I was eating lunch with a girlfriend yesterday, and we were having a conversation about how quickly kids grow up, and how they are 'mini' adults. Her daughter is 4 years old, and already is concerned about what she should wear to school to impress her friends. My 3.5 year old is showing the same behavior.
How, and why, do we become so obsessed with what others think of us? It seems to be ingrained from birth. I started thinking about the most harmless thing I could...Thomas the Train. It was Ethan's favorite show for a number of years. Even in these seemingly harmless DVDs there is emphasis on how we should be seen by others. Several times Thomas wants everyone to think that he is the best, and he even dismisses others to get what he wants.
The same is true of religion. In American society church has become the "I" place. It is all about me, and what I want, and what I need...who cares about the person next to me? Unfortunately, there are churches out there that preach this under the veil of love. If you help others, and love everyone, you will get what you want. No mention of God or Christ. Why would they mention them? God is trying to get you to do what He wants.
The craziest thing about God though, is that, if you do what He asks, you DO get the things you want. Truth be known, what He is asking for is your commitment to him, through Christ, as well as the motivation to speak to others about Him.
That brings me to my next point: Why are we afraid to talk about God, and religion in general, to others? Who told us as children that you should never talk about religion? I honestly can't tell you who told me. I think the first time I remember anyone saying that was when I was in college, but it has always been an unspoken rule.
Like so many other things that make us self-conscious, there is someone behind it, or some thing. Our tendency as humans is to get what we want, when we want, and no one is going to tell us different. Even being a Christian can be difficult at times. I search for answers and have questions about why we are the way we are. Seeing others around me being so standoffish as to not even want to hear me out makes me deeply sad. It is God's will that no one should perish. Why did it take me so long to see that all I had to do was open my heart to Him?
Everyone will live forever. You may die in a car accident tomorrow, but your soul will live on, forever, in Heaven or in Hell. Can you comprehend that? FOREVER. Try, for example, to think of the Universe. We cannot see the end. Does it go on forever? How can we be sure? We can't...science tells us that it does, and we believe them. Is it so hard to believe that if you cast God out of your life you will go to Hell forever and ever?
Sometimes I sit and ponder Heaven..and how I will be there FOREVER. It is kinda scary, I must admit, because my brain cannot fathom that amount of time. Being with God does not scare me, however, that is what eases my mind when I try to think about things larger than myself. I know that God will take care of me, and all of my questions will be answered when the time is right.
My prayer for America is this:
Open your mind to the possibility that God exists. Open your heart to Jesus. Make the word LOVE mean something more than the next pair of shoes you want to purchase. Open your eyes to God's Word, and see the possibilities of this world in a new way, without opinion, and without the "I".
I know you will find something more inside, and you will truly come to know who you are.
***
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
333 Revisited
If you haven't read my first post about the numbers 333, please read it first: http://themappsquest.blogspot.com/2010/03/strength-in-numbers.html
I decided to revisit this topic in light of recent events. You see, the number sightings did go away..for a while. But for the past 2 or 3 weeks, they have started re-appearing. I have learned a few things since the first time I saw the numbers. It's all part of the plan. Let's re-look at what this passage meant to me at the beginning of my Christian walk.
Jeremiah 33:3
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
I had been searching for God, and dealing with the demons that still lurked in my mind. 'Should I trust God? Should I give myself whole hearted to Him?' Those were questions that played over and over in my head. Seeing those numbers randomly placed everywhere was scary. There was something unnatural about the way the message was coming across. I believed it to be God telling me to call on him for safety, and to not be scared of what was to come. This is partly where I think God wanted me to be..always questioning, so when the answers came, I would be ready to accept them.
Truthfully, there was something unnatural going on. It wasn't natural at all..it was supernatural! It was God, and He was trying to blatantly say, "Hey! Would you just go read the scripture again?!" But being the infinite whiz, I chose my meaning, and held on tight. Actually, I don't think I was completely wrong in what I thought, just not completely right. You see, when God gives you a scripture verse, He is answering your questions directly, or telling you exactly what to do. The Bible was written by God through man, centuries ago, and yet the words still speak to us today.
