God's Opinion

Even those of us (like me) who do not watch beauty pageants or read celebrity magazines could have missed the outrage about the controversial answer that Miss California gave at the Miss USA pageant this year.

If you were asked your opinion about gay marriage would you have said that you did not agree with it?

Would you say that in front of a crowd of people?

Would you have said that on national television?

Would you have said it even though it meant that, in one moment, it made void everything you had been working on for months (if not years)?

She did it without hesitation.

She said it with conviction.

I hope that I would have the strength to do the same!

Not to pass up any opportunity to preach God’s word and to firmly stand by his commands when questioned. To say firmly to the world: "This is God's opinion and it is mine too!"


God's opinion about homosexuality:
"For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due."
—Romans 1:26-27 (NKJV)

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God."
—1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NKJV)

"Knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,"
—1 Timothy 1:9-10 (NKJV)

Making gay marriage legal is the same as if the law openly endorsed murder, extortion or lying.

If one switched the words "gay marriage" for anything else that God hates, most people would not have a problem with it. There would be no controversy on such topics such as murder or extortion.

But God does not only hate homosexuality.

Gay marriage is not the only thing people take pride in while disobeying God. People can boast about how many people they had slept with, or how much money they had received from "working under the table."

Gay pride is an easy one to pick on because it is such an easy one to see.

But how many times in a day do we lie? Or get angry? Or gossip?

Any form of sin separates us from God.

Don't continue in it.

God does not want us to continue in sin but instead wants us to change our hearts so that grace may abound.

Hope

The mind is not only filled with black bags tied up with string, but also happy memories, peaceful thoughts, warm feelings and of course hope.
The reading of God’s word has never been so important as at the times when one does some deep self examination. It not only helps one be more thorough but also, at the end, gives one hope.
That black bag of sad thoughts is not the end. It is part of the process. It will always be there to serve as a reminder of the weakness of flesh. But it is not there to overwhelm me.
It is always good to think about our hope. Know that God has forgiven me. Know that the past is unchanged but that God has given me an opportunity to do better now.
Away with the self centered thoughts!
Forward march!

The Black Bag

For far too long I had a bag of unresolved emotional thoughts and feelings. It wasn’t a large backpack that the world could see but rather like a heavy, black draw-string bag in my head. A bag that I could ignore, and that no one else would notice. But it was still there.

And it effected how the rest of me functioned.

This week I have been working on it.

Not to get rid of it.

As most of it’s contents are the type that doesn’t go away.

But to deal with it.

Sort through it.
Kind of like I reached a hand inside of my head and brought that heavy bag out, untied the large knot, and then slowly opened it up -scared about what I would find inside- and then started to sift through its contents.

Of course I knew roughly what it contained.

I was the one who had stuffed everything in it.

Shoving as much as I could into it before quickly drawing it closed and tying the knot -all that time ago.

But because some of it I had tried so very hard to hide from even myself, I know that the bag may hold some nasty surprises.

There are a lot of ugly things in that bag.

Very ugly.

Truths about myself.

Truths about what I am really like.

Truths that because of what I did (because of who I am) has caused such horrible things to happen.

That is another ugly thing that is inside this bag:

Guilt.

It actually fills up a lot of the bag.

Horrible guilt of things I did but also of things that I didn’t do. Things I should have done.

As I sort through the bag I try to look at each object straight on. Staring at each facet of the objects so that I can do away with the lies.

So many lies.

The lies had for the longest time hidden some of the darker contents of the bag so that they looked prettier and much more acceptable (at least from a distance). But once you get up close to them and turn them over, the lies are not only very ugly but have a corrosive aspect to them.

Once I found them, their stench made me reel back from the bag, I didn’t want to deal with them. I had to put the bag down for a moment and gasp for some fresh air. But I went back with even stronger resolve. I was determined to go through that bag.

This bag has been sitting there for far too long.

There are still some dark corners of the bag that I haven’t gone through. In some ways I don’t think I am ready for it yet.

But now the bag doesn’t seem as scary to me now that I have opened it, looked inside and started to sort through it.

I was relieved to be able to throw some stuff out.

Some of it was difficult and very painful to pry loose and which I was eager to throw out once I had extracted it, but some I had to force myself to throw out as I knew that they didn't truly belong in the bag even though I wanted them to be there.

