Moore on Issues

The Return

2010-10-31T01:58:00.002-05:00

I am not sure about everyone else, but God sure finds venerable ways to bring me back from my meandering. Simply put; I am seeking restitution for my fractured faith. I have spent far too long clinging to contested differences of opinion. I have allowed my ignorance to overcome my open faith to the Lord.

Observing the strength of my faith now compared to its rigidity of years past, leaves me morose. I am sad to announce that my faith has become lacking and my morals have become weak. Because of this, the Lord has placed in my path clear signs to deter me from the path I now trudge. I see before me now, an intended path. On this path, I must find the humility in which I lack, while invoking the fortitude to tread steadfastly.

In the past, I have sanctimoniously viewed opposing opinions from mine, as testimony of that person's ignorance and self-actuated egocentrics. All of this, I have done without turning my eyes to a mirror. As I self-reflect now, I see the vileness others must have beheld. This acknowledgement saddens me deeply. I fear that I may have left scars not only on my own soul, but possibly on the hearts of others. Of this, I clutch regret and guilt.

To confirm my conviction of change, ask I for each person who may chance to read this, to remember me in their prayers. I am weak and foolish. To overcome these traits, I ask for your help.

Your brother in Christ,

-Brian

Redundant Resolutions

2009-11-22T15:30:00.005-06:00

In recent weeks, various people from my church have inquired upon my abscence from services. To some, I have been forthright and honest in my answers. Others, however, have no clue in the reason. While still others, could not care less nor have an interest in my absence. Regardless of the possible lack of interest, I will acquaint the true reason for recent omissions.

In the post, The Destructive Power of Dissension, I spoke of the abnormal amount of dissension in my church. In the year that has passed since, the few instances of improvement have been adumbrated by the copius quantity of negativity. Im my opinion, our church's leadership is not leading, instead, it is merely subjecting their opninions on the congregation. Disagreements will occur, but unless all parties involved decide to bend a little, issues will find a breaking point, leaving ill feelings between sanctions. The result is not only harmful to the church, but to the individuals as well.

For years, our church has had the same leadership. This of course, does not include our pastorship. Nevertheless, I must ask this: has our church improved during the last decade? I do not imply that our attendence has not grown since, because it has both risen and receded in that time. Rather, I am asking if the attendees of our church feel better in their relationship with God after they attend a service or while they become involved with the politics of the church? I for one do not, and have not in quite some time.

Let us dwell upon why this is so. If we stand aside and analyze our 'leadership,' what would we honestly have to say? Personally, I believe that they are doing what they think is best. Having said this, I ask: is their best good for the church or themselves and their comrades? The narcissism and arrogance of our 'leaders' make me ill.

I see genuinely good people at our church. The problem is that those good people have no authority. That power belongs to the same people year in and year out. I do not infer that our leadership is merely the members of SPRC, but rather those who are of influence in the church, as well. Names do not need to be mentioned, but who they are, is known.

These people, like most of us, are merely human. The difference lies with the fact that most of us know our limits and when our opinions should be pressed and when they should not. When in power for too long, people will begin to believe that their opinions matter above everyone else's. When this occurs, it is time to either abolish power or have it abolished. If we live above our influence it will be the demise of not only ourselves, but the very institution we were once dedicated to advocate. These people should step back and learn to seek God, rather than pursuing power in His name.

What it comes down to for me is this: I do not want to attend a church where the love of our Creator is diminished by the accession of self-righteousness. I wish to be in a place that inspires me to live by God's laws, rather than resenting His house.

Agree or not, this is how I feel.

-Brian

Solace in Psalms

2008-08-06T15:53:00.008-05:00

"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." Psalm 63:1

These destitute words of longing sits well with my current circumstances. I read these words with solace. As I open my Bible for the first time in quite a while, I stare down at these words and think, 'Now that's how I feel!" As I keep reading, my eyes scan over Psalm 64:1-2, which reads,

Hear me, O god, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy. Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from that noisy crowd of evildoers.

Of course I can use the language so poetically, but the meaning is what I have been trying to express. I continue on with Psalm 64:

They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows. They shoot from ambush at the innocent man; they shoot at him suddenly, without fear.

They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, "Who will see them?

They plot injustice and say, "We have devised a perfect plan!" Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.

But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down."

He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads with scorn.

Now I have to wonder if I am one of these very same people God will strike down. When a person is passionate about what leads them, it becomes easy to intertwine personal agendas with the original righteous agenda.

As I search the Psalms for answers, my eyes catch a simple word on the adjacent page. That word is, 'rest'. I read the passage and am shown the way through the word. I have been embracing animosity for too long and I needed something to assist in showing me the light. Then while reading scripture about the demise of my enemies, I see something that gives me hope and brings life into perspective. What scripture is it, you ask? It is Psalm 62 and it reads:

My should finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hears they curse.

Find rest, O my should, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation, I will not be shaken.

This tells me what I have known all along. People may plot and scheme, but they should have no influence over my faith, because it has nothing to do with them. There is only God who can save me.

Let the bickering continue. For now I will fight for what is right. My faith will heal more with each good passing deed.

