Sweet Submission

Sweet Submssion

 Ephesians 5: ²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

 ²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

 ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing^[b] her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless

Why the picture of the bloodied up ufc fighter winning by submission?

I thought it was an awesome illustration.

Just like we should submit to the bloodied up savior. 

So today I'm blogging about submission.

This is one of my favorite portions of scripture.

I mean as I always say, guys, remember this for when you meet a sweet young lady of God;

my saying goes: If she ain't down with Ephesians 5:22, don't make her your boo... :D

Anyway, all joking aside, and yes I'm just ribbing and poking fun.

That's why I made sure I put the rest of the scripture down there.

Paul commands husbands to love their wife as He loved the church.

If a man loves Jesus, he should have no problem loving His wife.

If a woman loves the Lord, she should have no problem submitting to her husband.

The church is the bride of Christ.

God intended for brides to be women. (take that, neil patrick harris)

Now the church's husband Jesus Christ, had no problem loving us.

He loved us before we even knew him.

He suffered an agonizing execution to take away our sins.

Yet when God the husband of the church, wants the church to follow His lead, we get an attitude with Him. 

We make excuses.

We just plain out rebel.

Now Paul mentioned husbands loving wives, because if a man loves His wife the way he should; she should gladly submit to him and follow His lead, do what He says, listen to His voice, let Him handle it.

She trusts Him, she knows He will never lead her astray.

He loves her too much.

Submission or lack thereof to God isn't just a flesh problem, it's a heart issue.

If we REALLY BELIEVED He loved us,

If we really believed He cared, if we really trusted Him, if we want to be the spotless blameless bride, we would submit.

If He wants you to serve Him, if He wants you to speak to that person in the grocery store, if He wants you to preach, if He doesn't want you to preach, if He wants you to follow His word, listen to your authorities, follow His rules, do what He says, you should just do it.

Because just like the wife knows the Husband loves her and would never lead her astray, the church should know that Christ wouldn't.

Submission to God is an act of faith.

The picture up there portrays a scene, where the weaker fighter can't take the pressure anymore.

Where the one who is all bloodied up, is gonna let the weaker fighter go through that pain, until he taps out, until he learns submission. 

Maybe your emotional pain is God having your heart in an arm bar. 

Just tap out to Jesus.

Say yes to His will and His way. 

Feel the release, the freedom of sweet submission.

Eden Experience... today's world

Eden Experience... today's world

Genesis 2:⁵ Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth^[a] and no plant had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground,⁶ but streams^[b] came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. ⁷Then the LORD God formed a man^[c] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. chapter 3:⁸ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”

So even heathens know this story. God creates man, Adam and Eve, (not Adam and Steve); mankind disobeys God; our sin separates us from Him.
Here's what most of us probably don't know.

We can go back to Eden.

Because you see, what made Eden wonderful,

wasn't the fruit there. 

It wasn't the rivers, or the animals or the scenery.

It was the fact that it was the place where God and man would have fellowship.

They would walk together in the cool of the day.

God is our father.

He created us for no other purpose, than He had fatherly love to give.

We were created so we could cry out, abba, father.

We messed it up.

We ran away from home.

We got ourselves kicked out of eden.

 Isiah tells us sin separates us from God.

But God came down to earth to become sin, and make sin die on a cross. 

To restore our relationship with Him.

To redeem us.

Mission; accomplished.

Praise break!

So how do we get back there?

Simple, get filled with the Holy Ghost.

You see we live in a world, where the Spirit of God is no longer restricted to a veil in the temple.

We can have church anywhere, because the blood of Jesus tore the veil.

Then the Holy Ghost fell.

We just have to learn, especially in our culture, to entertain His presence.

My friend Geral blogged recently about what is man that thou art mindful of Him. (read it here http://beyondbelief-inmyhead.blogspot.com/2011/01/in-air-but-under-my-feet.html ).