I was especially glad to get rid of some of the lies.

I still think there are some lies I didn't find, but I am glad that I did deal with the ones that I did find. Some of the ones that I did work through did leave some small messy residual aspects of themselves behind, but over time I am sure I can get rid of those as well.

By getting rid of some of the lies, it allowed me to have a better look at all the guilt. Some of them were a lot bigger and uglier than what I had anticipated, but at least I have a better idea of how they looked like.

It also forced me to look at myself with a little more honesty. So now I have some things I can work on even after I closed up the bag again.

It was a horrible task. But it was good that I did it.

Now the bag is a little bit lighter, and will hopefully be a little easier to open the next time I want to look inside.

And hopefully I am a better person for it.

A VERY Offensive Advertisement

I found this advertisement so offensive I HAD to share it.

It is kind of like when someone takes a bite of something, pulls a face and then tries to pass it to you with the words: “this is SO gross! Here try it!”

Is is SO offensive! - Here, look at it!

It showed up on my Facebook page as an ad on the side and I felt so strongly about this that I immediately clicked the button with the thumbs-down symbol, and when asked to give a reason why I felt this way I checked the box next to the word “offensive”.

Normally I just pass by the ads including the ones with the girls in their underwear or “R” rated movies- without even bothering to look at them twice.

But not this ad.

It is so offensive in just so many levels that I am sure I am not the only one who feels this way.

In fact I think the ONLY person who would NOT find this offensive is a chain-smoking agnostic without any children.

Lets pick on the smoking first..
Anyone with children would find this advertisement offensive on just that point.
My mother received this same ad as a flyer in her mail and now imagine that it wasn’t her who collected the mail but her imaginary eight-year-old daughter. The little girl would take one look at it and then go to her mother and ask “Mommy, why is the man dressed up as a bunny smoking a cigarette?”

Easter bunnies are not geared at adults. I have never seen a forty-year old woman become all excited when she sees the Easter bunny. Am I not right in assuming that any normal mother who is trying to teach her children not to smoke “death sticks” would find this offensive?

But I think the targeted audience, Christians, would find this ad extremely offensive.

At least I did.

And I don’t even celebrate Easter (which is a separate topic in itself).

The most offensive part of the whole ad for me is the last sentence:

If this is not blasphemy then what is??

And I am not even going to enter into the debate about how one should dress when coming before God.


First, it is the absolute arrogance of it.

The attitude of "don’t even bother to prepare yourself when you meet your God."


Then it is the second blasphemy of the idea of God meeting us at our level: “that’s WHERE God meets us.”

That is not what he does!

Psalms 24:3-6
“Who shall ascend into the hill of YHWH? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”

God does not go down to our level. He does not need to change.

Instead, WE have to change and reach up to God!

We go to God! NOT the other way round!!

He does not meet us at our terms. But on HIS terms.

Ex 19:17
“Then Moses led the people OUT of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.”

God wants all us sinners to come to him.
He wants us to repent.

The only reference I could find that said that God would meet sinful man is in the context of the people making burnt offerings:

Ex 29:42
"For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the Lord. There I will meet you and speak to you;

This is the ONLY way God will meet us.

Ps 51:14-17
“Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise”

My Baby is Better Than Yours!

It started out when we were old enough to compare our piece of the chocolate cake to the one given to the child next to us, then it was your grade at school compared to another child’s grade, your art work compared to someone else’s, your body shape compared to someone else’s, your wedding compared to someone else’s and now (at least for me) it is my child compared to everyone else's.

I didn’t realize at first that it was what I was doing until I realized I was becoming dissatisfied with my own baby.

Why is he not as friendly as other babies? Why is he not sleeping/eating/sitting/growing as well as the other babies?

But then I realized that there was also the other side of it too.

Consoling myself with the thought that "at least my baby has a tooth", or thinking that "my baby may not make friends with everyone he meets, but at least he is smart" were not good thoughts either!

This attitude of comparison is not what God wants in us: “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” (1 Cor. 10:12)

It is not wise to do it in our spiritual lives (except to compare ourselves to Christ!) and it is definitely not a good idea to do it about the things of this world!

Instead I should focus on how to raise my child in God’s way. Seeing only flaws in him as compared to scripture and reminding myself that I should praise and thank God for each good thing that I see in my little boy. From his little tooth, to his shy smile, to his dimpled fingers, thank you God for my little boy!

