“What you sow is what you reap” was what I heard from my parents as I grew up. That quote was normally followed with “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” (Matthew 7:12) And for many years I thought it was a threat or at the very least a warning to always be on my best behavior. But lately I have understood a deeper meaning in what many call the “Golden Rule”.
I suppose that the reason I thought the Golden Rule was a warning or a threat was because I saw myself as a result of what everyone else did around me. I hadn’t taken ownership of my decisions, much less my life. For instance, I was “good” because that was what the rules said. When I wasn’t recognized it was because someone else was better than me. When I wasn’t accepted or something didn’t go my way it was because “they didn’t like me”, “They didn’t notice”. Everything happened to me because of others' positions, thoughts, actions…I didn’t see myself as a victim but as a puppet or the product of some strange equation.
But then, while meditating on Matthew 7:12, I saw something that has changed my life. Jesus is giving us the key to what we want to receive. He isn’t saying “Be careful of what you do, ‘cause somehow it will be done back to you.” NO! He is saying that “if there is something that you would like others to do to you, that is what you must do first.”
It’s the same concept in sowing and reaping. For the longest time, when I would see something happen (usually a bad thing) to another person, I would say under my breath “Sow and Reap”. But I realized that God is telling us that we don’t have to be carried by the tide or the waves of society. We can envision what we want to reap, and sow for that harvest.
WOW! We have our future in our hands. What a great responsibility, and an awesome truth.
Here are some verses to read over. Proverbs 11:18, Job 4:8, Matthew 7:12, and Luke 6:31
Take the time to think about what these verses say and take them to heart. Remember, you aren’t a victim of circumstance, nor are you any one’s puppet. You are in charge, so like the Templar Knight said to Indiana Jones in the Last Crusade “Choose wisely!”
Friday, August 22, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
God has a special plan for us
Have you ever found yourself wondering what God thinks about you, or even if he thinks about you at all? It can seem daunting that in a world of over 6 billion people God can single us out and think about us. And it may seem ludicrous in the light of all the chaos, War, hate, and our own disobedience that He has any good thoughts toward us even if He does think about us.
Sadly, that is our human concept of God. You see, it is difficult to see things outside out own experience. We all have jobs, chores, and tasks all over the place. We deal with traffic, the outrageous gas prices, the annoying neighbor or fellow car pooler. We speak to our boss and those we work with, and then there are the customers. We deal with home issues, late night television, report cards, and the new hole in the roof. After a hard day at work or at school we carry our feelings on our sleeve, and on the edge of our tongue. So when we think about God we understand how impossible it would be for the Creator to think about us.
But that is not the case. God is so much greater than any experience could ever enlighten us. He is so much bigger than our problems and even bigger than the world's problems. He doesn't have his hands full. On the contrary, He can do all things and He is poised to bless us and help us grow up in Him. It was so important for Him that we should know this, that He wrote it down in Jeremiah 29:11 which says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
The devil will attempt to keep us from calling on our heavenly Father in our time of need, but that would be the worst thing to do. We have a heavenly father that loves us and has done the greatest thing He could ever do in order to save us, His children.
So, as you sit there in front of your computer screen, take a moment and talk to Him. Talk to your heavenly Dad, and draw near to Him.
Sadly, that is our human concept of God. You see, it is difficult to see things outside out own experience. We all have jobs, chores, and tasks all over the place. We deal with traffic, the outrageous gas prices, the annoying neighbor or fellow car pooler. We speak to our boss and those we work with, and then there are the customers. We deal with home issues, late night television, report cards, and the new hole in the roof. After a hard day at work or at school we carry our feelings on our sleeve, and on the edge of our tongue. So when we think about God we understand how impossible it would be for the Creator to think about us.
But that is not the case. God is so much greater than any experience could ever enlighten us. He is so much bigger than our problems and even bigger than the world's problems. He doesn't have his hands full. On the contrary, He can do all things and He is poised to bless us and help us grow up in Him. It was so important for Him that we should know this, that He wrote it down in Jeremiah 29:11 which says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
The devil will attempt to keep us from calling on our heavenly Father in our time of need, but that would be the worst thing to do. We have a heavenly father that loves us and has done the greatest thing He could ever do in order to save us, His children.
So, as you sit there in front of your computer screen, take a moment and talk to Him. Talk to your heavenly Dad, and draw near to Him.
