ARIZONA IS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIOP GAME!
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Monday, January 12, 2009
So as far as religion vs relationship. It seems that men who started a religion or a church were inspired by God. Then the people followed. People are easily led by an inspired individual. The need to want what someone else has seems to out weigh the need to think for oneself, like it saves time and study, so all that needs to happen is to question “does it sounds right?” My wife says that we should listen to the teachings of our pastors, but their teachings should be taken to the Lord in prayer, to better understand how the Holy Spirit wants to apply the teachings to our lives. It’s up to us to listen!
Back to religion, while people who start the religion are inspired to think and do in a certain manner, a certain set of rules, a certain set of beliefs. While a church founders’ motives may be pure, the people who follow tend to do so just to be a part, and tend to get their eyes off the intended motives and more on following the rules and beliefs of the church. We do things backwards it seems, we tend to check out a church, then buy in to the rules and beliefs of that particular church and accept it as the truth. Whereas in retrospect, we should have gained our rules and beliefs through a relationship with Christ, then go a find a group of believers or a church that has common beliefs. I know I have bought into the teachings of High Desert Church and its been a life changing experience. I’ve yet to buy into everything taught, but I keep taking things to the Lord, establishing a better relationship, so maybe its really not so backwards.
But how can this be accomplished alone with out the guidance of the church? Although I would never limit the power of God, I tried it alone, not quite, but just me and God, I tried to make sense of things on my own, without the help from a group of believers or mentors that could guide me. And what a mess that turned out to be. The Bible gives example after example of how we need to be there for each other, surely God knew that we need Christ and the brotherly love of the church or group of believers to make sense of all this. We can not do this on our own. I wonder where I belong now?
Back to religion, while people who start the religion are inspired to think and do in a certain manner, a certain set of rules, a certain set of beliefs. While a church founders’ motives may be pure, the people who follow tend to do so just to be a part, and tend to get their eyes off the intended motives and more on following the rules and beliefs of the church. We do things backwards it seems, we tend to check out a church, then buy in to the rules and beliefs of that particular church and accept it as the truth. Whereas in retrospect, we should have gained our rules and beliefs through a relationship with Christ, then go a find a group of believers or a church that has common beliefs. I know I have bought into the teachings of High Desert Church and its been a life changing experience. I’ve yet to buy into everything taught, but I keep taking things to the Lord, establishing a better relationship, so maybe its really not so backwards.
But how can this be accomplished alone with out the guidance of the church? Although I would never limit the power of God, I tried it alone, not quite, but just me and God, I tried to make sense of things on my own, without the help from a group of believers or mentors that could guide me. And what a mess that turned out to be. The Bible gives example after example of how we need to be there for each other, surely God knew that we need Christ and the brotherly love of the church or group of believers to make sense of all this. We can not do this on our own. I wonder where I belong now?
Sunday, November 2, 2008
FOUR MONTHS SINCE MY LAST BLOG WOOOOOOWOWOWOOWOW! How time flies! Next weekend we are off to our church's anual Men's Conference. Man this year flew by. I wonder what Christ thinks of me at this moment? I've learned so much this year, about my life, the Word, my relationship with Christ, my wife, my family and life.
Before the Men's Conference last year, I felt as if I had spent forty years in the wilderness of life. Knowing I was a Christian, not really growing, getting by with my personal believes, some biblicle, some "marclicle", none really involving my relationship with Christ. What made the difference this year? What things are different now in my life or those around me?
I think I will start with what I've learned from the word.
1. Salvation can not be lost.
2. The moment a person receives Christ, a FULL portion of the Holy Spirit dwells in the new Christian's soul. The Holy Spirit is permanent, never will leave a Christian, and a Christian does not need more of the Holy Spirit, one just needs to listen.
3. The Holy Spirit speaks for Christ and should never be the center of attention or much less build a religion around the Holy Spirit. The focus should always be CHRIST.
4. Terms like "spirit filled", "speaking in toungues" or "heavenly language" are interpretations of the word that some Christians believe are praying in the Holy Spirit's language; Speaking in tougues is a spiritual gift that one can receive merely by asking God for the gift. But all Christians are "spirit filled" long before one ever asks for any of the spiritual gifts. Understand you can not receive any of the spiritual gifts until you become a christian and the holy spirit fills your soul. When you receive a gift you know it. And if Christians know it? I say lets let them believe it. Its not going to keep a Christian out of heaven. The bottom line is all Christians are spirit filled and there is no spirit in a church building or in a place or someone's home, but get a couple of Christians in a anywhere and its time to have church.
5. The overused term of "MAN'S FREE WILL" changes once man receives Christ. Before Christ the question is to become a believer or not. After receiving Salvation, the question of "MAN'S FREE WILL" becomes does one listen or not. Once a person receives Christ, that person is owned by God and there is nothing man can do to seperate oneself from Him.
6. Christians have a greater influence on their Oikos than they think. Christ is revealed through a Christian's relationships on a day to day basis
7. God's plan for all Christians is to: Love God, Love others, Follow God. This call never changes.
Finally I know that Sean, Myke, Jeremy, Jessie, and Ross are ALL IN!
