Parents Beware...

Arthur the children's cartoon, in its opening episode, features an openly homosexual marriage.

This is not a frivolous topic, nor should it be thought of as such. I will elaborate on this in a moment. However, we know that modern families encounter the necessity of both parents having to work, due to rising living costs and stagnating income. This means for large portions of the day:

Something or someone else has influence over your children.

Worldly issues are far from the periphery of the life of the believer. They are at the centre. Jesus the author of our faith, said:

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Mark 2:17 NKJV

As the author of our faith and the best example to us, if His ministry focused on calling sinners to repentence, as the salt and light of the earth, so too shall ours. We cannot relegate ourselves to the pews, surrounding ourselves only with those who are already on the journey.

To extend His kingdom as faithful servants we must claim new territory, glorifying God to those who do not yet know Him.

This is why a Christian voice on controversial issues, though not always wanted, is always warranted.

Yet our responses need work. Is it not written:
A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:1 NKJV
We have seen that the Pharisee's indignation was often not that the subject matter offended or undermined God, but that it offended and undermined them. More worringly still, there was response was often not rooted in love, but self-exhalting arrogance, misleading those who looked to them to guide and instruct them in the ways of the Lord.
Does this not sound like the judgmental Christian we so often encounter?

So I preface this topic with that introduction, that you may know the intention of my words. At age 28 my concern is slowly pivoting to the next and younger generations. We are all tasked with framing the world in which they will inherit, so we all need to assist in creating an environment where they can brought up and instructed them in the ways of the Lord.
When we do not talk about controversial subjects, we cannot be surprised that the loudest voice wins the argument, and as much as you would like to separate from the world, doing so would mean sacrificing that part of His kingdom to the enemy.

I don't plan these posts, but today I was confronted with an issue that was clearly on the heart of the Father, given how early He brought the verse of the day to my attention, and having logged in afterwards to social media, saw the news about Arthur. These two instances were separated with but a moment.

I previously made a light-hearted post on not being able to watch TV, and noted that even children's television is corrupted by agenda. This should not be too surprising seeing as, though aimed at children, these "programs" are created by adults.

The subtle suggestion that ungodly behaviour is acceptable, is far more dangerous when aimed at children.
Has God not told us:
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6 NKJV

And just as we saw when Jesus was tempted in the wildnerness, you may know the word, but so does the devil.

It should come as no surprise then, that he is so interested in your children.
I have learnt that adults are often not capable of mature faith based debate on sexual morality, what hope do children have? Wherever you rest on this spectrum, surely we can all agree that sexuality, in ambiguity or definition, does not belong in a children's cartoon.

The fact is no longer is it just television. We have seen this relentless march of the dilution of the sexes, moving from two well defined genders to a dictionary of arbritary terms flung together, and all manner of sexual ambiguity in society.

Now it is now being subtlely implanted in the consciousness of our children, and in some parts of the world being taught in schools with California's justification that "children in kindergarten and even younger have identified as transgender".
Now we know as believers that ours is not a battle of the flesh (Ephesians 6:12), but the fullness of that discussion is for another time.

What can be seen is that when we do not say anything, the frontlines of the battlegrounds advance inward, slowly allowing ever increasing amounts of ungodly behaviour, to be promoted in ever increasing arenas.

Parents be extremely mindful of what you allow your children to watch, and who you let educate your child!

A child is so impressionable that they pick up language with nothing but observation, mimic your behaviours without you having to tell them to do so. God knows this, this is why He wants you to introduce them to Him as early as possible.
I cannot stress to you how important this is. I have seen the effect of not doing so on some of the young children I have in my life (nieces/nephews etc) you will be surprised what they have normalized before the ages of 6-10.

I remember growing up in the 90s we had 4 channels, one main TV and a smaller one for the kids many years later. Without access to streaming, on demand services, 24/7 channels and a host of other convenience, my parents would struggle to keep up with what we were watching.
How much harder the job today, when its not too long before even the fridge will have a screen and be connected to the internet.

In the school I attended, we were never told that we were a boy or a girl, we just knew! We were always taught that boys and girls were different, there was no controversy and all this in a secular school.

Today the world is a very different place.

This is a stark reminder that you simply cannot trust your children with the world, even with something as ostensibly innocent as a cartoon.

So parents take heed.

Fight for your children, do not be afraid of going into the schools and challenging what they are they teaching your children.

Follow @WalkByFaithBlog

I've Lost Control of My Blog

I've lost control of this blog.