Jesus is Ultimate Theology
I heard something today that is worth repeating…”Jesus is Ultimate Theology”
What that means is that whatever we have seen Him do that is the will of God. Jesus said it this way, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. ..Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” John 14:9-10
He never hurt anyone, nor did he use pain, suffering, sickness, death, disease, or poverty to teach any one a lesson. On the contrary, He preached a message of love, forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, restoration, the Kingdom of God, and where ever He went he destroyed the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)
Let’s look at the things he undid or destroyed.
What that means is that whatever we have seen Him do that is the will of God. Jesus said it this way, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. ..Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” John 14:9-10
He never hurt anyone, nor did he use pain, suffering, sickness, death, disease, or poverty to teach any one a lesson. On the contrary, He preached a message of love, forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, restoration, the Kingdom of God, and where ever He went he destroyed the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)
Let’s look at the things he undid or destroyed.
- Diseases
- Death
- Doubt
- Fear
- Unbelief
- Epilepsy
- Demon possession
- Hunger
- Lack
- Imprisonment
- Poverty
- Storms
- Deafness
- Blindness
- Lack of limbs
- Etc…
By His grace we are saved from all the above. His Mercy endures forever. A good verse to read is John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Go out now and tell someone about how Good Jesus is, and take this good news to those who are afflicted by the works of the devil.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Thank God for Forgivenss
"Praise God for His forgiveness!" Let me say that again, "Praise God for His Forgiveness!"
Have you noticed that whenever we do something short of God's perfect will the evil one is quick to condemn us. Even though he isn't invited to the party he interjects his opinion and attempts to drive a wedge between us and our loving Father.
Let me warn you, this trap will only lead to condemnation, depression, and strife. What we must realize is that God is Love and He has already forgiven us of all things. This may be a little difficult to understand since we come from a world of "righting wrongs". ie if someone does something to us we expect that person to repay, repair, or restore whatever it was to its' prior condition. So when we fail at something we expect God to react the same way.
The reality is that before you did what you did or said what you said, Jesus had already repaid, repaired, and restored it. So when we fall short the best thing we can do is to run to Him, get it off our chest and receive our forgiveness.
He loves us more than we have been able to grasp. Let's RUN to Him and receive His miracle of forgiveness.
Gabriel
Have you noticed that whenever we do something short of God's perfect will the evil one is quick to condemn us. Even though he isn't invited to the party he interjects his opinion and attempts to drive a wedge between us and our loving Father.
Let me warn you, this trap will only lead to condemnation, depression, and strife. What we must realize is that God is Love and He has already forgiven us of all things. This may be a little difficult to understand since we come from a world of "righting wrongs". ie if someone does something to us we expect that person to repay, repair, or restore whatever it was to its' prior condition. So when we fail at something we expect God to react the same way.
The reality is that before you did what you did or said what you said, Jesus had already repaid, repaired, and restored it. So when we fall short the best thing we can do is to run to Him, get it off our chest and receive our forgiveness.
He loves us more than we have been able to grasp. Let's RUN to Him and receive His miracle of forgiveness.
Gabriel
Monday, July 28, 2008
Love is God's Base
I am convinced that everything God does is motivated by love. The beginning, the creation of all things, the blessing given to Adam and Eve, the promise of a redeemer, the law, the prophets, the redeemer, the freedom we enjoy in Christ, the power of His Name, His glory, the authority and power to enter boldly to His throne room and receive from Him all are reflections of His Love.
A dear friend and I were talking and reflecting on how Jesus prayed in John 17:23 that we should know that God loves us just as much as He loves Jesus. This revelation is one that should propel us past the petty one-upmanship that plagues so many of our Christian bodies. It should bring us to a level of loving one another and others as Jesus did. After coming to the realization that we as followers of Jesus are loved by God the Father just as much as He loved Jesus, should elevate our rhetoric, our willingness to forgive, and our overall testimony.
We don’t need to fight for His attention, forgiveness, or love- it’s already ours. We don’t need to prove to anyone how much more deserving we are over anyone else to receive His Mercy-it’s already ours.
All He calls us to do is to reflect the same love to others, to show others how much He desires to love them too.
Let’s cast off the struggle to be worthy, and embrace His love that was poured out on us (Romans 5:5) and love our family, and our neighbor.