May you have a blessed day,

-Brian

The Destructive Power of Dissension

2008-07-31T23:38:00.010-05:00

Months have passed since my last post and I have to admit that I have been a little too disgruntled to write passionately. My temperament is an obstacle which I can rarely maneuver around. You see, several months ago I began finding myself disagreeing with many things in my church. Allow me to clarify. To insinuate that I disagree with the doctrine would be misleading, rather it is the enormous amount of dissension which courses through the congregation. People civilly disagreeing is tolerable, but the frequent bickering and plotting is not what attracts me to this church.

I am allowing people to interfere with my time to worship. I know I should not. I see people in our church doing and saying things that should not be said or done outside of church, much less within the walls of God's house. The intent of revealing this is not for self-gratification, but rather as a means of explanation of the reasoning behind my lack of inspiration. I, like you, am a mere human. I make mistakes more than most. I know my limitations and my faults. My bravado and narcissism are kept in check more often than not.

I am simply tired of putting on my "happy face" at church when I am not happy there. I can honestly say that I do not feel God there. This is saying a lot, considering the lack prose which we enjoy by our pastor. Although the messages we hear weekly are inspiring, the tension in the church over-powers and smothers that inspiration.

The fact that I become tense, simply by walking in and seeing certain people, irritates me. What is more irritating, is the fact that I become irritated. I find it sad to see our church the way it is rather than the way it should be. The lack of Christian ethics there is intolerable. Seeing certain people becoming leaders in our church when they are not biding by God's rules, infuriates me. Seeing people persuading, raising, and encouraging their children to live a homosexual lifestyle is wrong. What is more wrong, is allowing that person to have an influence over other people's children without even pointing out to that person their errors, is simply absurd. People have never had a problem pointing out my faults. I may not have appreciated it at the time, but I do now. I learned from my critiques. Maybe other people need to learn from their own arbitrary critiques.

I know, I know...You are saying, "Good luck with that one," right? That is simply another point of frustration. It is simply impossible to make the "Me" generation see the light. Am I being too pessimistic? Probably, but frustration needs a vent and this is my vent. I have prayed and I have used positive thoughts, but cannot shake this animosity. I don't like what I am becoming. I am happy outside of church and become a pessimist once within the walls.

How do I shake this? Is this normal? I have been thinking of looking for a different church. I may possibly even leave Methodism. The structure of the church allows for too much trouble. I have not felt this far from God in years. What should I do? I haven't touched my Bible in for over a month. Maybe I should pick it up and search for the answers. I may be able to put on a fake smile and pretend to be righteous, but He who matters, knows better. I want the passion in my faith again.

If you have some advice, please share. Inspire me.

-Brian

Sermon Ideas

2008-04-01T16:18:00.002-05:00

This Sunday I will be the substitute pastor for two local churches. Because of the short notice, I am scrambling to find a fitting topic. If you have any ideas for topics or any helpful information, please post.

Thank you,

Brian

What You Believe

2008-03-24T17:17:00.003-05:00

Because I control the conversations and ideas of this meager little blog, but am wanting other people's input, I am starting this topic in hopes that whomever may read this may state their views on any subject regarding their faith.

It has come clear that either those who read this either completely agree with me, or simply do not want to openly discuss what is on their mind. This blog is a learning tool. Please feel free to express your faith here. I would love to discuss our similarities and/or disagreements in views.

The pompous like me always freely give our opinion. With the emplacement of ideas and thoughts of others, I may in fact bring life to this withering blog.

-Brian

Christian Documentaries

2008-03-24T12:36:00.004-05:00

This past weekend, I tried to find some time to unwind and find a semi-vegetative state of mind. Consequently I turned on the television and began channel surfing like a pro. While doing so, I stopped on a series on the Discovery Channel about the life of Jesus. I assumed the content would offer a bit of leisure time. Instead, I was disappointed.

Let me begin by saying that I understand the unfortunate truth that not every person in this world believes in Christ...or any religious entity, but when we Christians, who by the way are still in the majority, are in the midst of one of our most cherished times of the Christian faith, it would be nice to watch documentaries which actually reflect our views. This particular program explained the Christian belief in the death and resurrection of our savior, but went further and explained why some people believe it not to be true.

I would like to unbiased documentaries produced by historians who believe. I guess what I am discouraged with is the fact that they can't even produce on brief documentary without blaspheming or trying to disprove our faith. The explanations they give are absurd with no proof. If the producers do not believe what we believe, then they should find another topic rather than defacing what we hold dear.

Am I the only one who gets irritated with this? Maybe so.

-Brian

My Life as of Late

2008-03-17T14:53:00.006-05:00

Wow, it really doesn't seem like two months have passed since I've last written in this blog. For those of you who are curious, I will explain my absence.

Near the middle of January, I was unfortunate enough to have a viral infection. Nothing serious, but it did put me down for a week or so. Shortly after, the medical supply firm I work for began making drastic changes...luckily, the were positive changes for myself. For the last month, we have been preparing, moving, and opening a new office. This is where most of my time has been spent.

Now, with the girls in dance and soccer, and my busy work schedule, I have found no time to write or even prepare many ideas for this blog.

Thursday, I will be portraying St. Peter in our church's production of "The Living Last Supper," inspired by Leonardo's fresco. I merely have a seven minute monologue then spend the remaining to the production in an awkward pose, while counting the seconds before I can relax.

I'm hoping to Begin finding more time to write after this week. In fact, I am determined to find time this week to write. Until then, I hope you and yours has a blessed week.

-Brian

Out of Pocket

2008-02-02T01:27:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the lack of new blogs recently. I have spent the last week or so feeling under the weather. I have several topics I am wanting to write about and will begin sometime this weekend.

