A Mass Shooting: An Absent God?

In the aftermath of another mass shooting on US soil, it is natural to begin to ask questions like "Why does God allow bad things to happen? If God is real why did He not stop this? What about the victims and families, if He is such a loving God, why does He not care about them?"

God has put it on my heart to share a message for those who may be disillusioned with this news, and indeed to anyone of the grieving family members or anyone affected I hope this strengthens your faith and turns you toward God and not away from Him.

Many places in the world we see tragedy, pain and suffering. And so even if you are not affected by what is happening the US, I believe you can be edified by this message. It is not the method of suffering that matters as much, as the fact that there is suffering at all.

Why did God let this happen? 

To understand this question we have to understand exactly what God did for us at the time of creation:

Genesis 1:28 New King James Version (NKJV)
28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

God said we are in charge. And just as we say that with "rights come responsibility", we have the responsibility over the earth and over ourselves. It was a blessing from God that we were to rule over this earth, and take care of it for Him. If God was to intervene in every situation, then is that truly giving us dominion? Rather would that not be God controlling and constricting? This then would not only not be granting us dominion over the earth, but restricting free will upon it.

Do not confuse this with saying that God is not sovereign in all things, He certainly is, but let it serve as the bedrock for our understanding.

Upon this foundation, that God is sovereign yet gave us dominion, we next need to understand that man serves God. God is so all powerful that even those who do not know God are under His authority. The Most High rules in the kingdom of men and heaven rules earth (Daniel 4:25-26).

God rules us. We serve God.

God is not an intergalactic saving force to prevent every calamity befalling us. That would infer that God works for us.

Therefore to the question why does God allow bad things to happen:

The answer is because He is true to His word, and has utmost integrity. He is sovereign, yet He blessed us with dominion over the earth, He gave us free will. If God was not so good, and had such high integrity, He would've taken dominion back long ago (I personally think this is a good thing, because looking around the world.....).

As humans, instead of pridefully highlighting our accomplishments, let us in all humility accept that apart from God we really make a mess of things. And even when we make a complete mess of it, He has not taken back the kingdom of earth from us, nor elevated another being to rule over us.

That is how good the God that we serve, is to us.

Apart from God, we truly see the expression of the evil things done by humanity, for if we all truly knew Jesus, than this type of violence, mass in-discriminant killings and conflicts all over the world would not take place.

It pains God to see suffering too, He does not like it. Rather, than question God I more lament what happens to us as humans, when we are so far away from Him.

I should add. That if you are in Christ, God is a protector. You are His children, and just as a loving Father would protect His family. So too does God. Do not live in fear. For it is written:

1 Corinthians 15:54-57 New King James Version (NKJV)
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55 “O[a] Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have the victory over death, thanks to our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ!

But what of the victims? What if they were in Christ? God still allowed them to die

Well. The reason we have victory over death, is again thanks to Jesus we cannot die:

John 11:25-26 New King James Version (NKJV)
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Amen! I most certainly believe and receive this in Jesus' might name.

And of course most famously:

John 3:16 New King James Version (NKJV)
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.


Yes we mourn the passing of our loved ones, but here too the Bible gives us guidance:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Comfort of Christ’s Coming
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen [a]asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who [b]sleep in Jesus.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are [c]asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

They are in heaven, with Jesus. A most wonderful place to be, where they will endure no more pain and suffering. Though the effects of their passing from this earth will certainly be felt amongst families, communities and loves ones, we should remember they have been called home to heaven.
For that is where our citizenship truly lies (Philippians 3:20, Hebrews 11:13-16). You will be reunited with them and see them again.

But what about the victims who don't believe in Jesus?

The only way to the Father, is through Jesus (John 14:6), the only way to everlasting life is through Jesus (John 3:16), to the nations and people who do not know God then we know that they do not go to heaven (too may verses can be quoted here but see: Psalms 9:17, Matthew 25:31-46). Furthermore, heaven is not assured for those who know the name Jesus, but those who know Him and are known by Him (Matthew 7:21-23).

To be clear, if you are not in Christ and He in you, if you do not know Jesus you cannot enter heaven, and instead go to hell.

