God doesn't need us. God wants us.-I've thought about that a lot lately and so this post will pretty much be all of my random thoughts written down (or typed out :)).
God is all-knowing, almighty, all-powerful and all loving, compared to those qualities, we are lame and ignorant. So I started wondering what if God did need something from someone, even if it was just one time, what would happen...would God still be all of the other 3 qualities? Would God still be considered almighty? Would God still be God?
If God were to ever need us for anything then he wouldn't be any of the things that the bible says he is and this is why...First, if God needed me then he obviously wouldn't be almighty or all-powerful because he wouldn't be able to handle every situation on his own. Second, for God to need me would mean that he wasn't all-knowing because whenever people need help it's because they can't control the situation or handle the situation on their own which, most of the time, means that they don't fully understand the situation or were not aware of how the situation would play out. Third, if God needed me then the concept of real love would be lost. Most of the time we need someone before we like or want to be around them. For example: We need other people, we were created for community so we instinctively make friends. If you think about your friends, you probably like them now and want to be around them (if you don't you might need to look up the definition of friendship) but your need for friendship was felt way before you wanted the specific friends that you now have. Another example would be food. We need food to survive but there are certain foods that we really like and really want but even if we eat foods that we don't want we can still survive but if we don't eat at all there is a 100% chance that we will die (proven statistic). So for God to need me would mean that he didn't love me first and it wouldn't take long for me, or other people for that matter, to start thinking things like "God just uses people, he doesn't really love them."
The last thing that I thought shocked me at first but if God were to need us in any way, even if he was still really powerful and really smart, he would be on the same level as Satan. That would mean that this life is the best we have because everything written in the Bible would be false and Christianity would be false. We would be hopeless, miserable people.
Praise God that he never and will never need me or anyone else. I need him and because I need him, I love him (1 John 4:19). My need for him comes from him so that I am able to love him. To know that you are wanted means so much more than to be needed! I have to stop getting it twisted, it's not the supremacy of man, it's the supremacy of God because God is the only one worthy of it!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
"The last breath I took, I borrowed from God."-V.B.
Lord, forgive me for thinking that I can do anything apart from you. I pray that I never forget your mercy and I that you, and you alone, are the only reason that my heart is still beating. Father, I ask for the grace to understand that truth more and more.
Lord, forgive me for thinking that I can do anything apart from you. I pray that I never forget your mercy and I that you, and you alone, are the only reason that my heart is still beating. Father, I ask for the grace to understand that truth more and more.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
John 3:30
Recently, the pride that other people thrive off of has really upset me. Because I've been around my parents a lot lately I've been irritated by their pride, they are Christians but have different ideas about the world and most of the conversations we have about these different views end up in a heated discussion. Last night my mom came to talk to me, even though I've barely given her the time of day when it comes to any spiritual conversation. I expected this one to end up just like the others-with someone getting frustrated and us still having different opinions. After we talked she left to go to bed and a couple thoughts filled my mind. One of the things she talked about was being so afraid that she would mess someone up by speaking her words and not God's words. She said she has to pray. She has to pray because she wants to do God's will and she trusts that if she asks him to help, he will. She said she was okay with not understanding everything because what she understands is enough. She wan't a jerk about it at all, she was real and honest.
How arrogant of me to call someone who pleads for Christ prideful! She knows the Lord in such a deeper way than I do but because I know more about the Lord I assumed that I was better, I assumed that I was right and everything she said that conflicted with me was wrong. The things that made me so mad about other people were the same things they were showing me grace for. I don't know when I became a Pharisee...
"Lord, I'm in no way, shape or form a humble person, nothing in my life reflects humility. I want to live life using the abilities and gifts that you've given me without giving you glory. I'm so sorry. I should know that trying to live life on my own has never led to good but I'm so ignorant and so small minded that I forget that I can't even walk without you holding my hand. God, help me understand more of who you are so I can see what I'm not. I need you to teach me what it means to be humble!"
How arrogant of me to call someone who pleads for Christ prideful! She knows the Lord in such a deeper way than I do but because I know more about the Lord I assumed that I was better, I assumed that I was right and everything she said that conflicted with me was wrong. The things that made me so mad about other people were the same things they were showing me grace for. I don't know when I became a Pharisee...
