"Love's Stepping Stones" Part 3

I write today with complete confidence. I pray that the Lord’s words be written here.

This will be the third part of “Love’s Stepping Stones”. It will cover the idea of knowledge. I will be honest with you. Until today, I had no idea what I was going to write here, but my eyes have been opened to a new painting, and I am now going to share that painting with you.

"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with steadfastness, steadfastness with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and increasing, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.”

2 Peter 1:5-9

So, what am I going to say? Am I going to tell you all these special, catchy phrases that will make you feel like you know more things? Am I going to tell you the importance of reading your bibles? Am I instead going to tell you that "knowledge puffs up, but love builds up," so just forget about it? No.

In fact, I am going to tell you about how the knowledge of one thing fits into what I have already talked about, and about what the bible talks about. I generally like to be wordy, witty or funny, but I honestly can’t think of how I could be in this case. This is a simple thing, and it is not funny. It is very, very serious, and I hope that all of you can come to grasp this as it is meant to be grasped.

I’ll back-track a bit, and lead into it. Have faith. Faith in God, faith in Christ, faith that the Holy Spirit moves through whom it wills, and faith that you have a purpose! Believe in what you hope for, and be convicted in the things that are unseen, as that is faith.

Now, if we are faithful, we will want to do what we know is right. If we are faithful to our spouse, we will do what we know our spouse thinks is right. If we are faithful to our God, we will do what our God tells us is right! He tells us to be virtuous! Be good! “Love ME, love my SON, and love those AROUND you,” he says. All of His commands are covered if we love.

But what if we don’t? We try, yes, but what if we fail? Can we fail? Doesn’t failure happen at the end of something? Can you fail in the middle of an attempt?

WHAT IF WE STUMBLE AND DO NOT ALWAYS DO WHAT OUR GOD ASKS OF US!?!

What then?

What do we do? Do we know what to do? Do we have the knowledge that will save us?

Christ died for our sins! He hung himself, from a cross. Two pieces of wood, most likely jagged and rough, that tore at his already torn flesh! He bled, he suffered, he endured all. And he did that, so if we fail, if we don’t meet up to the highest standards set before us, we can be saved. It’s all old news, I know. But I scream to you now!

DO NOT ABANDON HOPE! DO NOT GIVE UP! RUN YOUR RACE!

Know that the Lord your God has endured all things, so that you only have to endure YOUR things. Will the God of all creation tremble at your trials? Not at all. If you love him, and cry out to him in the darkness, WILL HE LEAVE YOU!? NO!

YOUR GOD WILL NOT ABANDON YOU, AS LONG AS YOU DO NOT ABANDON HIM!

But you think, “If I turn away, will he ever take me back?” The time is ticking, but it is only the time attached to the duration of your life! I pray that when you first heard you simply did not fully understand the wealth of his forgiveness and grace! Our God has wrath, and he will bring it down upon those who forsake him for this world. But if you look to Him, even in your darkest times, and tell Him that there is NOTHING left for you but Him… that you will die to yourself, and live to follow Christ, then he WILL have you. And he WILL wait for you. But the clock is ticking. You only have until your final breath. After that it’s too late.

I say this last thing. Know that every moment you put off running to Him is a moment wasted in His glorious, unending light.

This is the knowledge I wish for you to be filled with. Flip through the pages of the Bible, and see the character of God. See that what he wants is simply for you to understand how amazing and good, and just He is. Be faithful. Be good. Know your God. And I do not mean to turn people away. This all sounds like I am preaching an unloving God. But tell me, how can you possibly believe that you have excepted salvation from sins when you constantly live in a state of sin? While you causally indulge in sin, and while you still have time to stop, you say, "I sure am glad God died for my sins." How is this possible? It is not God that the anger should be towards, but the person we see in the mirror. He did His part. Would you have him be crucified again? No, we cannot be perfect. But we have the ability to say NO when there is opportunity to say no! Our minds will wander, and our hearts will falter, and our faith will diminish with the lies and deceits of the world, but I tell you now... GOD HAS FORGIVEN YOU FOR YOUR SINS, SO EXCEPT THAT, AND MAKE EVERY EFFORT...

It is so hard for people to grasp the idea of the word "every", or the word "always", or the word "never". The human mind doesn't seem to want to fathom these ideas, but instead replaces them with "some of the time", or "most of the time".

MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO SAY NO TO SIN!
MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO LIVE FOR CHRIST!
MAKE EVERY EFFORT!

In Charge

I was thinking of that phrase. In Charge.

"Who's in charge here?"

"I'm in charge of this establishment!"

etc...

When I broke down that two word phrase, I found it made so much sense it was unbearable.

Let's get down to it. The word "in" is simple enough. Preposition. Whatever, I don't need to explain it. Moving on.

Charge. The word charge has a ridiculous number of meanings, and may be one of the most multi-definitioned words out there. I can't state this as fact, but there are a lot, and none of them are remotely relevant to the other. Moving on.

One of the definitions of charge was an obligation or requirement through management or supoervision. I am going to base this writing off that part of the definition. I'm trying to make a point here, after all. Moving on.

The first definition was similar to that of an electrical charge. The capacity at which an apparatus could hold or recieve. Let's remove the word electricity, and replace it with certain virtues, for example: patience, kindness, goodness, etc. Read this paragraph again, and then let's move on.

