Last night at church, we were discussing how easy it is to make idols in our hearts. God is jealous of this, and the faster you can clense yourself of them, the better. I have been pondering to myself over the past couple weeks about if I have any idols. Funny how you always hear the sermon being directed at you. In the midst of my tears from the Spirit moving thru the church, I had a revelation.
Ciggarettes are my idols. They are the only thing that stands between me, and my thoughts of God. I don't bow down to worship them..but I do wish that some things would hurry up and end so I can smoke. Now, I haven't felt that way towards the sermons, but I have caught my mind wandering a few times while in church towards that next drag.
It was the end of the service, and I was singing, and crying, and that knot in my heart was there. I knew that this was my problem, and I prayed for God to help me. When we got back in the car..there they were. I tried not to look at them, but Seth lit one for himself, and then handed me mine. Being the feeble minded person I am, I took it, and hated myself the whole time I smoked it. I was thinking in my head, 'God, why am I having so much trouble with this? Please help me! Show me why I cannot stop!'
I belive that the Lord works in mysterious ways.
Have you ever just started talking to a random passerby? I had just finished my lunch, and I went outside to smoke. There was a man sitting on the side walk eating pizza from our neighboring Little Ceasars. I lit my ciggarette, and studied the man. He was sitting next to a bike (assumed it was his), and minding his own business. I noticed that he had on old blue jeans, with paint splatters.
I asked him if he was working today. He said, "No, I used to work, but now I am retired. I had a heart attack a few years ago, and now I just do what the doctor says. I've been working in the yard, and these are the best clothes for that."
Then I asked him if he went to church. He said, "Well, I used to go to this Baptist church in Pasadena, but the congregation fell apart when some of the members tried to take over the church...to many politics." I innvited him to come to our church. He was interested. We kept talking about it, and then about kids and grandkids...marrige, and how silly life is. When I was finished smoking, I went back inside and got a little card that I had picked up from Wednesday night Bible Study that gives directions to the church. He said, "Thanks, I hope to see you there." His name is Buddy Smith.
Is the reason for my addiction this one encounter? I believe that it could be. Buddy is not the only person I have talked to about church while dealing with ciggarettes. Just this morning, before work, I was talking to the guy at CVS who always sells me my ciggarettes. He quit smoking some time back, and has been dealing with lots of stress at home. I presented him with one of those cards, and he gladly took it, and said, "Yeah, I'll be looking for you."
Why do things happen? I wrote a short memoire after Ethan was born about how everything happens for a reason. Even in those God-less days, I was right on the money. Imagine how much better my life could have been if I had been walking with Jesus. You can't go back, but you can be thankful for the decisions that have led you to where you are now, and where you will be going. Perhaps my days of smoking have just been leading up to this time. Maybe now I can finally kick the habit, but don't get your hopes up...
***
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
The Fire is Raging
Is it just me, or does it seem like there is a new revival going on around us? Every time I open Facebook, or talk to a friend, I am finding that more and more people are going to church, and putting their faith in Jesus. This is turning out to be an awesome time in my life. I wanted to share this little story I heard today on a Christian radio station:
A man had been going to church for many years, and knew the Pastor quite well. One day the man didn't show up to church on Sunday. The Pastor noticed, but thought maybe the man was out of town that weekend. The next Sunday, the man again did not show up for church. The Pastor decided to go to the man's house to check on him.
When the Pastor arrived at the man's house, the man let him in, knowing of the reason for his visit. The Pastor came in, and they both sat infront of the hearth, where the man had made a nice fire for the evening. Neither of them said a word to eachother.
The Pastor got up, took the iron for stoking the fire, and pulled one of the large coals out from the middle, and pushed it to the side. The coal burned for a few minutes, but slowly it died down and the flame went out.
The Pastor waited for a minute, and let the man contemplate what he was watching. Then he pushed the coal back into the fire, and immediatly the coal caught fire again.
The Pastor stood up to leave, and the man said, "Thank you for the fiery sermon."
What an easy way to give us encouragement to be around others that are 'on fire for the Lord'. I have been sending links to my blog to friends that seem to need a pick me up. Not because I want everyone to read my blog so I can be the coolest..but because maybe they will read something that will spark that flame in them. Nothing can be more powerful to a friend than seeing someone that they have known for years to be a 'party girl', change into someone that has found true happiness in God. I think it gives them hope that they may find the same.
I have always been a happy person, but I have always had trials in my life. If you didn't know me before I married Seth, then you have only heard short stories, or maybe none at all. I was definitly the 'bad influence'. Thank God, that he sent me the most awesome soul mate to help me become who I am today, and to grow together in our walk with Jesus.
I can say that today has been a day of thankfulness, and I wish I could pour my feelings onto you, so you could feel the peace I am feeling right now. Nothing major has happend today, nor do I anticipate anything..I just feel like great things are at work. I truly am ready, and willing to be with God.
A man had been going to church for many years, and knew the Pastor quite well. One day the man didn't show up to church on Sunday. The Pastor noticed, but thought maybe the man was out of town that weekend. The next Sunday, the man again did not show up for church. The Pastor decided to go to the man's house to check on him.
When the Pastor arrived at the man's house, the man let him in, knowing of the reason for his visit. The Pastor came in, and they both sat infront of the hearth, where the man had made a nice fire for the evening. Neither of them said a word to eachother.
The Pastor got up, took the iron for stoking the fire, and pulled one of the large coals out from the middle, and pushed it to the side. The coal burned for a few minutes, but slowly it died down and the flame went out.
The Pastor waited for a minute, and let the man contemplate what he was watching. Then he pushed the coal back into the fire, and immediatly the coal caught fire again.