I hope all is well.

-Brian

The Day of the Lord

2008-01-16T23:43:00.000-06:00

"Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire, says the Lord Almighty. "Not a root or branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the loses of your feet on the day when I do these things," says the Lord Almighty.
-Malachi 4:1-3

He said it, I believe it...do you? Will you be an evildoer who will pay the consequences for not repenting? Fix what is broken in your life. Live like you never knew you could. Live for your maker and live forever.

"You have wearied the Lord with your words...by saying, "All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord..."

"But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap."

"I, the Lord do not change." Malachi 2-3

I am afraid to go into what God says about tithing in the book of Malachi. Robbing God is not a pleasant thought.

To me, there are no books in the bible which speaks more bleakly than Malachi, Jude, and parts of Timothy. If reading these does not put a fire under your pants, then I am afraid to see what will.

-Brian

The Intentional Zealot

2008-01-15T23:14:00.000-06:00

If you watch the evening news, no matter on which station, you will often hear a newscaster speak of "those evangelicals." They say it as if it is something horrific or at the very least absurd. Now that we are in the midst of an election year, the phrase tends to be repeated even more so. Allow me to ask this of you: When you hear the phrase, 'the evangelical Christians,' do you believed it is being used in a negative connotation? I believe that it is.

Speaking for myself, I am offended everytime I hear it used in negative a manner. I am a Christian. I am not perfect, but I do my best to be Christ-like. I would love to be labled a zealot, but am afraid I do not possess the zeal to be labeled as such.

In Titus 2:13-14 it is written, "...our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people who are his very own, who are zealous for what is good." There is no greater good than our Lord. We should be zealous in spreading the Good News.

Maybe we should devote more attention on becoming intentional zealots. In order to live up to the priviledge to call ourselves Christians, we should disseminate our Holy gifts to evangelize. The time for practicing soft Christianity needs to come to an end. The rewards will most definately out weigh the costs.

May God grace you and protect you,

-Brian

Better in than Out

2008-01-14T23:20:00.000-06:00

Jesus said in Mark 7:15-23:

"Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'"

"Don't you see that nothing that that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? For it does not go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body."

"What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' From from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "

Is this message simply instructions of dietary habits of Jews of the time or was it meant metaphorically? Does this mean I can eat all the pizza I want, because all I really need to worry about is what lies within my heart?

Maybe, but I believe this parable may have had its literal meaning, but also includes a metaphorical meaning. In my reasoning, I take it to be a sign of our times. Everywhere we turn, we are bombarded with immoral messages. In some cases of political correctness, we are coerced into believing immoral behaviors are appropriate. I believe Jesus was warning us about just these things. I believe he was telling us that no matter what is crammed down our throats, we should allow it to pass through us while keeping little from the experience.

We have a guidebook to lead us through our life. We cannot and should not allow immoral entities to persuade us otherwise.

What do you think?

-Brian

Valediction of Vows

2008-01-12T00:26:00.000-06:00

Have you noticed that it is almost becoming the norm of our society to go through marriages as you often as you buy a car? The issue is quite frightening when considering the maleffects it places on our children. As you are aware, we are living in the midst of the "Me" generation. The disturbing effects of today's casual parenting styles are simply allowing the trends to become more dreary.

If you ask me, I believe we can lay blame on several fronts. The baby-boomers were raised in an era which was very anti-violence...or so they liked to tell themselves so. We can also look to the infamous Dr. Spock, who preached that children should not be spanked, instead reasoned with. As the decades have past and the generations have worsened, Dr. Spock on his death bed admitted he was wrong. If that is not a kick in the pants, I don't know what is. Spend decades telling our nation how to parent, then after your philosophy has caused irreversible social damage, then simply apologize and die. But when it comes down to brass tacks, we have no one to blame but ourselves. Too many people began parenting by the wrong book. Now we are stuck with the result.

Children are having children. We live in a society where anything goes as long as it makes you feel good. Consequences means little until it is too late to make corrections. Marriages without love occurs and near inevitable divorce follows. But why divorce? The answer is simple to say but difficult to hear...the lack of love for our Maker.

See, when we cannot find love for Him who has created us, it is impossible to love anyone else. Without God, there is not love. Greed, narcissism, lack of self-control replaces the void where love should have been.

Oh sure, there are people who will not agree with me nor like what I am writing. But do not fool yourself. A marriage without God is a marriage doomed to end or doomed to be unhappy. We are unable to do God's will as explained in Leviticus 19:18, "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge...but love your neighbor as yourself." Who can love their neighbor as we do ourselves? None of us, but when we do not put forth the effort to attempt forgiveness and love others, we cannot expect to live a meaningful life.

When we allow sefishness and pride to rule our every emotion and decisions, we cannot see clearly enough to forgive, much less love. If not controlled, your spouse may not be the only one hurt. If there are children in a broken marriage, more control and consideration must given. Slanderous words about a spouse or ex-spouse in front of children will lead to excessive anger, frequent outbursts, depression, and reclussiveness. In the longrun, children will pay the ultimate price. Instead of learning to be happy from their parents, they learn hostility, anger, and resentment. In doing so, you are clearly disobeying the Word. It is stated in Ephesians 6:4, "Fathers do not exasperate (stir up anger in) your children, instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

I have to question the faith of those who behave in such a way. If they are Christians, why do they behave in such this way? Surely if they were devout, they would not even consider behaving so. Fathers should always be an example of the type of husband their daughters should seek, and wives should be an example of the type of wife their sons should seek. They should guide there children together. Children need both, a father and a mother, no matter what you hear on Oprah.

