel tracts in your pocket.". I laughed and replied, "Well I mean i didn't get to pray and spend time in the word.". She said "You mean like we just did this morning?". What I realized is that I was showing partiality.

You see I've worried in the past about this guy being a sexual preditor towards my wife and kids. My desire for this guy's salvation was small. If only I had the heart of God and saw him as He saw Saul as he preyed on His children. As I walked to meet you, I opened up "Way of the Master Minute". The first one opened to in the middle of the book said, "Caught off guard.".

Game time. I loved the preparation time. We huddled in and turned to Jesus as we prepared to tell people about Him. I was glad we split up. I could sense right off the bat that the first girl felt mobbed. As we walked in our group of three, It still wasn't what I was used to. All other witnessing I had ever done, had been alone. I also never really used tracts before so the first thing I was worried about was what to say as I handed one out. I decided that "Have you seen these?" was my best bet for now. People usually responded with, "What is it?". Then I would say, "It is a gospel tract.". If they seemed willing to talk I would ask them, "Ever think about what happens after you die?" I found that people did not like the "ticket to heaven or ticket to hell" tract when I handed it to them "ticket to hell" side up. Imagine that...... Someone being offended at your desire for their eternal damnation. I think I'll pay attention to which side is up next time since it is heaven I wish for them hoping they will not choose the alternative.

I was sweating as we walked down the unshaded side of sixth street. After I had been rejected by an older couple, I looked up and saw a couple of young girls walking away from Dave ripping up a tract and saying "Oh it's about God, then... (rip)! I guess I'm going to hell!" I thought, "This is going to be interesting." I did not get discouraged though. I remembered Jesus' promise that the world will hate you because they first hated Him. The first good one to one was with some highschoolers. My favorite. One of which was a girl named Sarah who used to go to our church. As one kid claimed Christ, Dave, used the law right away to make sure he understood what he was claiming. I talked to Sarah a little and felt it was an appointment made by God to encourage the faith that she did have. I also had a moment when I felt almost as if I was open air preaching to the four of them for about one minute. I don't recall the names of the three boys. We got them thinking and the seed was planted.

Another one to one was with another few highschool boys. Yippee. Their names were Billy, Jr. and another kid who sat on the ground tearing up our tract. This one went ok. I started with the "Good card". We talked to Billy the most. He had a lot of questions. Jr. was also sceptical. About ten minutes into the conversation Billy said, "Actually I don't believe in God". He also claimed that his soul was of no importance to him. I reasoned with him on that one and he admitted that deep down, he really does care about his soul. I gave Billy and Jr. extra Lee Stroble tracts and a bible. He said would not read it but we instisted that he as least take it home.

Jay and Keith were brothers. I handed Keith a "ticket to heaven or ticket to hell" tract. He said "Sir, why have you just given me a ticket to Hell?" I said "oh it actually explains the gospel on both sides. See?" Keith was confident that he would go to heaven after he died. Jay stayed silent. After Dave engaged Keith, I swung around to talk to Jay. Jay listened very intently. It seemed to make sense to him. He knew he needed to repent and trust Jesus.

Luke 13:1-9

I will be meditating on this passage this week

Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
And Jesus said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were {greater} sinners than all {other} Galileans because they suffered this {fate?}
"I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
"Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were {worse} culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem?
"I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."
And He {began} telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.
"And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?'
"And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer;
and if it bears fruit next year, {fine;} but if not, cut it down.' "

Job 26 :7-14

"He stretches out the north over empty space And hangs the earth on nothing.
"He wraps up the waters in His clouds, And the cloud does not burst under them.
"He obscures the face of the full moon And spreads His cloud over it.
"He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters At the boundary of light and darkness.
"The pillars of heaven tremble And are amazed at His rebuke.
"He quieted the sea with His power, And by His understanding He shattered Rahab.
"By His breath the heavens are cleared; His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.
"Behold, these are the fringes of His ways; And how faint a word we hear of Him! But His mighty thunder, who can understand."

This is who I worship. This is my Father.

This the one whom I surrender my life.

This is my Maker. This is my Savior.

This is He who knew my name before the beginning of time.

Why I doubt, how I mocked, of that I can not tell.

The source of light and all that is good, He does all things well.

I tremble, I'm amazed, I can't help but cry.

That I can know this Creator through the blood of Christ.

He hung the earth on nothing, He spoke it all with a word.

But still He hung on the tree to pay a debt I couldn't afford.

I tremble, I'm amazed, I can not help but bow.