The Pastor stood up to leave, and the man said, "Thank you for the fiery sermon."
What an easy way to give us encouragement to be around others that are 'on fire for the Lord'. I have been sending links to my blog to friends that seem to need a pick me up. Not because I want everyone to read my blog so I can be the coolest..but because maybe they will read something that will spark that flame in them. Nothing can be more powerful to a friend than seeing someone that they have known for years to be a 'party girl', change into someone that has found true happiness in God. I think it gives them hope that they may find the same.
I have always been a happy person, but I have always had trials in my life. If you didn't know me before I married Seth, then you have only heard short stories, or maybe none at all. I was definitly the 'bad influence'. Thank God, that he sent me the most awesome soul mate to help me become who I am today, and to grow together in our walk with Jesus.
I can say that today has been a day of thankfulness, and I wish I could pour my feelings onto you, so you could feel the peace I am feeling right now. Nothing major has happend today, nor do I anticipate anything..I just feel like great things are at work. I truly am ready, and willing to be with God.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
A Confounding Question
When I was going through confirmation at 14, we had an opportunity to speak with the pastor. There were about 10 of us, and we all gathered in a small meeting room, with the pastor. He told us we could ask him anything we had questions about regarding the Bible, God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. Everyone had there turns, and then it was mine. I can't remember exactly how I phrased the question, but this was the jist of it:
Supposedly Heaven is a paradise, where we will recognize eachother, and be ourselves, but follow and worship God. If we are going to be ourselves, but there is no sin (meaning nothing to rack our brains, or cause us to scientificaly judge eachother, or our actions), how will we be ourselves? How can someone who solves crimes for a living, and who loves their job of hunting down the criminal, be themselves, when there is no criminal to hunt?
The pastor starred at me. Everyone starred at me...like I was crazy. He kind of looked at me, pondered for a minute..then said, "Well, some things are left up to God to explain."
So, I never got my answer..and it is something that has plagued me for years. You see, I was never a person that wanted to go to church, nor did I have much interest in learning about God becuase it was forced on me. This small discussion group had confirmed my suspicions that when you got to Heaven, you were basically a slave, made to worship God. And that was definitly not on my adgenda. I was more interested in boys, moving far far away to college, and getting the heck out of there.
Well, as you have probably read in my previous posts..I have come to know Jesus. I have been soaking up all the knowledge that he will give me, and passing it on to you. I pray that it never ends. So back to the point.
One of the things that the Spirit has recently moved me to is an understanding (although it is small), of what Heaven will be like. I am an artist, photographer, "architect", interior designer, mother, wife, and general lover of life. What will my Heaven be like? There will be no big oil companies to build buildings for. There will be no runny noses to clean, or hands to hold when my baby is scared. I won't see a homeless man on the side of the road, sitting and smiling at the flowers to make me smile inside. What will the detective's Heaven be like? He won't have any criminals to keep his mind and heart racing.
Well, I have an idea. Instead of chasing a criminal to solve a crime, he will be trying to unlock the mysteries of all of God's creation. He will be studying the depths of His knowlege, and wondering how such a powerfull being came into existence. I will be constructing houses in God's kindom, and wiping the tears of joy from my child's face after he meets Jesus. And then we will hold hands as we run through the grass and see a spiritually wealthy man sitting and smiling at the flowers.
You see..God has helped me to realize that it is not sin that peeks our curiosity. It is happiness. The real reason the detective is hunting the criminal is to solve the crime. Then he can help the person the criminal harmed, making him satisfied in his work.
When you belive in Jesus, and the Spirit comes to dwell within you, you begin to realize a whole miriad of things that seemed impossible before. You realize that life is not worth living unless you have a true reason for living it. I am currently reading a book called "The Slumber of Christianity". It is full of ideas to help you get excited, and understand why you should be excited about your pass into the afterlife. Don't worry, when I finish the book, I will tell you all about it.
Just know that every time I think about being in Heaven I get a little butterfly of excitement in my stomach. The days of disbelief are over, and a new world of possiblities is opening for me. I can't wait to see Jesus in Heaven and thank him for teaching me how to truly appreciate the world around me as a foretaste of what is to come.
***
Supposedly Heaven is a paradise, where we will recognize eachother, and be ourselves, but follow and worship God. If we are going to be ourselves, but there is no sin (meaning nothing to rack our brains, or cause us to scientificaly judge eachother, or our actions), how will we be ourselves? How can someone who solves crimes for a living, and who loves their job of hunting down the criminal, be themselves, when there is no criminal to hunt?
The pastor starred at me. Everyone starred at me...like I was crazy. He kind of looked at me, pondered for a minute..then said, "Well, some things are left up to God to explain."
So, I never got my answer..and it is something that has plagued me for years. You see, I was never a person that wanted to go to church, nor did I have much interest in learning about God becuase it was forced on me. This small discussion group had confirmed my suspicions that when you got to Heaven, you were basically a slave, made to worship God. And that was definitly not on my adgenda. I was more interested in boys, moving far far away to college, and getting the heck out of there.
Well, as you have probably read in my previous posts..I have come to know Jesus. I have been soaking up all the knowledge that he will give me, and passing it on to you. I pray that it never ends. So back to the point.
One of the things that the Spirit has recently moved me to is an understanding (although it is small), of what Heaven will be like. I am an artist, photographer, "architect", interior designer, mother, wife, and general lover of life. What will my Heaven be like? There will be no big oil companies to build buildings for. There will be no runny noses to clean, or hands to hold when my baby is scared. I won't see a homeless man on the side of the road, sitting and smiling at the flowers to make me smile inside. What will the detective's Heaven be like? He won't have any criminals to keep his mind and heart racing.