- John 3:16 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.
- 1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Thy Kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heaven
Have you ever thought about what Jesus meant when he prayed this phrase? It came directly after the disciples asked him how to pray. So, He started by making one of the most bold and little accepted statements of His ministry. May the Kingdom of God come to Earth and may His Will be done here on Earth just like it is in Heaven. (Matthew 6:10)
I believe that this statement has been under evaluated, and suppressed. Since it is part of what we have called the “Lord’s Prayer” it has been clumped together with the entire prayer and not looked at and put into practice.
Jesus prayed this and what He prayed came to pass. What he asked His disciples to do it was done and what He asked them to pray came to pass. So here he tells them to pray this way….”Our Father who is in Heaven holy is your Name, Thy kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.”
Do you dare? Do you dare pray this way and with it take a stand to walk like it is unfolding before you? It is a wonderful thing to be saved and going to heaven but it is the ability to bring the Kingdom of God to the needy and the hurt, to heal the land, to bring stability to the economy, to stand in the way of tyranny and violence and to defy nature that makes us truly Ambassadors of this heavenly Kingdom.
I believe that this statement has been under evaluated, and suppressed. Since it is part of what we have called the “Lord’s Prayer” it has been clumped together with the entire prayer and not looked at and put into practice.
Jesus prayed this and what He prayed came to pass. What he asked His disciples to do it was done and what He asked them to pray came to pass. So here he tells them to pray this way….”Our Father who is in Heaven holy is your Name, Thy kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.”
Do you dare? Do you dare pray this way and with it take a stand to walk like it is unfolding before you? It is a wonderful thing to be saved and going to heaven but it is the ability to bring the Kingdom of God to the needy and the hurt, to heal the land, to bring stability to the economy, to stand in the way of tyranny and violence and to defy nature that makes us truly Ambassadors of this heavenly Kingdom.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Who are we?
How important is choosing our friends and acquaintances? Many don’t care, and haven’t even thought it through. But it does matter. Even our non-action will cause disastrous repercussions if we haven’t chosen our friends wisely.
Foolish (moronic, ignorant, immature) friends will not only damage our reputation but over time they will affect a change in us. Our paradigms will begin to change over time. We will begin to take on their points of view. We too will become foolish, moronic, ignorant and immature.
Have you heard the saying, "Birds of a feather flock together" Initially I thought that it meant that birds seek out other similar birds, but over time I realized it means something else. Birds begin to look like the birds around them.
The youth today claim that they want to be different, but what they mean is that they want to be different from those people who are not in their group. If you put a “Goth” kid in a rural-farmer high school, (and take away all exterior stimuli from the city and the Goth culture) the kid will begin to transform himself into the "birds" that are around him. (He may not like it but its human nature.) He /she will begin to find pleasure in horse-back riding, nature, and wearing jeans with boots.
Jesus carefully chose those with whom he was to be around. His closest friends (the Disciples) were not chosen randomly. In Proverbs 13:20 we read
It is time to reflect on the people we call "friends or acquaintances," and ask the question "Who am I hanging out with?” Let’s chose our friends wisely.
Your Friend, Your Brother
Gabriel G
Foolish (moronic, ignorant, immature) friends will not only damage our reputation but over time they will affect a change in us. Our paradigms will begin to change over time. We will begin to take on their points of view. We too will become foolish, moronic, ignorant and immature.
Have you heard the saying, "Birds of a feather flock together" Initially I thought that it meant that birds seek out other similar birds, but over time I realized it means something else. Birds begin to look like the birds around them.
The youth today claim that they want to be different, but what they mean is that they want to be different from those people who are not in their group. If you put a “Goth” kid in a rural-farmer high school, (and take away all exterior stimuli from the city and the Goth culture) the kid will begin to transform himself into the "birds" that are around him. (He may not like it but its human nature.) He /she will begin to find pleasure in horse-back riding, nature, and wearing jeans with boots.
Jesus carefully chose those with whom he was to be around. His closest friends (the Disciples) were not chosen randomly. In Proverbs 13:20 we read
“He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm"It doesn’t say that the person who walks with the wise does it because he is wise…It says that he grows wise.
It is time to reflect on the people we call "friends or acquaintances," and ask the question "Who am I hanging out with?” Let’s chose our friends wisely.
Your Friend, Your Brother
Gabriel G
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