Sunday, January 31, 2010

Jealousy, green doesn't look good on anyone

Today I found out what someone was getting for their birthday, and my first thought was that I needed to top that. What could I buy that would make that gift seem pale in comparison. Then I remembered my love dare book. Even though the book is intended for relationships between me and my spouse, I try to apply it to my entire life (when appropriate). Today's challenge is about jealousy. Love should not be jealous without appropriate cause.

What is appropriate cause? Well if one's wife were cheating on them with another man, that would be an appropriate time to be jealous, and angry. One's wife simply talking to another man, or a neighbor is not a time to be jealous. Or when someone gets something for their birthday, it should be a time of rejoicing that they are receiving something they want. When your neighbor gets a new car, it is not time to be envious of them and desire one for yourself. It's time to be happy that they were able to afford a new vehicle and that God blessed them with the money and means to pay for it.

So I must retrain my mind away from the world, which slowly tries to erode away our spirit and make us simply a carnal person. The world wants us to keep our minds right here on the things of this world, but we are challenged by God to keep our minds on things of His kingdom. To be happy that she is receiving such a thing for her birthday and not try to 'one up' the person giving it to her, is a challenge, but it is also an act of love.

Today I listened to a lecture about the color of the tablets that the ten commandments were carved on. Apparently they were carved on tablets of sapphire stone, hence the reason the early Jewish garments had tassels with a line of blue in it. So the priests could look upon the blue and be reminded of the commandments, and keep them.

Numbers 15:37-40 - (NKJV) Again Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 38 "Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners.
39 "And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of Yahweh and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, 40 "and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your Elohim.

Tomorrow I am pondering making a bracelet, similar to the WWJD bracelets of the past. This one will be blue though, that I might be reminded everytime I see it of the commandments that I might keep them. Not because I am under the law, but because I love the Lord my God. The law has not passed, it is still in effect. It is a mirror that reminds us that we are still full of sinful nature, and that God is holy. Let us remind ourselves daily that the blood of Jesus cleanses us, and without it we are lost.

The Friar

Friday, January 29, 2010

Weak in the Flesh

How difficult it is to hold to ones resolve. We make promises to ourselves, and yes even to God, and often times we break them without a thought. Just like our news years resolutions that many times do not make it through the first month. There is a necessity in life, that of keeping our bodies healthy, but each dietician gives us a different idea of what to eat or when to eat it. Even the concept of organic is different. One recommends being vegan, another recommends clean living. Our own personal convictions require us to live another way as well. I personally attempt to be a vegan, but I fail miserably.

It is so difficult for me to give up meat and meat by products. I don't understand why. My will power is weak, and this is just one of the thorns in my flesh. I know that Biblically it isn't a sin to eat meat, but I warn each of you that it is indeed a sin to mistreat animals for our own personal pleasure. Raising animals for food in and of itself is not a sin. There are those who beat, abuse, and confine animals to horrid areas and painful conditions for their entire lives. These animals did nothing to deserve this, and the only reason they go through this is for our own pleasure. We were created in God's image, and given dominion over the earth. Charged with subduing it, and being it's stewards. It is time we acted as such.

It is our job to protect this planet. That includes it's inhabitants. The plants, the animals, and yes other human beings. It is time we stopped abusing one another, in the name of greed. It is time we shared everything, and gave to one another. The utopian society of tomorrow, can be here today. We just need to share in love, and give out of our hearts. Join with me today, and give out of your hearts. Find a way to help one person today. Then one person tomorrow. Together, we will help until no one is wanting. Let us fix this world, and rebuild the kingdom that we were put in charge of 6000 years ago.

The Friar

Thursday, January 28, 2010

The Prayer Business

Lately I've been seeing a lot of children that are in need of prayer, well alot of people in general. I think we need to get into the prayer business. Not just say a prayer and not believe, but really take hold of our prayers and believe them.

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him" (1 John 5:14-15).

God has given us the power to ask for something, and have it. We are his children and it is time we acknowledge that, and believe it. I am not telling you to go ask for things that are not in God's will. This is not the time to go ask for winning lottery numbers, or a new mercedes. However, it's perfectly acceptable to ask God to take care of your family when your car is breaking down. God will take care of you, and yours. It will be in his will though.