So what was He saying? Simply put: "Call to me". Pray. And pray a lot! As my pastor keeps re-iterating..the power of prayer is awesome! What if I told you I was praying for you right now? What if I prayed that you would find what you were looking for, to help you in your life's journey for truth? Chances are, if you are reading this, I have thought of you, and God is listening.
Well, the numbers have returned. I see them now, and I smile...I don't turn and look away. It's kinda like my inside joke with the Man upstairs. When I read the passage now it means something else...just pray. It's talking to God like you talk to your friends. "Hey, good to talk to you, I miss you, I love you, I need help, my friend needs help, thanks for the help..." and so on.
I am growing in Christ, and the excitement is overwhelming. I feel like there are great and unsearchable things yet to come, and the more I call on God, the more he is showing them to me.
***
I decided to revisit this topic in light of recent events. You see, the number sightings did go away..for a while. But for the past 2 or 3 weeks, they have started re-appearing. I have learned a few things since the first time I saw the numbers. It's all part of the plan. Let's re-look at what this passage meant to me at the beginning of my Christian walk.
Jeremiah 33:3
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
I had been searching for God, and dealing with the demons that still lurked in my mind. 'Should I trust God? Should I give myself whole hearted to Him?' Those were questions that played over and over in my head. Seeing those numbers randomly placed everywhere was scary. There was something unnatural about the way the message was coming across. I believed it to be God telling me to call on him for safety, and to not be scared of what was to come. This is partly where I think God wanted me to be..always questioning, so when the answers came, I would be ready to accept them.
Truthfully, there was something unnatural going on. It wasn't natural at all..it was supernatural! It was God, and He was trying to blatantly say, "Hey! Would you just go read the scripture again?!" But being the infinite whiz, I chose my meaning, and held on tight. Actually, I don't think I was completely wrong in what I thought, just not completely right. You see, when God gives you a scripture verse, He is answering your questions directly, or telling you exactly what to do. The Bible was written by God through man, centuries ago, and yet the words still speak to us today.
So what was He saying? Simply put: "Call to me". Pray. And pray a lot! As my pastor keeps re-iterating..the power of prayer is awesome! What if I told you I was praying for you right now? What if I prayed that you would find what you were looking for, to help you in your life's journey for truth? Chances are, if you are reading this, I have thought of you, and God is listening.
Well, the numbers have returned. I see them now, and I smile...I don't turn and look away. It's kinda like my inside joke with the Man upstairs. When I read the passage now it means something else...just pray. It's talking to God like you talk to your friends. "Hey, good to talk to you, I miss you, I love you, I need help, my friend needs help, thanks for the help..." and so on.
I am growing in Christ, and the excitement is overwhelming. I feel like there are great and unsearchable things yet to come, and the more I call on God, the more he is showing them to me.
***
Monday, September 6, 2010
Why do I keep going?
I was encouraged, and excited to see the response I would get from my last post. I shared the link on Facebook, and waited. I got a call on Saturday afternoon, from a friend I work with, telling me that he was sorry for what I was about to read. I thanked him for what he had done already, and went to see what was there. I wasn't surprised by the hatred and slander I found towards Christ, and myself. Since I gave my life to God I have gotten many bad reactions to things I have written, and part of that is my fault for adding my own words, and not resting on what God has already provided for answering to blasphemy...the Bible.
I needed reassurance that I was on the right path, and that I should continue praising God, openly. As I was searching through the Concordance at the back of my Bible, I was led to Timothy. The two books of Timothy are letters written to him from Paul. Although most of both books are applicable in this situation, there were some verses that stood out.
1 Tim 4: "12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I (Paul) come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." "15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you."
I pondered the question of why people feel the need to voice their opinions when anyone talks about God and Christ. Would the same thing happen if I talked about being Buddhist? There are entire Internet pages dedicated to blaspheming God...but why?
2 Tim 2: "23 Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 24 and a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."
