A Battered Warrior

The Clinic

A friend sent me this...  enjoy.

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Why Are People So Evil???

Romans 3:10-18  " As it is written: 

                               There is no one righteous, not even one; There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; There is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; Their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes."

 

  These verses all talk about the fact that we all have sinned - it speaks about human nature.  I found this passage as I was struggling to make sense of the world and things happening around me.  These verses actually gave me comfort... I found myself crying out "Why is this..."  Everyone sins, we must all believe that, but someone who does not know God does not have the "fear of God before their eyes."  In other words they see no value in repentance and forgiveness. I am not saying that we need to judge or dismiss those that we encounter, but we do need to keep ourselves in focus that we are not God.  He knows their hearts, we must not try to understand their motives - only forgive them so that we might be forgiven. We also need to understand that we are not in a Godly world, we are constantly under attack.

Feel Like You Are Being Tested??

Proverbs 17:3  " The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart."

 

    God does test us.  He does so in order to purify our heart and bring us closer to Him.  In times of trouble and stress, when you feel like you are losing it - ask God, "What are you teaching me?"  If you stop long enough to listen, you may gain a great deal of understanding and a new perspective.

Be Thankful...

Thessalonians 5:16-18  "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

 

    I heard someone say that if you are on welfare in America that more wealthy than most people in the world.  It is easy in our society to get caught up in what we are "lacking"... feel sorry for ourselves or complain about our job, money, cars, etc.  It is an easy trap to fall into, we live in a time where instant gratification is king. 

    The verse is simple, yet profound.. It does not tell us to be thankful once a year, or for our blessings... it says to give thanks in all circumstances. Some of our greatest blessing comes from when God does not give us what we "want", but he teaches us what we need. Take the time daily to thank God for what he has given you.  The spirit of contentment will help keep you calm during the most trying times.

An Interesting Take...

I came across an article on Gay Marriage in Newsweek and then an article in Christianity Today. Given all the attention Prop 8 has received in the media, it might be helpful to research things for ourselves. I encourage you to look at your Bibles and read the passages (be sure to look at the surrounding passages) and do not allow things to be twisted or take out of context. I personally believe the Bible is very clear but I believe that it is best if you do the research for yourself. Though keep in mind - God does call us to love each other, though love does not mean condone.  God loves everyone, but he does not approve of our sins.

Newsweek: http://www.newsweek.com/id/172653

Christianity Today: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/decemberwebost-only/150-21.0.html

More on the topic:

http://spectator.org/blog/2008/12/09/religious-folks-for-gay-marria

There are numerous other opinions on this topic but I was amazed at how many base their argument on the assumption that the Bible is outdated and does not apply... that is what worries me the most.

Dare to Be Content...

Proverbs 30:7-9  " Two things I ask for you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?'  Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."

 

  This is a pray by a man named Agur... He was praying to be content in what he had.  The world is constantly tells us we do not have enough. We need the newest, the best, or just simply more. Enough is not a word the world accepts.  Instead of taking part of our blessings and helping those around us, we are told our self worth is equal to our net worth.

    Society has created a culture that thrives on excess and that people always need to upgrade.  This mindset has permeated our entire way of life - not enough money, cars, toys, sex.. don't like your body, buy a new one!  Look at the staggering divorce rates and the epidemic of deteriorating morals; maybe the answer is not in whatwe are missing - maybe we need to stop and be grateful for what we have.

Love....

1 Corinthians 13:4-8  "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

 

    There are things we must all face in our lives that we do not understand... The only constant is Love - the true Biblical Love.  The love God has for us and the love we strive to have for each other.  During times of trial remember - Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres and love never fails.

But It Hurts....

Hebrews 12:11-13  "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness an peace for those who have been trained by it.  Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed."

    

    At times we may feel that we are suffering and do not see the point. Sometimes we have to suffer in order to grow or we suffer because of the choices we have made. God will always be there for us and help us through, as long as our hearts are right with Him and we are submitting to His will not our own.  We grow through our trials, tested and purified by them... the more we risk and trust God, the greater our blessings.  God never said our walk would be easy, we are in a constant battle, but He did say He is always faithful and there for us... we just have to trust Him.

A Thought from "RISK" by Kenny Luck

    I have been reading the book Risk, by Kenny Luck. (It is on the Amazon Link of "You May Enjoy" on this page). I came across a few statements he made that I felt I needed to share -

    "'If you don't' have an attitude of gratitude, all you have left is attitude.' In other words, if I am not grateful to God for His many blessings and for His grace expressed to me in Christ the only options are to act like (a) I deserve them or (b) I have earned them myself. Both of these mind-sets are symptoms of pride."

    "...when any man gets in touch with grace (when I get what I don't deserve) and mercy (when I don't get what I do deserve) and how God graciously showered us with both by means of a bloody Savior, its powerful."

    He also talks about that gratitude does incredible works in softening the heart and opens us up to be more receptive to God and His word.  Take the time to reflect about all the things you have - stop looking at what you "feel" you are lacking.  Here is a sobering thought - the average American on welfare is more wealthy than most people in the world!  Our greed and pride often do not allow us to see ourselves in a global perspective, but God has blessed us all - are you thankful or spoiled?