I do not say this to scare anyone into knowing Christ. I say this as a call of urgency.

That if you know anyone who is not in Christ, or if indeed you are not in Christ, let incidents like this remind you: we are not in control. 

We cannot number our days, nor can we predict our tomorrow.

Salvation

A trip to the store, was a final goodbye for some people. That is a sombre thought.

Salvation is far more important than any job interview, career, education, relationship, anything that you are planning your days around or hoping to for.

Salvation is not for tomorrow, next week, the next moment. No salvation is for now.

If your heart is willing, if you are able, if you feel like your Sunday relationship with God never took root in your heart.

Please pray the following:

Romans 10:9 New King James Version (NKJV)
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Personalise this any way you wish. God is a merciful God, and its far more about your heart than it is a legalistic expression or format. But I understand you may be anxious to get it right. So here is some

Help:

"I confess Jesus is Lord.
Jesus come into my heart
I make you my personal Lord and saviour
I believe that God raised you from the dead
In the name of Jesus I have prayed. Amen"

When we offer our prayers for the victims and families, pray that they come to know Jesus too. Let it not stop at condolences and prayers for strengthening, salvation is the greatest gift and strength they will ever come to know.

Conclusion

I choose not to glorify the crime. Rather to glorify our God, that He has removed the sting of death to those who love and know Him. I pray that this has been helpful and strengthened your faith by changing your perspective.

We have been given the hope of heaven, and the passing away of this earth, will birth a new one free from pain and suffering.

Death has lost its sting, for the gift of salvation and eternal life is for all who are in Christ. Is this not truly wonderful?

Be encouraged, be strong and remain in faith.


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When Faced with "Pride"

Brothers and sisters in Christ. Though you may be attacked for your views, in this month be as bold preaching of Jesus, as those who walk and march with "pride".

For the author of our faith, Jesus Christ, came to call sinners to repentance, (Luke 5:32) so too should we; with faith, hope and love, share the gospel of Christ that they too may come to know Him, and the gift of salvation.

Though our faith is built upon the bedrock of humility, do not mistake humility for meekness. For is it not the God whom we serve, all powerful and whom we should fear, who called us to approach His throne with boldness? Were those in the book of Acts not bold to preach the gospel, though facing death and persecution?

I pray for those who blog, share their content, verses of the day, evangelize on the street, or serve God in any capacity. Do not be ashamed this month, nor intimidated, for God is with you.

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Being More Intentional

                           

                              Photo Credit: Pinterest: Finding Time To Fly

I am certain I am not a lone voice in not understanding the relationship between being led by the Spirit, and my own free will. Of all the stumblings of my walk by faith this is certainly the most persistent, and most interesting.

I do not plan what I write.

Nor do I seem able to do so.

Any semblence of a plan, is immediately done away with once I start typing. I wrote about this when I finally understood, or perhaps relented, that God is in control even here.

I have read my posts, I am my own worst critic, and if I am honest they are of varying and (hopefully improving!) quality, the best of which are always produced when I write about what is on the mind of God. When I am led by the Spirit.

Yet because of this, perhaps communicating my own spiritual immaturity, I am far from intentional in spending the time creating these posts, perfecting my craft, improving my writing, such that I become more effective for Him.

And if this were a traditional "occupation" would I not dedicate more time to my craft either by coercion, or necessity? Would I not complete CPD, training, or anything I could, if it meant the prospect of becoming more effective and furthering my career?

The answer is yes I would, because I did.

Every qualification I had from my high school education to my degree was self-taught, and in the case of my degree self funded, looking toward the promise of a career for motivation.

How much greater the gift of eternal life, the promise of relationship with an eternal loving God or His abundant blessings? So why am I not spending more time investing in the gifts God has given me, that I may serve Him, and His people better?! Surely this is far better than any career I could have hoped for?

To not treat my obligations to God with at least equal esteem, as those I had when I was interested in a career, is to relegate God's work below that of man, elevate temporal above the eternal. In my ignorance before I knew Him, perhaps I could be excused, but now? Certainly not.

Considering His word and all He has done, not just for me but all of mankind, this simply does not make sense.