Ahhh..as suspected, the devil will push back against what he is truly concerned over...believers in Christ. I have to restrain myself from internal angers that arise when reading comments made about my Savior. Thankfully, calling on the Lord gives me strength and patience. There is one more passage that I find important on this topic:
2 Tim 3: "12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. 16 all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
You may call me a Bible-thumper...go ahead. It's true, and I wouldn't change it. I used to look at the Bible as a really large and boring book full of fables and stories. Now when I read it, I am filled with insight on every day tasks and trials. The book is meant for us to read as a way to teach us how to live, and be righteous in God's presence. I am sad for those that can't open their eyes to Christ, as I know I will not see them in Heaven. I don't want the credit for helping them to change their minds about God, I just want to know that they are saved. I spend many nights worrying about my friends, and their families. I love my Savior, and I want to share that..and I will.
As the band, Casting Crowns, sings:
"I want to be your hands and feet
I want live a life that leads
To see you set the captives free
Until the whole world hears..
And I pray that they will see
More of you and less of me
Lord, I want my life to be
The song You sing"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICxIWulmsDo
***
I needed reassurance that I was on the right path, and that I should continue praising God, openly. As I was searching through the Concordance at the back of my Bible, I was led to Timothy. The two books of Timothy are letters written to him from Paul. Although most of both books are applicable in this situation, there were some verses that stood out.
1 Tim 4: "12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I (Paul) come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." "15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you."
I pondered the question of why people feel the need to voice their opinions when anyone talks about God and Christ. Would the same thing happen if I talked about being Buddhist? There are entire Internet pages dedicated to blaspheming God...but why?
2 Tim 2: "23 Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 24 and a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."
Ahhh..as suspected, the devil will push back against what he is truly concerned over...believers in Christ. I have to restrain myself from internal angers that arise when reading comments made about my Savior. Thankfully, calling on the Lord gives me strength and patience. There is one more passage that I find important on this topic:
2 Tim 3: "12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. 16 all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
You may call me a Bible-thumper...go ahead. It's true, and I wouldn't change it. I used to look at the Bible as a really large and boring book full of fables and stories. Now when I read it, I am filled with insight on every day tasks and trials. The book is meant for us to read as a way to teach us how to live, and be righteous in God's presence. I am sad for those that can't open their eyes to Christ, as I know I will not see them in Heaven. I don't want the credit for helping them to change their minds about God, I just want to know that they are saved. I spend many nights worrying about my friends, and their families. I love my Savior, and I want to share that..and I will.
As the band, Casting Crowns, sings:
"I want to be your hands and feet
I want live a life that leads
To see you set the captives free
Until the whole world hears..
And I pray that they will see
More of you and less of me
Lord, I want my life to be
The song You sing"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICxIWulmsDo
***
Friday, September 3, 2010
Chosen
Last night, while laying in bed, a wonderful idea was presented to me.
I had been looking at different photographers websites, and had come accross one where a very talented man had taken a different portrait picture every day, for a year. I loved the idea, and was really excited to do something similar..but different. So, I had been tossing around things in my head and just couldn't come up with exactly what I wanted to do. I don't have access to 365 different people...so I couldn't, nor did I want to replicate what this man had already done.
So while laying in bed, and after praying with Ethan, God put an idea in my head. I will take portrait pictures of people..but not just anyone. They will be saved Christians. On one side of the book will be their photo, and on the other side will be their testimony.
I think this will be an awesome way for the average person to be able to relate to someone who has given their life, and faith to Christ.
I hope you will help me with this mission God has given me..please send me a message if you are interested in being in the book: kristymapp@hotmail.com
***
I had been looking at different photographers websites, and had come accross one where a very talented man had taken a different portrait picture every day, for a year. I loved the idea, and was really excited to do something similar..but different. So, I had been tossing around things in my head and just couldn't come up with exactly what I wanted to do. I don't have access to 365 different people...so I couldn't, nor did I want to replicate what this man had already done.
So while laying in bed, and after praying with Ethan, God put an idea in my head. I will take portrait pictures of people..but not just anyone. They will be saved Christians. On one side of the book will be their photo, and on the other side will be their testimony.
I think this will be an awesome way for the average person to be able to relate to someone who has given their life, and faith to Christ.
I hope you will help me with this mission God has given me..please send me a message if you are interested in being in the book: kristymapp@hotmail.com
***
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