Wretched

O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? -Romans 7:24 KJV

Amazing Grace

At a young age, he was a merchant sailor with whose reputation was so bad that it made other sailors blush. Before long, he became British slave trader. So wretched was he, that even his crew was disgusted. Once in a drunken stupor he fell overboard. To rescue him, crewmembers threw a harpoon through his leg so they could pull him back on board.

On another of his voyages, his ship nearly sank in a fierce storm. They lost most of the food, their ability to navigate, and were literally within days of cannibalism. By the time they reached land, John Newton finally recognized God's hand on his life. Newton left his ungodly ways, stopped slave trading, and became a pastor committed to ending slavery.

Saved by grace

John Newton was not being humble when he wrote "that saved a wretch like me." Slave traders are pretty low on the "sinners" list. The apostle Paul tells us in 1^st Timothy 1:10, that enslavers rate down there with those who kill their parents.

Wretch is a pretty strong term; To be wretched is to be hopeless, Despicable; hatefully vile and contemptible.

Q What goes through your head when you sing "a wretch like me"? Do you have an honest recognition of your state? Do you think, "That's me – Hopeless and despicable, in desperate need of God's grace." Or do you think, "That's putting it a little harsh." We should replace "wretch like me" with "wretch like Charles." If we're honest with ourselves, most of think we stack up pretty well in the grand scheme of things.

To those who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:

"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." – Luke 18:9-14 KJV

We cannot receive God's saving grace until we repent of our sins. I've had a chance to witness to a young man who has trouble understanding this fact. He freely admits that he has made a mess of many things in his life, but he thinks that he can make up for them by doing good deeds. In his case he plans to enter the military. Perhaps the military is where God wants to use him, but he cannot work off his sins in the military. He, just like all of us, must honestly and humbly admit his wretched state to God.

Grace alone can save a wretch like me. (Repeat that with me, but insert your own name.)

Not getting what we deserve

What exactly is grace? We use the word in so many ways: we say grace before meals, credit cards have a grace period, and people have been named Grace.

The grace Newton wrote about is God's saving grace. Grace is to not receive the punishment we deserve for our wretchedness.

Example 1:

Let say you got pulled over for doing 70 down Hospital Drive; not only that, but your tags are expired, your license is revoked, there's no insurance on the car, you're not wearing a seat belt, and to top it off, you swear at the officer and ask him why he isn't guarding Dunkin Donuts.

If he lets you off with a stern warning, you could call that grace.

Getting better than we deserve

But grace is even more. Grace is the application of Christ's righteousness to the sinner (GRACE = Gods riches at Christ's Expense). An undeserved blessing freely bestowed on man by God. It is this incredible kindness that He shows us, in ways both great and small.

Example 2:

Now say you're a server at IHOP and you're having a horrible day; you're late for work (which is why you were speeding earlier), you mess some guy's order, spill water and then pour coffee on him, and swear at him again (Again because your customer is the same officer who pulled you over earlier).

Now imagine he gives you a $200 tip – that's grace. Grace is getting better than we deserve.

Depths of grace

Now back to John Newton: I love stories of dramatic conversions, those 180º changes. We've had some come through our church with such stories. I love them, but I can't fully relate. Most of us have a "three steps forward, two steps back" walk with the Lord. We often mean well, but our actions don't quite match our intentions.

When I told you about Newton's conversion, I left a key piece of information: From the time from when he became a Christian until when he gave up slave trading was six years. And it took 25 more years for him to speak out against slavery.

Perhaps what makes grace so amazing is its depth. God is amazingly patient with frail and failing people, like John Newton, like you and like me.

• Q Do you know someone who has been "saved," but never changed?
  
• Q Are you that someone?
  

God's patience is often mistaken for permission to sin. Paul addressed this in Romans:

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? - Romans 6:15-16 KJV

When we, as genuine believers, take grace as permission to continue sinning, it shows we don't understand sin. Sin is a fatal disease, something to get away from, not something to get away with.

Sin is what destroys us, destroys others, and destroys our relationship with God – that's why God wants us to be free from it.

It is the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit that leads us to holiness, and away from sin, is a gift of grace, not burden.

