Sin is Real And Here's What We Should Do About It

I believe in an enemy of all mankind, a villain whose sole goal is to destroy us.  I believe in a Savior, a hero whose sole goal is to deliver us.  I believe in good and evil.

This is actually a belief that is fading away.  Few believe in right and wrong anymore.  Few react to right and wrong correctly anymore.

I believe in sin.  And I believe there is a way I am supposed to react to sin.  I have begun to understand the patterns of sin and the patterns of the evil-one who created it.

I believe in righteousness.  I believe in the Source of that righteousness and I am beginning to understand what righteousness is...I believe it is not at all what many people would expect.

The pattern of the afore mentioned villain of our story are as follows:

If he cannot "get us" in one way, he tries another.

It is that simple, I believe.  I believe that Satan is a simple creature.   Sometimes I think him very stupid because he is so predictable, however I also think him clever sometimes because I often fall in his traps.

If he cannot get me in one way he moves on to the next.

This is how I explain the conquering of one struggle and how another rises up right afterwards.

I just want to wrap our minds around what these struggles are defined as for us Christians.
I believe that God is so mighty and wise.  I believe that He has an order and a plan, however, it looks nothing like what we can imagine.  I believe we can only look to Him always and seek Him and He'll let us know.

He has, however, defined quite clearly some things He wants us to do and some things He does not want us to do:

TO DO:                                                                            DO NOT:

Love God                                                                      Don't be jealous of what someone else has
Love our neighbor                                                        Don't be selfish or vain
Care for the sick and homeless and widowed              Don't be prideful
Render to Cesar what is Cesar's                                   Don't murder
and to God what is God's                                             Don't lie
Be strong and of good courage                                    Don't be a glutton                          
Love your wife                                                             Don't sin sexually
Follow your husband                                                   Don't be adulterous
Work out your own salvation                                       Don't be afraid
Live a quiet life                                                            Don't hate
Mind your own business and                                       Don't be lazy and foolish
Work with your hands                                                  Don't be frivolous


So that's just a few off the top of my head.  Pretty clear, huh.

So yeah,  if we who claim to follow God, the Father of Jesus Christ, do the things that are on God's do not do list, then we are sinning.  Plain and simple. Sin is simply going against what God asked us to do.

You know, I think the world is trying really hard to convince everyone that there is no such thing as sin, the devil and God.  No, it's not the world doing this, it is the devil himself.  Oh, he uses words and people's feelings as mighty weapons against us!

You know what?  I pause every few minutes to pray that God would help us all to see Him and His truth so we can follow Him.  I'm not afraid that I'm going to be snatched up by Satan, but I do know that I and also you can be so blind.  I put it in God's hands.

Anyway.  There is sin.  And you can look at that list and figure on which ones apply to you.  If none apply to you, go back to the third one.

Now how should we react to sin?  Should we do what the lord of the world is doing and slowly convince ourselves it is not sin?  Should we make a prioritized list of which sin is worse than the others and decide we're "not that bad"?  Only God is the judge of what is worse than what.

Should we begin to watch for these sins in others and save the world ourselves by fighting against them?  Only God can judge others and only God can save the world.

Should we become terrified of doing something wrong?  Should we punish ourselves?  Should we take drastic measures to protect ourselves from temptation?  The latter would not work - many have tried that!  Look at the Amish or Mennonites.  They may be chaste and hardworking and devoted, but again, Satan will get them in other ways.  Even a pie recipe that you think is sooo much better than Edna's can be the sin of pride.

We can't run from sin.  We can't beat it out of ourselves.  Fighting is futile.

So here's the solution, here's the key:

Look to God.  Seek Him with all that is in you.  He is the only one who knows what's best. He is so wise and will give all we need in time.  Praise Him, know and believe that He is good and will do what is best.  He is everywhere.  He is in you, He is in others, He is in the world and in the earth.  If you look for Him you will find Him.  If you trust in Him, you will find peace.  If you make Him king of your life, He will set you free from sin and you. will. fly.

Righteousness is a very big word that may bring many thoughts to your mind.  If you do not understand what righteousness means, it may sound super arrogant to you.  But righteousness simply means united with God.  A righteous person is the one who is sitting at the feet of the throne of the King as a humble servant who wants only what the King wants.  The wise and good King who reigns justly.  That is righteousness and that is what being a Christian means.

Heart Glass

We're about to have  our yearly, special event at church called and "Ingathering". It's a time for our members to be together and worship God. It's kind of like our New Year and family reunion and revival.

One of my friends sent a text to everyone saying

"Let's guard or hearts in preparation for the Ingathering."

 I was asking myself: what is guarding my heart? I have heard this said often growing up and as with so many other things that I don't understand, I am excited to come to an understanding of what this means. I know it means something beautiful.

I was just thinking: what is something that I guard? How do I guard it?

 I went to a wine tasting a few months ago and was given a wine glass with the event name printed in it.

It's special to me. I keep it in my room and only use it to drink special drinks like wine or special juices.  I dare not  leave it out in the kitchen where others can use it. I've left special things out before and they've been broken.

So I think I have somewhat of an understanding now of what guarding my heart is: It is keeping my heart away where it won't be broken or used. And used for a purpose that it's not meant for, or for the wrong time. I think this meaning fits well, i think it's beautiful.