Before the Men's Conference last year, I felt as if I had spent forty years in the wilderness of life. Knowing I was a Christian, not really growing, getting by with my personal believes, some biblicle, some "marclicle", none really involving my relationship with Christ. What made the difference this year? What things are different now in my life or those around me?
I think I will start with what I've learned from the word.
1. Salvation can not be lost.
2. The moment a person receives Christ, a FULL portion of the Holy Spirit dwells in the new Christian's soul. The Holy Spirit is permanent, never will leave a Christian, and a Christian does not need more of the Holy Spirit, one just needs to listen.
3. The Holy Spirit speaks for Christ and should never be the center of attention or much less build a religion around the Holy Spirit. The focus should always be CHRIST.
4. Terms like "spirit filled", "speaking in toungues" or "heavenly language" are interpretations of the word that some Christians believe are praying in the Holy Spirit's language; Speaking in tougues is a spiritual gift that one can receive merely by asking God for the gift. But all Christians are "spirit filled" long before one ever asks for any of the spiritual gifts. Understand you can not receive any of the spiritual gifts until you become a christian and the holy spirit fills your soul. When you receive a gift you know it. And if Christians know it? I say lets let them believe it. Its not going to keep a Christian out of heaven. The bottom line is all Christians are spirit filled and there is no spirit in a church building or in a place or someone's home, but get a couple of Christians in a anywhere and its time to have church.
5. The overused term of "MAN'S FREE WILL" changes once man receives Christ. Before Christ the question is to become a believer or not. After receiving Salvation, the question of "MAN'S FREE WILL" becomes does one listen or not. Once a person receives Christ, that person is owned by God and there is nothing man can do to seperate oneself from Him.
6. Christians have a greater influence on their Oikos than they think. Christ is revealed through a Christian's relationships on a day to day basis
7. God's plan for all Christians is to: Love God, Love others, Follow God. This call never changes.
Finally I know that Sean, Myke, Jeremy, Jessie, and Ross are ALL IN!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
I BELIEVE..........
I believe that all mankind are sinners and that we need Christ for forgiveness and redemption. How wonderful that I live in a county that allows me to believe in God in a way I want to believe! I give thanks to GOD, my country the USA, and my fellow AMERICANS that have made this FREEDOM possible. I pray for OUR CHILDREN who are fighting the war on terror, and I hope everyone of them will return home safe and sound.
Monday, June 2, 2008
How can God allow this?
The Oklahoma City bombing, 9/11! ManTalk has peaked my interest in this subject. It is true that God is the creator of all things, so one can conclude that God allowed this to happen or God did nothing to stop these terrible deeds. The truth in the matter is that God has tried for ages to keep the world's evil away from his followers, God uses His people to try to bring sense to all this kaos. Its so easy to blame GOD! This is the very evil that GOD has been putting up with for 1000's of years.
The political sense, we as a nation were asleep at the the wheel, especially 9/11. We saw what happened in OKC bombing and 9/11 still occurred. This is the evil God rejects. God is leading us now on a campaign to keep the fight out of this nation. Yes I did say God and not President Bush, President Bush is only a servant to our Lord and he's been chosen to protect God's people from senseless violence on the innocent.
The common sense, no one has attacked us since, thank you God, our prayers are being answered. And I thank every son and daughter of this great nation that is protecting the ones I love at this very moment.
The religious sense, thank GOD president Bush is a Christian! This is a Christian Nation, no matter how hard we try to separate the church and state, or maybe better put the people who run our nation, the majority are Christians.
God is not a co-conspirator with the evil that man does as a point of fact (just read His Word) and certainly not in these two events! As always, God was able to rally this nation in the aftermath of these catastophies. More and more people came to God and asked why, and people were saved, and people, GOD's people mourned for those we have never even met, and Christ brought comfort. As Christians now its our job to bear "much fruit". We must keep raising Christian Children, we must support our Missionaries, we must support those who protect us and above all we must pray.
The political sense, we as a nation were asleep at the the wheel, especially 9/11. We saw what happened in OKC bombing and 9/11 still occurred. This is the evil God rejects. God is leading us now on a campaign to keep the fight out of this nation. Yes I did say God and not President Bush, President Bush is only a servant to our Lord and he's been chosen to protect God's people from senseless violence on the innocent.
The common sense, no one has attacked us since, thank you God, our prayers are being answered. And I thank every son and daughter of this great nation that is protecting the ones I love at this very moment.
The religious sense, thank GOD president Bush is a Christian! This is a Christian Nation, no matter how hard we try to separate the church and state, or maybe better put the people who run our nation, the majority are Christians.
God is not a co-conspirator with the evil that man does as a point of fact (just read His Word) and certainly not in these two events! As always, God was able to rally this nation in the aftermath of these catastophies. More and more people came to God and asked why, and people were saved, and people, GOD's people mourned for those we have never even met, and Christ brought comfort. As Christians now its our job to bear "much fruit". We must keep raising Christian Children, we must support our Missionaries, we must support those who protect us and above all we must pray.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
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