Grace is freedom from sin, not freedom to sin.

As John Newton reached the end of his life and thought back on those six years he spent as a "Christian" slave trader, did he think, "Look what I got away with!"? Or, did he more likely think "Through many dangers, toils and snares, You, Lord, have lead me home; dangers I put myself in, toils and pain I inflicted on myself and others, snares that nearly snagged my soul."?

When it is our turn to stand before God, and we clearly seeing how much damage our sins did, will we say "Wow, look at all I got away with," or will we say, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me."

Lent – Day 15

Just an update on some if what I have been during over Lent.

First I continue to stay on the fast. I have been sticking to liquids only with the exception of last Friday, which had been planned in advance (the marriage counseling retreat that I mentioned in the previous update). There have been a couple of days where I felt moved by the spirit to really cut back even on the juices (drinking mostly water on those days). I can feel the Lord working in me. How? First, I couldn't on my own maintain a fast like this on my own. In the past I have been able to fast for short periods, and have done a juice fast before, but I am now going longer than I ever have in the past. If God was not in this with me, I couldn't make it this long, nor could expect to make it the entire time of Lent on the dietary schedule I am currently on. It must be God who is making this possible. And when Lent is over, it will be God who gets the glory for this.

Another thing I have noticed is that I am thinking more about things around me. I have been getting onto my son for his language, and have become aware of more of the things in my life that I have either allowed in my life that God wouldn't approve of, or taking note of the things I have done in the past (habitual things) that I never thought about and if those things are pleasing to God.

Another "odd" thing I have started doing this week is watching a different Christian movie each night and then considering what I have learned (if anything) from these movies. I will share briefly what I have seen so far and my thoughts on these.

The Nativity Story – This is a story about the events leading up to the birth of Christ. As a Christmas story, it is great. It have everything that you would expect. While not 100% percent accurate to scripture (example, the 3 Wisemen did not show up until possibly 2 years after the birth of Christ), it gives a lot of insight about Joseph and Mary. They portray Joseph as a man who sought after virtue, and while he was not perfect, was a man that lived his walk. Mary was the prime example of one who was willing to be a servant. The movie brings out the stigma of being pregnant and unmarried at that time. She was looked down upon the people she had grown up with, and Joseph joined into that once he declared that he would not turn his back to Mary. Both of them were willing to submit to God, accepting the ridicule that wispers about them. They were willing to submit to God and do what God told them to do.

The Book of Eli – I don't want to give away any plot twists for those who haven't seen this film, but it does show a man who is nowhere near perfect, but one who yet strives to do as God calls. One of the things that stands out most to me in this movie comes at the very end, when Eli is praying. He is dying, but has complete the task that had been set before him. His prayer is simple and can be summed up as follows: Thanks for giving me the strength to do what you needed me to do, thanks for the good things you allowed me to do and forgive me where I have fallen short.

Time Changer – The basic premise is that we cannot teach the things of God without and remove his from those teachings. For example, in one scene the main character catches a little girl who has stolen his hotdog. He asks the child if she knows that stealing is wrong. Her answer: "Says Who?" If we take god out of his teachings, then whatever we consider right or wrong is open to individual interpretation and debate. We can't take the teachings of the bible and treat them as just "good ideas". We need to remember that it is God who declares these things, and that He never changes. God is our authority behind these things, not us.

There are some more movies I plan to watch yet this week, as follows: Gospel of John, Passion of the Christ, and Left Behind.

I will write more later on how Lent is going, and my thoughts on the other movies.

Lent – Day 11

Our church has been having a marriage counseling retreat the last couple of days. I wanted to share a little on what was taught last night.

There is a hierarchy of priorities that we must always remember:

1. God – We are to keep God first and foremost.
   
2. Family – Family is second. Before the church was ever started, God created the family. A Father cannot expect his family to be right with God if he is not being the spiritual head of the household, being an example to his family.
   
3. Church – We are to be in a bible teaching/believing church, learning the word and supporting our church (tithes, offerings, helping where needed)
   
4. Others – This is a broad area, but it includes work (being a good workman, living a godly live as an example to others, helping and witnessing, etc.)
   
