Challenge Accepted (Part 2)

QUESTION 2: (An Unbeatable Challenge)
"Christians Visualize this: Suppose you lived in the Old Testament era, and God commanded you to capture a city and then afterward he commands you to take the babies and dash them against the walls or rocks.  Now try to visualize yourself going into one of the captured cities' homes and doing one of the following:  1) From a warm crib, you pick up a LIVING BREATHING flesh and blood baby who is smiling :):):) at you, and then taking it and with all your strength throwing it against the wall as hard as you can!!!!!!  Or, 2) imagine taking the warm LIVING BREATHING flesh and blood smiling :):):) baby and carrying it outside to the edge of a cliff with rocks below, and then purposely DROPPING the warm blooded baby right off of it!!!!!!"
In the context of the first question found on my previous post, Challenge Accepted (Part 1), Babylon was the subject of God's wrath for the most part.  Israel was mentioned as another recipient of such descriptive judgment.  According to the history books, Babylon was captured by Persia, another non-believing, pagan empire.  Israel faced God's judgment, so God's judgement would most likely come from another pagan country well-rooted in a lifestyle of sin.  
With all of this information, I visualize myself as an Israelite in this time period.  I see Israelites in captivity to Babylon.  I see evil being commited among the Israelites.  IF God did indeed ask of me, to take the land in warfare including the women and children specifically by dashing them against the stones, then that would be what I would do.  Joshua  and the Israelites (that listened) anihilated the  residents of the Promised Land with God as commander.  In warfare today, children are used as death traps to play on the emotions of the troops.  There are accounts of children strapped with bombs and commands given to run them over because of the possible threat they could be. Running over an child may not be easy, but you must listen to your commander for the sake of the safety of many.
God is sovereign, and knows everything.  His judgements pour forth with that foreknowledge.  There is much in the Old Testament that doesn't make complete sense about His righteousness and His wrath, but it happened. We must take that in faith that because of God's righteousness and hatred against sin.
Now lets bring this to current events.  Would God command around 53 million "legalized" murders of innocent babies in the United States by way of vacuuming out their brains and bodies while still in their mother's womb?  No, but it happened and is still happening today.  God will not condone the atrocity of abortion.  It is the sin of murder for sake of convenience, and God's wrath will reign down at the appointed time.
Therefore, I believe God's plan is bigger than we can ever imagine.  It is not always pretty, but ulimately God's righteousness, love, and grace prevail. The violence of the verses discussed was God's judgement poured out for sin.  The violence today is for both teachable moments and judgment.  God is holding back until the time is right to unleash His complete and justified fury upon the world for His appointed time.  So in the meantime, I must be a watchman and sound the warning for any and all people that don't know Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord.  I must give them the opportunity to choose Christ's death as payment for their sin or warn them that they will pay the price for sin themselves through separation from God and eventual spiritual death in Hell and the Lake of Fire.  These verses and today's sacrifices of millions of innocent lives to the god of convenience have activated an empathy and rekindled a flame of passion and love for unborn children that are never given the chance to speak for themselves.  I hope and pray this will drive me to action in some form or fashion to assist in saving the lives of these innocent children.  It is time to do something.

For the Glory of God,

What's Your "Why"?

I typically don't run across major revelations while watching TV, but this week during the day one workout on the Biggest Loser something clicked.  The trainers were kicking the contestants butts in the gym working them into fits of pain beyond anything they have ever felt.  As Jillian shouted her orders at them, she stated, "Find your 'why' and the 'how' will come."

This struck me like a ton of bricks.  What is my "why" for what I do?  I have had many "whys" during my life.  Why do I eat? Why do I or don't I exercise?  Why do I spend or save money?  My answer to that ominous "why" has had various responses such as my health, to look good, to buy nice things, to go on trips to far off places, and to give to others in need.  These are all good reasons, but there is one that takes ALL of their places.

The only "why" that matters is giving God the glory and thanking Him for the amazing grace He gave us through His Son.  Everything I do is by His grace and plan.  Every breath I take is a God-given gift of grace.  So when the mundane, routine things in life start to drag me down, I can look to my "why" and know that what I do is for his glory.

With God and His glory as my focus the "how" comes nearly naturally.  It won't be easy, but it draws everything into perspective.  It's not about me.  It was never about me, but training my body and soul otherwise is a difficult thing.  

That is when I must engage the Holy Spirit.  When those habits or sins that seek to entangle me and the temptation comes, I must remember my "why" and resist and stay true to the "how" in order to live within God's will for my life.  I must be actively engaged with the Spirit and trusting Him to guide me as to what God's will is for me.

What is your "why"?  What get's you moving?  I hope it is God and His glory, because nothing else will satisfy.

For a Reason?

