Understanding the Gift

Can I be honest? Last year, at this exact time, Early Christmas morning, I was walking in sin. I was so deep that at that time, I could have sworn I was a slave to it. Lust had brought me to my destruction, and had taken over all the logic in my head. I was no where near the man I am suppose to be. I remember giving into lust like it was my duty, like it was something I just had to do.

I have been asked to give my favorite Christmas memory so many times this year, but it hurts when I begin to think of all the years, around Christmas, I would walk in sin, continuously. I remember the nights I would waste, and even the moments of the day that I would use to fulfill my desire to be loved, and wanted. I searched long and hard for that one thing, and til this day, I have yet to find it.

This is the first Christmas Eve where I feel safe in the arms of Christ. It's the first where I feel like I am doing the right thing. The first where I understand what the gift was, and what He did. Why do I search for things on earth to satisfy me? My God and Savior became a human to suffer pain and rejection, yet I add to His suffering because of my blindness. God, I am so blind. The cure for sin is love, and I have yet to understand it.

 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" - John 15:13

God, I praise You for Your gift, yet help my unbelief - Forsake All

(PS... Merry Christmas)

Wonderful Beautiful Grace

Luke 2:8-14 says, “8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.’”

What an object of grace! I remember my friends and I having conversations about the grace of God. When Adam sinned, he condemned all men to die, but Christ came so that we may have life, and life abundantly. The fact that He came and saved those He willed was an amazing act of grace.

One thing I never understood was grace. I guess I understood the concept, but I didn’t rest in it. My whole life, I feel like the things I have done were to make those around me proud. However, God does not ask for our perfection, because He loves us. He didn’t die for the perfect men of Christ, but He died for the weak, the lame, the losers, the sinners, the adulterers, and the slaves of sin.

This never made sense to me, so I kept running from God’s grace to try to earn His favor by my righteousness. But looking at that sentence alone, how silly does that sound? Last night, I had gotten in trouble because of some silly mistakes I had previously made. My father punished me, but also extended me grace. I told him that I felt like he was never proud, and in return, I realized that I was never satisfied.

I remember understanding this while I was lying down on his floor, with my hands over my face and tears falling from my eyes. I just didn’t understand why my dad would love someone as disobedient as me, and it took the stance of someone with no pride to understand. I was willing to accept the grace because I understood that I had nothing else to hold on to.

We are caught in God’s grace, but I know that it feels like I am trying to please Him to earn His favor. I told my dad it was like I was in a soccer game. I was running around and trying so hard, while God was on the sidelines watching me, and it was my job to make Him happy with the way I was playing.

Romans 6:15 says that we are no longer under the law, but under grace. If this is true, then God has already accepted us. He has already loved us. If you feel like you’re running, playing a game of soccer, reading your Bible, or even trying to pray to earn God’s favor, then stop. You already have it. -  Forsake All

May it Never Be!

Romans 6:1-2 says, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”

This has been on my mind because of its constant application in my life. Lately, I have been struggling with a sort of “Thorn in the flesh” that keeps causing me to sin. I have been thinking of the possibility to completely rid myself of this thorn in the flesh, but so far, all my ideas haven’t completely taken away the temptation.

I’m tired of my continual sin. You see words on a blog page, but really, I am pretty upset about my constant decision to disobey my God and even my parents. I wish there was a way to be completely unbound by sin, where it had no hold over me. If there was a possibility that sin couldn’t have a hold on me, then I think I could mustard up the control and will to do the right thing. But listen to this…

Romans 6 goes on to say, in verses 17-18, “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

We have been set free from sin, but for some reason, we don’t live like it. This verse tells us that everything I wish we could do, like being set free from sin’s hold, has indeed happened. God has set us free from sin, and He has equipped us with armor to withstand the blows that the devil throws at us.

If we can conclude that we have been set free from sin, and have become slaves to righteousness, then we can say that we are apart of God’s team, and not Satan’s. Also, if we can say that we continue to fall into sin, then we need to address our armor and see where the leaks are where the firry darts are getting through.