5. Self – We should be servants. We should be last on the list, but When we have the above four things in order, we will be right with God and we will be taken care of.
   

That's just a brief sampling, but one I wanted to post, not only to share with others, but to be a reminder to myself.

As to Lent, For the most part, things continue well. I have been fighting some weakness in the flesh by wanting to eat more, but have mostly fought that off. Not perfect, but when I make a mistake, I must remember to confess, seek God, and get back on the band wagon.

Lent – Day 9

Just a few thoughts from the fast so far:

In regards to building my relationship with the Lord, on the plus side, I have been doing the bible studies as originally planned at http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/. This study I have been taking is an in-depth look at the Cross, and examples from the old testament that point to the meaning of the sacrifice made at the Calvary. While some has been review, there has also been a lot of good stuff presented. When I finish this study, I will write about some of the things that stood out to me. At the same time, my time in prayer has not improved. I know the reason for this… I have a high degree of pride. Not such that I am boastful around people, but in that I have been raised that you only ask for help when it is something beyond your ability to fix. God wants me to come to him in all things, yet I want to try and take care of these things, even the minor ones, on my own. I need to swallow my pride and truly turn to the Lord in all things.

In regards to the fast, I have had a couple of minor slips (I had a coke slushy at the movie the other day without really thinking about it before hand), but for the most part I have been doing well. On Sunday (when I could eat), after not eating for 4 days, food had a incredibly good taste. And so far I have lost 9.9 pounds.

Lent – Day 1

Well, with yesterday being Fat Tuesday, I tried to make it a point to enjoy those things that I was going to be giving up during this time. I really enjoy both Coke and Mt. Dew, so I made it a point to have a couple of these. I also ate some of my favorite foods. I had hoped to have a steak dinner last night, but my son was sick, so I had to settle for a BBQ Chicken pizza from Papa Johns.
I have thought more about what I plan to do during this period of Lent, and will list these now:

1. Soda – No Soda (none, zero, zip until Easter. My son has been telling me how bad soda is, so hopefully I will lose my desire for soda by Easter, and not return to is (or at least drastically cut back on my intake).
2. Drinks allowed Monday – Saturday: Fruit juices, some milk, occasional Hot Chocolate, water, tea.
3. Foods allowed Monday – Saturday: Almost none, but I will allow limited fruits (banana's, apples, grapes, etc), vegetables (I hate most vegetables, so I will have to be very hungry to partake of these). I will also allow soups (plain soups such as tomato, no soups with meats or noodles, etc).
4. Sundays: Will allow for intake of any food and drink (no soda). I must remember to east responsibly (no pigging out, but enjoy the food I do eat, and no snacks or junk food).
5. Bible Study – I will at a minimum do a daily bible study (The Cross at http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/) . I have taken courses at this site before. The average time to complete one study will range between 35-45 minutes. I also have a Reese Chronological Bible. I plan to start reading the New Testament in this bible (this bible put the events of the bible in chronological order).
6. Prayer – Make a point of spending more time in prayer.
7. Internet access – As a computer tech, I essential need to access the internet for work. Outside of work, the only time I will access the internet is to complete my studies at http://www.settingsaptivesfree.com/, Update the church website (I run the website for the church I attend) and for occasional needs such as looking up movie times (for family events and so forth). There is to be no internet access for simple "browsing" or wasting time.
8. 
   
   Television – I will continue to allow myself television in the morning (I check the weather and local events to make sure there are no road closings or school cancellations). In the evening, I will only allow myself to watch television when:
   1. My Bible studies are complete
   2. Someone is watching with me (thus as a family event)
   3. No one is home (thus Television is not taking me away from my family)
9. Listen to the Holy Spirit – As this time progresses, I need to make sure that I am listening to the Holy Spirit, and adjusting my life as directed by the Holy Spirit during this time (and work to make sure that I continue to listen to the Holy Spirit in the future).

I will share that I have taken part in Fasts before. I have done water only fasts (up to three days) and I did 18 days once with Juices only. I plan to approach the Lent days (Monday – Saturday) with the same mindset as when I did the juice fasts in the past. I hope that I am able to avoid all solid food during these days.
I must remember that the whole purpose in the is to place Christ front and center in my life. I have for too long done things my way. And my way doesn't work. The following are the goals I hope to achieve during this time:

1. 
   
