The Key to Life is Balance

The Key to Life is Balance (Part 2)

What are you thirsty for? (Part 2)

What are you thirsty for?

What Defines You as a Person?

What defines us as people? Is it our beliefs. Because it all reality if belief is wat defines us, then we probably would look a lot different. I mean if we really beliefed in pure and undefiled religion like James talks about in James 1:27, then we would reach out to the widows in our communities and there would be no such word as orphan because there would be no orphans. So, is it possible for our beliefs who we are? Think of it this way, is that is true than, we believ in a God who is man, born from a woman and born from God. But still is 100 God and man. Died but because he is God is raised from the dead and now is in heaven, but he died as man, so now he is 100% God only and not to mention he never sinned while on earth, despite being 100% human and all that it means to be human, which is sin, alot, but he didn't because he was the living, breathing, word of God made flesh. WOW! We are defined by that? Are we? I don't know about you, but what defines me is not my relgion, political party, or my girlfriend or lack there of.

So, then what defines me? GOD DOES. What exactly does that mean then? It means God defines who I am, and since he is writing this masterpiece called my life, I can't tuly define my life and who I am, unless it is defined by him. Because the reality is who i am, is because of him. In fact, I am totally 100% defined by him, because he breathed the breathe of life into me and defined from that moment on who i am and who I would become. So, define yourself, you can't. He has to define who you are.

Now, this becomes a queston of hot debate when the disciples are asked by Jesus "Who do me say that I am." AKA how do they define who I am? Is it just me or is Jesus asking how do they define what and who I am? Then he takes the question to a whole new level when he says who do you say that I am? AKA, I know what they say, but do you define me how they define me or do you define me because of what the spirit of God has revealed to you. And Peter, you rarely got anything right gets this right, when he says, "YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD." AKA, you can't be defined by any or all of humanity, you are defined by God, as his son. You are God, in flesh, the living word of God, sent here on earth, to be born, die, and rise again. WOW! Jesus is defined in one phrase. But defined for the disciples in one phrase. No matter how they looked at Jesus before they most assuredly saw him different after this affirmation of who he really is. Jesus put to rest that day who he was to others, and defined for everybody who defines him.

So for me, I can't be defined by my own merit. And it is not because I am anything great or wonderful but it is because I am not defined by anyone who is not divine. I am defined only by God. And so what makes me what I am in part is human, no my clothes, and I choose what I want to look like, smell like, and say but I am not defined by it. I am defined by the author of my life. The author and finisher of my faith. God is the dictionary to who i am and he holds the defintion to who I am in him. I am but the clay and he the potter. He defines and determines what I will become and what a sweet ride it is.

Standards

Where are our standards? In Christianity, we have a set of rules that we follow called the TEN COMMANDMENTS...and these are our big rules to follow. And yet we agree on most and so does society like murder and stealing, yet there are some Christians that live a life that is such that they forget about the other ones like lying, cheating, and not forsaking to assembly (meaning keeping the sabbath holy). And in these by following them we honor God. Yet, for reason we have Christians who actually believe it is ok to not go to church and worship alone, when the bible says KEEP THE SABBATH HOLY AND PAUL TELLS US TO NOT FORSAKE THE ASSEMBLYING OF OURSELVES. How and why do we have those beliefs? Were are these seperate set of beliefs coming from? Really what defintion can you find in scripture that allows you to say its ok for you to have church all by yourself in your room on sunday, instead of going to church "because you don't like church." In fact Paul thought it was so important we said it again when he said "as you see the times nearing the end, forsake not the assemblying of yourselves."
Lying we have a color code system for them that helps make ourselves feel better about it when we do it. So, we call lies that we have to tell white, little white lies. And ones that are not as BIG to us or don't affect that many people little lies. And the bad ones we call black lies or big lies that we some how believe to be wrong while the white ones or ok. When does it say in the bible that it is ok to lie? When? HOW? Where? Did Jesus ever say its ok to tell some small ones but its not to tell big ones? How can we justify this. How can we justify not going to church because we don't like it and lying because it is needed? I must say we have fallen far from the standard of holiness that our God tells us to uphold when he said in the New Testament "Be holy for I am Holy."
Wether you want to believe it or not we have a HIGHER ARCHY of sin. Murder is big..stealing is bad..lying is ok..cheating on tests no biggie...sexual sins..well men will be men. NO ITS ALL THE SAME IN THE EYES OF GOD. It's all the same. In the eyes of God no sin or worse or more important than any other. Lying is just the same as murder in the eyes of God, yet we as human classify it as a lesser sin and one that we define as ok in the church and we accept it. Please don't get me wrong, I am not saying not to love God nor that it's all hell, fire, and burnstone. What i am saying is, if we are not careful we will become so loose with our faith that almost everything will be ok and acceptable and there will be no more code or standard for us to uphold. We will all just do as we please and try to do the best we can with what we have.
Well we hav the bible as the standard of morality and our code of ethics. Therefore, we are going to be held accountable for what it says and to do what it says is right and to not do what it says is wrong. It is spelled out in scripture and these are TEN THINGS we can't change on, ten things that if everything else fells we ahve to uphold to these ten things. Ladies and gentlemen..i tell you this if one can hold to these ten and do his/her best with everything else in the bible and seek the face of God for help to not do those things that don't please God, everything in the end will be ok. That is your hope and that is your security. In the end, we will be ok...if we serve, follow, and obey GOD.

