Thursday 27 December 2012

Anyone looking for a Shepherd?

Psalms 23.
The Lord is My Shepherd.
This psalm, this one sentence in this psalm is filled with so many meanings and life lessons.
Most of us have never seen a sheep let alone understand the role of a Shepherd.
In this sentence the key concept is the relationship between the sheep.
When you really look at it... what do sheep really do for themselves. Anytime we see sheep on TV or hear about them in a book, they are in a pasture grazing. Sheep are always eating! that's all the day everyday eat and then sleep at night. Sheep don't find food for themselves, they don't protect themselves from wolves or lions, they don't find a safe place to dwell. They just eat, because food and protection is the Shepherd's job. David says the Lord is my Shepherd.  When you understand the role of a Shepherd you can truly appreciate the passage. A Shepherd goes out and finds food, a Shepherd has a staff to attack anything that threatens a sheep, a Shepherd is the one who creates a pasteur. What is a pasteur? It's and enclosed area of grass for sheep to graze in normally enclosed with gate or a fence  What is the grass for... food, what is the fence for... protection. The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want Psalms 23:1.
With your God assuming the role of a Shepard of your life, what else could you possibly want?

When you look at the anatomy of sheep, there are no defence mechanisms on the sheep, they don't have long sharp claws, they don't have big sharp teeth, they don't have legs built for speed or agility and the very few that have horns cant do any damage with it because they have neither the strength nor the skills to use it. They don't need any defence mechanisms because they have a Shepherd. The sheep are totally dependent on the Shepherd because the things that they are up against they don't stand a chance.This is why the Shepherd creates a safe heaven filled with food and a barrier for security.


This is the role that God wants to play in our lives, He wants to be our Shepherd  but are you humble enough and or trusting enough to be his sheep?



Friday 21 December 2012

Question?

What does Jesus mean to you?
No, this is not a philosophically question asking for a complicated philosophcal answer. Share with us what Jesus means to you, personally.

Friday 14 December 2012

Homosexuality. Right or Wrong?

Homosexuality has been a topic of confusion in the church out the church. In schools, in workplaces, in businesses, in families...Everywhere! People are trying to figure out is homosexuality right, is it acceptable or is it wrong. The Bible makes it clear that homosexuality is a sin, and therefore is wrong.  Where do I see that in Leviticus 18:22 22 'Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.' and if you read the whole chapter it outlines  many sexual sins and then says that these things are abominations and defiles the body. There are many other texts in the bible which speaks against homosexuality, they well be outlined at the end of the post so you can personally look them up.
If your a person living a homosexual life style or your beginning to feel homosexual tendencies, you need to pray earnestly to the Lord about it, ask Him to help you over come these feelings because you cant over come sin on your own, if you try it will just over come you. Only through Jesus and with His help can you ever over come sin. Dont feel lowly or like the lowlife of humanity that some around want to make you feel, this is why Jesus went to the cross, to make it possible for you and me to overcome sin. Jesus wants to help you and me overcome sin. Homosexulaity is a sin. Just like all others, and let He who is without sin cast the first stone. Who hear has not sinned.... let me see a show of hands...* looks around room* oh, no one... so why then do we as Christians feel superiority to Homosexuals, the bible says that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God ALL includes every one of us who has been shapen in sin and formed in inquity. Every one of us have sinned which puts us all on a leveled playing field. Homosexuals are sinners just like the rest of US( and I say us because even those who pretend to be righteous have sinned, and those who are actually righteous have only done so through the blood of Jesus washing away their sin) liars, thieves, gossipers, fornicators... and if your reading this shaking your head saying that your above this, you remember that thing that one thing you always do that you want no one to find out about, yea that secret thing.. that puts you in the category of a sinner. So come of your high horse.

There are too many Christians walking around as if God ask us to be a panel of judges to try everyone's case. Our jobs as Christians is to share the gospel not  hypocritical judge and shoved down people's throat. Your messengers not jurors. You carry the message show in the bible why it is wrong step back and let the Holy Spirit do His job. Not even Jesus forces his way into our heart, He give us many opportunities to change our ways and do the right thing but He NEVER forces anyone to do what He wants we always have a choice. That is the example we must follow.