With the knowledge that we are separated from God due to our sinful nature, I am aware that none of us are perfect. Some however, may be closer to God's grace than others. If you are one of these people, I pray that you become the fisher of men as you should. Let us make a conscious effort to better our children and bring them and their parents to Jesus Christ.

-Brian

The Content of Christian Character

2008-01-11T18:55:00.000-06:00

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
-Martin Luther King, Jr. August 18, 1963

For those who know me, I have my bachelor's degree in history, and Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the most impressive historical figures to study and admire. This little excerpt from King's, "I have a dream," speech, addresses a trait I want to ponder. The trait I am interested in is character.

Character is defined as a description of a person's attributes, traits, or abilities. So, when determining one's character, in all probability we would, or at least should, search for positive attributes. Because this blog views the world in a Biblical, or more particularly, a specific Christian viewpoint, I will put Dr. King's dream under Christian scrutiny.

Romans 5:3-5 says that, "...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces proven character and proven character produces hope." These versus tell us that as we continue to have faith and hope in God, He will use that perseverance in seeking Him to help build our character as Christians.

Now I wonder how many of us continue to persevere to find His favor. In reference to Dr. King, I find that most people in today's society find it easier to judge people not by the color of their skin. But it is apparent that the difficulty lies within the judging of people by the content of their character, fore the lack of Christian character lies deeply rooted into the souls of most. Finding someone who possesses Christian values can be difficult, much less finding someone who has a great deal of Christian character.

There are many who believe that God does indeed exist, but there are few who live for Him.

"I submit to you that if a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live." -MLK. Have you discovered Someone you would die for? If not, you may not be fit for eternal life.

-Brian

Inspiration Through Faith

2008-01-07T17:45:00.000-06:00

"When I was abandoned by everybody, in my greatest weakness, trembling and afraid of death, when I was persecuted by this wicked world, then I often felt most surely the divine power in the name, Jesus Christ...So, by God's grace, I will live and die for that name."
-Martin Luther

When times come and I find myself in doubt and my faith has been questioned, I persevere in finding the resolve to seek inspiration from those whose faith I admire. Martin Luther, in this quote, summarized my feelings. When troubled times seek to depress me, I find comfort in my Savior. "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He Cares for those who trust in Him" -Nahum 1:7.

I have been questioning the virulent nature of sins I have committed. The time has come for me to set aside the reasoning of sin and to concentrate on the forgiveness of them. So then, to begin finding resolution to this personal crises, I turn to Romans 6:1-4, which reads, "What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

Paul discusses further in chapters seven our struggle with sin. In chapter 8:38, he explains the salvation of believers when he writes, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers...in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." When we give our selves to Christ, there is nothing that can come between us. The love our Father has is eternal.

What next? With a firm foundation I go. It is time to wash the feet of others (John 13:12-17).

Keep with Christ in all you do.

-Brian

Possibly Apostasy

2008-01-06T22:24:00.000-06:00

This weekend I joined fellow church leaders to a retreat to discuss various aspects of our church. I shared a room with our music director (who is fast becoming a dear friend). In one of our many discussions, he enlightened me with a copy of Beware the Pretenders, by John MacArthur, Jr. The book, which is a mere ninety-six pages, opened my eyes to a side of myself which is bringing concern like none I have had in years.

I am fully aware that I am often on a soap-box and think I truly know the truth of life. I become content in my faith and readily point to the flaws in behavior and the faith of others. As I do when working on behavioral and mental flaws, I train myself to correct them. After reading this tiny book with such a big message, I see myself in a different light. I am finding myself questioning my faith and reasoning. Self-evaluation often allows me to see the light, but I am truly wondering whether or not I am the devout man I have tried to become.

Am I one of the many of whom Jude has written? I am almost afraid to look so deep into myself to answer this question. I am putting forth effort to live the life I should. I adversely overcome obstacles in my life and faith, but continue to sin. Oftentimes repeating the same sins on such a regular basis that I am not even aware that I am committing them. By the shear repetition of sins do I deny my faith in the Lord?

After reading the book of Jude, my mind drifted to 2 Timothy 3:1-4, which says:

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God."

What could be more frightening than this statement? This describes me, no matter how much I deny it. I am often vain, which is loving myself. I strive and work for more money and do not tithe as I should. A full ten percent is demanded and I do not give ten percent. I often boast of various aspects of my life. I too often am proud of what I have accomplished, no matter how inconsequential. I am abusive at times in my language, and by neglect, I am abusive to my faith. I have a life full of disobedience to my parents. I take too many things in my life for granted, which shows how ungrateful I am. By being all of these things, I am being unholy. I love my family and friends, but struggle with loving my enemies. I do not forgive as easily as I should. Slanderous words come from both my mouth and pen. I am too hasty and rash on many decisions. Conceitedness goes along with my vanity. I love selfish pleasure, which includes constant entertainment. This includes watching violent movies instead of devoting that time to Christ.

With all of these faults, can I be the Christian I claim? Will I see the gates of heaven? I do not devote my life to Christ in the manner which is demanded. I often behave in ways I should not and always look to see what I am getting in return. These are not behaviors of a Christian, are they?