That this God chose to live in me, and make my heart His house

Job 12:12-25

12 Older people are wise,
and long life brings understanding.
13 “But only God has wisdom and power,
good advice and understanding.
14 What he tears down cannot be rebuilt;
anyone he puts in prison cannot be let out.
15 If God holds back the waters, there is no rain;
if he lets the waters go, they flood the land.
16 He is strong and victorious;
both the one who fools others and the one who is fooled belong to him.
17 God leads the wise away as captives
and turns judges into fools.
18 He takes off chains that kings put on
and puts a garment on their bodies.
19 He leads priests away naked
and destroys the powerful.
20 He makes trusted people be silent
and takes away the wisdom of elders.
21 He brings disgrace on important people
and takes away the weapons of the strong.
22 He uncovers the deep things of darkness
and brings dark shadows into the light.
23 He makes nations great and then destroys them;
he makes nations large and then scatters them.
24 He takes understanding away from the leaders of the earth
and makes them wander through a pathless desert.
25 They feel around in darkness with no light;
he makes them stumble like drunks.

This morning I am thankful that God is for me, not against me. I'm glad I am on His side. That He knows me and I know Him. He is such an awesome God. I also wander if God is ready to destroy our nation. For surely He has made the U.S.A great. Is He ready to scatter us? Has he taken away the understanding of our leaders? I believe this is in the works since our nation has turned it's back on God. I wander about our next president and if he will lead us into the desert, scattered.

Knowing all this about God and the people around me, I am sobering up. I am awakened to the fact that the whole world is under the sway of the wicked one. Jesus is coming back real soon. Am I going to love His appearing or be ashamed? I need to warn people about this powerful God. I need to warn them that the wrath of God abides on them and that Jesus took their sin upon Himself so they can be saved.

Today I thank the Father for His son. I thank Him that I can be called a child and not an enemy who would be crushed under His feet. I thank Him that He granted me the ability to place my faith in Him and be placed under His mile wide wing as apposed to under His mile wide fist.

Job 10:8-13

'Your hands fashioned and made me altogether, And would You destroy me?
'Remember now, that You have made me as clay; And would You turn me into dust again?
'Did You not pour me out like milk And curdle me like cheese;
Clothe me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews?
'You have granted me life and lovingkindness; And Your care has preserved my spirit.
'Yet these things You have concealed in Your heart; I know that this is within You:

At first when I read this, I thought "oh look, Job is praising God again" but then I realized that this is a complaint. What's interesting about this complaint is that Job is still far from cursing God as He questions Him. He confesses that God formed him like clay. How often do I think about that?
Another thing that I think about is that God is probably teaching Job something here that I need constant reminders about. That is that He created us for holines, not hapiness. It is God's goal to make us more like Him so that the world may see Him and glorify Him. Not to keep us happy and healthy. So why do I expect God to keep me healthy? Why do I constantly pray for God keep me feeling good and hardly ever ask Him to mold me into His image?

"Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past {me,} I would not perceive Him.
"Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, 'What are You doing?'
"God will not turn back His anger; Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab.

This develops in me a reverent fear of God because the Spirit of God lives within me. Others are just stuck on "What are You doing God?". Although Job was obviously wondering what God was doing, he was giving Him glory in the midst of his confusion and pain.

I love the thought that my God is so powerful that no one can stop or even hinder Him from what He wants to do. If He wants to, He can take away anything that I posses. My kids. My job. My health. But I can always know that He is just. I can always know that there isn't an evil thought in Him. I also know that everything works for the good of me because I am His child.

Then Job answered,

"In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God?
"If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand {times.}
"Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm?
"{It is God} who removes the mountains, they know not {how,} When He overturns them in His anger;
Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble;
Who commands the sun not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars;
Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea;
Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south;
Who does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number.

Once again Job is answering one of his "friends" after accusing him of cursing God. In chapter 8 Bildad went off on Job about him needing to repent. Bildad's last words were, "The dwelling place of the wicked will come to nothing." implying that Job's dwelling place was brought to nothing because Job was wicked.
Sometimes i will look at someone who is prosperous and automatically assume that they accumulated it all by greed and secretly want to see God punish them. I need to watch that jealousy in my own heart.
I love Job's answer. He exalts God. He didn't go off on Bildad. He simply just started talking about how no one is righteous before God. Of course he was responding to Bildad's self righteous attacks so there was probably a reason why he sais "How can a man be right before God?". This makes me think that in every situation or conflict, it would be wise to bring God into the picture. Just start talking about how good He is. Start exalting Him and lifting up His name. Why because that is what the other person needs. He or she, especially if you consider them to be self righteous, needs to get a right perspective of a holy God. This is also good for my soul to dwell on this passage to keep from thinking that I can control things.