So I looked into how to improve my writing, how to become a more effective communicator. I signed up, and paid for, Skill Share, bought some books to read by Christian authors and yet how much time have I spent enjoying the content I paid for? Embarassingly little. Indeed what I will to do, that I do not practice! (Romans 7:15)

Perhaps in this season this is why He has brought me to a standstill. To focus upon Him and His will, and nothing else.

The gift of grace allows me to underperform, but not become lazy nor make excuses for continuing to fall short. I thank the Lord that He is faithful, patient and has not taken away this gifting from me.

God has shown me so many things He has for me in my future, some of which I cannot even believe, and all He is asking me to do is serve Him. I pray, this is a seed moment and my present circumstances the fertile ground for growth.

I do not have the answer to the balance between my own free will and to be led by the Spirit, growth in faith is needed, but one thing is certain:

I must do better.

A Rough Week

I have watched sermon, upon sermon, upon sermon talking about spiritual attacks. When they would happen, how they would happen, why they would happen. Yet seemingly, such is the human condition, despite my numerous learning, warnings and preparation, I was not ready for what was to come.

It is not that I have not suffered spiritual attacks before, no those have been numerous, it was the intensity of what I was subject to that was the surprise.

It is written that ours is not a battle of the flesh (Ephesians 6:12), and we stand against the wiles of the devil ((Ephesians 6:11). Lest it has not been stated explicitly enough, the devil himself and his agents are your enemy, that also means you are his. I do not wish to glorify him, nor give him any undue attention for far greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4); yet to be wise to the wiles of the devil we need to understand this of his character: he is a shrewd operator and he is intelligent.

As any good general knows, when you are in battle go for the "head", it is why the Sheppard was struck such that the sheep would scatter (Matthew 26:31). Thus if you grow in relationship with God and your faith increases, so too do you grow in stature as an enemy of the devil. You are more capable of leading people to God and away from him, this for the devil is a problem.

Since I have started this blog, the attacks have intensified. This week has been one of intense trials and tribulations, of which I have not experienced since I begun this journey.

I was doing a Bible study this week, one where the Holy Spirit revealed to me the meaning of our covenant through sacrifice, the significance of Jesus carrying His cross and what that means for us, how Abraham and Isaac revealed Jesus, even in Genesis and so much more. I felt compelled to share this with you, and indeed I will, but this is when the battle intensified.

So what am I saying of myself? Am I exalting myself,and claiming to have become so important in the kingdom of God, that the devil sees me as a threat? No instead the opposite.

If God rejoices in heaven when one sinner comes to repentance (Luke 15:10), understand that this means the devil gets upset when but one person is saved, because if they belong to God, the devil no longer has a hold over them; as you increase God's kingdom, you decrease his.

I am but a humble blogger, who wishes to spread the gospel to as many people as possible with the measure of talent that God has given me. It is, however, no coincidence that just I had my greatest message of faith to share with you, I suffered my greatest attack,

I am not on the television with an audience of millions, have a large internet presence nor am I well known.

Yet to the devil I have become a threat. This blog has had thousands of views, for which I am extremely grateful and humbled that God is being heard through me, and I am so grateful for all the support it has received, but it is not the biggest blog out there.

In what I have experienced, you would think this is not the case. You would assume my audience is in the millions and wait upon my posts with bated breath.

I wanted to share this with everyone. So that you may know if you choose God what may lie ahead, and if you have already given your life to Him you will not be alone in battle.

More importantly, I wanted to let you know your prayers for the salvation of others are effective, your messages are being heard, anything you do from a tweet, to a conversation about God with friends or a stranger, all are effective in increasing God's kingdom.

Do not be surprised if you suffer spiritual attacks, yet do not give up, for to give up would mean that the devil succeeds in his mission. We know the battle in eternity has already been won by Jesus, because of what He did for us, but ours is the battle now. Not only are we servants of God but soldiers.

During this time I haven't written anything, I truly did not feel able. The devil had temporarily succeeded in preventing me from fulfilling the purpose that God has chosen for me.

Apart from the vine I was useless.

