Listen, no matter what I write or what anyone says, ultimately – in the end, it’s really between YOU and HIM…
There is so much going on in the world right now, if you listen long enough it will make your eyes cross and your head spin like one of those tops we use to play with as kids! Here is the thing… And this is something that as an ex-prodigal I am constantly aware of – SIN IS SIN. It doesn’t matter HOW you feel about it. It doesn’t matter if you agree or disagree. God’s word IS His Word PERIOD. We can argue it, we can disagree on it, we can deny it, we can go against it, we can make excuses for it, we can water it down to fit what we want it to say, we can take it out of context – but God’s Word STILL remains His Word REGARDLESS of how you view it.
I do not say this in a judgmental tone – believe ME I am EVER aware of my own sinful nature and faults and imperfections and areas where I miss the mark – I simply say it as one that is matter of fact. I say it EVEN struggling myself in areas that I know God is not finished with me yet. I am *not* looking at the sty in your eye I’m too busy trying to remove the ever-present plank in my own. Deal with your OWN stye… But the thing is – I’m HONEST with God. I talk to Him like I’m writing this to you, and I tell Him what I’m struggling with. There is no degree of sin. Sin is Sin. The Bible warns about adding or taking away from the Bible. People who have an argument about this do NOT have an argument with me – they have an argument with GOD. And quite frankly, that is like banging your head, it is not as if you can change God’s mind.
Now when I say that I don’t say it because I believe the Bible is one that you should beat people over the head with – that is not love and that is certainly not the example that Jesus set. It is one where you should acknowledge that God is sovereign. He is. I have NO respect for anyone who does not treat their fellow neighbor with love. I *may* not agree with how you choose to live your life – you may not agree with how I choose to live mine – that’s okay! We CAN agree to that! Just because we don’t see eye to eye on things does not mean that I cannot love you or associate with you or you, me. That’s ridiculous. We simply agree to disagree. I have many friends from ALL walks of life who I cherish, love and respect, who have chosen different journeys than I have. When people ask me, “are you pushing your lifestyle on me? I simply say – live however you choose to live (as will I) maybe it is not ME who is choosing to push my lifestyle on YOU – maybe it is YOU who is trying to push YOUR lifestyle on me…” (The road goes both ways…) I say that no matter what – walk in love. Agree to disagree. It really doesn’t matter what YOU think of Me – OR for that matter what I think of YOU. I have always had a “moon the world” type of mentality – quite frankly, that hasn’t changed. In my view too many people hang too much emotion and effort on what others think of them. “You can please some of the people some of the time… blah, blah, blah.” – In the end the only thing that WILL matter is what God thinks of you (and of me). Because you will *not* be there holding my hand for support and help when at the end of my life I stand before Him and give an account… I’ll be on my own giving an account of ME to Him (and by the way, whether or not you accept, or choose to recognize it – you will too, whether you want to or not). The Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 5:6-8:
“To be absent from the body is to be present before the Lord.”
I certainly hope that my life will not be played out like a “movie reel” before Him because quite frankly there are moments of my life that I really don’t care to see played over again (I’m sure to cringe at the stupidity of ME) … There are many things about ME that I am ever aware need changing, but the thing about life is we are ALL works in progress up until our last breath. I confess those things to God and ask for His assistance for the things I need help changing. This is where His grace and mercy come in. The difference is – I am willing to humble myself and to admit it… Isaiah 55:8-9 says:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” declares the LORD.”
I think about how much God loves us – I think about how He is our Creator and how He created us with free will – to choose how we will live. Love isn’t love if you *make* someone love you. You either choose to obey and love Him – or you don’t. He could have created us without giving us a choice, but He didn’t.
If you are honest with yourself, whatever your situation – there is a niggling part of you that is a quiet voice that people mistake as calling “your conscience” what it is is the Holy Spirit prompting you. It is not God’s will that ANY should perish. Our choice remains our choice. We make it on our own accord. We either choose to obey God’s Word or we choose to go against it. When I became a Christian 35 years ago, I decided to read God’s Word FOR myself. I didn’t WANT anyone giving ME their opinion of what it said – I wanted to formulate an opinion on my own. Basically, my conversation with God went like this:
“Okay Lord, I need You to help me understand what I’m reading. If we are “supposed” to have a personal relationship, I need You to reveal Yourself to me so that I can personally KNOW that this is Your Word. I need you to give me understanding.”
Here is the thing reader – God KNOWS your heart. If you desire to TRULY know Him, He WILL reveal Himself to you. The Bible says in Revelations 3:20:
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
He desires you to have a relationship with Him. The choice is yours… My suggestion is to sit down and have a heart-to-heart conversation with Him. And then watch and see what God does… God is REAL. I know because I did, and He has revealed Himself to me and we have developed a relationship. I am hardheaded, often obstinate, stubborn and slow at learning what I need to know.
One should prayerfully research anything they believe in. One should question it – one should not believe solely because someone else tells them to or to solely “take someone’s word for it. “ Find out for yourself. Question God – ASK HIM, if your heart is genuine and you are asking out of really wanting to know – He will reveal Himself to you. I know, He did it for ME. God is no respecter of persons. He desires you to come to know Him and learn about Him and find out about Him for yourself. It will be the BEST decision you ever decided to make for yourself. Psalm 34:8 says the following and one I HOPE you will do!
“Taste and see that the Lord is good…”
God IS good! SOOOO good! Find out for yourself and see – I know of what I write. See for yourself it will be the BEST decision you EVER decide to make, and will hold for ALL eternity. 😉
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