I wish all a very happy new year.
-God bless,
Brian
Monday, December 31, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Christian Complacency
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
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
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
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
Thursday, December 27, 2007
What Have You Done for Him Lately?
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
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
Friday, December 21, 2007
My Brother's Logic
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
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
Sunday, December 16, 2007
What We Believe
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
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
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Confessions & Pardons
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
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
Monday, November 26, 2007
End of Days
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
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
Monday, November 19, 2007
Letting Go
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
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
Monday, November 12, 2007
Non-Assimilation of Christianity
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
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
The Faithless
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
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
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Finding the Way
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
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
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