In this time I had a chance to reflect and remember what life was like before I knew God, on what lay ahead in what He has promised me for my service. Many thoughts raced through my mind competing for my eventual resolution. Should I stop all of this? Should I go back to work and defy what God has told me (yes I am still waiting), thus ending my struggles? Should I just get on with my life and come to God another time when I felt more ready? But to do so wouldn't seem right....There was but one conclusion:

Giving up was not an option.

I choose to serve just as the author of our faith, Jesus Christ, I look toward Him to run this race of endurance (Hebrews 12:1-2). It was He that strengthened me and assured me no weapon formed against me will prosper. That though the battle may intensify God was on my side, though He has brought to this place of waiting and enduring it would all be worth it.

So yes you are an enemy of the devil, but be encouraged knowing that we serve the One to whom all must bow (Philippians 2:10): Jesus Christ, that He is Lord, that greater is He that is in us then he that is in the world. God is in control.

Accept His gift of grace. You're going to have good and bad days, but He will not leave nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6).

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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.

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Conversing with LGBTQ People Part 2: Do Christians Hate LGBTQ People?

If you haven't already had a chance to, check out part 1. This was such a big topic, that I felt each post deserved its own section, but appreciating the whole is important.

Christianity preaches hate against LGBT

No Christianity preaches truth.

But not the world's truth.

Truth in the world is manipulated for purpose. We have seen this so many times throughout history, it would take too long to list them all. Contemporarily then, how many news stations are there around the world and yet seemingly, no two can agree on factual events? Should they not all be reporting the same story from the same angle? This would be truth.
Yet news stations are open about their bias, a news channel can be considered conservative for example. That any news station can be considered to sit somewhere along a political spectrum, should send alarm bells ringing.  This effectively signposting that you will struggle to find objectivity on that channel, yet people still watch and cling to what they see as truth. This truth that suits them.

It wasn't always acceptable to be openly homosexual for example, until all of sudden for no real reason at all, it was. "Get with the times they say", so truth is changed by time? Truth changed by time is no truth at all, truth changed by time is agenda. We can say this of all agendas, all are built upon apparent truths until, for no reason at all, they are not truths anymore; because they never were the truth to begin with.

What commonality is there? In the world then the truth is acceptable as truth, but only when it suits. Situational truth. Lying is not OK in the world, but white lies? Hiring lawyers to lie for you? No problem. Our hypocrisy so ingrained within our culture, that it manifests in our common sayings, I wonder if you are familiar with: "Do as I say, not as I do"....you get the idea.

The truth, that is the gospel, is God's truth.

God's truth is consistent, because He is consistent. He is the great I Am. The same yesterday, today and forever more.

That means God's truth can make you feel uncomfortable. Because we are inconsistent, and the consistent truth will force us to confront this inconsistency within us. Our situational truths.

This, however, is not hate. It is simply the truth. If you identify with the LGBT community or find yourself in any manner of sexual immorality, then to remove any ambiguity:

Yes, this is sin.

A Christian called upon to answer this question, should have no reservation explaining it as such, for this is the truth. God's truth.

If you are a member of this community then, this doesn't mean that God hates you. No God loves you! God doesn't like sin because it is not good for us, but you He loves.

Perhaps you are feeling convicted or rejected by this truth, but this should not be confused as hate, nor would I have any satisfaction in making you feel that way. The apostle Paul dealt with something similar:

Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
II Corinthians 7:9‭-‬10 NKJV

It is written all had fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:1-26), you don't think being privy to that information, wouldn't have made all who heard/read that uncomfortable? Made them feel convicted? Of course it did, and still does!

God is eternally gracious and merciful, such that conviction doesn't mean condemnation. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Conviction from God is rooted in hope, that is Christ, that we know we can do better because of God's love for us, not feel hopeless. The Holy Spirit prompts us to be better, and we want to do better because sin is not good for us. God allows His truth to make us feel convicted that we may be saved.

So how the truth makes you feel, does not mean there is hate in the truth. God is love, and there is no hate in Him, so you know His truth is simply the truth.

So do not be afraid to speak God's truth, we're not called to be in conformity with the world, but in conformity and aligned to God's will.

But...

Change is Needed

Because clearly something has gone wrong that has led to the widely accepted narrative that Christians preach hate against LGBTQ people.