I never inteded this blog to evolve into what it has become. It is an understatement to say that it has gone in a direction I did not anticipate.

My original title for this blog was "Journey with Christ: My Walk By Faith". Indeed you will find me on Twitter as "@WalkByFaithBlog".

I had it all mapped out in my mind: what the URL was, how it was going to go and the type of content I would write: day-by-day experiences of growing in Christ. It was designed to be a written testimony of my journey of faith, that others may know what its really like, so as not to become discouraged or change their perceptions about what its like to be born again.

If then, this blog was a canvas, I was holding the brush, the paint selected post by post as the illustration was to take shape across time, becoming more complete as I did.

But the URL I wanted was taken. I could not use the name I originally intended, so "I" came up with My Steps Directed inspired by Proverbs 16:9.

Proverbs 16:9 New King James Version (NKJV)
A man’s heart plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.

I see the irony now in "me" calling this blog "My Steps Directed" and "me" choosing to base the title on Proverbs 16:9, because that's exactly what has happened.

I didn't lose control of this blog, because I was never in control in the first place. He was.

And as much as I try to inject my will into this, it has evolved more into a written ministry. One which I would never have said I was ready for.
I'm 28 years old, but when it comes to faith I only meaningfully got here like 5 minutes ago, and please just have a look at the breadth of topics on here already!

Thy will be done indeed!

I then, may be holding the brush, but I do not choose the paint nor what to do with it, nor in which direction my hand moves.

He does.

Am I then, but a puppet? Do I then, have no free will?

No. I choose to surrender this blog to Him because it is ultimately for Him.

I wanted to be used by Him, to guide people to Him, as a way of giving thanks. I might have had several ideas about how this should have gone, but who am I that He should be mindful of me (Psalms 8:4)?

I'm used to being in control, so this might not seem like much, but its scary for me.

And you know what? This blog continues to be a wonderful experience. I've been blessed and already "met" some people online I never would have encountered without it. As much as I write this content for others it helps me too. Frankly, His ideas are better than mine anyway, I see now I had nothing to fear.

I am re-learning parts of myself not knowing Him had made me forget. The child like essence, that believed I could do anything, that dared to dream, that knew only of endless possibility.

The Lord directs my steps, not in the way I want them to go, but where He needs me to be, both for my own sake and His plan. I have experienced so much wonderful growth and experiences of God. I am a better person now than I was before.

All because I surrended to Him.

This might sound silly, because its just a blog, but our ways are not His ways. This is what He is using on my journey, this is what He is using to fix the parts of myself I did not even know were broken. Now I am so excited to see what He will do in all areas of my life.

And if He can do all this for my good, through a free blog, think: what can He do in your life if you let Him?

Surrender to God, its the best decision you will ever make.

Whatever it is you are doing, give it to God, let the hand of the creator of the entire universe, bless what you are doing. Better still be prepared to let Him change what you're doing completely.
Whatever ideas you have, He has better ones. Maybe you are limiting yourself and you don't even know it!

Surrender to Him, all things are possible with God! He will resurrect your ability to dream and give you renewed hope. Yes the journey may be painful, nor should you expect instant gratification (I am still in the midst of waiting on Him as I write this) but your life will be better.

If you're feeling a little apprehensive about surrending consider:

A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.
A man’s steps are of the Lord ; How then can a man understand his own way?
Proverbs 16:9 NKJV & Proverbs 20:24 NKJV

Apart from Him, you may not even know what you're doing anyway!
Follow @WalkByFaithBlog

Conversing with LGBTQ People Part 1: The Acceptance Question

Moderate members of this community often ask if what they are doing is acceptable, a sin, or simply want to know your opinion. The more activist members of this community may be more staunch in their response, simply stating that they are not in sin and do not see an issue.

Questions on sexual morality are surely one of the most asked questions in faith, and no doubt as a believer eventually you will be asked too. Maybe you have a friend or know a member of this community? Or maybe you end up involved in a discussion on social media, or whilst you're evangelising.

Before you enter that discussion ask yourself what is the purpose of their question?

Searching for Acceptance

Firstly, whose acceptance are they seeking? If they are seeking the acceptance of man, in man-made institutions, there is a seperate forum for that discussion and progress in that arena.  Nor can they force your acceptance of them on you, you do not need to conform to the world.

But what if they, (or maybe you are a member of this community and are reading this post, so if you) are looking for acceptance from God, then I believe we should start here:

There is no institution, nor person, on this earth that can make you right with God, that is to make you righteous.

