Gift Frustration

I know there is someone in your life that is almost impossible to buy a gift for. For me it has been my wife. What do you get a woman who has no similar interest, a perfect husband, everything she needs and a wonderful life? I guess a box to put it in. Seriously, I’ve learned that when all else fails, “jewelry.” Now all I need is money.

Definitely the most difficult one to buy for is God. The entire universe is His. I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. Psalm 50:9-12

Some of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever done or seen others do is bargain with God. “Lord, I put a little extra in the offering plate this week so I pray you would let me win the lottery.” How absurd! This is a poor example, but it’s somewhat like offering Bill Gates a nickel for Microsoft. Everything we have is the Lord’s. All the money, possessions, job, health, family and friends we have are The Lord’s and are just on loan to us.

There are many religions that teach that we are to sacrifice and do many religious practices to get God’s favor and attention. It’s really sad. Why do they do it? So they can claim they had something to do with their salvation. Pride!

The Truth…

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise. Psalm 51:16-17

God just wants us!

On Who's Terms?

You have been running from the enemy for days now. On many occasions you were almost caught, but somehow you manage to escape. You will twist and fight and you are determined to never give up. You’re thirsty, you’re wounded, tired, and haven’t eaten for days, However, you’ve ran into a canyon to make your escape, but now you’ve come to a dead end. You’re trapped and there is no where to go. The enemy is all around you with weapons pointed at you and they tell you to surrender. You shout out you will surrender, but only on your terms. They tell you that you can only surrender on their terms or you will die.

This is an analogy of our life. We as humans with a sinful nature are stubborn and determined to do it our way. The only problem is that our way just leads to more and more pain and hurt. The hurts and pains in our life are to motivate us and help us quit running and surrender to God. These problems in our life are meant to break us down so the only thing to do is surrender to God.

However, the pride in us refuses to give up and keep on fighting God. We are determined to make it work our way and on our terms. The only terms there are God’s and we have to accept them. This is where we will finally have peace. On the other side of surrender is peace. I’m not saying you’ll never have any problems again. I’m just saying its easier going through life with God on your side than fighting with Him.

I want you to understand something that I had as a misconception for most of my life. I felt that surrendering to God meant to agree to never commit a sin again. This is not what it means and it is impossible for us to do so. It means to change my heart from having to do what God says to wanting to do what God says.

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield (surrender) yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Romans 6:16

Forbidden Fruit

When I worked at Love Field Airport there were two men that seemed to have no interest in dating unless they were married. Of course, both of them had been married several times, but in-between marriages they seem to have little interest in women. This was the intrigued of the Forbidden Fruit. I want what I’m not supposed to have.

There are many who believe if we had no laws then it would eliminate desire. Let’s say America declared a “No Law” week once a year. Do you wonder what would happen? I know we would see the full depravity of mankind. Murder, rape and theft would be totally out of control.

This is where it all started. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 2”16-17 One tree out of many and Adam couldn’t resist it. So why did God put a tree in the Garden of Eden they were not supposed to eat? God didn’t want mindless automatons’ worshipping Him. He wanted us to choose Him over evil.

He still wants us to do that today. God doesn’t want us to serve Him out of rules and regulations or without choice. God wants us to love Him and for us to have a desire to serve Him. ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind. Matthew 22:37 So is the law bad? What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. Romans 7:7 In other words, the law is like a map to a mine field showing us where and what to avoid because of danger. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” Romans 7:8

There are many that believe that since we are in the New Testament age we are no longer under the law. Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? Romans 7:5 Jesus came to help us fulfill the law, not to do away with it.

Forbidden fruit is the sweetest poison you’ll ever taste. Consequence is a bitter medicine to make us healthy by leading us to repentance.

Acceptance

Most of my life I worked so hard for the acceptance of others to the point of losing my identity, my morals and my beliefs. I was afraid to have my own thoughts in fear of rejection. I wanted acceptance so bad that I was used much of the time. The desire for acceptance is extremely strong in everyone. Another word for acceptance is “Love.” We all have the need to be loved and we will go wherever we seek it. It reminds of the song, “Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places.”

People will always be drawn to someone or a group who will accept them. Naturally we are all drawn to groups with similar interest, but I’m talking about acceptance based on physical appearance, financial standing, color, family, background or even sin. The opposite of acceptance is our greatest fear and that’s rejection.

Do God and Satan accept people? Yes! God accepts all people, but He will never accept sin. Satan accepts the people and encourages the sin. God’s acceptance leads to life and Satan’s acceptance leads to death. Many times God’s people tie the sin with the people and refuse to accept the people. Satan will gladly accept those into his fold.

The truth is to accept and love everyone, but to never accept their sin. I’ve known several people in my life who were living in a sin that was destroying them and their life. I was upfront and honest with them and told them the truth. I told them that I have always loved them and that will never change, but I cannot accept their sin nor condemn them for their sin. To love someone doesn’t mean we have to put a stamp of approval on their behavior. There are those who are afraid of losing the person (husband, wife, child or friend) so they compromise instead of standing firm.

Pride will keep us from loving the ones who are struggling and who do not meet our expectations. By some reasoning we feel since we are not doing what they are doing we must be better than they are. You will see many examples of this in the Gospels with the Pharisees. Many profess Christianity in their words but not in their deeds. In church they do all the right things and say all the right things, but when it comes down to living in truth, then that’s another story.

If someone is lost in a dark cave we cannot push and shove them to the exit. We need to lead them out, but it’s so much easier when we know the way. Sometimes it’s the blind leading the blind. We cannot demand that they find their own way out, but we have to patiently lead them and this can be difficult. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Ephesians 1:6

The Cup

A cup has many functions and meanings, but how we use the cup is mostly for containing liquid or even solids. We can put all types of things in a cup. We can use it to contain coffee, sodas, tea or many other beverages, but it can also be used to contain poison, urine or other types of undesirable liquids.

One of the points I’m trying to make is a cup is neither good nor bad. It can have all kinds of usage. The cup is just a cup. What is put in the cup doesn’t change the cup itself, but it does change how it is perceived.

Many believe when they get to heaven there will be a scale to weigh our good deeds and evil deeds. Depending on how the scale is tipped will depend on our destination. So if we do a lot of evil deeds then we will go to hell and if we do a lot of good deeds then we will go to heaven.

The only way we can get into heaven is we would have to be perfect and I know I’ve already blown that chance as well as everyone else. Eternally the cup is the problem and it needs to be exchanged for a new cup and the only one who has that is Jesus Christ. This is the perfect cup we need to exchange for. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Matthew 16:26 Before a person accepts Jesus into their heart their cup is headed for hell. It doesn’t matter how clean or dirty their cup is at the time. The same thing applies when a person who has accepted Jesus into their heart. They receive a new cup bound for heaven from that point on and it can’t be taken away. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. John 10:29