"Lord, I'm in no way, shape or form a humble person, nothing in my life reflects humility. I want to live life using the abilities and gifts that you've given me without giving you glory. I'm so sorry. I should know that trying to live life on my own has never led to good but I'm so ignorant and so small minded that I forget that I can't even walk without you holding my hand. God, help me understand more of who you are so I can see what I'm not. I need you to teach me what it means to be humble!"
Saturday, September 11, 2010
This made me laugh a lot!
I saw this video posted on a friends facebook wall and it made me laugh a lot!!! You should watch it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBXQlGNAx_Q&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBXQlGNAx_Q&feature=related
Friday, September 10, 2010
Wanna know what it's like to be famous?!?
Since Danny is probably going to be famous soon I figured I'd let everyone read his blog and see what it's like to be fighting fans and paparazzi... haha
He's way more poetic then I am so his blogs are pretty interesting!
Blog: http://danieljross.tumblr.com/
This is a little picture tribute to Danny...haha
He's way more poetic then I am so his blogs are pretty interesting!
Blog: http://danieljross.tumblr.com/
This is a little picture tribute to Danny...haha
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The Breakers Commission
This is a song called The Breakers Commission, it's by a band called For Today. They are normally a screamo band but this song is more chilled out...the end gets a tad cray cray but the words are amazing!!! This song makes me want to jump around my room praising God!!! I couldn't find the words online so I had to listen to the song and write down the words as I heard them. I'm pretty sure these are right, if they arnt, they are really close.
"Life, love, forgiveness, acceptance,
Stripping demons right off my back trying to leach life off of me,
Get off of me, you feel my father’s fury oppressor.
One day you’ll feel the full blast of his vengeance.
Bells above but for now ill love cause I got strength.
He blew courage in my backbone now ill stand straight and militant
Lining up in Jehovah battalion
Knowing you can’t challenge him so we march forward,
Swift as eagle, set like talons
Ready to grip souls from your grasp,
Slick snake in the grass my Lord sees you and vengeance is HIS.
But for now ill retaliate, propelled by a Holy mandate
To heal cause I know how bad it hurts.
Full of madness at first,
But now gladness bursts out of the seems of our beings
Because we overflow with the oil of joy.
The ointment of the anointed,
Mending any torn soul,
Healing any broken bone,
HE IS HERE.
HE WAS THERE.
HE IS PEACE.
HE IS FAITHFUL."
"Life, love, forgiveness, acceptance,
Stripping demons right off my back trying to leach life off of me,
Get off of me, you feel my father’s fury oppressor.
One day you’ll feel the full blast of his vengeance.
Bells above but for now ill love cause I got strength.
He blew courage in my backbone now ill stand straight and militant
Lining up in Jehovah battalion
Knowing you can’t challenge him so we march forward,
Swift as eagle, set like talons
Ready to grip souls from your grasp,
Slick snake in the grass my Lord sees you and vengeance is HIS.
But for now ill retaliate, propelled by a Holy mandate
To heal cause I know how bad it hurts.
Full of madness at first,
But now gladness bursts out of the seems of our beings
Because we overflow with the oil of joy.
The ointment of the anointed,
Mending any torn soul,
Healing any broken bone,
HE IS HERE.
HE WAS THERE.
HE IS PEACE.
HE IS FAITHFUL."
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
This is AMAZING!!!
So I learn best through illustrations or watching things get lived out...this is a story that I read today, it's from a book called The Common Made Holy-It's great!!!
"Slavery in the United States was abolished by the Thirteenth Amendment on December 18, 1865. How many slaves were there on December 19? In reality, none, but many still lived like slaves. They did because they never learned the truth. Others knew and even believed that they were free, but chose to continue living as they had always been taught.
Many plantation owners were devastated by this proclamation of emancipation. "We're ruined! Slavery has been abolished. We've lost the battle to keep our slaves." But their chief spokesman slyly responded, "Not necessarily. As long as these people think they're still slaves, the proclamation of emancipation will have no practical effect. You don't have a legal right over them anymore, but many of them don't know it. Keep your slaves from learning the truth, and your control over them will not even be challenged."
"But what if the news spreads?"
"Don't panic. We have another barrel on our gun. We may not be able to keep them from hearing the news, but we can still keep them from understanding it. They don't call me the father of lies for nothing. We still have the potential to deceive the whole world. Just tell them that they misunderstood the Thirteenth Amendment. Tell them that they are going to be free, not that they are free already. The truth they heard is just positional truth, not actual truth. Someday they may receive the benefits, but not now."