Free to Be

John 8:31-36  " ...Jesus said, ' If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' 

    They answered him, 'We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?'

    Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free in deed.'"

The world wants to keep us slaves to sin. Every where we turn we are tempted, deceived, and lied to in  an effort to distance us from God and keep us from His will and the blessings He has for us...

    

Proof That Everything Has a Price...

     Over the past few weeks I have seen several versions of this article, I really can not believe that we have come to this. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,480037,00.html  I understand that people call prostitution the "oldest profession," however I can not believe this persons cavalier attitude about selling herself.  In one article she says that she believes the transaction will benefit both people and she justifies it by saying she plans to use the money to pay for her education.  The other disturbing part is that 10,000 people have bid on her virginity... I bet mom and dad are so proud.

Here is another link to the story:  http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/01/22/virginity.value/index.html

And a video report:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2009/01/23/dcl.landau.virginity.for.sale.cnn

 

Revelation....

Revelation 12:10-12  " Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: 'Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.'"

 

    This passage is talking about when Satan and his followers were cast out of heaven.  The interesting parts of this verse is that the "accuser of our brothers..." and "they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death."  Satan constantly attacks us, we are in a spiritual battle that we can not win with our physical bodies alone!  Satan appeals to our sinful nature and uses everything he can to distance us from God - he is very efficient at convincing us that we are not good enough and do not deserve to receive the blessings God has for us. Our testimony, the way we live our lives, is our greatest weapon we have in this battle.  Mere words are not enough, it takes a change of heart and letting our actions speak for us - our fruits reflect our hearts.

 

Never Too Late....

Joel 2:25-26  "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten - the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm - my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed."

 

    The years we are outside of God's will are like the years the locust have eaten, God can restore those year and blessings if we are faithful in the little things.  God will bless us beyond what we can imagine - we just need to be faithful and submit to His will and His plan.

Adjustments

    Over the past few weeks my daughters have started talking about my ex-wife's new boyfriend.  Romantically it does not bother me - though it brings up certain issues.  I currently pay her spousal support and took the majority of the bills - actually it is hard to just make ends meet, but she is living with this guy and has been for about 7 months now.  Of Course she denies it, but my girls talk and I know he is there - but I have to prove it and until I do, I still pay for her new car.  I guess that is what really gets me, the system says it is there to make things "fair" and to keep the one making less money in a similar "lifestyle".  I am sorry, but if you choose to have an affair and choose to get divorced, then you need to be adult enough to pay your own way and be honest about your living situation. 

    Though I have been assured by several child counselors that it is really a good thing that my girls feel they can speak freely to me about the situation at their mom's house.  I try to be open to them and not to let my face reveal my true feelings... but it is hard sometimes.  My ex is very money motivated, but it breaks my heart when my daughters beg me to let them stay or "just go visit" mommy and then come home.  They hate sleeping at her house - because her and her new boyfriend lock the bedroom door every night. My daughters are 3 and 5 years old... they have nightmares and sometimes come get in my bed at night, but they see that her boyfriend has taken a spot they want.

    I guess the purpose of my rant is to encourage parents to think of their children when they do things... they see and understand so much more than we give them credit for.  My oldest complains that she gets told to "keep secrets" from me by her mom... they are kids, lets not rob them of their innocence!  If you have to tell your children to keep a secret, maybe you should not be doing it in the first place! If you can not control yourself, maybe you should not have the kids around when you do it then, the bottom line is the children did not ask to be drug through a divorce, you need to be a parent first and a single person second!  Your children need you even when you think they don't.

Why Doesn't God Hear Me.....

Isaiah 59:1-4       " Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things. No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments an speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil."

 

    I came across this passage in my readings today, I encourage you to read the entire chapter and take to time to examine what is being said.  Sometimes our sin that we have not confessed or repented for will distance us from God and ultimately hinder our relationship with him.  It is not a case that God does not want to bless you, He does - normally it comes to our heart.  We either ask God for things out of our own impure motivation or we are so mired in sin that our hearts are hard. Take the time to reflect and repent. Ask God to show you what is keeping you from Him and listen, He will reveal it to you, but it is up to you to repent.

Inner Battle...

Galatians 5:16-26  " So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

    The acts of the sinful nature are obvious; sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

    But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."

    We must understand that as Christians we are in a constant battle and inner turmoil with the Spirit and our flesh.  Only through our constant walk with God and our desire to draw closer to Him will we gain some sense of peace - however, the battle will continue.  We must place our trust in God and daily allow our faith to grow stronger.

You Have to Experience This For Yourself....

    A friend emailed me this file yesterday... I just had to share it. It is a story told through a powerpoint presentation, truly touching and inspiring.

Download PowerPoint-SeasonsofLife

A Resource....

    As I was surfing the web the other day I stumbled across a site that offers a great deal of information and could prove to be a valuable resource. http://www.bible.org/index.php?scid=1 can provide additional views and seems to touch on a wide range of issues as well. Often times we need to challenge ourselves and our views, research and gain knowledge, and just know that we are not alone - I think this site can help many of us no matter where we are.