I have been recently contemplating God's will or the reasons behind many things that happen to me.  I am a bit boggled when certain things happen, yet they didn't go according to the original plan that they were supposed to go.  For example, I had a couple of doctor appointments a few weeks ago.  I knew when they were.  They were even on my planner (not that I always look at it much).  For some reason, I had it in my mind that my appointment was on Tuesday at 9am, but it was in fact on Wednesday at 9am.  I found it a bit strange that I received a text message about my appointment right before I walked in the door.  I was a whole day early!  They had a no show at 9am, and I was helped just as if I were scheduled for that day.  It makes me wonder what would have happened had I went on the appointed day.  Did someone else need a 9am appointment on Wednesday?  I was helped inspite of my error, and life went on like "normal."

Yesterday, I was thinking about a book that I sent someone hoping he had received it, and I walked into my kitchen and there on the counter was the returned package with the very book.  That answers that question, I thought.  Incomplete address.  Great, "God, is this a test?"  Irony of all ironies, The note inside of the book is written on a sheet of printed out lyrics to the song "Already There" by Casting Crowns.  God is already there.  He knew I mailed a book with an incomplete address and paid postage to send it only to have it returned two to three months later.  God also knew my thoughts about this book and that the book was on my kitchen counter as I thought them.  What is my next move?  Is the book worth sending a second time?  Will I be able to even get the complete address?  Is it worth it?  God is already there.  I believe because of the thoughts that I had at that particular moment leave me with only one choice, to try again.  I did receive the complete address, and I paid postage yet again (it isn't cheap) to get this book sent.  The rest is in God's hands.  He is already there.

Because God is already there, He knows all things and knows how my life will play out.  Does God orchestrate miscalculations for doctor appointments for a reason?  Does God orchestrate mailing mishaps to teach me a lesson in motives and counting the cost?  Does God orchestrate "off-schedule" things for a reason only known to Him for His glory?  It makes me wonder what would have happened had I kept my original appointment.  I wonder what would have happened had I not sent the book again?  I took the risk, and I pray God will bless it.  I definitely know that no matter what happens with the book, the cost is never too high to serve and obey God.  God is already there.

Decisions 2013

I remembered making a list of decisions for 2012 last year at church and discovered my list recently.  My top 5 goals for last year were as follows:

1. Speak in love/Keep God first

2. Teach my students good character by example and skills secondarily

3. Intentionally exercise and eat right

4. Ride a gondola in Venice, Italy

5. Run a 10K or 5K.

We we encouraged to reexamine our list and filter it through John 5:30-"I can of mine own self do nothing: as  I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of my Father which hath sent me."  My list remained relatively the same, and God showed His will.

I made great progress in my goals for 2012.  I fell in love with God's Word. God showed me some areas to work on in regards to my conversation.  I loved my kiddos and prayed for new harvests of kiddos.  God has given me an abundance.  I began within the last few months to purposefully eat healthy and exercise.  I did run a 5K, I got doused in colored corn starched and had a blast doing so.  That was the largest race with several thousand participants that I had ever run, but it was totally worth it.  I did ride a gondola in Venice, Italy and I believe God orchestrated the whole thing.  I  met two Canadian young men and my one regret was that I didn't share Jesus Christ with them face to face.  However, through the wonderful world of  technology, I did have a chance to share Christ with one of them at great length while he was still on his trip in Europe.  Therefore, I saw my desire to ride a gondola as a seed planting opportunity for God.

Now as I get settled into 2013, and see that God can bring me overseas to plant seeds for him, why can't I do the same in my own neighborhood?  There are opportunities surrounding us everyday.  We just have to GO.  God will give us the words, if we give Him ourselves with a willingness to serve Him.  My decisions for 2013 are similar to before, but they can be summarized in the word, GO.  God commands us to GO and make disciples.  I must GO and be a light to my kiddos, I must GO and speak the love of God to others, I must GO exercise.  It is just that simple.

~ Untitled Post ~

I just ran across this post draft dated on a very life-altering day for me and many people around me.  I can only imagine myself then trying to articulate all of the emotion in me and around me at that moment.  That is why I believe this post remained unwritten.

I couldn't put my feelings into words and still can't fathom the reasons why such things happen.  I do know that God is in control.  God is the Author and Finisher of my faith and knows exactly what He is doing even when I can't grasp or understand the things that He does.

Within the last two months, God has shown himself faithful to me in miraculous ways.  As a teacher, God has provided me with many harvests of children over the past 4 years.  Right now, I currently have 3 different harvests of children.  I have an amazing job built for me working with children. I volunteer with an organization working with children that need the love of Jesus.  I also work with the children at my church  in various ways. As I continue to release control and trust God, I see God working more and more in my life.

I don't understand God's plans, but I know that they are higher and bigger than I can ever imagine and as long as I am abiding in Him everything will go according to His plan.  What I may see as tragedy God may see as victory.  The impact of a life or set of circumstances can't fully be seen this side of heaven.  All I can do is take it one day at a time trusting God in each step.

"I don't know about tomorrow, but I know Who holds my hand."