Let me be more explicit. This means you cannot sit in the pews of a church that endorses your lifestyle and be saved. Jesus has already told us that would be as the blind leading the blind for both will fall into a pit (Matthew 15:14). Nor can a pastor, preacher, celebrity, friend, anyone purporting to be of the faith in any guise, tell you that you are saved and you are righteous, and that make it so. If you commit a crime on earth and bump into a stranger on the street, and they tell you not to worry about it, when you step in front of the judge will justice still not be served?

That should not instill fear, God is a faitful merciful judge and He loves you, but He is a judge nonetheless.

It is your faith that makes you righteous (Romans 4:1-5). Your faith in God.

So when a member of this community asks the question "Do you believe what I am doing is sin?", what are they looking for? Their salvation is not dependent upon anyone on this earth rubber stamping their lifestyle, as with any other sin. God is the judge, Him and Him alone.

Salvation is based upon believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord; He resurrected and overcame death (Romans 10:9-10) to atone for our sin.

Understand, however, this is where the journey begins not ends.

When you do this, you start your walk along the narrow path to salvation (Matthew 7:13-14). That sounds scary to call it a narrow path, but remember you have eternal grace and mercy from our most faithful and wonderful God, and there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

God did this to allow for your stumblings as you put off your former self, and put on the clothes of righteousness.

It is written:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, you accept your old lifestyle fell short of the glory of God, and it passes away. You become a new creation in Christ by accepting Him as Lord becoming dead to sin and alive unto righteousness (Romans 6:11). It is therefore an impossibility, that you truly accept Jesus as Lord and continue living the way you did before, in its entirety.

That mean that you will have to sacrifice some parts of the old you to become new. God doesn't want you to completely forsake all aspects of your life and personality when you are born again, no, rather to refine you He wants you to forsake your sin. Uprooting what was not of Him (Matthew 15:14), and planting His fresh seed in fertile ground.

And yes its hard, this whole blog is about my stumblings! But if I can do it, anyone can.

You will change, but for the better.

In Conclusion

I truly believe in most instances members of this community are looking for acceptance for who they are and what they do, that you can never give them. So before even entering the discussion, ask them why are they asking you this question?

If they are looking for God's acceptance through me, I answer as I have in this post. Its a very long winded way of saying "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33).

Simply put you can't give God's acceptance to them. No one can but God Himself.

Do your best to encourage them towards the Light, as always. Its a journey. You can't force them to forsake their old ways by being judgmental, but encourage them to grow in relationship with Jesus such that they relinquish sin willingly.

Yet remind them, God doesn't need us to be perfect that we may come to Him, nor does He expect perfection once we do, but He does want us to submit to His will and live a life pleasing to Him.

But its a privilege to walk the narrow path, just be prepared to change along the way.

(Part 2)
Follow @WalkByFaithBlog

I'm Saved...Now I Can't Even Watch TV!

To be honest I feel like this post is so overdue. God has been teaching me many things at such a pace, that this has gotten lost somewhat. Yet as I wait on His promise to me, coming to fruition in the physical (watch this sermon by TD Jakes if you're also waiting on a promise from God), I have been faced with a new challenge.

What exactly am I supposed to do with myself?

There are many times throughout the day when, frankly, I have no idea what to do!

Before you're saved theres a lot of things you can do ( I stress can because it does not mean you should do them), largely in your ignorance, but once you're saved....not so much.

See...there is a plethora of things in this world birthed in writers' rooms, expressed through scripts and imagination, that is just not pleasing to God. But we consume this content. Now however, before I go anywhere near a remote or frankly any device with an internet connection (I feel so sorry for parents for this reason, that must be terrifying!), I have to ask myself: "is what I am about to watch pleasing and acceptable to God?".

Now I have never been glued to a TV set, nor relied exclusive on one for my entertainment, but every now and again pre-saved me would like to sit down, relax and watch something that made me laugh or a story I could get lost in. Something like Damages, Brooklyn 99, The League, Gotham...you get the idea.

Now though?

Including all of the above, let's go through a quick list of things I can no longer watch:

Obvious things like horror movies of any kind (even spoofs!), never ever been the type of thing I would watch anyway so no great loss. Rant warning: to be honest I'm not even sure why these exist anyway! Who is sitting there dreaming up this stuff and then selling it for the purpose of entertainment? To be honest look no further for evidence that the flesh is a bit weird, understanding people get enjoyment dreaming up and then watching demons.

Warning to all: the above is demonic and to be avoided and frankly even if you aren't saved yet stay extremely far away from this stuff, you have no idea what you are inviting into your life.