Sharing Thoughts

Pick carefully to whom we share our thoughts.
It is good to carefully choose those with whom we share our most personal thoughts.

Not only because of Delilahs who may use the information against us. (Judges 16)

Or because of talebearers who blab our thoughts to the world:
“He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.” (Proverbs 11:13- KJV)
The NIV says it even more pointedly: “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.”

There are also many scriptural examples of being given bad advice by those with whom we share our problems:
“The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray.” (Proverbs 12:26)
The best example of this is Amnon and his friend Jonadab. Jonadab was a good friend in that he noticed when Amnon was depressed, but he was not a person with whom you shared your secrets! He gave VERY bad advice!
“But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man. He said to him, "O son of the king, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?"
Then Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom."
Jonadab then said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; when your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat from her hand.' " (2 Samuel 13)
..as I said, very bad advice - but it was exactly what Amnon wanted to hear!
It is GOOD to share..
Once we have someone with whom we share our inner most thoughts we realize how good it is to get those thoughts out!

Sometimes our darkest and most disturbing thoughts can fester and grow in strange ways in our minds.

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16)

Sometimes once the thoughts are spoken one can look at them from a new perspective.

Christ was very good at not only listening to people but also putting a new perspective on what they were thinking.

By sharing our thoughts we may also find that we are not alone.

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor. 10:13)

The verse speaks of temptations but the same is true for trials, or problems. It is surprising sometimes to find out how many share the same feelings and thoughts.

But even if the people with whom we are sharing our thoughts have never had the same experiences or thoughts, they might just give much needed encouragement and support that we may not even realize that we needed. “And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.” (1 Sam 23:16)

It is humbling..
Sharing ones true thoughts can be very humbling. We may not want people to know exactly what is going on in our minds, or we may actually be proud of the fact that we are so different from others that “no one” will be able to understand (like Elijah felt in 1 Kings 19:9-18).

But it is important to let go and speak. For even though it is not good to share all our thoughts with everyone, it is also not good to keep them all inside our heads.

"Are you Listening?"

Last Friday we were doing the Bible readings in Proverbs 13 with a couple of friends, and found that it tied in perfectly with what we had been talking about just moments before about how important it is to discipline our children.


The verse in Proverbs was: “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”
(Proverbs 13:24)

We laughed at the coincidence and looked up other references that spoke about correction being done out of love for the child. It turned out to be a very fruitful discussion.


Then the very next day this point was reinforced in the most dramatic way.

My family and I had gone to a charming little tourist town in our area where we enjoyed the warm sunshine, ice-cream cones and exploring all the delightful stores that are there (especially the book store!). On the way back to our car we were walking behind a large family of aunts and uncles, grandmas and cousins... and one little brown haired girl.

This little girl did not listen to anybody.

When her parents told her to stay with them, she would run ahead. When her grandmother tried to cajole her to hold her hand, the little girl tried to walk in the road. When her uncle asked if she wanted to ride on his shoulders, she wanted to climb up some stairs. Then, when she was told that they were not going up the stairs and to stay on the sidewalk, she stuck out her bottom lip and walked in the parking lot next to the side walk.

It was the grandmother who spotted the danger first. She called out to the girl. Then the girl’s mother saw it and cried out to her in fright. The little girl’s father ordered her to come to them. There was fear in their voices and panic in their hearts.

And the little girl turned her head and asked them "Why?"


She hadn’t seen the car.


At the very last moment, just as it seemed that the worst was going to happen, the driver in the car saw her and slammed on his breaks.


The parents were powerless to help their child, because she did not respect them.

Why should she listen to them? She would much rather do what she wanted to do.

We teach our children to listen to us because we love them. So that we can keep them safe and happy. We also teach them to listen to us so that they will learn to listen to God.

As a verse in Proverbs puts it:
“Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.”
(Proverbs 19:18 - KJV)

Or as the NASB puts it:

“Discipline your son while there is hope, And do not desire his death.”

To listen to God is life.

“Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which YHWH your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: That thou mightest fear YHWH thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.” (Deut 6:1-2)


We need to teach our children to listen.


But are WE listening to our Father?


The verse in Deuteronomy that is quoted above says that we need to listen and do as he commands.. and then teach it to our children.

So God could very well ask us:

"Are you listening?"