Be Generous...

Proverbs 22:9  "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor."

 

    

Gossip....

Proverbs 26:22  " The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts."

Proverbs 26:20  " Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down"

    As I have worked through certain trials in my life I have noticed that I can always find a "friend" that wants to listen, sometimes these friends are fellow Christians.  Unfortunately, I have learned some tough lessons through these experiences too.  Things I had shared in confidence or when I needed advice or support were quickly spread among people that I did not know or did not have the confidence or comfort to share with.

    The first verse addresses the appeal of gossip - there is something in our nature that craves to know what is happening to the people around us and we have this desire to be "in the know".  We must resist that urge to share what we know with others - if someone does not need to know, there is often little point in sharing.  If you are sharing in order to gain knowledge or glean wisdom to help the person with their problems, you still need to respect the confidence of the person that opened up to you.  We all need help or advice from others at some point in our lives. If you were working through your deepest, darkest secrets and need help, would you want the person you confide in to share your problems with everyone they knew?  The same level of respect you would expect you should give.

      When we gossip people get hurt.  We hurt the relationship and trust of the person that confided in us - but we also run the risk of spreading lies and helping distort and destroy a persons character etc.  Personally I have lost a few people I considered friends because they betrayed my trust. I confided in them during a time of trouble and they helped comfort me... however I soon heard from others the things I had said - some true and some not. These things were not meant to be shared, but it also hurt that the person I confided in and the things they had told me lost value.  They lost my trust because they shared things with others, but their actions did not follow what they told me they believed. So now I am left wondering, "Did they mean what they said, or did they just say it so I would continue to talk and give them things to talk about with their friends?"

    We all need to think about what we are saying and if we need to say it...  Proverbs 11:13 says, "A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret."

An Anxious Heart....

Proverbs 12:25  " An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up."

     There are many negatives associated with worrying, yet nothing good can come from it.  Worrying can  not add one minute to your lift, it can not accomplish anything - when you are finished worrying your problems are still there. Take the time to say a kind word to those who are troubled around you - it will mean a lot to them and in doing so you will be blessed as well.

As The New Year Begins....

Psalm 61:1-4  " Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to a rock that is higher than . For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings."

     As our new year begins and we are surrounded by uncertainty, we need to keep our focus on God and trust in Him. He is our refuge and will guide us through our troubled times.  When you think He doesn't hear your cries, sometimes you just need to be still and listen.

An Interesting Look At American History....

Here is a link that I found offering a bit of a hostory lesson of our founding fathers and the roots of religion in America. This is not "the answer", nor is it all inclusive, I just thought it offered an interesting and often ignored view.

http://www.faithofourfathers.net/

When You Are Down....

Psalm 34 :  "I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. 

    I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

    Taste and see what that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 

    Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

    The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

    The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

    A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

    Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him."

 

Time of Reflection...

Proverbs 14:10   "Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy."

 

  As we begin a new year and take time to reflect on the past, we must not forget to examine our own heart.  True healing and forgiveness begins in the heart  - take the time to reflect on your past and through our trials knowledge grows.

Are You Serious?

Tonight I was reading the news and I came across an article on CNN (see link) .  I could not believe what I was reading. America has become so obsessed with being politically correct that we have allowed ourselves to be manipulated and compromised by anyone with a different view point. "Plaintiffs are placed in the untenable position of having to choose between not watching the presidential inauguration or being forced to countenance endorsements of purely religious notions that they expressly deny," according to the lawsuit. The thought that someone would think they could sue the participants of the inauguration because it went against their particular beliefs, amazes me. This is the third time this man has brought this type of suit against the inauguration. I am not saying that people should not have freedom of religion or other ideals – however, when does one man’s freedom stop and another begin? My children are biracial, I am sure there are people that think I am wrong because of my choice to mix races – but should he be allowed to sue me because my choices make him face something he views as wrong? It seems to me that our society has missed the boat somewhere. We have become so tolerant that anyone can protest, boycott, or sue over anything and the “average person” looses. Why? Hopefully they are just as disgusted and annoyed as I am, but typically we choose to remain silent – silent is consent. Our government is no longer “by the people”, it is by the special interest group – they are the ones that have the time and the funding to keep our politicians busy and capture their attention. Unfortunately it appears that out political leaders have become so out of touch with the common American that they actually think they are helping. A lobbyist would not lie would they – after all they have the best interest of the people at heart… tell that to all the people that have lost their homes due to decisions our “leaders” made a few years ago concerning the banking practices… I have drifted off my initial line of thought, people forget our country was founded on God and our founding fathers put things in place to allow us to worship as we choose. Is it wrong for someone to tell me I am not allowed to pray in public because it might offend someone – what about offending me? Throughout history there are examples of religious persecution – have we not learned from history? This man is not fighting for his right to believe – he wants to impose he right not to believe on everyone and deny those that believe the right to express it!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/31/inauguration.lawsuit/index.html