How wonderful is it that the president's won't ever know our name, but God of all the universe can visit our house!

Try to get some Eden time in. It will change your life.

Shut off the tv. Turn off the computer! Put the cell phone down! Jesus died, just to bring us Back 2 Eden!!! 

What God really wants

Psalms fifty one - seventeen The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

This blog is different, but keeping it simple.

I often struggle with the will of God in my life.

I often struggle with knowing if Im obeying Him or not, because people complicate what God wants.

People make excuses not to give Him what He wants.

People love their possessions more than God.

People just don't seem to get the will of God right.

But it's because you can't! 

Your will and His do not mix.

It is like oil and water.

So let me start you out on what God wants.

First of all, follow your Godly authority, not what every person tells you is God's will for you.

Your pastor is your Shepard; if He tells you to do something do it.

If you need a man to be used by God to speak to you, it's gonna be your spiritual authorities.

Some people will prophesy over you, but test the spirits.

Other than that, He'll speak to you in a small still voice.

That being said I get to the meat of this.

God is a jealous God, he wants to be Lord of your life.

How do you do this? How do you make Him Lord of your life.

By coming to Him with a repentant heart. A heart that is easily cut by any Word He speaks to you.

A heart that says Yes, Lord, and NO WAY WORLD!

If you are living in a state of love for Him.

If you are entertaining His presence every day.

If you come to Him how you are, sorry for your sins, and above all else thankful and fully believing in his Redeeming power and grace;

than you are in His will.

Fantasy Christianity

 

Fantasy Christianity

I like to play fantasy football. 

I am a huge fantasy football aficionado.  

Come draft time every year, I do the hours of countless research

get the cheat sheets

pick my sleepers

and try my best to dominate in my fantasy league.

That being said, I don't really play football.

Not that I wouldn't love to.

I just never had the true passion to become a real football player.

To dedicate the countless hours in the wait room, practice field, studying tape.

Oh sure, I would fantasize as a little kid about being the next Joe Montana, but I never did it.

It just isn't my calling. 

So I play fantasy football, I act like I coach the team, that these players are mine.

That I am right there on the field, as my fantasy team gives me fake points that don't mean anything.

I'm only a football player, or coach, on Sunday.

Every other day of the week Im an average fun loving, madden-playing cashier at the grocery store.

A far cry from a real, hardcore,quarterback sacking linebacker.

A far cry from a coach who makes crucial decisions.

Far away from that game winning touchdown throwing quarterback.

I just like to pretend I am on Sundays, that I actually have a part in the game of football.

2 Timothy 3:5- Having a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof, from such turn away.

How many times are we fantasy Christian players.

We would like to be the one praying somebody through in the Holy Ghost in the street.

We would like to be that great soul winner.

That awesome prayer warrior. 

That anointed man or woman of God.

But... we just don't have the passion to become one.

We just wanna be one on Sunday, while we watch the real players do their thing.

We become spectators, when God wants us to be participators.

It's not about watching other people do the stuff we wanna do.

You can either be a fantasy Christian, on Sundays, but an average person on monday-saturday,

or a real life, devil- fighting, tongue talking, Bible walking Christian every day.

You don't have to spectate, do the things you'd LIKE to do for Jesus, don't just play church.

Job Chapter 1

Key text:  Job 1:20-22 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21 And said,
Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

This is our study on Chapter 1 of Job. It says that Job was a perfect and upright man, who feared God, and eschewed evil. Now Job sinned. It is very clear, because He gave sacrifices. We read in this chapter about the sacrifices Job gave and even gave extra for his children just in case. He would have no need to give sacrifices if He was sinless, but in God's eyes, Job was still perfect. It was because of Job's love for God. He was righteous. This tells me that it is possible to be sinless, but still righteous. Not our righteousness, but God's righteousness.