Well, I have an idea. Instead of chasing a criminal to solve a crime, he will be trying to unlock the mysteries of all of God's creation. He will be studying the depths of His knowlege, and wondering how such a powerfull being came into existence. I will be constructing houses in God's kindom, and wiping the tears of joy from my child's face after he meets Jesus. And then we will hold hands as we run through the grass and see a spiritually wealthy man sitting and smiling at the flowers.
You see..God has helped me to realize that it is not sin that peeks our curiosity. It is happiness. The real reason the detective is hunting the criminal is to solve the crime. Then he can help the person the criminal harmed, making him satisfied in his work.
When you belive in Jesus, and the Spirit comes to dwell within you, you begin to realize a whole miriad of things that seemed impossible before. You realize that life is not worth living unless you have a true reason for living it. I am currently reading a book called "The Slumber of Christianity". It is full of ideas to help you get excited, and understand why you should be excited about your pass into the afterlife. Don't worry, when I finish the book, I will tell you all about it.
Just know that every time I think about being in Heaven I get a little butterfly of excitement in my stomach. The days of disbelief are over, and a new world of possiblities is opening for me. I can't wait to see Jesus in Heaven and thank him for teaching me how to truly appreciate the world around me as a foretaste of what is to come.
***
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Do me a Favor...
It has been said that there are two ways to Heaven.
The first is by God examining your "works", or your deeds on Earth, be they good or bad. These laws by which you should live were given to Moses on Mount Sinai as a covenant between God and man. If you can follow and maintain these laws as your own, you will surely join God in Heaven. I have come up with an easy way to see if it is a possible option, and I'm going to use myself as an example:
_______________________________________________________
APPLICATION FOR ADMITANCE TO HEAVEN
**Be advised that all references will be checked in full, and this application should be carried with you at all times.**
Name: Kristy Mapp
Birth Year: 1980
Country of Origin: United States
Part I:
Please answer yes or no, and comment if necessary:
1. Have you ever worshiped anything above God?
Yes. Does my husband count?
2. Have you ever made an idol for worship?
No.
3. Have you ever used the Lord’s name in vein?
Yes.
4. Did you remember the Sabbath and keep it holy?
Not always..just recently.
5. Did you honor your father and mother?
Sometimes
6. Did you murder?
No.
7. Did you commit adultery?
No.
8. Did you steal?
Yes.
9. Did you bear false witness against your neighbor?
Yes.
10. Did you covet what your neighbor had?
Yes.
Part II:
Please list anything you would like to state before God.
Despite half of my answers going against what I was supposed to do, I did live a good life…well, at least after I turned 28. And most of that stuff happened before I was 16..so does it really count?
Part III:
Please list any references:
My husband, My mom, My boss
___________________________________________________
Wait a minute. Surely God will forgive my small indiscretions…right? Let’s see what God thinks about this:
“I, the LORD, have spoken; it is coming and I will act. I will not relent, and I will not pity and I will not be sorry; according to your ways and according to your deeds I will judge you," declares the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 24:14
So, what he is saying is that even my small sins will count against me on judgment day? Thank goodness there is another way…
The Second way to Heaven is by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. The best way to show you, the viewer, is by giving you the text directly from the Bible, where John is quoting Jesus:
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." John 11:25,26
The basic premise of Jesus himself was to help save us from our sins so we would get a chance to come to Heaven. Not everyone will go of course. You not only have to believe in Jesus, but you have to ask him to be your Lord and Savior, and follow his teachings. God sent Jesus as a way out for all of us that have that horrible curse of being Human. Now, this is not to say that you may go and plunder and do evil things and think that you will still get to Heaven. That is simply not true. When you put your life in Jesus’ hands, you give your soul to Him (who is God), and you magically don’t want to do bad things anymore.
I want you to do me a favor, seeing that most people who read this believe in the same God, the one who created the Heavens and Earth, and the one who gave us His son, Jesus. Wait, maybe you don’t believe that. Maybe you just think about it every now and then, or maybe you only believe it on Christmas or Easter. Here is what I want you to do either way…
The next time you are really sad, say out loud, “God, please help me. Show me what you want from me.”
The next time you are really mad, say out loud, “God, please help me. Show me what you want from me.”
I suggest doing this every time you are feeling extremely upset, or your day has gone so horribly that you think you might just curl up and die.
The catch here is trying to actually mean what you are asking. The more times you say it, and the more emotion you put into it, the more likely you are to mean it. I can honestly say that when you have reached that place when you feel like no one cares, and no one will help you, Jesus will. Just be prepared to open up, and let Him flood over you (this is actually what it feels like).
I would like to end this entry with a quote from Jesus himself, for your ponderings:
"Therefore I say to you that you will die in your sins, for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins". John 8:24
***
The first is by God examining your "works", or your deeds on Earth, be they good or bad. These laws by which you should live were given to Moses on Mount Sinai as a covenant between God and man. If you can follow and maintain these laws as your own, you will surely join God in Heaven. I have come up with an easy way to see if it is a possible option, and I'm going to use myself as an example:
_______________________________________________________
APPLICATION FOR ADMITANCE TO HEAVEN
**Be advised that all references will be checked in full, and this application should be carried with you at all times.**
Name: Kristy Mapp
Birth Year: 1980
Country of Origin: United States
Part I:
Please answer yes or no, and comment if necessary:
1. Have you ever worshiped anything above God?
Yes. Does my husband count?
2. Have you ever made an idol for worship?
No.
3. Have you ever used the Lord’s name in vein?
Yes.