   Greater relationship with Christ: My son and I often have disagreements. Many times I have told him that if he was living his life the way scripture told him to live, then he would not have any problems with his family. I need to follow that same advice. I hope to get my relationship with Christ in order, so that I am living as He wants me to live. If I do so, then I believe that the following will take place:
   1. Peace of mind knowing that I am truly living as Christ would want me to live.
   2. By living as Christ would want me to live, I can be a better example to my family
   3. Growth in relationship with my family.
2. 
   
   Control of eating/weight loss: My weight issues cause the following:
   1. Lack of self control (gluttony) hinders my witnessing, by being a bad example to others, and affecting my self confidence to witness.
   2. Lack of energy prevents me from being all I can be for my family.
3. Gaining time: By getting away from my television and internet "addictions", I will gain time, Time for the family, time to do other things I know need to be done, and more time for prayer and study.
4. 
   
   Restoration:
   1. Restoring my relationship with God
   2. Restoring my relationship with my family

Anyone who reads this, please keep my in prayer during this time.

Lent

What is Lent? Well, according to Websters 1828 Dictionary, lent is:

The quadragesimal fast, or fast of forty days observed by the christian church before Easter, the festival of our Savior's resurrection. It begins at Ash Wednesday, and continues till Easter.

Okay, I guess that's right, but while normally Websters can make things clear to me, I am still in the dark. I am not Catholic, but I married into a Catholic family. Of course I am not aware of any of them actually doing anything for Lent, so I I'm not sure I can get a good answer from them either. Thus I did as I so often do, and turned to the internet. After doing a few Google searches, I came across a website (http://www.wilstar.com/holidays/lent.htm) that gave me some good, quick and clear answers. I will give a brief summery from what I have gathered:

The highlight of the year for Christians is Easter, the day when our Lord rose from the dead. Lent is a forty-day season of preparation for Easter. Lent always begins on a Wednesday, called Ash Wednesday.

Why 40 days? Because, Jesus fasted and was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days. Lent, then, is our time of fasting, prayer, temptation and repentance. Lent is not required anywhere in scriptures, but it has been a custom, which Christians have practiced for most of the last two thousand years.

In many languages, the word "Lent" actually means "fast." This is where the custom of giving up something for Lent originated.

However, just to confuse things, Lent is actually 46 days rather than 40 days. Why? Because the 40 days of Lent are supposed to be days of fasting, which means days of discipline and self-restraint. But Sunday, the Lord's Day, should never be a day of fasting, but a day of celebration! So each Sunday we suspend our Lenten disciplines and celebrate. Lent is 40 "fasting" days spread out over a total of 46 days beginning on Ash Wednesday.

The focus of Lent was always threefold:

1. It was a time to prepare new converts for baptism through intensive classes and instruction.
   
2. It was a time for long-standing Christians to review their lives and renew their commitment to Jesus Christ.
   
3. It was a time for backsliders to be restored to the faith.
   

In every case, it is a time for serious, disciplined self-examination, a time spent in intensive prayer and repentance before the cross of Calvary.

To represent the dark and serious business of Lent, one custom has been to strip the sanctuary of all flowers, candles, and colors during Lent. This custom helps us to turn inward and examine ourselves, even as it reminds us of the dark and colorless Sabbath day when Jesus lay dead in the tomb.

Put simply, Lent is a time to examine ourselves carefully. Here are some questions upon which you might pray and meditate during Lent:

• Am I sharing gladly what I have with others, especially the stranger and the poor?
  
• Do I have a gracious and patient attitude with others, especially those who irritate me?
  
• Do I feel the power of connection to God and the church in corporate worship?
  
• How is my devotional and prayer life progressing? Am I listening to God more and complaining less? Is it time for a change or a growth in my Bible study and prayer life?
  
• What are the lurking sin problems, which still plague me?
  
• Am I as thoughtful and forgiving of family as others, or do I take my frustrations out on them?
  
• Do I speak up for the maligned and oppressed, or do I remain silent in order to remain popular?
  

