Live, learn, be free

Following Religion or God?

It is very easy to fall into a pattern of following traditions in our churches.  We get used to doing the things our parents and their parents did in church.  We start to believe that we are following God just because we are following a list of things to do.

If we choose to follow God it is the only thing that matters to us.  Nothing gets in our way of following God.  We stay focused on what matters, God.  We show others we follow God and not religion by the way we live our life.

Following religion will lead us to distraction and take us off track.  Following God leads us to the feet of Jesus.  Following religion can be complicated and rigid.  Following God is simple and brings glory only to God. 

We live in a country where we have many options for the type of church we want to attend.  Pray about where you attend church.  Does your church lead you to the feet of Jesus?  Church should not be about religion but about God. 

Take time to pray and ask God to show you if you are following religion or God.  Take a look at the way you live your life.  Are you showing others you are following God or religion?  God is about love, grace and freedom. 

Depending on God

It can be easy in the world we live in today to say we don't need God.  We can handle things on our own.  We give up on prayer.  We stop communicating with God.  Many say they are just too busy to pray.

It is true that God is all powerful.  He does not need us to pray.  God wants us to pray because it is how we communicate with Him.  We can talk honestly with God when we come to him in prayer.

There are many different ways of praying to God.  Different prayers have different purposes.  Petition, confession, adoration, intercession, meditation, thanksgiving and consecration are the different types of prayers.

Reading through Nehemiah recently I learned about his steadfast prayer life.  Nehemiah was confident in his prayer life.  Nehemiah was the cup bearer to the king.  This means he had to taste all of the king's drinks and food to make sure they were not poisoned.

I can not imagine how difficult it must have been for Nehemiah to go to work each day not knowing if he would be die of poisoning.  He trusted in God and he knew God would hear his prayers.  I like how he describes God as attentive to his prayers in Nehemiah 1:11. 

Nehemiah had to be dependent on God, not only because his job was life threatening but because he loved God.  He wanted others to know God and to know of His love.  Let us be people who are dependent on God, people who are courageous and will be open to participate in His work no matter the cost.

Running In Place

There are times in our lives when we think we are getting ahead and getting things done but it seems like nothing is happening.  It can be frustrating to feel like you are working hard only to not see the results you expected.

I understand this problem firsthand.  I am an impatient person.  I feel like if I am working hard on something I should be able to see the results.  Things changed for me when Elijah was diagnosed with Asperger''s Syndrome. 

The progress Elijah made was slow.  We were busy driving him around to all his therapies and programs.  He was progressing we just weren't seeing the results yet.  Then I was reading James 5 one day and it dawned on me, God wants us to be patient. 

Now I must say this was not an easy process and still isn't but God has been faithful.  He has followed through with His promise to us about our son.  After waiting patiently for 8 years Elijah is making amazing progress.  He had made some progress over the last 8 years just not the kind of progress he is making right now.

We persevered and now we are seeing the results from running in place.  James 5 warns us about wanting it all right now.  We need to be patient and wait on God, His timing is always the best.  We need to keep running in place and be patient, blessings await.

If you are currently struggling with this problem keep in mind the words of James 5.  Be patient and stand firm.  God will always follow through on His promises.  Keep running in place and your reward will come.

I Have A Confession

I was reading Colossians 2 recently during my quiet time.  As I read through this passage I realized that I needed to stop being concerned with what others thought of me.  I have to admit not just to myself but to God, that I am a sinner. 

We all sin and we all fall short of God's glory.  The problem comes in when we allow others to judge our sin.  When we become concerned with what someone else thinks about what we are doing.  Colossians clearly states for us in verse 16: "therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink or with regard to a religious festival". 

We can not get in the game of measuring our sin by what others think about it.  We are all sinners and sin and sin.  There is no bad sin and good sin, it's all short of God's glory.  Colossians goes on to tell us that we are made alive in Christ and He has forgiven us of all our sin.

God will always be faithful to us, we need to be faithful to Him.  We are not perfect and we can not pretend to be.  I admit I do strive for perfection but not by the worlds standards but by God's.  I long to bow before Him at the throne and hear Him say well done good and faithful servant. 