4. Did you remember the Sabbath and keep it holy?
Not always..just recently.
5. Did you honor your father and mother?
Sometimes
6. Did you murder?
No.
7. Did you commit adultery?
No.
8. Did you steal?
Yes.
9. Did you bear false witness against your neighbor?
Yes.
10. Did you covet what your neighbor had?
Yes.
Part II:
Please list anything you would like to state before God.
Despite half of my answers going against what I was supposed to do, I did live a good life…well, at least after I turned 28. And most of that stuff happened before I was 16..so does it really count?
Part III:
Please list any references:
My husband, My mom, My boss
___________________________________________________
Wait a minute. Surely God will forgive my small indiscretions…right? Let’s see what God thinks about this:
“I, the LORD, have spoken; it is coming and I will act. I will not relent, and I will not pity and I will not be sorry; according to your ways and according to your deeds I will judge you," declares the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 24:14
So, what he is saying is that even my small sins will count against me on judgment day? Thank goodness there is another way…
The Second way to Heaven is by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. The best way to show you, the viewer, is by giving you the text directly from the Bible, where John is quoting Jesus:
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." John 11:25,26
The basic premise of Jesus himself was to help save us from our sins so we would get a chance to come to Heaven. Not everyone will go of course. You not only have to believe in Jesus, but you have to ask him to be your Lord and Savior, and follow his teachings. God sent Jesus as a way out for all of us that have that horrible curse of being Human. Now, this is not to say that you may go and plunder and do evil things and think that you will still get to Heaven. That is simply not true. When you put your life in Jesus’ hands, you give your soul to Him (who is God), and you magically don’t want to do bad things anymore.
I want you to do me a favor, seeing that most people who read this believe in the same God, the one who created the Heavens and Earth, and the one who gave us His son, Jesus. Wait, maybe you don’t believe that. Maybe you just think about it every now and then, or maybe you only believe it on Christmas or Easter. Here is what I want you to do either way…
The next time you are really sad, say out loud, “God, please help me. Show me what you want from me.”
The next time you are really mad, say out loud, “God, please help me. Show me what you want from me.”
I suggest doing this every time you are feeling extremely upset, or your day has gone so horribly that you think you might just curl up and die.
The catch here is trying to actually mean what you are asking. The more times you say it, and the more emotion you put into it, the more likely you are to mean it. I can honestly say that when you have reached that place when you feel like no one cares, and no one will help you, Jesus will. Just be prepared to open up, and let Him flood over you (this is actually what it feels like).
I would like to end this entry with a quote from Jesus himself, for your ponderings:
"Therefore I say to you that you will die in your sins, for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins". John 8:24
***
Thursday, April 15, 2010
"Conspiracy to Controversy"
Let me first start by saying that my last entry was not meant to upset, or alarm. I was just sitting here, and some force came over me and I just couldn’t stop writing.
After I had written that, I looked at my Facebook page, and noticed that I had a new friend request. I saw that it was someone from my church. So I said ‘yes’, and then went to check out his page. I was looking at what groups he was a member of, and saw one that said ‘Bet we can find 1,000,000 who believe in Creationism by June’.
I thought, “Hmm..Coincidence?” So, I went there, and was looking at the discussion boards. I was surprised to see so many people bashing the beliefs of Christians who believe in creation. Most of these people claimed to be Christian, but by the way they were typing, it was hard to tell. If you would have told me 2 months ago that if I read those things, I would start to cry, I would have laughed in your face. But now there is something that pulls on me and says that the only thing I can and should go by is God’s word..the Bible.
I’ve been really torn up about writing since that happened. I don’t want to be criticized for what I believe, but then again, I want everyone to know the Lord as I now do. I want to spread His word, and it’s an urge that I feel every day. When I wake up in the morning, there are thoughts flinging themselves around in my head and trying to get out, and all of them are about whom I can share them with, or what to tell people about Jesus.
Last night we attended our first Wednesday night Bible study. I really wanted to go because they were starting from the beginning of the next book in the line, Ezekiel. Let me tell you that Wednesday night service is nothing like Sunday. Pastor Ron was on a mission, and he is super awesome at helping you really get into the scripture. The first few chapters tell of a vision Ezekiel had from God. It is hard to understand at first, because he is describing something supernatural, and how do you put that into words? Then, after really analyzing the passage, you see that he is describing God’s throne.
Pastor Ron stopped and said, “Now, I know that it sounds like we are talking about a UFO, and several scholars have theorized that that is what he saw..but let me tell you that UFOs, if they exist, are not something God is showing you, it’s Satan, and his demons.”
Then Ron seemed to look directly at me and said, “There are no such things as UFO’s!”
Well, I thought that was pretty awesome..because up until a few weeks ago (refer back to my ‘It was the Spirit’ blog), I was a UFO believer. In fact..I have even seen one, or two. But did I really? Ok..we’ll talk about that some other time!
So, by now he had my full attention. We kept reading and this passage in particular rang out in my ears:
Ezekiel 2
6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. 7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.
It became blatantly clear to me that this sermon was direct at me. No wonder I wanted to go so bad! God was pushing me and pushing me to go, and hear what He had to tell me.
The night before, I had been telling Seth that I was done doing the controversial blogging. I think this was God’s way of saying, “You know what, Kristy? If you don’t say these things, they will never hear them. They will never ponder on what my words mean, or what they could mean for them in the afterlife. Yes, it will be hard, and you will lose friends, and even close loved ones, but it is important that everyone know my words, and the only one true way to get to Heaven; through Jesus”.
