My Passions

danielkeem:

“While it may be true that areas of our life can affect our spiritual life, thinking that something’s wrong with our spiritual life EVERY TIME we feel dry causes us to return to a works based salvation. Joy is GIVEN by God, not worked for or earned by man. There are seasons that God brings you through because He desires obedience beyond what you feel. ” - Clark Fobes IV

Truly, this must be why David cries out, “restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation…” 

I mostly wanted to Reblog this because Clark is now coming up in the world. He’s being quoted!

It really has been a very long time since I have posted on this tumblr, but I just wanted to write. Write about how my life is going at this point but if anyone reads this who cares. At this moment I am striving to better myself. Trying to become a man of God rather than simply a boy after God’s heart. I want to live in a manner that I can truly be the light and the salt of the world. I want to be able to be that city on a Hill that gives glory to God in all that I do. I want to be respected among my peers that they will see me as a man of God, but more than just being in the public eye as a man of God I really wish to be able to be a man of God in my private times, where I can be totally in love with God and Christ in all that has been done for me because it was not by anything that I had done that warranted Christ, but that Christ loves me IN SPITE OF WHO I AM. May this truth be so evident in my life that it becomes a living testimony of the Lord my Father, and the Lord my Savior. I know I sin, in fact I have sinned this very moment and this very weekend in what I have done, even though I know better, but I know my God forgives me, but I pray that God will destroy my pride and destroy my sinful nature, and that I can make war with my flesh. I know that Christ is sufficient and that He has SET US FREE, BUT WHY DO I LIVE LIKE I AM STILL BOUND BY THE CHAINS OF DEATH IN MY SIN? The Lord my God is good, and He will give me strength to overcome this. He loves me, and I love Him, and may my live become a rock and a truth in my life. Lord I love You. Forgive me Lord, for I am a sinner. You are glorious, You are God, You are good, and all things are done for Your glory, and may all praise be to you, and never to me.

Signed,

A sinner by nature, but a saved one by grace and mercy

So I went to a bible study yesterday with a couple of friends of mine, and the thing that stood out the most for me was when the pastor was talking about Paul and how he was writing the book of Philippians while in prison. He said that Paul did not complain about his situation and his problems of being in prison, because he knew that his comfort and his “well-being” was not something that he was entitled to and that he knew that whether in prison or being free, he will be able to rejoice in the Lord always because of the single fact that Christ and His name was being spread to the nations. 

Do I feel that way, where I can take joy in the things of Christ, or does my joy come from the sinful flesh that desires comfort and peace in order to be joyful? Oh how my flesh sins against the very Holy Spirit that resides inside of me. Lord, you are grace, you are mercy, and so let me cry out to You daily, surrendering myself to you, for you Lord, are deserving of all my praise and worship, but still I fall and fail You, but still You love me. Lord, let me heart always cry out to You.

Its been a long time since I’ve been on here, but that’s all fine I suppose. I was reading up a bit on Mark Driscoll and I noticed how people attack him for what he says and how he says things, and though I agree on a few things as to his speech and how he speaks to the congregation of Christ at times, he is someone who might have a style of preaching that could be necessary for our generation. A generation that needs to be rebuked from time to time, but then again, who doesn’t need to be rebuked?

So as I was reading, the blogger was writing about how he believes that when we obtain salvation, that we are going to become blameless immediately, and that we are to live in a manner that is perfect and pleasing to God. Though this blogger understands that being perfect is impossible, they believe that if one continues to fall into temptation and sin, that they are forever lost from the grace and mercy of Christ. I understand that we can judge a Christian by their actions, but I do not think that we have the authority or ability to judge a man’s salvation. 

A major point this person comes up with is that if a person were to commit horrible sins and terrible acts against God, that they will not be forgiven at times. This is based off the assumption that sin is given levels, but in fact, is not one sin enough to separate us from God altogether? Is this not why the gospel of Christ is the “good news?” As much as I can appreciate this blogger, I don’t think they fully understand the idea that a single sin, no matter how big we as humans think it is, is enough to separate us from the surpassing greatness of the Lord our God and Father. 

Just some food for thought, I suppose.

I was looking around the internet because my mom was talking about the “prophecy” where there will be an earthquake in California, and they are thinking about getting earthquake insurance and such like that, but watching the different videos by the “prophets” I get uncomfortable, mostly because they’re discussing their visions and such. I don’t know why, but I grew up in a church that emphasized the gifts of the Spirit but now when I see people speaking in tongue, claiming to prophecy and such, I feel uncomfortable. I guess its because I’m very skeptical, but that does not mean that I don’t think that there are the gifts of the Spirit. I think the bible makes it very clear that there are the gifts of the Spirit, and that there is a spiritual war going on, but sometimes I wonder what the gifts of the Spirit are being used for in America. Sometimes I see those pastors and have to ask myself that question, because along with those teachings, I see more and more of the pastors talk about receiving the gifts and neglect to talk about the gift of Christ. I don’t know, this seems like a rant, and poorly put together because I’m so tired from the day, but still, its something I had to write down somewhere, I hope someone can help with the clarity for all of the prophecies and such out there.

“Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

Zechariah 4:6

Not by might, nor by power. Aren’t we foolish as human being trying to handle things on our own. We try and try time and time again to work out our own issues and problems when we need to look directly to Christ and to Him alone. Why do we try to hard to do things when we cannot? Why do we try so hard to change, when we cannot? Why do we do so many things in attempts to make our lives better today, when our lives are made for eternity? We are not here for the earth, but rather the earth is a place where we will work so that one day, we will find rest and peace in being home with Christ. We try so hard to change and be a “better person” but all is done in Christ and in His spirit. We cannot do anything, but all that we can do is do all things in His spirit, and depend on Him alone. We are faulty beings with nothing good in us, so how would we ever be able to produce good? It is all done in Christ and in Him alone.

I wonder if I really see God to be my all important, all loving, all knowing, all powerful, all graceful, all merciful, all righteous, omni-present God in my life. I feel like I am lacking in so many ways. I read about the church seen in the book of Acts and see how lacking I am. I hear about pastors and their families giving up their whole lives for the sake of Christ and the gospel. I hear about missionaries and their families living in the most dangerous situations, so that the natives may hear about the gospel. And here I am, sitting in a room, warm and cozy, on a laptop writing about this. I am too comfortable. I spoke on this very topic with FGLA’s youth group not too long ago and here I am now, talking about it again because this very truth I have forgotten. I have such terrible spiritual short term memory loss. I neglect to remember these things because of my physical comforts that I enjoy on a daily basis. I am a wretched being.

No matter, I see the worst in me because I have become a person who believes that all that I do is of little or no worth and when something is actually done that is praise worthy, I become someone who basks in its glory. I am not humble at all. But man, God has a way of getting through to you doesn’t He? I mean I haven’t had a crazy event in which God spoke to me but this is something that I have been reading and learning through the process of just learning about God through the Word and prayer, and truth be told, I see my imperfections more and more. The Word that God has given us is truly a living Word. 

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

I am weak, and I can only pray that God will be strong in my weakness. I desire to be one with God and I desire to be with God, but how long will this last for me, until I forget again. I battle and struggle everyday with my sinful nature, and yet it still comes up on time, a lot of the times. The times I could be praying are spent on meaningless challenges of my thumb twiddling and mindless video games. I can rest in Christ, but still I choose to sit in this filth. I am weak and am only looking for the microwave, instant gratification that I have grown used to, so here I am asking for God to break me down to see Him as my everything.

I write this not only to show you my weakness, my faults as a human being, but also to challenge my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who might stumble upon this. I ask that you examine your lives. I am weak, and I know this, and so I ask that you do the same. Ask yourself, are you weak? Because if you claim to be strong on your own, then I ask that you examine yourself closer. For when we claim to be strong and able to do things on our own, then we are not depending on God. We are to depend on God and that means being so weak and vulnerable to Him that He is the only person being powerful and being in control of our lives. We have no strength in ourselves to control our lives. We are merely clay that is in the hands of a master potter. He will mold us, break us, and throw us into the fire if need be. But He is love and He has sent His son for us, and so we may rejoice and sing, because we have been given grace. Is our God not a good God?

Talks about God, being with God, reading God, learning God, breathing God, loving God, and just worshiping God are all great, and it is such a blessing to be able to be utterly and totally SILENT in His presence. That we can even be in the presence of God and that He is with us daily is such a blessing that one cannot even begin to fathom, and more than anything, it is wonderful that God is in everything, that we can worship Him in all things by ENJOYING HIM FOREVER. God is truly Good.

“blind faith…

everyone…

every religion…

BLiND FAiTH”

according to my sister in law. 

It hurts me so much at times when I see my brother, my sister in law, my friends, refuse Christ, time and time again. I desire for them to believe in God and to believe in Christ, but they are so skeptical at times that it gets so hard to talk to them, and they are so set on what they believe that it drives me to the point of wanting to cry so bad, but I keep this charade up, trying to pretend that it doesn’t bug me, but it is eating away at me. 

I love them and I want them to believe the truth, but I respect them and their beliefs, but still I try to bring them to Christ, but at times, it feels like it falls on deaf ears. I look at their lifestyle and judge them, but then again I came to the realization… who am I to judge? and how am I so different from them? Do I act in a holy behavior all the time? Do I speak nothing but exortation and encouragement? Do I walk in the paths worthy of my Lord? Or do I simply look like them too?

Do I walk like a Christian or walk like a lost soul, wandering and searching for God? I truly am he who is lost. I have no means to speak of Christ, and I have no strength to bear my cross daily, but do not get discouraged brothers, for is this not the calling of a Christian? Are we not called to be weak for in our weakness, Christ may be strong? Are we not called to battle our sins daily for the sanctification of our innermost being? Are we not to wage war with our sinful nature so that Christ may be glorified? How are we to battle our sinful nature if there is no sin in our lives. Where sin abounds, grace abounds more deeply and greatly. We are sinful by our nature, and there is not one person righteous, not a single one, but in our sins, in our weakness, may His grace abound so deeply within us, that when people see our transformations of our lives, that they will be able to say “Truly Christ has risen!” So let me ask you again brothers and sisters, “what makes us so different?”

We are no better than those who are lost and searching for the truth, we are in the same bus stop, just looking to take different routes. Both lead to death, but one will lead to a secondary death of the spirit. Let us inform those who are lost, for love was given to them as well as us who have been elected by our Lord. We are called to be “holy” or “set apart” and let us be, but don’t let that set us apart from the lost souls that are in search for Christ, but rather let us bring them closer to God so that we can all be “set apart” from the sinful nature of the world, but let us keep those God created close, so that they may be brought to Christ.