I have a dear close friend who now blames her husband because they had an ultrasound during their pregnancy and the child was deformed and most likely would die before birth. The doctor's informed her. She believed she could pray and the child would be healed. The husband told her, honey the child is already dieing there is nothing we can do. She told him to pray, he refused. Now she tells people she doesn't like her husband. She blames him. In one way I understand, in another I see his side as well. However, I do know God could indeed have healed that child and brought him into life. However, was that his will? How do we know what his will is?

Does blaming her husband show him unconditional love? Does her husbands refusal show her unconditional love? His refusal to pray for healing also, was a refusal for faith. Her blaming her husband for not praying is not seeing a much larger picture, she blames her husbands lack of faith on the childs death. The husband has been depressed for years since. A very sad state of affairs. How many of the rest of us that knew the family weren't praying? Why isn't she blaming us as well? I didn't pray enough, I know that now. I assumed it was in God's hands.

Often times we assume things are in God's hands and we don't bother saying a prayer. We just let things come to fruition and if it's good, we say look at that a miracle, God was watching. If it was bad, we blame Satan. In all honesty we should be constantly praying and watching, ever vigilant in this world of the things that God has charged us to be stewards of.

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18).

This should not keep you worrying always, or constantly in a state of anxiety. It should keep you at peace, understanding that God will take care and gain victory over all. The more we pray, the more God wins! So keep praying and let your faith in God show! If you use a prayer cloth, carry one with you! If you use a rosary keep it by your side. If you pray in a closet, make sure you know of a place where you can find a nice quiet hidden spot to pray away from others. If you need a chapel, know of one you can find on your lunch break to secret yourself into during the day. If nothing else, spend a few minutes before you eat your lunch to bow your head and sned up your petitions, thanks, and worries. Then let them go, they are in God's hands now.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Stewardship

I was once a steward in an organization. It was my responsibility to make sure the floors were vacuumed, swept, and clean. The lights were working, the toilets flushed, the toilet paper stocked. The plates washed after every function. It was a very active job, considering it was appointed and for no pay. Each member had to go through that job at some point. It taught them that no matter who you were, you weren't better than anyone else. It also taught them that the building was all of our responsibility, and that someone had to clean it up. After you were a steward for a little while, you usually never made a mess again. You remembered what it was like to pick up after other people.

How much better would the world be today if God could appoint each of us stewards of our particular area for a few weeks at a time? It often seems that many of us are lax in being stewards in our own homes, let alone the area we live in. Our homes become cluttered and full of trash. We collect things we don't need. We spend the hard earned money that God has graced us with without thinking twice about it. We are supposed to be stewards in everything, not just in a few things.

So when you get up in the morning and you finish eating breakfast, wash out those bowls or put them in the dishwasher. You are a steward of the house that God has graced you with. When you get your check, give a tithe to the church, any church. I am not asking you to come to my church, or my organization. Simply remember that God has blessed you with the money and he has told you to tithe part of that money to him. Not because God needs your money, it's already his. God wants you to give out of Love for him. He wants you to give out of obedience. He wants you to be a steward over all things, from the animals to the streets, to the environment.

Is global warming real? Some say yes, some say no. The truth of the matter is, global warming doesn't matter. We all know we are impacting the environment by polluting it, whether or not we are warming up the globe. If we are truly Christian, and stewards of this earth, we will live a green lifestyle. Not because of any scientific data that says the earth is growing warmer, but because God has commanded us to be stewards of all things. To pollute the water, the earth, the air is simply not in the life of a Christian. To use data that says global warming doesn't exist to give you the 'free ticket' to pollute all you want, is simply a way to live in sin.

Is it a sin to pollute? I belive it is. I belive everytime we throw something down and don't pick it up, or we buy a product that was produced in a way that pollutes our environment, we do indeed sin against God. Think on it, discuss it, let me know your thoughts as well.

Well I'm starting

I've decided to start telling people, what God tells me. It's going to be off an on because I will not post unless he tells me to. It's not something that I am going to do when I just want to write, but when I feel driven to do so. I feel the blog will be filled with discussions about animals, veganism, and tithing in the next few days. Maybe someone will read it, maybe it's just for me so that I will see what I have been thinking and not just hold it inside. Maybe someone out there will see it and write more. We shall see.

The friar