Job 6:14

1."One should be kind to a fainting friend, but you have accused me without the slightest fear of the Almighty.

2."To him who is afflicted, kindness should be shown by his friend,
Even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

3."For the despairing man {there should be} kindness from his friend; So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.

Here we have three different translations of Job answering his "friends". I haven't had the time to dissect this passage to find out what the correct rendering is but i think i can take wisdom from all three.

1.I should be afraid of accusing a man, who is right with God, of wrong. This would put me in the category of Satan who's name means accuser.

2.Kindness should be shown to my friend even if he is not fearing God in his actions. I should rebuke him as kindly as I could.

3.If i was despairing, I would want my friends to comfort me, not accuse me. I would want them to help keep me from forsaking the Lord in my distress.

Truth & Wisdom With Truth

Behold, happy [is] the man whom God corrects: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:

I know these words to be true. When God corrects me it is bittersweet. He lets me do something stupid for a short time, then lets me experience the consequences of it. He then teaches me why He told me not to do it in the first place. He shows me that His commandments are not burdensome but a joy. It is disobedience that is burdensome in the long run. I might get pleasure or satisfaction temporarily but the ramifications out-way the short-lived gratification. When God asks me to do something it is for my good. When He asks me to refrain from something it is for my good. I may not be able to see this right away. Also sometimes the reward for obeying Him may not come until I meet Him face to face. But since I know that God is just, I know that He is faithful to reward according to my deeds. I know this because He sais it in His word that He will tally up the works done in faith by the believer as well as keeping record of every sin committed by the unbeliever.

There is something that I can't ignore about this passage though. It is spoken by Eliphaz, Job's "friend". How true are his words but how false is his judgement of Job. See I am convinced that Job's friends were secretly jealous of his wealth and prosperity. They were probably thinking that he was gaining all he had from greed. So when Job hit hard times they thought that God was finally giving Job what he deserved. I know this isn't true because the intro to this book shows me that Job was being tried and proven, not corrected. Yes God has things to say to Job later about the way that Job was questioning God through his suffering but Job's suffering was not a result of sin as his "friend" here was impying.

This makes me cautious about thinking i know what God is doing behind the scenes is someone elses life. I could be thinking something that is true, such as "Happy is the man whom God corrects", but be way out of line in the way that I apply that truth to the situation. Because of this danger of missusing truth, I think I will try more to be quick to listen and slow to speak. I will try harder to seek out God's heart in each situation and with each person.

One more thought; I get a certain fear that i am capable of misusing truth and ,as a result, speaking foolishly. I don't to use God's word to hinder His work. For that would be the ultimate slap in the face of God.

And said, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD"(Job 1:21)

Here Job has just lost all his possessions and his family accept his wife.

Shall we accept good from God and shall we not accept adversity"(Job 2:10)

Here Job is responding to his wife telling him to curse God and die. No doubt God used his marriage previously to allow Job to grow.
I am amazed at these words. For someone to go through such pain and suffering and still come back and say this. Wow. This is such an example to me. This is the kind of faith that I desire. Even though Job spends chapter three cursing the day he was born. This shows what was in his heart as a first response.
I also think about the purpose of all this suffering. Was it all for nothing? What was God doing. He is proving Job's character. Not only that but He was proving Himself in that the people who truly put their trust in Him will have stability and hope. Our God is worthy of this kind of trust.

Job

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.(Job1:1)

I'v started a read through of Job. As I go through, I will be underlining things that stuck out to me. I will be sharing what I like about these verses.

This introduction to the man Job is one that is not said of many. It almost looks like it is saying that he is perfect. Well we know according to the rest of scripture that God is the only one who is perfect. But it does say that he is blameless.
Blameless is not perfection. Blameless is setting straight what you've screwed up. It's admitting your wrong, not making exuses, and trying your best to change.
Upright is saying that he was a moral man. Probably cause he had only one wife while even David who was a man after God's own heart, had many wives.
He feared God and turned away from evil. This is the key. Fearing God. It is the fear of God and the awe of Him that will make me blameless, upright and cause me to turn form evil.

Unsaving belief and saving belief

Unsaving belief is saying yes with your mind. Saving belief is saying yes with your life.