I am bout sick and tired of our candy and dandy Christianity, teaching that we are helpless against sin. If we fear God and eschew evil like Job did, than we can probably go a full day without sinning in our hearts. I truly believe if we have His spirit inside of us, it is our choice whether we want to constantly give in to temptation or not, however I digress.
Job we see was blessed by God. There came a day where the Bible says the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. (see 1:6-8). It says that it were the sons of God, implying that for some reason or another the celestial beings created by God were summoned to His throne, and Satan found his way in there as well. I am not sure whether Satan was summoned or not. The word in the Hebrew here for Satan literally means the adversary or the accuser. Satan's name literally means that it is his mission in life to be at enmity with the people of God, and to try to topple their relationship and faith in almighty God, but I've come to tell you Satan could not hide from the presence of almighty God. As soon as the words came out of YAHWEH'S mouth, Satan had to answer. I want you to know that He may be messing with your life now, but there is coming a day, when our mighty savior is going to send the archangel michael to bind up satan and He is going to have to answer for all He's done to you! In the words of Jordan Gerlach- when Satan starts accusing you of your past, remind him of his future!
We find that God asked satan where He had been, and he said roaming the earth to and fro walking up and down it. He was looking for someone to mess with.
God proposed a challenge for the devil. He said have you considered my servant Job. I don't believe God was trying to pick a fight with the devil, or trying to prove a meager point. We must remember, God has to prove nothing to anybody, He is omniscient. All Knowing. The devil is not. So I believe it was already in the enemy's heart to tempt Job. The reason why I believe this is because he must have already tried b/c He encountered a hedge about Job, And remember he is not all knowing. (see 1:9-10).So Satan struck and took his servants, animals, and children, but God was proved right! God was simply telling the devil, go ahead, do everything short of killing him, He still won't curse me!
 Sometimes God has more faith in us than we do in ourselves!!!
We go through trials, and tribulations, and we start thinking, I donno if I'm gonna make it this time. Oh God you really put me through it now. I might not make it, I might die, I might curse God, I might give up on my faith, it's so tempting to give up. He will never put more on you than you are able to bare!! We have an all knowing God, that already has our trials planned, and already has- our deliverance from our trials planned! God drew perfect praise from Job, b/c Job knew God was in control. Job's relationship told him that whether he blesses me or takes my life away, He still is worthy! He still is worthy! He still is my savior! He still is my redeemer! He still is my provider!
Let's get a Job attitude through our trials! Devil you can take what you want from me, God is letting me go through this b/c he has faith that I will not fail or falter or curse God! That I'm still gonna praise Him!! In fact he challenged you he dared you to try!
If our God is letting us go through trials, it is b/c He trusts us! Let's not get all bent outta shape. Let's say all we have is His anyway, Im not gonna get prideful about anything, it's all God's. It's all His. And I will not curse God, or blame Him. God bless you!

Job- overview.

I am ready to start really studying and posting my studies about powerful books in the Bible and men and women of the Bible. I would like to start with job. I will start with an overview. Which I am posting today.

You can't really talk about Job without talking about thodicy (the justice of God in light of human suffering). Job is a book of a Man of God and his fiery trials. If you are reading this and are in the good fight, I am sure you are no stranger to heartache, to pain, to trials, to doubts, to woes. But I would be hard pressed to find someone tested to the level that Job was. Job pretty much went through all he could short of death.

God allowed the devil to tempt Job. It brings up the question as to whether or not God brings trials or simply allows them. God is all good, but uses evil even for God. Yes, God ultimately has a plan for the fallen angel Lucifer. It ultimately ends with him being bound for a thousand years and thrown in the pit. However due to his rebellion to God he gave himself up to evil, and pride, and rebellion. God uses satans utter devotion to such things, as terrible as they are for our good. The Bible states that all things work together for the good of them that love God.