So what does all this mean to me? Well, it gives me a guideline, a starting point for something that I have needed to do for a long time now. You see, I hold to the view of "Once saved, Always saved", so I don't question my salvation, but I do question how healthy my relationship with the Lord is. There was a time when I wanted to go into the ministry, but the Lord has shown me that I am not ready for this. Paul writes to Timothy regarding the Qualifications of being a minister. One of these is that a minister must have his household in order, as how can a minister expect to lead a congregation when he can't lead his own home. There are many problems taking place at home. No, there are no plans of divorce or anything like that, but there are nonetheless many issues that show me I am not yet ready for ministry (on a side note though, this last Sunday, due to bad weather, I was given the chance to fill in and teach Sunday school class at church, which tells me that the Lord does still have plans for me). As such, I plan to take the spirit of Lent as described above and apply it to my life, starting on Wednesday (02/17/10) thru Easter (4/04/10).

What do I hope to gain from this? I have quite a list, which I will share with anyone reading this.

• Rebuild my relationship with God.
  
• Get back into a routine of Bible study. One way that I am going to do this is by going to Setting Captives Free (http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/) and doing their online study titled "the Cross". This is a Bible study course designed to help you get focused on Christ. This is a 60 day course, so it will be going on after Lent actually ends, but hopefully by the end to Lent, I will be in the habit of setting aside time to have personal bible study.
  
• Overcome personal sins. There are those "besetting sins" that I constantly battle with. One example is weight. There have been many times when my weight has prevented me from doing all I could, either for God (as when I have been on missions trips). There are also times when my weight has kept me from being my best with my family (either I'm too tired or in a bad mood because of my weight). These "besetting sins" need to be put under control so they no longer come between me and my relationship with God or my family. As such, I plan to follow my understanding of fasting during Lent. I will primarily consume juices and soups, but will also allow myself some fruits and vegetables Monday – Saturday. Sundays I will eat normal meals (but eat "wisely, not as a glutton).
  
• Other areas I need to restrict is cutting back on television viewing and internet browsing. Way too much time is wasted in these activities (and all too often one can get drawn into areas they should avoid anyway), focusing this time gained into doing things with my family or in prayer and meditation with God.
  
• Read my Bible more!!!
  

During this time of Lent, I will be using this blog as a journal of my experiences and thoughts during Lent. I pray that this will lead me to where I need to be, and will be a help to others.

Turning to God from idols

For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; (1 Thessalonians 1:9 KJV)

In various other books written by the Apostle Paul, Paul writes in order to correct actions or to answer questions those churches had. In 1^st Thessalonians Chapter 1, Paul writes to praise theThessalonian people. They are overcoming. They are growing in their walk with the Lord, and in verse 9 he shows us how this is being done: the people have turned to God from their idols. Notice it is not the other way around: The people did not turn from their idols, but rather they turned to God.

Idolatry is a sin, and it is easy to turn from sin. WHAT? Did I really say that? Yes. The problem is that we often turn from one sin to another sin. How often do we hear about one who has stopped drinking, but takes up smoking? Or stops smoking but gains weight because they are now over eating? All too often, when we turn from one sin, we sink into another darker sin. For instance, if you read about King David in 2nd Samuel Chapter 11, we find that David should have been off to war. Instead, David sends Joab and the troops, while David himself "tarries" in Jerusalem. I'm sure that David thought he had valid reason to lag behind. He was the king. He could have thought that he deserved some time off from battle. Perhaps, by resting, he felt he would be refreshed, being a better leader in the times to come. But scripture doesn't tell us how David felt. Scripture cuts to the chase – David tarried. Tarried means that David chose to delay, to wait behind, to procrastinate. How many of us have not done this before. And while we may not want to call that a sin, we often don't see things the way God sees things.

David procrastinates. By doing so David sees Bathsheba, This leads to David falling prey to lust in his mind for Bathsheba. That lust turns into adultery, which next leads to the planning and finally murder of Bathsheba's husband Uriah. At any point had David turned to God, this downward spiral would have been broken. Instead, David turns from one sin to another, sinking deeper and deeper.