So, that is why I will keep going. I hope that you will keep reading, even if you don’t agree. In fact, I would like to know if you don’t agree..because then I will know which buttons to push harder.
**
After I had written that, I looked at my Facebook page, and noticed that I had a new friend request. I saw that it was someone from my church. So I said ‘yes’, and then went to check out his page. I was looking at what groups he was a member of, and saw one that said ‘Bet we can find 1,000,000 who believe in Creationism by June’.
I thought, “Hmm..Coincidence?” So, I went there, and was looking at the discussion boards. I was surprised to see so many people bashing the beliefs of Christians who believe in creation. Most of these people claimed to be Christian, but by the way they were typing, it was hard to tell. If you would have told me 2 months ago that if I read those things, I would start to cry, I would have laughed in your face. But now there is something that pulls on me and says that the only thing I can and should go by is God’s word..the Bible.
I’ve been really torn up about writing since that happened. I don’t want to be criticized for what I believe, but then again, I want everyone to know the Lord as I now do. I want to spread His word, and it’s an urge that I feel every day. When I wake up in the morning, there are thoughts flinging themselves around in my head and trying to get out, and all of them are about whom I can share them with, or what to tell people about Jesus.
Last night we attended our first Wednesday night Bible study. I really wanted to go because they were starting from the beginning of the next book in the line, Ezekiel. Let me tell you that Wednesday night service is nothing like Sunday. Pastor Ron was on a mission, and he is super awesome at helping you really get into the scripture. The first few chapters tell of a vision Ezekiel had from God. It is hard to understand at first, because he is describing something supernatural, and how do you put that into words? Then, after really analyzing the passage, you see that he is describing God’s throne.
Pastor Ron stopped and said, “Now, I know that it sounds like we are talking about a UFO, and several scholars have theorized that that is what he saw..but let me tell you that UFOs, if they exist, are not something God is showing you, it’s Satan, and his demons.”
Then Ron seemed to look directly at me and said, “There are no such things as UFO’s!”
Well, I thought that was pretty awesome..because up until a few weeks ago (refer back to my ‘It was the Spirit’ blog), I was a UFO believer. In fact..I have even seen one, or two. But did I really? Ok..we’ll talk about that some other time!
So, by now he had my full attention. We kept reading and this passage in particular rang out in my ears:
Ezekiel 2
6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. 7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.
It became blatantly clear to me that this sermon was direct at me. No wonder I wanted to go so bad! God was pushing me and pushing me to go, and hear what He had to tell me.
The night before, I had been telling Seth that I was done doing the controversial blogging. I think this was God’s way of saying, “You know what, Kristy? If you don’t say these things, they will never hear them. They will never ponder on what my words mean, or what they could mean for them in the afterlife. Yes, it will be hard, and you will lose friends, and even close loved ones, but it is important that everyone know my words, and the only one true way to get to Heaven; through Jesus”.
So, that is why I will keep going. I hope that you will keep reading, even if you don’t agree. In fact, I would like to know if you don’t agree..because then I will know which buttons to push harder.
**
Monday, April 12, 2010
"The Greatest Conspiracy"
Seth can attest that I love a good conspiracy. This morning my boss came in and was talking about the conspiracy behind the World Trade Center collapse on 9/11. I wish I had a whole day to just think about all the possibilities, and who could be to blame and such. Although this is just a favorite pastime, it would probably never amount to anything, even if I did have time to work on it. One of my favorite movies is "Conspiracy Theory". It has Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts, and I literally could watch it over and over again for 3 days.
So this got me thinking about a conspiracy of a different kind. The Bible. Not that the Bible is a conspiracy, but to many, it is just a fiction novel, that no one wants to read, about the possible truth of our existence. When I was first trying to come up with some more stuff to write on my blog, I had an immediate idea of comparing the scientific theory of creation vs. the Bible's teachings. I spent almost a week researching, adding and subtracting, reading thru the Bible, and looking on the internet to figure it all out.
Even last night Seth and I were talking about how it wouldn't be a good topic for the blog because it is kind of irrelevant to those who are reading this....or is it? Isn't it true that the very first thing you read in the Bible is about creation? And if you are a scientist, brought up on theories and evolution, you immediately throw out the idea of creation, therefore throwing out any other information that you may find in the book. So, we should naturally assume that all things in the Bible are false, right down to the existence of Jesus, because there is no way that the Earth was created in 7 days!
Let me expound upon some things I found during my research. (Very scientific, I know!) Genesis chapter 1 goes thru what God did for the first 7 days. After each entry it says 'and there was morning and there was evening, the ___ day'. I don't know about you, but that is pretty clear. When you have morning time, and that makes its way into evening time..isn't that one day? Yep! Another thing, after the first seven days, the Bible starts telling the lineage of Adam. It states how old he was when he had one of his sons. Then it tells how old that child was when they had one of their sons. It goes all the way from Adam to Jesus, thus giving us an exact time frame for the age of the world. Now, let me state that the ages get less and less as people become more and more un-pure through DNA. The Bible does not give you their ages after Abraham, but if you give an estimated 100 years between the births of one generation to the next (just to be safe), you come up with about 4,000 years. That makes the Earth a whopping 6, 010 years old!
Wow. Is this possible? I think so. When I was 16 my family traveled to Canada, to do some back packing and camping around Banff National Park. One night we set up camp next to a tiny creek. I would say my tent was approx. 20 feet away from the creek. When we woke up the next morning, my tent was only about 5 feet away from a rushing river! The creek had turned from a fountain into a deluge, and not only that, the earth around it had been completely changed. Where there was once almost level land, there was now a deep crevice, which looked like it had been there for centuries.