We need to put up our guard against the enemy, or else, it will feel like we are still under his control. My urge is for you and I to get into the Word and have enough faith, peace, truth, and joy to withstand the devil. I believe that God can save us from evil, because of His love and also because of the tools He has given us. Now one question still remains.

Can we, being humans, be perfect? What’s my answer to that? I guess I’m going to have to find out! – Forsake All

(PS. Romans Six is a great passage if you are dealing with sin. I would encourage you to read it constantly and be reminded that God has set you free from whatever you think is holding you back from Him.)

Sheep in the Midst of Wolves

Luke 6:22-23 says, “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. 23 Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.”

Also, Matthew 10:16 says, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.”

Now we must wonder why God would put us through so much pain, while we are in the world. We are told that the world hates us, because it first hated Christ (John 15:18). Rich Mullins, a Christian artist, once said, “The world can’t stand what it can’t own.” Jesus was from Heaven, sent to earth, as a perfect being. The world didn’t own Him.

I think it’s pretty easy to understand that if something is constantly attacking you, it would kind of make you upset. That’s how the world feels when it looks at Christ. The world has to understand that this man, Jesus, is completely attacking the essence of what the world is. The world says that the more you have, the happier you are. The world says that five miles per hour of the speed limit isn’t a big deal. The world says evil is okay, as long as you don’t get caught.

God has sent us out into the world to be hated. I think it’s pretty scary when people, who proclaim Christ, are loved by the world. Later in Luke, it says, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way (verse 26).” There can’t be a balance that says that it is okay to be like the world, but not of it. A common phrase is, “Be in the world, but not of the world.” We are to be a light to the world, as Jesus was (John 8:12), but not conformed to the world (Romans 12:2).

John 17 has a lot to say on the subject, and is a great passage to read if you ever are considering challenging your walk a little bit. However, there is an issue of separation of the world. Different people have different thoughts on this subject, and I don’t think there is a complete right or wrong, but it’s how the Holy Spirit guides you.

For me, it’s hard to understand why people are so caught up in the influence of the world’s materialism. The Holy Spirit has personally convicted me of the materialism of the world, and how it is so rampant in our word, and from that, I decided that I just wasn’t going to have a lot of things I don’t need. Now, this does continue to be a struggle, because it’s not very popular, and if I were completely obedient to my conviction, I would be completely hated by some people. However, continue to follow the convictions you have, and stay true to what God is telling you personally, even if people strongly dislike you, because that means that you are actually following Christ and His example.

It’s hard to be hated, but I think it reassures us of our dependency on Christ. I think a question that needs to be asked a lot more is, “Do people get mad when you talk about your faith around them or when you encourage them to read their Bible?” Now, don’t be confused with the argument that Christianity is mean and awful belief, for we are told to love our enemies. However, we are first called to love God, above everything else. When we do that, everything else will fall into place.

Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Forsake All

Be Strong, Never Give Up Hope

Psalm 31:24 says, “Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.” This is my verse of the day because of two very strong women, and their whole family, whom I met today. If you can remember back to a few posts, where I asked for prayer for different things, you’ll remember a girl I mentioned named Maddie. Well, today I got to meet her for the first time.

She currently is in the Hospital and recovering from surgery earlier this week. My friend invited me to come and see Maddie. I was hoping to go yesterday, but today she was feeling a lot better, so I made the trip to the hospital. Maddie was the first strong woman I saw that day. Before she had surgery, she had asked her pastor and others to come and pray with her, and now, even undergoing a lot of pain, she is holding fast to the prayer of those around her. What an amazing example of the importance of prayer in the Church.

The second woman of strength was Maddie’s mother. She had always been there for Maddie this whole time. She, and her husband, had been awake for almost the whole few days in the hospital, with very few hours of sleep. When I met Maddie’s mom for the first time today, I instantly knew she had a loving and caring heart, and when I heard about the sacrifices she had been making the past few days, I understood that she was also a strong lady.

Maddie’s whole family have been supporting her this whole time, when times were tough, and also when things just needed prayer. I believe that God works all things together for good (The good of those who love Him), and I can see the closeness of this family drawing together through this event, and just the affection being passed from one member to another. It is amazing to see God work in times where it doesn’t even make sense why these things would happen.