The Thessalonians were turning to God. Turning to God first will automatically keep you from other sins.

In a previous post (The Vomit of your sins…), I address this topic, and at that time I mentioned that we often fall back into our sins (Psalms 26:11). The only way we can stop the cycle, to stop either turning form one sin to a deeper, darker sin, or returning to the same "pet" sins that we favor, is to turn to God.

Normally Christmas time is one of my favorite times of the year, but this year was not, at least not in regards to how I felt things should have been at home. But that is when I remembered IT. IT happened again. It took problems with my family to remind me that it was not about what I wanted Christmas to be like (a quiet day at home with the family, opening gifts, watching videos and such), but that I needed to be keeping HIM first in my sights.

I need to remember that I need to keep Jesus first. Jesus can fix all my problems, but Jesus is not some little genie that I can pull out and command to fix my problems. Only when I am walking with Him will things be right. Jesus is going to make things right for me, but this takes place only when I am in perfect fellowship with Him, doing as He commands, following His directions, being in God's will. When I am in harmony with his plans for me, in the proper fellowship with Him, all other troubles with either work out, not seem so large, or I will have the understanding to know that what I believe is a problem is not truly an issue.

I need to turn to God. I need to do this first for my family, but also for my health and testimony. Whenever I get depressed, instead of turning to God, I often turn to food. I had originally hoped to maintain my weight over the holidays, and then start a diet. Instead, when problems arose, I turned to food, and as of this morning I weight 270. No more. I must put God first. I must turn to him rather than to food for comfort from my other cares and concerns.

Rumors, Gossip and your Testamony

It's that time of year again, when people start forwarding all sorts of emails with cute Christmas stories. Add these to the collection of emails I get from people telling me how this senator is corrupt, a representative is doing something underhanded, or that evils of some of the actions our current president is involved in, I find that I spend a lot of time reading emails, most of which are junk. Below part of a message I put together some time ago addressing this topic, and how forwarding unverified email just ruins your credibility. I thought I would share this today…

---

Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
    -Exodus 23:1 (KJV)

When I first became a Christian, many of my friends started forwarding me things they thought were "cute" or "interesting" little Christian stories. As time went on, I started discovering that many of the stories being sent to me were fake. One example went like this:

I am sure that all of you heard about the sandstorm in Iraq Tuesday and Wednesday (the worst in 100 years some say) and the drenching rain that followed the next day. Our troops were bogged down and couldn't move effectively.

The media was already wondering if the troops were in a "quagmire" and dire predictions of gloom and doom came from the left wing media. What they didn't report was that yesterday, after the weather had cleared, the Marine group that was mired the worst looked out at the plain they were just about to cross. What did they see? Hundreds if not thousands of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines had been uncovered by the wind and then washed off by the rain. If they had proceeded as planned, many lives would have undoubtedly been lost.

As it was, they simply drove around them and let the demolition teams destroy them.

Praises be to His mighty name! Thank you God, for protecting our young men and women!

Cute story, except that it is a total lie, and only 15 minutes of searching uncovered this hoax (Urban Legends Reference Pages: Glurge Gallery (Sandstorm)).

Another email still roaming around warns people that they should check their computer for the file JDBGMGR.EXE. If this file is on their computer, it should be delete immediately as it is a virus. Unfortunately, this is not a virus. If you were a programmer who deleted this file, you could no longer debug javascripts. How open is the friend that deleted this program (based on your advice) going to be to the gospel after you have wrecked their computer? Why should they believe you?

Do we bring honor to our Lord when we circulate these little lies? Is this how to reach a spiritually lost and dying world? Spreading these lies ruins our testimony. Why should someone believe us about our walk with God when we are also willing to send them bogus stories of how someone drilled into hell? They question if we really know what we are talking about. God doesn't need us to fabricate something in order to make Him look good. When we pass these "lies" around, (and in the past I have been guilty of this also), do we not become guilty of telling lies, spreading false teachings, and even helping to create a false "god" of our own?

Before you forward that next message about how a little girl needs prayers for her brother, or that some organization will give you money if you forward this email", Or some cute (but totally untrue) story of how God did some action, take 15 minutes to see if what you are about to send is right. The testimony you save might just be your own.