TV shows like Power, Narcos, and any one of numerous law enforcement focused violent shows and their spinoffs of spinoffs (NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law and Order I'm looking at you).

But it also extends to what you would think to be innocent things, like cartoons and children's shows. My gosh! I'm frankly shocked at how many adult themes there are in children's TV shows, no wonder they call it "programming", there is nothing more dangerous than the subtlety of suggestion. These children are growing up believing ungodly behaviour is a) normal and b) to be sought after! (But this is probably a rant for another post).

But if you are a parent seriously watch what you let your kids well....watch!

So finally, I thought maybe I've found something...Parks and Recreation. So I skip season 1 thinking its a slow burner, I turn on season 2 episode 1 about a penguin wedding. Sounds like some harmless comedy right?

Wrong!

5 minutes in the penguins have had their wedding and start mating, then we discover.....both are male....Seriously?!!? Was this needed for the story? You mean you couldn't find a way to make this funny without sprinkling some sexual immorality on top?! AND there are children on the screen watching and no doubt young impressionable minds who won't see anything wrong with this!

All of these shows promote behaviour that the Spirit is not in agreement with and He makes it known.

Ultimately, God loves us and wants us to stay away from things which are not good for us. Not watching these type of shows is good for me. No matter how strong willed you believe you are, you have no idea what seeds are being sown by what you are watching.

Even if you are not saved and you have just clicked on this blog for the title, reflect on what are you watching. It's not just obvious things like the above but think:

Has watching these shows influenced you in any way?
In the way you saw women if you are a man, or men if you are a woman?
What about how you saw relationships?
Did it make you want for a lifestyle so much, that you hated your own?
Did you end up feeling inadequate because your body didn't measure up to what you are seeing? (men as well as women!)
If you are in a relationship, did anything make you look at your partner differently? Or even made you treat them differently?
Or if you're single did it make you feel like you had to be with someone, anyone, because theres something wrong with you if you're alone?

So I don't lament not being able to watch these shows, I lament that His influence is not felt by those who create them.

I lament the fact that there are so many captive in the world and TV is being used as a device to keep them there. I lament that the state of affairs is so bad that you cannot even turn on a children's cartoon without finding a hidden agenda.

If you are a creator of your own content I want to challenge you to ask God if He is happy with what you have made/are making. Invite Jesus into your life and see how your creativity will flourish!

As for me? I'm sticking to my safe territory: sports and cars.

BTW before you suggest reading, as I will tell you shortly, books can be just as bad.

(PS please comment below if you know of anything safe to watch!)

Follow @WalkByFaithBlog

Meditate on the Word

Good morning/afternoon/evening wherever you are in the world. I am so thankful to have you look at this blog today. I truly welcome you, and pray that you find this useful.

We are so connected in this day and age. That we talk hasn't changed, but how we talk certainly has. One of the most powerful weapons for God, and against the enemy is social media, unfortunately the devil can also use it as a distraction. It is an entire post by itself to talk about the dangers of social media, how it too can be a wile of the devil so I won't focus on that now.

Having apps on your phone that can turn your attention back to God, is so important, I cannot stress that enough. I personally have You Version installed, and its an excellent resource because one of things it does, is show a notification for the verse of the day. A simple and effecive way to make sure that you are getting some of the word of God, even if by accident.

So when I turned to Twitter this morning, and saw my feed popping up with the verse of the day, I was happy that the word of God was being shared.

Yet it made me think.

How many people actually reflect on what they are sharing?

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Joshua 1:8 NKJV

God is the great I Am, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. So the fact is He again gave us the Bible that we may meditate on His word, and have good success. Meditating on the word is for our benefit, but we have to meditate to get the benefit. This means more than giving it a fleeting moment of our attention, but spending some time reflecting on what we have seen.

On my own faith journey God has challenged me using this verse so many times:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Philippians 4:8 New King James Version (NKJV)

And what more praiseworthy and noble than the word of God?

So you're reading the verse of the day, or you're going to share it on Twitter, why not add a couple of lines about what that verse means to you? Or how it challenges you to do something different in our life? 

Whatever you do, if you're going to start off by reading on the verse of the day, remember you're on a journey. Don't stay in that place. Start by reading on the verse of the day, then the chapter, then the book. Perhaps try following a Bible reading, after that and as your relationship with God grows, He will lead you on which scriptures He wants you to read.

In this age of distraction turn you focus back to God, meditate on His word, and see how it changes your life.

Follow @WalkByFaithBlog