By acknowledging this abundance of misgivings, how do I change them? Can I change them? I try to be all I should, but fail miserably. Will I be shown mercy simply because I have put for a minuscule amount of effort? I hope so.

I am concerned that, unlike Lot, I will not survive my Sodom and Gomorrah. I ask, how many will? I do not believe I am an apostate, but I am a sinner who struggles blatantly with evil and loses. I may not be much better than an apostate.

May God's graces bless you,

Brian

A Godly New Year

2007-12-31T23:52:00.000-06:00

I wish all a very happy new year.

-God bless,

Brian

Christian Complacency

2007-12-28T21:01:00.000-06:00

For Christmas, I received the book Being the Body, by Charles Colson. While reading the first chapter, I noticed that Colson discussed the complacency of Americans before September 11th. This made me think of the complacency of not just Americans, but of Christians as a whole. Maybe we have become too comfortable with our lives. Maybe we do take our faith and our purpose for this life for granted.

As usual, my brother and I were discussing a similar topic just today. Have we reached the point in today's society that we take God for granted? Do people truly believe that they can make it with Him? I believe so. Technology is beginning to replace the need for God in today's society. Every time the television is turned on, we become indoctrinated into the grand scheme of the world. Arrogance is abundant. No one has time for God anymore. Well, that is until a cataclysmic event happens in their lives.

This reminds me of a story. Several years ago when I was attending OU, there was a gentleman standing outside of Dale Hall handing out free copies of the New Testament. You know, those small versions that easily fit into your back pocket. I remember seeing this man try to hand one to a student passing by. The student informed him that, "I don't believe in that stuff." The man with the Word quipped, "There are a lot of people in Hell right now who believed the same thing."

I think often of those who do not believe. I wonder how many on their death beds repent and come to the Lord. Most I would assume. Then I wonder if they are allowed to enter the Kingdom. I would bet the answer would be yes. They may not have had a long standing relationship with Christ, but they did receive him nonetheless. This proves that the Lord is more loving than I, because I can honestly say that I would struggle to find love for a person who has undermined me their whole life then only accept my ways in the face of condemnation. But I guess that is another example of my humanity.

As for complacent Christians, well now, where do I begin? It is probably easy to become complacent in faith these days. We are told on a daily basis that every sin we commit is okay. It's just a mistake. And that being sinful is okay. Just let everyone be to do as they wish. Do not impose your views....especially if you are Christian. When did we all become so narcissistic?

When my brother and I spoke today, he said something that I have often thought myself. Have you ever had something bad happen to you and then have someone say, "It's okay, everything happens for a reason" or "God has other plans for you." This drives me insane as well. For one thing, if I, for example, jump out in front of a moving car and get hit, don't tell me that everything happens for a reason and wonder why God let something like this happen. This is about free will. He allowed me to make a dumb decision and I have to pay the consequences.

I am a prime example of the God has other plans for you theory. Last summer I had tried to obtain a goal I felt the Lord wanted me to acheive. I prayed about it, my wife and children prayed about it, and I knew this was what I was meant to do. After I was denied the path in which was intended for me, I had several people tell me that God must have other plans for me. I believe that He had plans for me, but those who had control of the situation did not ask Him what He had planned for me. Maybe I'm wrong. Who knows?

My point is that sometimes we may believe that we are being good Christians, without praying and asking if we are correct in this assumption. I wonder if we pray too little and think too much. I know this is one of my many faults. I make too many decisions without getting guidance. No matter how sure I am of a decision, I should still take the matter up with the Lord.

God Bless,

Brian

The Sociological Psychosis of Religion

2007-12-28T14:33:00.001-06:00

A few years ago, when still working on my bachelor's degree, I enrolled in a class called Religion in Society. I believed this class would give me insight to the interrelation between society and religion. I cannot say that I learned little from the class, but I will say that not all which was taught I agree with.

Religion in reference to socio-economics, according to this class, measured how devout a class was by income. Meaning, that lower-income classes tended to be more devout and dedicated to their religion. While at the same time, the upper-class spent less time devoted to spiritual growth. We were instructed that the poor embraced religion simply as crutch. They needed their faith for hope alone. Without hope, they had no or little value to their lives. Whereas the upper-class do not have the same void in their lives. Instead, their lives are filled with the natural wants as lower-classes, but instead of merely having wants, they also had the means to fill those wants.

An example used was that of slaves and slaveholders. The slaves, who had no rights to property, and who were considered property themselves, had no hope and no sense of importance. Therefore, they readily embraced Christianity to give their lives purpose. Whereas the slaveholders were content in their lives and had a sense of value and purpose to theirs.

To me, this makes little sense when incompassing the bigger picture. Jesus said in Matthew 19:23, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." I believe the word of Jesus over an atheist professor. What my dear old instructor failed to see is that he is only partly correct. Yes, it may be true that the rich are less devout and the poor more so, but not for the reasons he believed.

Wealth is simply an obstacle. When a person has wealth, he is more apt to fill prideful urges and push aside righteous intentions for selfish ones. Wealth becomes blinders. Money and means replaces faith and logic. It will make a person greedy and blind to the plights of others. If God blesses a person with wealth, that person should be obligated to use the influence in a manner which it should. God will always show us the way. It is up to us to listen and obey.