"But, they'll expect me to say that. They won't believe me."
"Then pick out a few persuasive ones who are convinced that they're still slaves and let them do the talking for you. Remember, most of these newly freed people were born as slaves and have lived like slaves all their lives. All we have to do is to deceive them so that they still think like slaves. As long as they continue to do what slaves do, it will not be hard to convince them that they must still be slaves. They will maintain their slave identity because of the things they do. The moment they try to profess that they are no longer slaves, just whisper in their ear, `How can you even think you are no longer a slave when you are still doing things that slaves do?' After all, we have the capacity to accuse the brethren day and night."
Years later, many slaves have still not heard the wonderful news that they have been freed, so naturally they continue to live the way they have always lived. Some slaves have heard the good news, but they evaluate it by what they are presently doing and feeling. They reason, "I'm still living in bondage, doing the same things I have always done. My experience tells me that I must not be free. I'm feeling the same way I was before the proclamation, so it must not be true. After all, your feelings always tell the truth." So they continue to live according to how they feel, not wanting to be hypocrites!
One former slave, however, hears the good news, and receives it with great joy. He checks out the validity of the proclamation, and finds out that the highest of all authorities originated the decree. Not only that, but it personally cost that authority a tremendous price, which he willingly paid so that the slave could be free. As a result, the slave's life is transformed. He correctly reasons that it would be hypocritical to believe his feelings and not the truth. Determined to live by what he knows to be true, his experiences began to change rather dramatically. He realizes that his old master has no authority over him and does not need to be obeyed. He gladly serves the one who set him free.
--PTL FOR REAL!!!---
"Slavery in the United States was abolished by the Thirteenth Amendment on December 18, 1865. How many slaves were there on December 19? In reality, none, but many still lived like slaves. They did because they never learned the truth. Others knew and even believed that they were free, but chose to continue living as they had always been taught.
Many plantation owners were devastated by this proclamation of emancipation. "We're ruined! Slavery has been abolished. We've lost the battle to keep our slaves." But their chief spokesman slyly responded, "Not necessarily. As long as these people think they're still slaves, the proclamation of emancipation will have no practical effect. You don't have a legal right over them anymore, but many of them don't know it. Keep your slaves from learning the truth, and your control over them will not even be challenged."
"But what if the news spreads?"
"Don't panic. We have another barrel on our gun. We may not be able to keep them from hearing the news, but we can still keep them from understanding it. They don't call me the father of lies for nothing. We still have the potential to deceive the whole world. Just tell them that they misunderstood the Thirteenth Amendment. Tell them that they are going to be free, not that they are free already. The truth they heard is just positional truth, not actual truth. Someday they may receive the benefits, but not now."
"But, they'll expect me to say that. They won't believe me."
"Then pick out a few persuasive ones who are convinced that they're still slaves and let them do the talking for you. Remember, most of these newly freed people were born as slaves and have lived like slaves all their lives. All we have to do is to deceive them so that they still think like slaves. As long as they continue to do what slaves do, it will not be hard to convince them that they must still be slaves. They will maintain their slave identity because of the things they do. The moment they try to profess that they are no longer slaves, just whisper in their ear, `How can you even think you are no longer a slave when you are still doing things that slaves do?' After all, we have the capacity to accuse the brethren day and night."
Years later, many slaves have still not heard the wonderful news that they have been freed, so naturally they continue to live the way they have always lived. Some slaves have heard the good news, but they evaluate it by what they are presently doing and feeling. They reason, "I'm still living in bondage, doing the same things I have always done. My experience tells me that I must not be free. I'm feeling the same way I was before the proclamation, so it must not be true. After all, your feelings always tell the truth." So they continue to live according to how they feel, not wanting to be hypocrites!
One former slave, however, hears the good news, and receives it with great joy. He checks out the validity of the proclamation, and finds out that the highest of all authorities originated the decree. Not only that, but it personally cost that authority a tremendous price, which he willingly paid so that the slave could be free. As a result, the slave's life is transformed. He correctly reasons that it would be hypocritical to believe his feelings and not the truth. Determined to live by what he knows to be true, his experiences began to change rather dramatically. He realizes that his old master has no authority over him and does not need to be obeyed. He gladly serves the one who set him free.
--PTL FOR REAL!!!---
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