There is a whole group out there dedicated to bringing awareness to this huge oversight, and conspiracy. Here’s a caption from ‘About.com’ on the subject:
“The key characteristic of Young Earth Creationism is the insistence on a “young” earth, on the order of 6,000 - 10,000 years old, rather than the commonly accepted age of approximately 4.5 billion years old. This figure is arrived at using complicated dating procedures based upon biblical records, much like those used by Bishop John Ussher when he dated the point of creation at 4004 BCE.”
This is pretty fascinating stuff if you ask me! How could there be such a huge gap between the two theories? Is carbon dating just another ploy by the beast down under to take our minds off of God, and into the worldly realm? We are inundated with mind-diversions every day, from the ‘slim down fast’ magazines in the checkout lane, to the ‘how to get rich quick’ scams on every other billboard.
Being a child of a scientist, myself, I cannot help but ponder and theorize that the whole existence of other religions is based around the fact that somewhere down the line, a man read the first chapter of the Bible, threw it on the ground and said, “This is a conspiracy, and I just can’t believe it!” Then, the man picked up another book, written by someone like Darwin and said, “Now this makes sense, because my small brain can’t handle what God is trying to show me.”
Just some thoughts for your Monday afternoon..enjoy!
So this got me thinking about a conspiracy of a different kind. The Bible. Not that the Bible is a conspiracy, but to many, it is just a fiction novel, that no one wants to read, about the possible truth of our existence. When I was first trying to come up with some more stuff to write on my blog, I had an immediate idea of comparing the scientific theory of creation vs. the Bible's teachings. I spent almost a week researching, adding and subtracting, reading thru the Bible, and looking on the internet to figure it all out.
Even last night Seth and I were talking about how it wouldn't be a good topic for the blog because it is kind of irrelevant to those who are reading this....or is it? Isn't it true that the very first thing you read in the Bible is about creation? And if you are a scientist, brought up on theories and evolution, you immediately throw out the idea of creation, therefore throwing out any other information that you may find in the book. So, we should naturally assume that all things in the Bible are false, right down to the existence of Jesus, because there is no way that the Earth was created in 7 days!
Let me expound upon some things I found during my research. (Very scientific, I know!) Genesis chapter 1 goes thru what God did for the first 7 days. After each entry it says 'and there was morning and there was evening, the ___ day'. I don't know about you, but that is pretty clear. When you have morning time, and that makes its way into evening time..isn't that one day? Yep! Another thing, after the first seven days, the Bible starts telling the lineage of Adam. It states how old he was when he had one of his sons. Then it tells how old that child was when they had one of their sons. It goes all the way from Adam to Jesus, thus giving us an exact time frame for the age of the world. Now, let me state that the ages get less and less as people become more and more un-pure through DNA. The Bible does not give you their ages after Abraham, but if you give an estimated 100 years between the births of one generation to the next (just to be safe), you come up with about 4,000 years. That makes the Earth a whopping 6, 010 years old!
Wow. Is this possible? I think so. When I was 16 my family traveled to Canada, to do some back packing and camping around Banff National Park. One night we set up camp next to a tiny creek. I would say my tent was approx. 20 feet away from the creek. When we woke up the next morning, my tent was only about 5 feet away from a rushing river! The creek had turned from a fountain into a deluge, and not only that, the earth around it had been completely changed. Where there was once almost level land, there was now a deep crevice, which looked like it had been there for centuries.
There is a whole group out there dedicated to bringing awareness to this huge oversight, and conspiracy. Here’s a caption from ‘About.com’ on the subject:
“The key characteristic of Young Earth Creationism is the insistence on a “young” earth, on the order of 6,000 - 10,000 years old, rather than the commonly accepted age of approximately 4.5 billion years old. This figure is arrived at using complicated dating procedures based upon biblical records, much like those used by Bishop John Ussher when he dated the point of creation at 4004 BCE.”
This is pretty fascinating stuff if you ask me! How could there be such a huge gap between the two theories? Is carbon dating just another ploy by the beast down under to take our minds off of God, and into the worldly realm? We are inundated with mind-diversions every day, from the ‘slim down fast’ magazines in the checkout lane, to the ‘how to get rich quick’ scams on every other billboard.
Being a child of a scientist, myself, I cannot help but ponder and theorize that the whole existence of other religions is based around the fact that somewhere down the line, a man read the first chapter of the Bible, threw it on the ground and said, “This is a conspiracy, and I just can’t believe it!” Then, the man picked up another book, written by someone like Darwin and said, “Now this makes sense, because my small brain can’t handle what God is trying to show me.”
Just some thoughts for your Monday afternoon..enjoy!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
"Keep your eye-balls peeled!"
Sounds kinda gross right? My mom used to use this expression with me and my sister when we were kids, and on the hunt for something. Usually it involved driving somewhere new, and not knowing where we were going. Basically, it means: keep your eyes open at all times, and be on the look out.
The past couple days leading up to this weekend had been pretty trying. We have started reading the Bible every night, and really getting into the breakdown of the scripture, and what God is saying through the writer. Every day I had been feeling closer and closer with God. I started noticing the things and people around me in a whole new way.
Now, I have always been a watcher. I used to go the mall, sit down with a drink or something, and just watch and listen to the people go by. I am definitely a reader of men. Just this past evening my sis called to tell me that the guy we are doing a website for said he was super happy with the site layout I had created...all of it being done by email (he lives in San Fran, and we have never met, except once by phone). I am not trying to brag. I am just setting the scene for you on my earthly knowledge of getting inside people's heads to figure out what they are really thinking.
