His perspective is the most important perspective, no matter yours. Pray he shows you his perspective and what he sees.
I wanted to share what be believe, as Christians, so I can clear up any thing that might confuse you on this site. Some things I may say, might give you reason to judge or question my walk with Jesus or my life.
I have had people make comments about the way I chose to "juice" my food, not eat meat (which I do but some times I go off red meat completely depending on my mood), or that I think its ok to drink alcohol as long as you don't get drunk and do stupid things, or that I watch certain movies or TV shows, blah blah blah.
No, I am not perfect, no one is. No two people will agree on theology 100%. You may or may not agree with me on some or any of this. I still love you and hope you still love me. Lets just agree to disagree without name calling and judgment (that is for liberal haters who don't even believe in God the creator). God is love, just see my verse up top there with my blog header.
I am constantly praying for discernment from God to show me what I should change, believe in, or what ever. I let him lead me. If I feel convicted on something, you know the feeling "I shouldn't do this, it doesn't feel right or Godly". If you never feel that, then you must be perfect.
So here goes:
We undoubtedly believe that Jesus did die on the cross for our sins.
We also believe that we are under Grace.
We also believe that Grace is not a "license to do what we want with out God reprimanding us when we get out of hand" card. If you believe that, then stop preaching against homosexuality, abortion, or everything else. The same people preaching they can do what they want, also preach against these things. You can't have it both ways. Either you do or you don't.
Jesus did preach for us to follow the commandments but not be a slave to them. That means to us that we should still seek to be righteous, even though its impossible to be perfect, but don't beat your self up when you fall. You will fall, we all do. But it doesn't mean for us to keep going back to the sin that we were suppose to have repented and turned away from when we went to Jesus and confessed our sin and asked him for his forgiveness, and let him know we whole heartedly believe that he died on the cross for us, me, YOU.
If God wanted you to continue sinning, then he would not eventually bring your sin to light for others to see, or he would never convict you of it.
I also believe that God gave us the commandments to protect us. If we follow them, we won't bring more pain in to our lives that already comes with living. If you don't lie, you won't have to keep up a charade. If you don't murder, you don't have to spend time in prison away from your family, who would be hurt by what you have done. Basically, if you stay away from things that are not kind to others, then you won't have added pain in your life. No added drama to deal with. We are suppose to live peaceful lives.
1 Timothy 2:1-3 says: Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
We also believe that we should look at how Jesus acted when he was on this earth as a man.
Did he:
- Lie
- Manipulate
- Control
- Steal
- Hate
- Murder
- Molest
- Hit or attack people physically
- Anger as in acting it out by yelling or screaming? well there was that time of outrage when the Romans were defiling the temple but I think that people take this out of context as an excuse. Wouldn't you get outraged if someone defiled your Father's house? I sure would have.
I could go on. No he did not act this way.
Some traits that Jesus did show and that we should strive to do:
- Love each other
- be kind, even to your enemies (kill them with kindness if you ask me)
- serve others
- put others over your self (hard one I know)
- encourage others so not tear them down
- teach others to love God
- teach others to obey God
- and there are more, just think about it your self, pray about it, ask God to show you his characteristics.
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35
Notes:
- No, I don't think its a sin to drink. Did Jesus drink wine?
There are arguments for both sides of that issue.
From what I have read in the bible, people drank wine, a lot. But the lessens came from when people got drunk. Then we learned its not wise to get drunk, you lose control and do stupid stuff and sin. The drinking itself is not bad, its when you consume too much and lose that control of your self.
2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime[a] in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 4 In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run withthem in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. 1 Peter 4:2-4
- Do I think its a sin to cuss or say bad words? No. Not that I go around cussing like a sailor, but I do say a word here and there. God hasn't hit me with a lighting bolt yet.
- Do I think its a sin to watch an R rated movie? No, the bible is rated R and so is The Passion movie that seems all Christians raise praise about. Sin comes in to play here when Satan temps you to do things that would in turn hurt others, like cheating on your spouse, physically hurting other people such as children, or other forms of hurtful things like kidnapping, murdering, torturing, and so on.
- Same for music, we need to stop listening to some of this stuff. Lady Gaga and many others incorporate chants (wican, pagan, witchcraft) and other acts of sin in their music (sex with many partners, homosexual acts, wife beating, manipulation of others, murdering, stealing, where does it stop?) But if you believe your Grace Card says its ok to do these things, them by all means, do it. You have to stand before God and be judged for your actions and your heart. I will for mine, you will for yours.
- Should you watch or read books with witchcraft, fair tale magic, fairy tale creatures (vampires, wolves, sucubus (Lost Girl), or the like?
Well, I have been caught up in tv shows or movies that incorporated magic, then God convicted me and reminds of this verse:
There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,
or2 Kings 21:6
Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.
- Do I think its a sin to not go to church? No. I believe you should go but if you don't, its ok. There are home churches, there is such a thing as learning more about Jesus / God from reading and studying the bible WITH other things such as history of the times and why people did things.
Plus in Revelation it talks about God's children being called out of the church. Now a days, I think if you can't find a REAL BIBLE PREACHING CHURCH, get out and stay away.
So many preachers are preaching lies. Preachers and the like, have bought into Satan's lies so much that they are preaching it in our churches. HERE is some good Revelation reading.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lordwill not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Exodus 20:7
Do I condone disrespectful speech against my Heavenly Father?
A BIG NO! That is cursing your Heavenly Father whether you want to except it or not! Would you use your earthly parents names as cuss words? I think not. And if someone else did, you would want to beat the living day lights out of them for it.
Some people argue that saying things like: (Father please forgive me for saying these examples)
- God ummm Dang, you get the picture
- Oh My God (though I am Ok with Oh My Gosh, I feel its different though some think its not)
- people saying "Jesus Christ" and some times they put the "F" word in the middle.
I am sure there are more but these are the ones I hear frequently.
I here Christians saying these things and claiming they are not disrespectful to God/Jesus or that since they are under Grace, they can do it and get away with it.
I am sure I could add more here. But I think you get the jest of it.
And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. Luke 23:26
Don't you want to bear the cross with Jesus? I would have, at least I hope I would have been brave enough to do it.
As I sit and ponder what Jesus must have went through.
How could I possibly take my Grace with a lack of respect and purposely continue to sin against him.
Here are a few verses about Repenting in Revelation.
This first one really speaks to me. What do you think it means when it says "repent and do the first works"? I believe that means we are to go back to the beginning of our walk when we followed the commandments, not when we thought we didn't have to look at them or do them any more.
Revelation 2:5
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
Revelation 3:3
Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
Revelation 3:19
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
Revelation 9:21
And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Revelation 16:11
They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