Read Romans 3:1-23 again, it said all had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I am a sinner too, so too are you who reads this. I too lived in sin, no different than a member of this community. I too am stumbling to walk the righteous path.

But I walk. And keep walking, keep changing, keep striving to be better. Knowing that He works all things for my good because I love Him. Knowing that even if I fall short of His glory, His mercy endures forever (Psalms 136). I walk in the hope that is Christ knowing I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).  If this is true for me so too is it for members of the LGBTQ community.

That should give us humility that we can give a gentle answer to turn away wrath, and avoid harsh words that stir up anger (Proverbs 15:1). That doesn't mean do not speak the truth, it simply means remember that the greatest gift is love (1 Corinthians 13), and freely as you have received, freely shall you give (Matthew 10:8).

Part 3 coming soon!


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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!)

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The Weight of Destiny

Ecclesiastes 1:9 New King James Version (NKJV)

9 That which has been is what will be,

That which is done is what will be done,

And there is nothing new under the sun.

I find myself struggling today.

In the world the saying goes "be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it". This in itself speaks to something strange about the human condition. 

You can be given precisely what you want thus satisfying that desire, which should be a good thing, yet encounter some self-inflicted problems as a result. 

I find this to be the problem. I have long been searching for my purpose in life, a question common to many, I searched in many places before I knew God. Exploring my interests and talents, trying many different careers and yet did not find my purpose or fulfilment in those things. 

Now I have a relationship with God, I asked Him. And, kind of to my surprise. He told me.....

God has revealed to me what His purpose is for my life. This should be a tremendous blessing, yet instead of jubilation, I today felt the gravity of own decision making.

We are not to fear anything but God, yet if there is one thing that scares me the most, it is this:

Unfulfilled potential.

Potential is the scariest word in the dictionary, because the difference between your potential and your achievement is down to you. 

Therefore, you cannot underachieve if you do not know your potential and there is a solace in that. It becomes that much easier to reconcile my position in life if I do not know the fullness of what I could achieve.

Now I could have a hunch or human judgement about my potential, but humans are fallible beings. Even if you told me I should be great, if it doesn't pan out I can rest on the solace of phrases like "it just wasn't meant to be".

Yet now God has told me what He sees for me (at least in part). Infallible God. Alpha and Omega, knowing the beginning from the end has told me what He wants me to do.

This then has caused the evolution of potential into something far weightier still.

Expectation.

Gone is the solace of "it just wasn't meant to be" and has been replaced with the uncomfortable potential truth of "I just didn't live up to His expectation". 

And I am terrified.

And the craziest thing about all this? I asked for it. Be careful what you wish for indeed!

The wisdom of Ecclesiastes 1:9, gives hope, I know this is a sign I need to grow spiritually, and I will do what I have learned to do along this journey. 

Turn to the word of God and I will be sure to post a follow up to this once I have the answer.

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Good Friday: Remembering Jesus

Romans 10:9-10 New King James Version (NKJV)

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

There are many of us around the globe, on this day, who experience "bank/public holidays", time off of work, time to spend with our loved ones, thanks to Lord Jesus.

Let us then, not forget why this day has come to pass. Please, if nothing else:

Read on Good Friday,  what Jesus did for us and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and saviour.

Start your journey with Christ. Whatever you are going through God loves you and He is waiting for you to turn to Him.

Download a free Bible app like YouVersion today (I am not affiliated with them nor am I paid, I just want you to have the word of God) or buy a Bible, however your means allow.

What Jesus Means To Me

I woke up touched. Frankly words failed me. It was a struggle to even write this post.

But I want someone to see what Jesus means to me, and if they can accept Him as their Lord and saviour this is the best gift I can give back to God.

If this post touches you in any way, take some time to praise God, accept Lord Jesus into your life. If you are already a believer, maybe you've lapsed or backslid in your journey, reconnect with God as your heart leads.

This is the first Good Friday in my entire life when I have woken up emotional. It's also the first Good Friday where I truly believed in my heart in Lord Jesus, and confessed He was my saviour. In other words, its the first Good Friday when I loved Jesus.