Attempted Destruction of a Pure Life

My next door neighbor had cancer of the jaw. The kind typical of an old man who smokes for years. She had to have surgery, they had to cut a big gash in her leg and use the bone to replace the spot in her jaw.

When she was recovering my mom volunteered to go read her storybooks. That's right:  she was only six years old. It's been a year now and it's really JUST hitting me.

 From day-one Ana was in cloth diapers. Her parents were very much into a healthy, organic lifestyle. Her mother taught my class how to make cloth diapers. They have lived out in the purest country air imaginable.

Ana's parents are farmers and always brought their kids in on everything they do. Ana was potty trained before she was a year old. She and siblings were constantly eating fresh vegetables and loved them too. Ana's parents were working on adopting a child to share in their wonderful life.

There really was no explanation why Ana got cancer.

I can only attribute it to the belief that we have an enemy, a spirit that wants to come into our lives and wreak whatever havoc he can and attempt to destroy us. I believe that he chooses the one who is deeply in the will of God, the one who is seeking God. I believe that Satan takes his biggest swing and lays upon them his biggest blow...but I also believe in The Good One, the One who is our defense and our help-meet. He never fails us if we cling to Him. He pulls us up out of the mess and places us back on the safe rock.

Another one of my neighbors got leukemia a few years before Ana's battle. Paul was the one who had devoted his life to learning the facts about God and the early church. He is the humblest, kindest, wisest teacher our church has known.

He survived the cancer and met so many people he never would have met if he did not get sick.
He made many, many blog posts and videos during his hospital stay in order to continue to teach and eternalize what he knew.

Again I come out with the belief that Satan was trying to annihilate a strong servant of God.
He attacks those who are living a pure life and attempts to destroy them, but he fails.

Paul and Ana's families didn't let go of God and He didn't let go of them. He protected them.
He allowed what happened because Satan dishes out trials in hopes that we'll fall.
Satan never learns that those trials are what make us stronger.

Ever go to a water park and see the people manning the different slides and rides?  

They have to stand there all day or as long as their shift is saying, 

                "You can go...You can go...You can go...".  

Seems kinda boring and they look like it too.  They look bored.  For me it kinda' takes the fun out of the water park when the people telling you to "Go" don't even look like they think it will be fun for you to "Go".  

I think about what I would be like in that situation and other situations such as waitress work.  I like to think I would rock it.  I would smile at everyone as if they were the only person I've seen that day.   That's what I do at my current job.  When someone comes into my massage room, I've prepared the room to perfection just for them.  I've made everything ready just right for them and that one person is my focus.  When I connect with someone and they leave happy, that is the best feeling in all the world.

The lifeguards, though, have to see hundreds of people for five seconds each.  I still think I would run the risk of a facial spasm if it meant seeing others have a good time.  I like to think I'd smile at every single one of them and say "You ready?" and psych them up and then I'd say "Go!" and smile real big as they smile and go.  I'd say,  "You havin' fun?" to the next one because I honestly find the greatest pleasure in seeing others have a good time.  

I've never been a waitress before but I plan to be one someday soon and I think I'd be the best server there was just like my mom.  I'd smile and make people happy and then when I'm old I'll have all the wrinkles to prove it.

To The Pure All Things Are Pure

I was kicked out of Eden

At the age of four.

I experienced the fall

And didn’t even know it.

I could place the blame,

But the answer is the same:

They are fallen too.

Tonight I cry.

I remember years gone by,

Seeds that were planted that grew

Into the tree of good and evil

And choked out the tree of life

I was kicked out of Eden

And wrought with worry

But the Lord has seen my heart.

I’ve been on the stand

With a doubtful jury,

But the mess won’t tear me apart.

To the pure all things are pure.

The Lord has a gift for me,

He’s working on the weeds in my heart

And regrowing the garden of Eden.

He's Reaching Out

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

So even though we  doubt and  sink beneath the waves sometimes, the Lord is still there reaching out His hand to help us. He is not angry that we doubt, he doesn't punish us and let us go on down, he reaches out to help us because he loves us and all we have to do is take that hand.

Pebbles to a Mighty God

Pebbles to a Mighty God

By Rachel Fagan for Naqah and Naqiy Schepp

What to do? How to live? Who to be and when?

Can we open our hearts

When we’re not sure they’d let us in?

What is standing? What is being?

We feel this tying and long for freeing.

Feeling stuck, to say the least,

Starving, looking for the feast.

I read them once:

Words that changed it all.

They said “Don’t be afraid

Even if you fall,

Talk it out with the Lord of peace

Pray and give thanks

And you’ll find release.”

The weights that depress that heart of yours

Are not what they seem,

They are nothing more

Than pebbles to a mighty God

Who, yet in His strength,

Knows the path you trod.

So open your heart to the peace you’ll find

When you lay all your worries

Before a King who is kind.

He’ll keep you safe

And never betray you,

You’re His princess

To you He’ll stay true.

I’ve heard it said so many times:

Love casts out fear

When fear blurs the lines.

Along with this truth it is defined

That true love is patient and unfailingly kind.

I, myself, have found this to be true.

I find the greatest freedom when I love God and love you.

You and I are equally special,

To a mighty God who makes gems out of pebbles.