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
Monday, November 26, 2007
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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