I will get more in detail, but if you are going through a rough time, drink some coffee, and stay up all night reading Job. It will change your perspective. This book shows us that God is author of all things, and ultimately works them out for our good if we choose to trust Him through it all.
One last thing, our character is revealed in our times of pain.
Job's was this "Though He slay me, YET will I trust him" -Job 13:5.
Is your love for Him so that you will let Him give and take away, have his way with you, throw you in trials, and allow you to suffer.
Job's only purpose was not to have a great and easy life, it was to bless the name of the Lord!

It hurts to carry this cross!!!

Matthew 10:³⁸And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
 ³⁹He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
 ⁴⁰He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

Jesus took the cross for us.

He didn't have to, but He was able to endure it because He loved us.

God Himself came down in the flesh and died on the cross for our sins.

Let's reflect upon calvary.

The cross wasn't a place of great victory, as is so falsely preached, it was the resurrection that was the place of victory. (We don't have victory over our sins until we have the Holy Ghost, we're just forgiven and remissed of them before that, but that's for another blog). So it was on the cross, that the greatest suffering ever known to man was dished out. James Macdonald said "Mel Gibson's passion of the Christ, as brutal as it was, is actually a toned-down version of Christ's suffering." The word excruciating actually comes from the Latin word meaning "out of the cross". On the cross Jesus felt physical anguish. The Bible says He was marred worse than any man. That doesn't mean he got beat up really bad, it means He was so marred that you couldn't even recognize his face, it didn't even look like the face of a man. Most people were not to be flogged and then crucified, the majority of prisoners died at the whipping post. He was whipped with the cat of 9 tails. A leather whip with 9 strands of leather coming off of it. Each strand was laced with shards of broken glass, chips of broken bones, and other various sharp objects. There were at least 2 soldiers whipping Him, so this means He was getting whipped by 18 strands of leather lined with sharp objects. As they wrapped around him and pulled back they would rip skin off. They would never whip someone 40 times, b/c they were afraid the 40th time would kill him. After that he was forced to carry a cross weighing about 300 pounds up a hill, with thorns poking into his head causing all the blood to rush out of his forehead. Being mocked and spit upon the whole way up, he finally made it to the place where he was to be crucified. Now some say He was tied to the cross and the nails went through His hands, which would be extreme anguish because of how soft the palm of our hand is. Others say the word hand in scripture refers to the whole arm, and history tells us that as Romans crucified, they would drive the nails through the main vain in the wrist. Some believe it was at an angle through the hand passing through the carpal tunnel. Either way it sounds excruciating. As he was left there to hang His cause of death could have been that He literally drowned in His own blood, as some theorys state the crucified 's lungs would fill up with blood. Some theorys state that you would literally die from exhaustion. Others say that those on the cross would die of dehydration, or some believe Jesus died of sepsis following infection caused by the scourging. Either way, he endured excruciating pain for our sins.

The worst pain of the cross however was not physical, it was spiritual. Jesus took all our sins upon himself. The sins of the WHOLE WORLD! He cried out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?". When Jesus who was God manifest in the flesh became our sin, God who hates sin had to leave Him, or He could not die. Jesus who was God manifest in the flesh could not die, until He became sin, and God did leave Jesus for that moment. Jesus was now 100% man, and He had been God through all eternity, but now was forsaken by His father who was in Him His whole life. The pain of the cross was being completely abandoned and forsaken by God, something nobody else has or ever will experience. Perhaps, just perhaps; Jesus wasn't even a man at the point of His death, He was sin. The Bible says he was made sin who knew no sin. That word made means to be formed into; I think that's why He wasn't even recognizable as a man... He took it all all for our sakes!

I said all that to say this: If you are suffering in any area of your life; maybe you ARE being persecuted for your faith, maybe your finances aren't where they need to be. Maybe you are depressed, or fighting things in this life that are just part of life. Whatever your struggling with; it's because Jesus counted you worthy of Him! To suffer, not even close to how He did. We must remember, Jesus is calling us to suffer! The more we go through, the closer we will be drawn to Him! And that's awesome.