A person of fewer means, on the other hand, is not blinded by wealth. Therefore, they have may not have the same moral delimmas as the wealthy. However, both the haves and the have-nots do have one great obstacle to overcome...ambition. Prideful ambition is an obstacle we all face. It is another way in which wealth influences us. Whether we are wealthy or not, we all have ambitions which drive us. We must attempt to analyze our ambitions and ask ourselves who will benefit most from them. As always, prayer is the answer. Pray, listen, and act.

-Brian

What Have You Done for Him Lately?

2007-12-27T16:59:00.000-06:00

If you are as I am, then you are always ready to proclaim your faith and willing to discuss it with others. Although this fact may be true with most of us, I know we should do more. I love discussing faith and learning from others while expressing my own, but in truth, I do little to evangelize the Word. I am not the steward I should be or the fisher of men as wish. Nevertheless, I often fall into the false reasoning that I am merely doing all I can, when in fact, I can and should do more to bring those who have strayed back to the light.

To be honest, I feel that I am too hypocritical to evangelize and that I am not educated enough in the Word to assist in leading others to a place I feel I have not arrived myself. I do see the flaws of my reasoning, but it is how I feel nonetheless. I know that none of us, or rather, few of us are truly secure in our faith. Jesus said, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge...?" I am not as faithful as I should be, nor wise for that matter, but it is a Christian duty to do bring the blind to the Light.

I look at it this way, in my case, it may simply be the blind leading the blind, but in the end, I am still doing the Lord's work. While doing so, I am not only helping lost sheep, but helping myself as well. While helping others, I am learning by doing, making it a win-win situation for all who may be involved.

If you are having the same doubts about your ability to evangelize and spread the Word as I do, you may try reading William Fay's 1999 book, Share Jesus Without Fear. I have read it twice, and am going to read it again this weekend. It will help motivate you in this endeavor.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

God Bless,

Brian

My Brother's Logic

2007-12-21T23:12:00.000-06:00

One of the primary factors for starting this blog was to use it as a learning tool. I love to read as well as write, but where I truly find understanding in whichever topic may be at hand, is from the people whom I associate myself. Lately, I have been picking random topics to dive into. While doing so, I do as much research as possible. I am learning, but I feel that at times I may be looking too much into what is meant rather than what is said.

Of late, I find myself calling my brother for advice or to simply ask questions. I turn to him for one simple reason. He always seems to have the answers. No matter what the subject entails, he never fails to point me to the correct scripture and give me his opinion on the matter while explaining why he has come to that particular conclusion. For him and his advice, I am thankful.

A few days ago, he and I were discussing this blog. I explained to him what I have just explained here, that I wanted to use this blog as a learning tool. A few minutes into the conversation, he told me that I should consider reading the Bible before studying it. To be honest, when he first said this, I dismissed the idea. But he relentlessly repeated himself...okay, maybe not relentlessly, but he did say it a few times. He advised me to simply sit and read the Bible. Not to study it right now, but enjoy it instead. You know, as silly as it sounds, he is right. I feel like I have spent a lot of time only studying it, without truly enjoying it. To go further, this reminded me of my wife. You see, my wife loves Godiva truffles. On occasion, I will pop one in my mouth and unceremoniously gobble it down and wonder why I just spent $2 on such a small bit of chocolate. This always irritates my wife. She never tires to tell me to eat it slow and enjoy it as it should be enjoyed. I guess I never stop long enough to smell the roses.

Back to the topic of my brother. He is only eight years my senior, but wiser by hundreds. I think God gave my brother to me to keep me grounded. As I get older, I have learned to listen to him, understand him, and appreciate him. I am happy to say he is my friend and mentor, but must of all, I am happy just calling him brother.

I wish everyone a very merry Christmas. Keep in mind the true reason for the season as you are enjoying the company of friends and relatives.

God bless you and yours,

Brian

What We Believe

2007-12-16T13:02:00.000-06:00

I can assume that we all believe in the Father, Ghost, and Holy Spirit. I will assume that we all accept Christ as our savior. Further, I can assume we all agree that we as individuals will be judged fairly for our sins, and will be welcomed into heaven. We all want in and we all believe we will be allowed in and not be condemned to hell. We can agree that our commonality lies within our belief and faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ. Agreeing that we all believe in and have faith in our Savior, we must find the method in which we use to find our salvation.

For the simple fact that I belong to a Weslian Methodist congregation, I follow in Wesley's view of predestination. If an unclear understanding of these views need to be clearified, then a brief examination of them should be explained.

John Wesley did not follow Calvin's doctrine of predistination which believed that humans, because they are sinners, could not control their destiny. Only God could control an idividuals salvation. Wesley instead followed the Arminiastic view that God made the decision that all who have faith and are saved would enter his kingdom, but it was up to the individual to come to faith and be saved. Essentially, Wesley said that predestination was an idea or a decision God made over individuals salvation, but left the individual the decision of faith.

How does this vary from other Protestant faith's? To look into the Lutheran doctrine, we can see clearly the difference between the views of methodologies in salvation. Martin Luther believed the only requirement for permission into heaven is faith. He believed that God shields us and protects us from our own sins...including the consequences thereof. Luther believed justification occured through faith, meaning sins are automatically forgiven in death through faith alone.