Up until this point, when I was reading people, it had been mostly superficial. I could figure out what colors you like, what type of music you listen to, who you would like to date, if you are going to be mean or nice, if you are happy or sad, etc. I had never really stopped to think about what the person I was studying thought about God. This has put a whole new spin on watching...and it's not a good feeling.
Like I said, the past few days leading up to this weekend have been hard. Every where I look, I see sadness. These people don't even realize they are sad. They are not presenting the usual signs. No frownie faces..no tears..no...nothing. And that is exactly it. Nothing. Blah. Just lots and lots of blah. You know how sometimes you just haven't had a good day and when you get home you just feel like vegging out in front of the TV and wasting away? That's what I mean by blah. Empty.
Now after a day or two of this it starts to wear on you. If all you see is blah, then that is how you feel, too. I talked to Seth about it, and that night I prayed about what to do. God doesn't just give you the answers you know..you have to help a bit. Friday I was feeling better, and got going on my day. The feeling started to creep back in again, and this time instead of letting it over come me, I decided to push it out until I could do something about it. Well, I got my opportunity later that day. Instead of just listening and nodding when talking, I waited till the end and said, "You know..that used to bother me, too. Ever since I have been going to church those things have just been pushed aside...it's like a whole new set of priorities."
I got a kind of "um..ok...yeah" look, and then it turned into a kind of "ahhh...I see" look. I know that this person is a 'do it yourselfer' like me, so I am not going to push, but the message I was sending did reach the target. It was just a small gesture, but over time, small gestures can turn into something bigger. I have come to realize that Seth was put in my life to give me my small gestures. It took 5 years..but it finally worked.
My hope for you is that you pay attention to the world and people around you. Keep an open mind, and pay attention to those subtle hints that things aren't going as planned. Keep your eye-balls peeled. Something I have been hearing over and over again in the sermons and while reading is "you can't get to heaven by believing in Jesus". Think about that for a second. Even the Devil believes in Jesus.
You have to do more. You have to repent. You have to study. You have to help others come to understand and know Jesus. You have to live a good life, and part of keeping your eyes open means looking everywhere for the next thing that will bring you that much closer to Him.
Our society has been blinded by the here and now, and has no concept of what it means to just be. Yes, we are all able to get things done faster and more efficiently, due to technology, which means we should have more time to enjoy life. Instead, we are expected to work that much harder, and the strain of it all has caused us to lose sight of the fact that what we have now is what we should be thankful for..not what we hope to have some day. The only thing we should be hopeful for is that shining moment when we are before the throne in Heaven, and God says, "Welcome my child".
If we are not keeping our eye-balls peeled, then we will most certainly have them sewn shut for us on the day of judgment.
**As a side note, I would like to thank those who have commented, and given me the courage and will power to continue writing, and God for giving me the material. You have certainly left an impression on me that my thoughts on paper may help save some one else, and that is what I know I have been called to do.**
The past couple days leading up to this weekend had been pretty trying. We have started reading the Bible every night, and really getting into the breakdown of the scripture, and what God is saying through the writer. Every day I had been feeling closer and closer with God. I started noticing the things and people around me in a whole new way.
Now, I have always been a watcher. I used to go the mall, sit down with a drink or something, and just watch and listen to the people go by. I am definitely a reader of men. Just this past evening my sis called to tell me that the guy we are doing a website for said he was super happy with the site layout I had created...all of it being done by email (he lives in San Fran, and we have never met, except once by phone). I am not trying to brag. I am just setting the scene for you on my earthly knowledge of getting inside people's heads to figure out what they are really thinking.
Up until this point, when I was reading people, it had been mostly superficial. I could figure out what colors you like, what type of music you listen to, who you would like to date, if you are going to be mean or nice, if you are happy or sad, etc. I had never really stopped to think about what the person I was studying thought about God. This has put a whole new spin on watching...and it's not a good feeling.
Like I said, the past few days leading up to this weekend have been hard. Every where I look, I see sadness. These people don't even realize they are sad. They are not presenting the usual signs. No frownie faces..no tears..no...nothing. And that is exactly it. Nothing. Blah. Just lots and lots of blah. You know how sometimes you just haven't had a good day and when you get home you just feel like vegging out in front of the TV and wasting away? That's what I mean by blah. Empty.
Now after a day or two of this it starts to wear on you. If all you see is blah, then that is how you feel, too. I talked to Seth about it, and that night I prayed about what to do. God doesn't just give you the answers you know..you have to help a bit. Friday I was feeling better, and got going on my day. The feeling started to creep back in again, and this time instead of letting it over come me, I decided to push it out until I could do something about it. Well, I got my opportunity later that day. Instead of just listening and nodding when talking, I waited till the end and said, "You know..that used to bother me, too. Ever since I have been going to church those things have just been pushed aside...it's like a whole new set of priorities."
I got a kind of "um..ok...yeah" look, and then it turned into a kind of "ahhh...I see" look. I know that this person is a 'do it yourselfer' like me, so I am not going to push, but the message I was sending did reach the target. It was just a small gesture, but over time, small gestures can turn into something bigger. I have come to realize that Seth was put in my life to give me my small gestures. It took 5 years..but it finally worked.
My hope for you is that you pay attention to the world and people around you. Keep an open mind, and pay attention to those subtle hints that things aren't going as planned. Keep your eye-balls peeled. Something I have been hearing over and over again in the sermons and while reading is "you can't get to heaven by believing in Jesus". Think about that for a second. Even the Devil believes in Jesus.
You have to do more. You have to repent. You have to study. You have to help others come to understand and know Jesus. You have to live a good life, and part of keeping your eyes open means looking everywhere for the next thing that will bring you that much closer to Him.