Belief

"Repent and believe in the gospel." This word believe is not merely an agknowledgment but a placing ones trust or confidence in something. It is the same for the word "faith". The idea is placing your trust and confidence in the finished work of Jesus on the cross which is the gospel. Jesus knew that his audience was placing their trust in other things to get them into heaven and to bring them hope and fulfillment. He also knew that He was the only way, truth and life. He knew that if any of these people were left in the state they were in of trusting in their own righteousness, they would remain also under God's wrath. Since God's heart is that none would perish, Jesus' heart was the same. This supernatural love drove Him to say things to people like "Repent and believe in the gospel". He did not tell people that God is at the top of a mountain and which ever side of the mountain you go up doesn't matter because they all lead to the same place. He told them to zero in on the Him. He told them to place their confidence and trust in His righteousness.

These three things are the key to true salvation. Repentance and belief in the gospel. If you leave one out, salvation won't happen. Jesus didn't say to repent only because what good would it do to turn from falsehood unless you knew what truth to turn towards. Jesus didn't leave out repentance from sin because sin is the very thing that seperates us from God. Neither did Jesus just explain the gospel to people without commanding to repent and believe lest anyone think that simply agknowledging His work on the cross would save them. For sceptics, Jesus' words are your clear warning and offer of a way out. For us christians, this is our model for sharing our faith.

Listen to Jesus! He knows what He's talking about.

Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God's."

Peter was a follower of Christ and it seems here that he was called "Satan" by Jesus. Man, how much would that suck to hear these words from the most important man who would ever live.
I think of how I can relate to Peter. Always looking at things from my own perspective and not from God's. When I act on these earthly minded thoughts without taking the thought captive, I am not carrying out God's will but Satan's.

I am observing also, and I admit probably hoping, that Jesus was talking to Satan and not Peter. If this is true, it would be encouraging to me that Jesus is able to make a distinction between me and my foolish actions. Thus loving me the same but rebuking and correcting what I do.

Repentance

Jesus says "Repent and believe in the gospel". We already talked a tiny bit about what the gospel is. Now let's take a peak at what repentance is.

Repentance. To turn. To change your mind. To do a 180. To stop what you are doing and do the opposite.

Jesus did not just say this to the people of His time. He's saying it to anyone who has not repented and believed yet. This includes billions of people since His time and it includes you and me.

So what does Jesus want us to stop doing? What does He want us to turn from? I think everyone knows the answer to that question. It is sin. Let's take a look at what sin is for a moment.

1. Transgression of the Law (the commandments)
2. Anything that does not put value on the glory of God.
3. Disobeying God in any way.
4. Anything contrary to God's will.

How do we know God's will? By reading His word. If we don't read His word, we won't be able to discern His will and we won't be as sensitive to the sin in our life or when we are disobeying Him.

So in essence Jesus is saying "Stop disobeying God! Stop living a life that is contrary to His character and will. Stop living a life that puts no value on the glory of God. Stop breaking His commandments. Stop making excuses for your sin. Stop rationalizing your disobedience toward God and hate that sin like God does. Hate your hatred for others which God sees as murder. Hate your coveting. Hate your lusting after the things God has not given you. Hate your lusting after anyone who is not your spouse which God sees as adultery. Hate the way you let other things consume your life and thoughts other than God which He calls idolatry. Hate the way you never listen to Him but you always say you know Him which God calls hypocrisy. Hate your pride. Hate it so much that you turn from it and towards God who is waiting for you to give your life fully to Him. Run the opposite direction. Run towards righteousness."

So do think that I'm perfect now that I've repented? No God has just started a process in me of hating the things that He hates and loving the things that He loves.

So since Jesus said "Repent and believe.." then what does it mean to believe? These are the two requirements of salvation so it would be good to understand the best we can. I will explore this act of belief next time.

The Gospel

Gospel means good news. So whats the good news? In another way you can call it the cure. The only way a person is going to appreciate the cure or the good news is if they understand that they have a disease or if they think that they actually want to hear good news. Sin is the disease. The Gospel is the cure. God's wrath abides on you but Jesus came to give you a way out. Not only that but He gives us a way in. A way in to the Father.
When Jesus was saying "repent and believe in the gospel" He was basically saying "Turn from you sin and believe in the Messiah and what He is going to do".
Jesus is what makes the gospel good. It is in the telling of His story that brings glory to God.

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."

There ya go. There it is. Jesus' first and main message. This is what He cared most about. That people would repent and believe in the gospel. So what does it mean to repent? What does it mean to believe? And what exactly is the gospel? I want to explore these things in my future blogs.

Psalm 36

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
6
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
7
How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
in the shadow of your wings.
8
You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
letting them drink from your rivers of delight.
9
For you are the fountain of life,
the light by which we see.