Let us all put aside our sinful nature and commit to walking with God.  Confess to God and trust that He will be faithful to you.  There is no big sin and small sin, just sin.  God is in control and He will free you from bondage if you just ask.

Til Death Do Us Part

It is very disappointing to see how many people give up on marriage.  Til death do us part seems like an old wives tale in today's society.  In order to make a marriage last I think you need to have a God sized dose of patience. 

The thing many couples leave out of their marriage is God.  Without God we have no hope, no need to persevere.  Lets show others what it looks like when God is in control of our marriages.  Rob and I have only been married for 14 years.  In the large scheme of things that is not long at all but we have made the commitment to staying in this til death do us part.  

Society today treats marriage like a business transaction.  It is crazy to think that anyone, regardless of how much money they make have, needs to have a pre nup agreement.  We as Christians need to remember we are in the world but not of it. 

We need to let God take His rightful place in our marriages and let us show the world what it looks like to stay married for a lifetime.  First of all we need to ask God to help us as we choose a mate.  If God is not involved from the beginning then we set ourselves up for possible failure. 

We must be willing to do whatever it takes to stay married once you are married.  Please understand that I am judging you if you are divorced, just know what God has to say about marriage and divorce.  Don't give up and let God take control of your relationship. 

God designed marriage and wants to see us succeed.  Pray and trust God will help you in the tough times.  Take heart and be patient.  God wants the best for you trust Him. 

Hebrews 12:12

Earlier this year I ran the Flying Pig Half Marathon.  I trained for 6 months.  I worked hard and I planned.  I overcame injuries during training.  I was still caught off guard when my a new injury came up during the race. 

Perseverance and endurance are important in times like those.  My runner partner and I persevered and we finished.  The real joy is just finishing, I knew there was no chance of winning. Some people asked why even try when you know you can't win?

To me running is about my body beating out my mind.  If you have ever done some running you know your mind can get the best of you.  Your body can do the work but your mind talks you out of continuing.  That is what Hebrew 12 is all about. 

Staying in the faith race until the end.  We can have many stumbling blocks in our way but we can overcome them.  We need to stay focused to continue running the race.  Think about what hindrances get in your way.  Hebrews 12 gives us encouragement and support for those times. 

Our biggest struggle for many years has been Asperger's Syndrome.  We have trusted God and prayed for our son.  We have endured and persevered and God has been faithful.  What is your struggle?  Pray and ask God to help you, and He will.  God has given us great hope for our son.   

Busy for Jesus

I will admit I have busied myself with the things of God and my relationship with God has suffered.  It may sound weird but sometimes we get so wrapped up working for God that we forget to spend time alone with God. 

God wants to know us intimately.  In order to do that we need to put down some of the things we are doing for God in order to spend more time with Him.  I realize this seems counter intuitive but it is true.  When we over volunteer for the kingdom our intimacy with God suffers.

As Christians we are the  body of Christ, we all have a part.  Each person needs to step up and do their part.  Just because we see a need does not mean we should fill it.  We need to be a little more selective in what we do for God.

I am guilty of having done this in the past.  I over committed myself at church and my time with God suffered.  I didn't have time to spend with God because I was too busy doing the work of the whole church.

Are you doing too much for God right now?  Take some time to sit and evaluate what you are doing.  Is God calling you to do all those things?  What do you need to say no to in order to say yes to God?  If you are too busy for Jesus than you must take some time to build that relationship back up.

If you are looking for a way to work on building intimacy with God, please check out this link.  It is a book I wrote called In Pursuit of God.  It is a study guide and journal.  It will give you information on the spiritual disciplines.  Whatever source you use remember: working for God and and working with God are two different things.

Asperger's Syndrome: An Inside Look

Our family has dealt with Asperger's Syndrome for over 8 years now.  You would think we know it all by now, but we don't.  Just when we think we completely understand something, we realize we don't.  We continue to learn each and everyday about this syndrome.

God has opened the door for us to talk to others about what it is like for us as a family to deal with this.  We have been blessed beyond measure through this experience.  Asperger's Syndrome is not just hard for the person but it is hard for those who love them.