If you are not a believer you will likely not understand and that is OK, as I have stated, I was the exactly the same. Though I could list so many reasons, because God has been so faithful and good to me, I will state just one:

He is the reason I am alive today.

The invisible hand of God has kept me alive all this time, saved me from making a mistake too grave, for my own sake. Thanks to Lord Jesus and what He did on the cross.

I wonder if you took the time to reflect on your life right now, even if you don't believe, can you think of any situations that you know you didn't get yourself out of? Did you pray to God, and even though you did not know Him, He answered and saved you? That is one of the many reasons why I am so thankful.

To get to this point I had to set aside my pride. I had so many questions: "Who is this God that I should play by his rules? I mean he made the rules anyway why should I be so grateful for something He decided to do? Why make me this way with a sinful nature and then require me to thank you for forgiving me? The answer?

Romans 9:20 New King James Version (NKJV)
20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”

He's the boss! Ask yourself, when you were born what exactly did you do become alive? Were you in control at that moment? Did you choose to be born? So who gave you life? We need to be humble and accept God is in control and always has been.

Afterall, God Himself is humble. This is what He did for us:

Philippians 2:5-11 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Humbled and Exalted Christ

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it [a]robbery to be equal with God, 7 but [b]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God Himself, made man, humbled Himself and was obedient unto death. For US. If Jesus is humble, who am I not to be humble?

And the reason this is an emotional day, is I can imagine the pain on the cross. The humiliation He endured, being spat on, slapped and mocked on his way to die. You wouldn't want that inflicted on someone you love, especially now I am aware of all the things He has done for me, and upon your own reflection for you too.

But this is Jesus.....

Even death could not hold Him.

He rose again! Defeated even death.

He lives on the inside of every one of us who believe in Him. He is alive and well, overcoming death in His glory, that we might live! Not just now, but inheriting the promise of eternal life.

Glory to God. Hallelujah! Praise His name because it is worthy of praise!

Jesus makes me better everyday. Jesus does so much for me, and has changed me in so many ways for the better, that if I wrote them all here this post would take up your whole day.

So I appeal to you, take this day to remember Jesus.

Accept Jesus as the Lord of your life and be saved.

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How Much Faith Do You Have?

God is the Provider. He has shown us this Himself, time and time again. So imagine your rent/mortgage is due, your bills piling up, your money dwindling and food running low; if God spoke to you and said "Be still, and know I am God, I will provide" would you be able to wait in faith, or rely on your own strength and scramble for the nearest classified ad and a way to get money fast?

Be honest would you even believe it was God who spoke to you?

How much faith do you have?

Jesus told us himself:

Matthew 17:20-21New King James Version (NKJV)

20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Yet I am 100% certain, that if I told a mountain to move it would not go anywhere.

Faith is the bedrock of your relationship with God.

It is so fundamental, that the picture of faith is painted all across the ages of the Bible, and is expressed in the current age in a multitude of ways.

I would be overstepping my annointing to fully get into what faith is here, and speak with an authority that God has not bestowed upon me. So let me tell you what I believe.

Yes faith is the "substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1), this cannot be disputed and has to mentioned.

For me, part of making that tangible is to describe faith as believing in God for who He is. That means believing in God for everything He says He is (Provider, Comforter, Father, Protector and so much more!) and has done. Ever.

The truth is we all say we have faith, but do we actually? Do we actually believe God for who He is? That He is the Old & New Testament God, that all the miracles He performed then, He could do today?

It is easy for us to say "yes, of course!" until it is tested.

Ask yourself, if you were faced with the some of the same obstacles that the people faced in both the Old and New Testament would you have the fortitude to wait on God, regardless of what the circumstances looked like? Imagine being the Israelites with the Egyptians charging at you, the panic is well documented, but actually put yourself in their shoes and imagine it. Could you at that time "walk by faith and not by sight?"

You should be calm knowing God has got this, but would you be?

Would you honestly be able to say, "I believe in God so much I believe for the miracle He is about to perform", regardless of what your eyes told you?

As always I do not ask these questions to condemn anyone, nor should you feel condemned in reading them. For I am on a journey, and I can honestly say I am not there yet.

God has challenged me to increase and renew my faith daily.

So I will, and I pray that you will too.

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