Which is the right doctrine? Wesley, Luther, Calvin, all of the above, or none of them? I must say that my inclination in this discussion is quite clearly leaning to the wesleyian opproach. I feel that I am correct, but truth be told, I will only know when I am judged by the Almighty. The Lutheran doctrine, to me, seems too simple and somewhat contradictory of what Jesus himself preached. I have written in this blog many times about faith alone not being enough. I will allow the readers to come their own conclusions.

God Bless,

Brian

Confessions & Pardons

2007-12-02T13:56:00.000-06:00

During our Sunday morning service today, we recited our confessions and pardons, which was as follows:

All Pray: Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy. Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Leader: Hear the good news: Christ died for us while we were yet sinners; that proves God's love toward us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

People: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

All: Glory to God. Amen.

After reciting these statements, I began wondering how much good this reciting has done us. I began to wonder if these were mere words dribbling from our mouths without much meaning or was this more of a proclamation than a statement. To come to a conclusion of such wonderment, I would have to turn to the individuals who partook in this part of our service.

We are told in Romans 10:9,"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with our heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." What I personally have taken from this scripture is the conclusion that confessing is simply not enough.

This scripture uses the conjunction and. This conjunction, which simply means, together with or along, implies that the mere confession of sins and proclamation of faith is not enough. According to this passage in Romans, you must also believe in your heart Jesus is Lord.

To me, it makes sense that if you plan and plot or for that matter, do not fight the temptations of sin, then you are simply using Christianity as a crutch to make you feel good about yourself. In the end, you are living for yourselves rather than living for Christ.

If you truly have Christ in your heart, resisting the temptations of sin is not all that hard. Will you be perfect? Of course not, but when you have Jesus in your heart, deciphering morality from immorality becomes less of a problem. We may still fight sin and lose, but when we do find ourselves in times of weakness, we have an overwhelming sense of guilt. We know when we do wrong and we sincerely ask for forgiveness and try to avoid repeating the sin. It is when we do not even realize the depth of our sins that we really need to re-evaluate our faith.

God bless you,

Brian Moore

End of Days

2007-11-26T14:05:00.001-06:00

Everywhere I turn these days, people tell me that we are living in the last days before Christ's return. I do not know if this is true, but I am fully aware of the dangers we live in today. Unfortunately, I am not a scholar of such things. I am, however, in the midst of remedying this.

Dr. John Walvoord has written a book titled, "Armageddon, Oil, & Terror," which sounds quite interesting but have not had the chance to purchase it, much less read it. I am curious of what his research has uncovered. By the title, I judge the outcome is dreary.

If anyone has read this or has other related books to recommend, please post with a list.

Also, take a few seconds and take my survey on the end of days.

-Brian

Letting Go

2007-11-19T19:04:00.000-06:00

It has been nearly two years since I have stood at the pulpit and proclaimed my faith. I spoke to my Savior in front of my family, friends, and congregation and let everyone know that I was reaching out to my Lord and Savior for guidance in my life. But now that all of this time has past and the exhilaration which comes from the first months of the new life has been diminished, I feel as if my purpose still remains as strong as those first moments.

Having said this, I must confess that, although my faith remains strong, I still find myself participating in thoughts and actions which do not befit a self-proclaimed Christian. I often find myself in a negative attitude toward others. And of course, I clearly see the faults of others without even taking a glimpse of mine own. The hypocrisy does eventually and stridently pierce my dense cranium after a non-specific length of time, however. When I am shown the error of my ways, I am usually the first to berate myself for being an imbecile.

I believe that one of the most adverse aspects of my sins is the inability to forgive and forget transgressions and injustices that have been done to me. I may not be as guilty of this as I have in the past, but I am guilty nonetheless. When I have the perception of being wronged, my first impulse is typically a tremendous feeling of betrayal, followed closely by anger. Understanding and acceptance usually comes a day or two later. So why am I announcing all of this? Simple. Lately, especially in the church in which I worship, I have seen these same traits in others.

I am shocked to see such behavior! Okay, okay, maybe I am not, but I do find it interesting to see the adversity or lack thereof in fellow church members to face criticism and tribulations with the same selfishness as I have displayed. Maybe I expect too much from my fellow believers. We as Christians must train ourselves to turn the other cheek when people do something to us which we believe to be hostile or derogatory. We must be strong in our faith so that we may lean on the Lord when necessary. Instead, what I see is people having their feelings hurt and lashing out to one another. Unfortunately, the dissension does not end there. Harsh feelings remain and animosity grows. Soon, the entire situation becomes unbearable and people find themselves in a fight or flight scenario.

The inability to let go of grievances is discouraging. Weekly, in our Sunday morning worship service, we proclaim that, "We are a caring congregation...." To be honest, I see little proof of this statement. Saying that this is sad is an understatement. We have people who claim to be Christians, but from the outside looking in, it appears otherwise.

Quite often, I like to find fault in myself for corrective purposes. On this occasion, I will be more inclusive when obsverving a club of sinners. It makes sense that if you truly want to be forgiven of your sins, you must at least attempt to forgive others for theirs. I use Matthew 6:14 a lot as an example of forgiveness, and will do so yet again.

We all have the tendency to be self-absorbed, without a care for the next person's feelings. After all, everyone else is simply dumb. Right? I mean who cares what they think? It's clear they don't know what they are talking about. All they need to do is listen to the words which roll from the tongue that is tied to the most brilliant mind that God gave mankind and fortunately that mind belongs to moi. Because, of course, I know everything. Uh hem...I guess that is one approach, but I do not believe it is the right approach. Let us try this once again.