As the insiders it can be devastating until you realize that God is in control.  God created them this way for a reason.  We fully trust God, we know He has a plan that will glorify Him.  There are still times we question and we do still mourn losses at times. 

It all comes back to the fact that God has always been faithful to us, we must be faithful to Him.  In due time this will all make sense either in this life or the next.  God will not hang us out to dry.  He has always provided for us and He will continue to do so.

Asperger's Syndrome is not a sprint it's a marathon.  We are in a for a long haul but we continue to pray for ways to glorify God through our troubles.  Asperger's Syndrome is welcome to be a part of our family but it can not take control of it. 

Elijah is doing so well right.  We can really see God working in Him.  The progress he is making right now is immeasurable.  It is so cool to be a part of this and we thank God for making us "flies on the wall" of His work.

Dueling with the Devil

I know I am going to step on some toes with this blog post but I will not apologize.  I think this topic is so important right now that I want to share this information and I pray God helps you make the right decision for you and your children.  I have noticed a frightening trend in television programming for children.  Harry Potter, Wizards of Waverly Place, Fanboy and Chum Chum and many more have become commonplace.  Magic, witches and wizards are a regular part of many programs on Nickelodeon and Disney.

I want to alert you to the danger of just letting our children watch these programs and movies and read these books.  I have always understood the danger and kept my children away from these programs, movies and books.  Recently I have renewed my resolve to help not just my children but children everywhere. 

We are opening the door to the enemy through our children.  I want to make you aware of the fact that magic, witches and wizards are real.  Satan is in all his glory right now over the fact that so many parents are allowing their children to learn all about him and his powers through seemingly friendly programs.  We can no longer just let our children participate in these things.

Here is the danger: when we let our children watch these programs and read these books we are opening the door to spiritual warfare for them.  You may tell them it's not real, it's just pretend.  Your children talk about it with friends at school who assure them otherwise and they began to change their thinking.  Satan is happy because you have given him an in to your child's heart. 

This is a serious matter.  Our children need to understand that Satan is real and he is the source behind the power to do magic and cast spells.  Most people think it's not a big deal to let them watch this stuff and read these books.  You just tell them it's not real, it's just pretend.  Let me ask you this, if your child came to you and said they wanted to have pretend sex, would you agree to let them?  No, you would be outraged. 

By allowing them to watch these programs and read the books you are allowing them to "pretend" dabble in the occult, pretend leads to real.  Don't be fooled, your child will not be missing out.  My children understand and are alright with "missing out" on these things. 

Please understand this post is done only to alert you to this very important situation.  If you would like more information and details on the specific problems please leave your questions as comments.  You can also visit this website which has more in depth information.  Ben Alexander is a very credible man who started in the occult in a very benign way.  Let's wage war in this battle for our children, we will win and we will be victorious, because with God all things are possible.  He is stronger than the enemy.

Persevering

We are faced with Mt. Everest sized mountains of work in this life.  We have a multitude of rules to follow.  Life can get very challenging for us.  It can be tempting to just coast through life.

Last year Dave Ramsey was a guest speaker at our church, Browns Bridge Community Church.  He spoke about what he calls the "Momentum Theorem".  He talked to us about how the enemy does not want us to persevere. 

The enemy wants us to be quitters.  God calls us to persevere.  In this theorem Ramsey tells us the following: Focused intensity over time, multiplied by God equals unstoppable momentum.  This theorem really struck me.

In our society today it seems people really struggle with focus, there is always something new that draws our attention.  Intensity can be seen at sporting events by those who choose to paint their faces or bodies to support their team.  But where is the intensity in the things that really matter in this world?

As we think about the time required in this theorem we can relate this to perseverance.  It takes time, Ramsey talked about the story of the "Tortoise and the Hare".  You can be slow and ugly but if you keep moving you will eventually win, perseverance is the key.

We can not do any of these things alone, we need God.  God is the power source behind our efforts, when His power is multiplied with our efforts it equals unstoppable momentum.  The key to this whole theorem is to heed the words of Winston Churchill: never give up, never give up, never give up, never give up!