Homosexuals God loves you, but he hates your lifestyle, He hates the sin.

Bible References: Romans 1:26-32,  Leviticus chapter 18 (from memory research more later)


Monday 10 December 2012

Idol Worship


I learnt over the period of couple weeks the true meaning of " Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit," Yes, I know it in theory but it never truly sunk in until recently.. that I was trying to do everything on my own. I was trying to get an education on my own.... I was trying to forge my path for my life on my own. I thought making my plans then asking God to bless it meant that I was depending on God and that I was doing the things that He wanted  but in truth and in fact that very actions was a very blatant display of my lack of trust in God. How many times have you done that? Made your plans for the day, for your schooling  for your career, for family or your life THEN ask God to bless it. You look God in the face say ' ok God I don't really trust what you have planned I know whats best for my life so here's whats gonna happen... this is the plan I drew up and I need you to bless it'. That isn't trusting God that's idolising Him, and by idolising I mean turning Him into an Idol.  God is not and idol, He isn't something you keep on a shelf and only take down and dust off when you want blessings over a plan or and investment. He is a sovereign being meaning He has thoughts and plans, unlike the stone cold idol that most of us make Him out to be... he has  plans for your life, that if you followed you would have the definition of a fulfilling of life.
So I learnt that lesson a couple weeks ago, and I decided that I'm done doing this by myself I was done questioning God. I was gonna live my life completely trusting Him because in Him I could do all things. Then this morning whilst studying for an exam, I realised that I hadn't had devotions in a minute ( meaning in a while) I haven't opened my bible in probably a week. So here I was trying to be a better Christian by my own strength, trying to be more connected to God without even allowing God to be in the picture. Isn't that crazy???? but I know I'm not the only young person who does it. You can't get closer to God by deciding your going to do it, and then try to do it  without Him. The only way we're gonna be any better as a Christian and have a close relationship with Christ is to live in constant communication with Him which is a difficult task if Christ to you is an idol. Take God out of the idolistic box that you've confined Him to.  See Him as being with thoughts, personality, likes, dislikes, yes even feelings. Learn about Him and his character  by constantly reading the bible, and talking to him through prayer. When people hear the word prayer their mindset switches and they immediately revert to this rigid repetitive form, but prayer is in essence just a conversation . The only difference between prayer and a conversation is that a conversation is you talking to another person and a prayer is you having a conversation with God. Jesus who died on that Friday evening, and rose that Sunday morning is not an idol. Stop making Christianity out to be idol worship.

Friday 7 December 2012

Homosexuality

This post is coming Friday December 14, 2012.................
Dont miss it! Subscribe on the home page now!

Thursday 6 December 2012

Just A Thought


This is just a thought on how the Lord reveals himself to all of us. Have you ever just laid down and looked directly up, staring at the face of the evening sky? You know, the one directly after the sunset, filled with darker and darker shades of midnight blue originating from a lighted crescent on the horizon, a gentle reminder of the sun's former residence?
I just did that, on top of this hill in the middle of nowhere on the TN-AL border, surrounded by nothing except brush, deer, and coyotes. The sky was as a newly conceived child, a miracle and not yet developed, as the stars were just beginning to reveal their faces--so few that one could number them upon one hand.
All this, and I came to this conclusion...we're too busy. Too busy looking down at the concrete fast track to material wealth or forward at the dreams we've crafted with our own hands that we forget.
We forget our Creator though we are admonished to "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not..." (Ecclesiastes 12:1). We, myself foremost, forget that, sometimes, our effort is not necessary nor desired in the things that pertain to God alone. We do not always need to be in control. Sometimes, we are just required to "Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day" (Exodus 14:13).
The heavens surely declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handiwork (Psalms 19:1) and, even by just looking at the sky, we can see that "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name is to be praised" (Psalms 113:3).
So, today, you can say that my laying down on my back on top of this country hill after sunset was time well spent. 

Written by: Oneil Grant.