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
    -John 8:32 (KJV)

The Beam in my eye…

I find this message a little hard to write. First, I can't find my glasses, which results in all this being a bit blurry. Thankfully I can adjust the font size on my laptop so I can see well enough to write this.

Second, this is the first time I've attempted to post to this blog using the publishing option in Microsoft Office. It looks simple enough. Yes, I'm a computer technician, but I deal primarily with hardware, not software, so I have no clue how this will display when I click on "Publish".

Third, this is a hard blog for me to write personally. Throughout the past posts, I've focused on the idea that we should know what we believe, why we believe it, and then see if we actually act upon those beliefs. Granted that on the grand scale I focus on a combination of politics and religion, but these same methods should apply to how we handle our daily living. Let me share the following story:

A missionary I know has an outreach to teens. He has an incredible life story, and praises how the Lord has worked in his life. He goes into both schools and churches sharing his experiences with alcohol, drugs and the down side of music. It is a successful ministry, and the Lord is working greatly thru this man. I have heard his messages and they are both sound scripturally, and moving. But I have one problem: his size. I would bet that this guy weighs between 350 and 400 pounds. When he preaches, he is very vocal and paces about the podium… and he ends up dripping in sweat. While he is a wonderful minister, but I have found myself wondering how many people judge him by his size? In my case, I agree with his message, but how many kids look at him, don't like what he is saying, and dismiss him as some fat guy screaming at them? And I know kids… they may not like the bible, or know very little about it, but many of them will ask: "Isn't gluttony a sin?" How many more might he reach if he showed restraint in his diet?

I hate hypocrites.

That is why this is hard for me to write. Let me share the following scriptures, and then tie them together:

Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things
     - Philippians 3:19 (KJV)

For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
     - Proverbs 23:21 (KJV)

Scripture definitely tells me gluttony is a sin. There are many passages regarding not just overeating, but all gluttony in regards to overindulgence.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
     - Matthew 7:3 (KJV)

Did I not just ask how many kids dismiss him because of his weight? Isn't that what I've just done? Yes, the missionary is overweight. And it might help his ministry if he lost weight. But who am I to say this? I am overweight. As of this morning I weight 261. I should be somewhere between 170 and 190. Yes, I believe that being overweight affects how one ministers. And that is one thing that does hinder my ministry (or perhaps I use that as an excuse..?) But you know what? This missionary is doing a LOT more than I am in regards to reaching out to the lost. I have no right to judge him. Before I should ever bring the issue of weight into it, I should be taking care of my weight issues first, and working to improve my outreach to the lost before this should ever be an issue.

Yes, he is overweight. It is easy for me to say he is overweight simply because I am not as overweight as he is. It makes me feel like I am somehow "better" than he is, but if I step back, I can see the truth – we are both overweight, and HE is doing much more to serve the Lord. I need to follow the instruction of the Lord, and take care of the beam that is in my own eye rather than pointing out the mote (splinter) in his. Only once I have my weight under control could I ever approach him about this, and then it must be done in love and kindness, not with an attitude of superiority. So what do I do?

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
     - 1^st Corinthians 10:31 (KJV)

I must acknowledge that I need to make changes in my eating habits. I need to rein in my eating so that it brings glory to God (along with everything else I do).

I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
     - Job 31:1

Covenant -

A writing containing the terms of agreement or contract between parties; or the clause of agreement in a deed containing the covenant.
     - Websters 1828 Dictionary

To do this, I need to make a covenant. Job did this: he made a covenant, a contract that he would not allow himself to look upon other women. He knew how lust displeased the Lord, so he made a contract that he would not do this. Now I do not believe that it was a written contract, but God remembers when you make a contract with him (and how many such contracts have I broken myself?).

Today I am making a covenant: With Thanksgiving upon us, I will take care to no over-indulge during these next few days, and after Thanksgiving, to have a period of hard hitting dieting. By this time next year I want to be at 190 or lower (that 71+ pounds I plan to lose). And while this is first and foremost between me and the Lord, I will post current weight and amount lost at the end of all future blog entries. Should anyone read this, I covet your support.

Current and Starting weight: 261