The next is that of instruction, or command. One is charged with the duty of painting a fence. Let's say the qualities listed above, and many more like them, are your charge. Well... are they? If so, are you holding to it? Moving on.

The next revolves around finances. Oh, the finances. Can't a talk ever NOT involve money? Well, when a society chooses it as a means of getting anything accomplished, including but not limited to eating, health, transportation, education etc, then no. Money will most often find its way into any talk. Therefore, charge is what is owed. A price. What are you willing to pay? To give up? To sacrifice? Moving on.

How are you on the outside? What if you are charged with a crime? Are you setting yourself up to be? It doesn't have to be a crime. It could be anything that anyone would, or could charge you with in a sense of lawlesness or misconduct. Are you blameless?

This last one is by far my favorite, and in my heart the most meaningful. Charging into battle. Who will follow you? Who will trust you will soldiers lives?

Look at all these in an aspect of leadership. Are you charged up with a heart that is seeking to be good? Are you recognizing the instructions that has been given? Are you willing to sacrifice, or do whatever it takes to do what is asked of you? Are you keeping yourself pure? Are you trustworthy in the eyes of the people around you, that they would follow you into battle?

Are you in charge?

Great Gluttony

Let me begin by saying, if you have read any of John Piper’s works, or that of C.S. Lewis, you should catch on to what I am about to say fairly quickly.  If you haven’t, don’t worry, you’ll most likely catch on just as quickly.  I am not actually going to be copying their opinions, but I want you all to know what I was reading when I started to think about this.

 

Luke chapter eleven is a very, very common chapter in the bible.  Not sure what Luke 11 is?  It’s the Lord’s Prayer.  It’s ok if you didn’t remember it was there, because everyone should know this passage, more or less, and it’s meaning.  Jesus tells those in the temple about how we should be praying.  Not being flashy, with greats words, and speeches, but telling God exactly what it is you are wanting to tell Him, and a general outline.  Cut to the chase.  He also tells us that if we “knock … the door will be opened.”  Got a problem?  Go to the Father, and He will supply all your needs.  And remember, this is NEEDS, not WANTS.  When it comes to anyone but God (oh hey, that’s everyone), what we want is generally way off the mark of what we need.  He’s got our backs.

You may also be familiar with the ending of almost every book in the New Testament.  They end in praise, and an amen.  The writers are basically saying “God is good, and ain’t that the garsh darn truth!”  There are a plethora of verses relating to the importance of praise, adoration, and worship, so we know we need to be praising Him when we see His glory, and at other times throughout our lives.

But here is something I had not quite thought of.  Why are there stipulations?  Do we need a cause to praise?  Must there be a need to ask for help (And in case you’re wondering at the silliness of that statement, it’s really just a rephrasing of the previous sentence.)?

How many of us stress about this, that and the next thing, and then just continue on with our daily lives?  How many of us focus more time on trivial things than most of our mandatory routine tasks?  How many of us will go days, weeks, and months, and never acknowledge the Giver from which that time came?

Too Many!  And I fit right in there with everyone else!  I am terrible at looking straight up.  That could be why He has put it on my heart to share this.

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  

Sound familiar?  It’s 1 Corinthians 10:31.  I believe the Bible should be “read” literally in every aspect, but that there are some things that must be looked at in the context of the times, or passage.  This may be confusing, but I will be posting on this topic shortly, so stay tuned.  We all know that gluttony is sinful.  Over indulgence in foods is unhealthy, and selfish.  However, there is one type of gluttony that is free from sinful nature, and that is being gluttonous for Christ.  Devouring his word, and praising him without ceasing.  “Living for Christ” has lost some of its meaning and we need to embrace the true definition.  Never cease to be looking up.  I can’t imagine a friendship, or a marriage that would be successful, if you went to that person only when you needed something, or you noticed them do something good.  In order to keep that relationship healthy, you must constantly be in contact, and in communication.  Can you truly say that you only talk to your good friends or spouse when you absolutely have to? 

I want you to stop reading this for a moment, and reflect on that.

Can you truly say that you only talk to your good friends, or spouse, when you absolutely have to?

Is there ever a time where you just feel like giving your friend a call, whether it be to just talk about something cool that happened, or sports, or a new TV show, and the same for your spouse.  Can you go days without talking to that person?  What would be the result of that?  I really want you to think of that.  Please, stop and just think about that.  This is the meat and potatoes of what I am trying to say here, so really allow that image to flourish in your mind. 

Think about it.  Think about the consequences you would have if this were the case.  Think of how your spouse would feel if we just didn’t talk to them for three days.  Or we only talked to them for about 5 minutes before bed, and as soon as we said what we wanted to say we just rolled over and fell asleep.  So many of us pray, and then move on, and we don’t stop and listen.  Be still, and know…

If we would never be like this with our closest of friends, then why would we do it to our Father, who created us, and loves us more than anything in the universe?  We should be going to him, not FOR everything, but WITH everything.  Just be thinking about him constantly.  Already I am seeing a difference in the way I view everyday life.  Things are so much more vibrant, and I’ve only been attempting this for a couple days.  Meaning, I am not thinking of Him as much as I would like, so, it can still be better.  It you need more motivation to be in His presence all day every day, then know that there is only something to be gained.  There is absolutely nothing to lose, not even time.

 

There is much more I want to say, but I didn’t sleep well last night, and it was a huge project to get want I wanted to say on this, and a minimal amount at that.  So, check back often, follow me, or subscribe.  I will be posting more soon.