Our society has been blinded by the here and now, and has no concept of what it means to just be. Yes, we are all able to get things done faster and more efficiently, due to technology, which means we should have more time to enjoy life. Instead, we are expected to work that much harder, and the strain of it all has caused us to lose sight of the fact that what we have now is what we should be thankful for..not what we hope to have some day. The only thing we should be hopeful for is that shining moment when we are before the throne in Heaven, and God says, "Welcome my child".
If we are not keeping our eye-balls peeled, then we will most certainly have them sewn shut for us on the day of judgment.
**As a side note, I would like to thank those who have commented, and given me the courage and will power to continue writing, and God for giving me the material. You have certainly left an impression on me that my thoughts on paper may help save some one else, and that is what I know I have been called to do.**
Monday, April 5, 2010
Words Cannot Express...
Some of you will start to read this and change your minds, and close your browsers. Unlike my post a few weeks ago, I will not be telling you to do so. This is important, and I hope you can just pay attention for a couple minutes.
Let me start by saying that 3 weeks ago I prayed for God to help me understand his plan for me, and that I would accept Jesus into my heart. I asked him to help me know and feel that it had happend. If you know me, then you will understand that I am very picky when it comes to expectations, and when I want something, I need to know that it has happend. Well, I got that confirmation when we went to church that Sunday, and every day since then. It is an overwhelming feeling of joy, that doesn't end. When I wake up in the morning I am happy, when I go to bed at night I am happy, and when I have to go to work, I am reluctant, but still happy. This is an internal happiness..a feeling of peace, that I have not known until now.
This past Sunday, we went to church, and our pastor deviated from his teachings on Revelations to give a more Evangilistic sermon. At first I was dissapointed, because I wanted to keep going, and I was excited to learn what was next. About half-way through, I realized why he was doing this. Easter is the one day a year when the congregations around the world swell to triple in size. People who never go to church end up going with their families because they feel compeled to "show up" and support. The message was aimed at those who had not come to Christ.
Towards the end of the sermon the most amazing thing happend. Pastor Ron lead us in prayer and asked that if anyone felt compeled to come forward and accept Jesus as their savior, that they should do so. About 20 people left their chairs, and came forward. Then Ron said it again, "Maybe you are wondering what the person next to you will think if you came forward, but the person next to you is thinking the same thing. You are not here to impress anyone but Christ." He began praying again, and another 20 or so people got up from their seats and came forward.
If you have never experienced the Spirit, it is the most awesome feeling. It's like a huge rush starts on one side of the church and sweeps over you, and you get this feeling of pure joy, and you can't hold back that lump in your throat, and the tears just come. I was truley amazed, and extremley happy to see all those people give their lives to Christ. It was the most awesome thing I have ever witnessed.
My hope for you, if you are reading this as a cynic, is that you just stop and think for a second.
Do you want to live every day with a wish for the next best thing?
OR
Do you want to live every day like now is the best thing?
Honestly, if you are even thinking about it, or intrigued at all..please just take 45 more minutes of your day and listen to this sermon: http://www.vimeo.com/8629572
I know it does not sound appealing, but just hear me out, and pay close attention. Your world can change, as mine has, and I can honestly, and without one doubt say that I will never go back. I will spend every day like it is my last, and every minute thanking God, and every second trying to help those around me to feel the same.
Let me start by saying that 3 weeks ago I prayed for God to help me understand his plan for me, and that I would accept Jesus into my heart. I asked him to help me know and feel that it had happend. If you know me, then you will understand that I am very picky when it comes to expectations, and when I want something, I need to know that it has happend. Well, I got that confirmation when we went to church that Sunday, and every day since then. It is an overwhelming feeling of joy, that doesn't end. When I wake up in the morning I am happy, when I go to bed at night I am happy, and when I have to go to work, I am reluctant, but still happy. This is an internal happiness..a feeling of peace, that I have not known until now.
This past Sunday, we went to church, and our pastor deviated from his teachings on Revelations to give a more Evangilistic sermon. At first I was dissapointed, because I wanted to keep going, and I was excited to learn what was next. About half-way through, I realized why he was doing this. Easter is the one day a year when the congregations around the world swell to triple in size. People who never go to church end up going with their families because they feel compeled to "show up" and support. The message was aimed at those who had not come to Christ.
Towards the end of the sermon the most amazing thing happend. Pastor Ron lead us in prayer and asked that if anyone felt compeled to come forward and accept Jesus as their savior, that they should do so. About 20 people left their chairs, and came forward. Then Ron said it again, "Maybe you are wondering what the person next to you will think if you came forward, but the person next to you is thinking the same thing. You are not here to impress anyone but Christ." He began praying again, and another 20 or so people got up from their seats and came forward.
If you have never experienced the Spirit, it is the most awesome feeling. It's like a huge rush starts on one side of the church and sweeps over you, and you get this feeling of pure joy, and you can't hold back that lump in your throat, and the tears just come. I was truley amazed, and extremley happy to see all those people give their lives to Christ. It was the most awesome thing I have ever witnessed.
My hope for you, if you are reading this as a cynic, is that you just stop and think for a second.
Do you want to live every day with a wish for the next best thing?
OR
Do you want to live every day like now is the best thing?
Honestly, if you are even thinking about it, or intrigued at all..please just take 45 more minutes of your day and listen to this sermon: http://www.vimeo.com/8629572
I know it does not sound appealing, but just hear me out, and pay close attention. Your world can change, as mine has, and I can honestly, and without one doubt say that I will never go back. I will spend every day like it is my last, and every minute thanking God, and every second trying to help those around me to feel the same.
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