I honestly believe God talks to each of us. Albeit, He may not do so through a burning bush, but He speaks to us nonetheless. Some people may call it a conscience, but I know that the little voice in our head, is simply God telling us to quit being self-serving. We should not let our sinning nature take control of us. We must learn that there will always be obstacles in life, either physical or personal. Regardless of which, we shoud be willing to forgive. We should reach out to those who hurt us and those of whom we hurt and try to come to an amicable disagreement. There is so much hurt in this world that it is troubling to see how we can hold on to such miniscule wrongs. Let them go and let peace in. Forgive and you will be forgiven.

May God watch over and protect your family this Thanksgiving.

-Brian D. Moore

Non-Assimilation of Christianity

2007-11-12T22:11:00.001-06:00

Have you noticed that there are a lot of Christians running for president for 2008. I hope that you are fully aware that I am using the term "Christians", regarding most of them very loosely. Because I am a very aware of the upsides and downsides of our nation and am very political in my opinions, I watch, listen, and analyze political figures with a skeptical eye. In my opinion, there is only one candidate running in this election that I believe to be a devout Christian, and that is the other fellow from the ZIP Code 71801...yep, you guessed it, Hope, Arkansas. That's right, Mike Huckabee. He is the only one running on "Faith, Family, & Freedom." I do not intend to turn this post or this blog into a political blog spot, but I do want to use politicians for this post.

Where I want to go with this is to point out how simple it is to proclaim yourself as a Christian, while doing very little to prove that you are. It is time for Christians everywhere to grasp their God-given talents and use them to show the world the awe of God.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

He is telling us not to assimilate into societies. Instead, we need to lead societies. We need to lead them to the light by using our own God-given light. Our lights may not necessarily be the same, but God has given each of us a light, a gift, a talent, that we should uniquely use for His glory.

I ask both of you who read this blog to contemplate the gift God has given you and pray for the guidance you will need to use it properly.

God bless you and guide you in all of your endeavors.

-Brian

The Faithless

2007-11-06T11:04:00.001-06:00

The lack of faith in today's society is overwhelming. From Christians to politicians, Godlessness is running rampant. It appears that faith is not "in" right now. So, what can be done to turn the tide back to God? Anything? Should we merely sit here and wait for judgement? I think not.

Hebrews 11:1, describes faith as, "...being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Simply put, this means that we must believe that God is who He says He is and will keep the promises He has given. To contemplate this a bit further, one would have to see and believe that what is said in Holy text is true. With faith firmly established in His text, then we must believe in the warnings which are written. The book of Revelations is in itself a warning of things to come. Albeit, it may be a bit disturbing to read, but the truth is rarely easy.

Revelation 1:3 states, "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near." The time, meaning the end? The end of mankind or the end of evil? You are correct! It is the end of evil. God always prevails in the end. Now for the big question? In the end, which side do you want to be on? I am going out on a limb to assume you want to be on the side everlasting peace. I could be wrong.

Life is complex, is it not? At every turn we must find the strength through our faith. We cannot be persuaded to do ill. We must remain steadfast to our faith in our Lord. Of course, I am well aware that this is no easy task, but it is however, a task which we must take great strides in obtaining. We cannot be perfect due to the existence of sin. We can do our absolute best to remain faithful and strive to be Christ-like. This is not to excuse misbehavior, however, because no matter how many good deeds we do or how many act of kindness we exhibit, God knows the truth buried in our hearts.

It is not merely good enough to announce that you are a believer. You must believe in your heart. Jesus must play a vital role in every decision you make. Surprisingly enough, this is so very simple to achieve. All you must do is pray and truly release yourself to Jesus. When you repent, you begin a new life. This new life will still have sin, but when you truly have Jesus in your heart, sin is merely a nuisance that is easily pushed aside.

"The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the good news." -Mark 1:15

Remain faithful and spread the good news. Live each day for your Savior and your Savior will reward you. Regardless of what pain you may be suffering, remain true to Jesus. Just remember, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." -Psalm 34:18.

May God grant you wisdom, peace, and prosperity.

-Brian Moore

Finding the Way

2007-11-04T22:22:00.000-06:00

For those of us who are in constant turmoil and nothing seems to go our way, this post is for you.

For me, life teaches me adversity on a daily basis. I find myself in situations where I can stand up for what I believe or give in to the pressures of ambient pseudo morality. Unfortunately, things do not always go my way. When negative events happen in my life, I try my best to avoid animosity, but sometimes I do stray from what I know is right. Basically what I'm saying is that life may get me down, but in the end, God shows me the error of my ways and puts me back on the path of righteousness.

Isiah 30:21 states, "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you , saying, 'This is the way, walk in it.'

Wow, is this not a novel idea? Listening to God, it is such an obvious way to go. This is truly a, "Wow, I could have had a V8," moment. We all, or I should say I, go through life getting irritated at people before I have the frame of mind to actually listen to what God wants of me.

I know that it has become cliche to say this, but here it comes anyway. God has a plan for us all. He has given us all special talents or put us in certain places in life for a reason. Now, we may not always see what he has planned for us, but if we pray and listen, he will show us the way. Opportunities and obstacles do not happen by chance. Approach each day as an opportunity to do God's will and happiness will follow.

May God Bless you in all endeavours.

-Brian Moore