The Modern Christian World (as we know it)

According to George Barna the great Christian statistician and theologian 2/3 of all christians are casual christians, wether by admittance or by choice it is clear that there is a problem in America with the true christian experience. Is is us or is it the gospel we have been taught? Everyone shares the gospel but no one tells the prospective believer about the cost they must pay to become a true believer in Christ. We are taught that Jesus loves us and that he is source of all things that are good yet we live out the fact that he is the creator of ALL THINGS, both good and bad. He makes all things good or bad, therefore the source of all things good or bad in our life is from him.

Serving a God that is sovereign not fair. Meaning he is not a God of fairness but a God that is over all things and he makes us decision that are based upon his wisdom and power. Looking trusting in God is easy when the moments of life are easy or it is an emotional experience but were he fail the new believers is we don't teach them God is God in the bad just as he is in the good and therefore we create babies with source of a bottle to find nourishment. Is the totally against the norm of what Jesus said was a Christian when he said to "Take up from cross and follow me...." Denying yourself and following him. This is meant to deny everything that you are and everything that you desire and follow Jesus, trusting that he who lives inside of you will show you how to live. The rich man couldn't do it. And the modern christian in 2009 doesn't either. We never pick our bible up until the pastor says "if you have your bibles turn with me....to" We play religion and seem to think that we live a life that is ok in the sight of a holy God that can't look, be around, nor stand in the midst of sin.

Where is our confession of sins during the week? Prayer life? Scripture reading? Where is the relationship in the midst of our "religion" What are we doing to show we really are what we claim to be? And we wonder why people don't want to come to church or way people leave the church and return to the world. Are we any different then the sinner? What is the difference? Is are a difference? We have become so concerned about looking the part or looking like we are doing right, we have totally forgotten about the spiritual disciplines that make us what we say we are. Meditation when was the last time we did that? Not yoga, or MT, but taking time out of the day to focus on him and leave everything else go for just a moment. The modern Christian world is polluted with this ask Jesus for anything and he will do it or claim it and name it. Jesus said faith as small as a mustard seed can move a mountain...yes he did, agree! But the next verse says that this does not happen without prayer and FASTING. HMMM....prayer and fasting two spiritual disciplines we so often fail to perform in our christian walk.

The modern Christian is brainwashed by the gospel that says that all you have to do is accept Christ and your life will at that moment change. This seeker friendly gospel that pulls people in based upon emotion and nothing more. This is the great lie of the modern christian world. That emotion will sustain you and that God will take away all pain from your life at the moment of salvation eliminating anything bad from happening to you because you are now "saved." But my bible says that it rains on the just and the unjust. Meaning God is sovereign and bad things happen to good people. I doubt you would win the argument with Job in convincing him that nothing bad happens to those who have accepted Jesus.

The problem is not the fact that people are coming to know God, the problem is that people are being told lies about the christian experience. Its not a magic formula or Gatorade that recharges your life, it is your life. Being a christ must BECOME YOUR LIFE. Being a christian is the process of becoming like Christ. You are in the process of being something that you previously were not, you are changed and transformed. Not just actions, but behavior and lifestyle must change. The problem with the causal christian and many new converts is they don't know how to go about that change. Why do they struggle with the demons of their past? Lots of times because they weren't taught how to overcome them and even worse they don't know that it is a problem because they haven't been told the truth. For the truth to set you free, you have to know what it is. People live in bondage because they don't know the truth of God's word and the christian experience becomes too hard because they are trying to live in out themselves, when it is God who must be the guide for true spiritual living.

This current state of the christian faith sickens those from generations before us. Why? Because our generation has become brainwashed with the name it claim it, prosperity gospel, believe God for anything and you will get it. Ask the rich man who came to Jesus and said what must I do to be saved and Jesus told him to sell it all and follow him. That is totally 100% opposite of the way that Jesus taught the gospel. We have taught people you can be saved but don't have to give it all to Jesus. "Salvation is a free gift come and find Jesus." No salvation is not free it cost you everything that you have!

True salvation means you give it all to Jesus, everything you are, everything you become, and everything you were is given to him. Why do we preach such a soft gospel when Jesus calls us to follow him and trust him. Our morality is based upon scripture not scholarship or people's opinions of the bible. What the bible says is right is right and what the bible says is wrong is wrong. Bottom line Jesus is the standard for living and without him there is no such thing as salvation. Jesus was perfect and yes we will never be perfect but he is the one who he look to for all source of goodness and without him our faith is all in vain. Base you salvation on the truth of scripture not the theology of modern christianity!