The last five verses were just talking about the wickedness of man (read my last blog). Once I admitt that the last five verses is me , then I can appreciate these verses. Once I realize that I have a terminal disease, then I can appreciate the cure. The disease is sin. Sin is failing to love God and failing to put value on His glory. Even though He gives the common graces of food, shelter, the beauty of creation, life and breath, I still hated Him. There was no awe of Him in me. I was too stuck on myself to see my rebellion. I told myself that I was good and that God was bad. All my thoughts were void of the true God. O I made my own god in my mind that I was comfortable with, then said that I loved him and followed him. All the while I put no value to the One who has given me every reason to treasure Him.
Now that I am re-born; given new desires, desiring to please Him and hating my sin, I am freed up to treasure my Maker. I can see Him as my fountain of life and the light by which I see. And after I saw my sin as being piled up high, now I can see how His faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. After I saw His righteousness and how it's like the might mountains, I now see my unrigteousness. After I saw His justice and how it is as deep as the ocean, I see now that because of the His pure justice, I had to be punished for my rebellion and failure to love and treasure Him. This punishment took place 2000 yrs ago when Jesus, the King of heaven, was condemned so I could be accepted by the Father. Praise God for His unfailing love!

Psalm 36

Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts.
They have no fear of God to restrain them.
In their blind conceit,
they cannot see how wicked they really are.
Everything they say is crooked and deceitful.
They refuse to act wisely or do what is good.
They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots.
Their course of action is never good.
They make no attempt to turn from evil.

This is you if you are not born again. This was you if you are.

That None Would Perish: 2 Peter 3:9#links

That None Would Perish: 2 Peter 3:9#links

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. - 2 Pe 3:9

Sometimes when I'm tired of this life, I'll say "Lord please come back soon.". In one way that is good for me to in anticipation of His coming. But other times I stop and think, "But my grampa hasn't turned to You yet.". This is a God given desire for people to be pulled out of the path to hell. God wants those people to be saved more than I do. In this passage it tells me that the very reason Christ hasn't come yet is because He is still preparing some to repent.
This morning I am feeling God say to me through this passage, "Go find those that I am preparing to repent. Warn them about my wrath. Reason with them. Explain to them that they are cut off from Me because of their sin. Explain to them that because I am good I can't forgive them because of my pure justice. Then explain to them that My Son was beaten, crucified, and rose on third day so that their sin would be paid for. Tell them that they need to turn from that sin and put their trust in the work of My Son on the cross. Tell them that He is the only way to come to Me. Ryan. I desire to use you, My child, to be a part of My work of saving souls. I desire to bless you in the process. Look to Me for strength, for the right words, for the satisfaction of your soul and fulfillment. I am waiting patiently for people to turn. But I am also waiting for you to speak to them."

I just watched a movie that bothered me more than any other movie has. I'm not going to tell you what movie it was cuz I basically don't want you to see it if you have'nt already. For those of you who have seen it, you might figure out which one it is. This movie took christianity and flush it down the toilet. The picture it painted was pretty disturbing. But you know what, at the same time it was a look at us christians from the world's eyes. What kind of picture did it paint? A religion full of superstitions, clitical and condemning people, false love, empty words, fake smiles, struggling prayers, brain washing, hypocritical bimbos and followers..............and the list goes on.

I am so disgusted with this christianity, I could imagine how the people react who are searching for meaning. It was a huge lie, a rip off. Not a hint of the real christianity which is; real relationships and fellowship, sacrificial love, giving, hope through the impossible, joy in hard times, peace in chaos, unfake emotion for God and people, compassion, passion for life, comfort for the hurting. Now the sad part is, that there are plenty of fake smiles out there in the name of Jesus. There are plenty of critical christians who see a homeless guy and think 'thank you Lord that Im not like him.'. Or the sin sniffer who never misses a beat when it comes to pointing out everyone's sin but doesnt know the first thing about the areas they fall short in.

People! Friends! Brothers and sisters! Listen up! God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that whoever would believe in Him would not parish but have everlasting life. God sees all sin on one playing field. Slander, homosexuality, forgetting about the poor, gossipping, murder, and being unloving are all the same to Him.

Let us realize that God does not want anybody to parish. Let us always say the word 'hell' on the virge of tears. Let us say 'Search ME o God and know ME, see if there be any wicked way in me....' and see our own faults and flaws and deal with them before God and let God deal with everyone else's. Let us love God for the fact that it cost Him His life to show us how much He first loved us. Let us love people as if their life depended on it. Let us strive to grow closer to selflessness and further away from hypocritical bimbos.