For those of you who don’t know this, I used to be a part of the band, “Heads Up Alabama” before our name was stolen by a Psychology group in Alabama. However, I have been writing a song about Maddie and her situation recently. I hope to finish writing and recording it pretty soon.

God works in so many ways. He works by reminding us that He has the stars in His hand, and yet cares for us, and He works through the face of a little girl who is relying, only, on the grace of God. How Great is Our God – Forsake All

Prayer of a Righteous Man

John 15:12-17 says, “12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17 This I command you, that you love one another.”

The verse I would like to focus on is verse sixteen, which says, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”

James affirms this message by saying in 5:16b, “.... The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” God is calling us to righteousness (Leviticus 20:26, “Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.”). He desires us to be holy as He is holy, but we often have a misconception about holiness.

When we think of holiness, we think of the walk of sanctification. This is the constant pursuit of Christ, after salvation or through salvation. In this walk we run to God and what His word has to say about who He is. However, the popular belief is that we can never be holy here on earth, because it is only possible to be holy in heaven. Well, obviously, Jesus was holy, thus one can be holy outside of heaven. Anyways, we often believe that since man can’t completely be holy. The race of sanctification is just a race that will finish when we are in heaven. Until then, we must endure the pain that it brings.

However, we must understand that there are effects on earth that we can see clearly. When you are chasing after God with everything you are, the people around you understand that something is, indeed, different. However, the most important aspect is the one seen above, specifically in James 5:16b. When we become righteous, and clean in the sight of God, our prayers can do a lot, then just praying while in a “so-so” relationship with God. As the earlier verses said, we grow in Christ when we are connected to Him, it’s not a long distance relationship. Why? Because He is our source of food, and we are completely dependant on Him.

The point here is, when you draw closer to God, your desire becomes His. If you then pray for the things you desire, you pray for things God desires. When Jesus prayed, He prayed the will of the Father, because He was in bondage with God, while in fact God Himself. Draw closer to God, so that when you pray, He will hear you, and the two desires will be united. – Forsake All

Consider It Pure Joy

Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Check this, as I bring another verse that bluntly says, “Rejoice Always (1 Thessalonians 5:16).” How important is joy in the life of a believer? It’s super important. Christians and non-Christians alike experience situations that very tough. In these circumstances, there is a certain aspect of the Christian that makes the two different.

Romans 8:28 says it plainly.

 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Also, John 9 tells the story of the man who was born blind. In verse two, the Disciples ask, “ ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.’ ”

God is working in the world right now to bring Himself the most amount of glory possible, according to His plan. Why is there evil? Because God has a plan. Why do people become sick? Because God has a plan. What is God’s plan? To bring as much glory to himself possible. And you know what? He has already won the war. It is written in Revelation 20:10, “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

God has already won, and we have joy because we know that when life is hard and almost unbearable, God will win in the end. The best news is that we were enemies with Christ. However, Romans 5:10 says “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

God knows how much of this article is His, and I am starting to understand that too as I look back at what is on my piece of electric paper, and I feel convicted about the times when I am not joyful for what will happen. Now, Ecclesiastes remarks that there is time to weep and a time to laugh (3:4). Crying can be one of the most powerful ways to comfort and also show that your heart is broken, which is a very humble act. However, it is indeed an action, apart from joy.

This to say that you can weep, and still have joy. I think it truly is an art, which takes the right mindset. When bad things happen, or you are praying for something to happen, you cry and ask God to do something, or for Him to change something, but you have joy in knowing that whatever He does, it will be for the good of those who are the called according to His purpose.

James 1:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing”. – Forsake All

Prayer

Hello readers! I am in need of some prayers for a few things

1. That God will bless me with some time that I can continue to update this blog regularly.

2. My friend Maddie who is suffering from an illness. Pray that she will be healed in God's timing.

3. That the hearts of today (Including mine and yours) would be ready to completely forsake all for the glory of Christ.

Thanks guys! This is my second to last week of school until Christmas break, so hopefully I will be able to get my school done, and then be able to write more to you guys. Be encouraged, because God is crazy about you! - Forsake All