Providence

Providence is one of those tricky things to accept in a Christian life. The thing we must remember is that God is sovereign over everything. Let's back up and look at providence first. Dictionary.com defines providence as 1. the foreseeing care and guidance of God or nature over the creatures of the earth. Sounds nice enough, but what about when something painful happens to us?
This past week the Tampa Bucs kicker Matt Bryant whose 3-month-old son, Matthew Tryson, died Wednesday. This is a seemingly devastating event, and might cause one to doubt God's existence. That is the tricky part of Providence. The hard part is looking past what we know on this earth. Everything, good or bad, works towards God's perfect plan for every human on this planet.
Does this mean God causes bad things, or even evil actions? No. He allows certain things to happen to lead to His greater good. God is perfect, and completely holy. He can do no evil, even more He can have no evil in His presence. But we are imperfect created beings with a very narrow view of the universe. Everything works toward the greater good, and God see's this as He is infinitely higher than we are.
We can even look all the way back to creation. Some might ask why God created the world and man when He knew they would sin and fall from grace. He indeed knew we would sin and fall. At creation He knew every breath of my life. So why did He go on and create us knowing we would grieve Him? The answer as far as I understand is, to show His mercy and glorify Himself. We fell, He still loved us enough to provide a way out of sin, showing His infinite mercy and grace. Thus all the Glory goes to God.

• Isaiah 55:8-9 8 “ For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. 9 “ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
• Luke 22:41-46 41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.45 When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. 46 Then He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.”

A Day to Remember

As Americans, September 11th is a day we can never forget. Although it seems many have forgotten in just 7 years. Sure as Christians we are to forgive, but that does not mean forget what happened. We were attacked by radicals that despise our way of life. It is my belief that they want to eliminate every Christian world wide. Let me get to my point in this post.

I saw a sign the other day that said "Pray for Peace". Most people would say YES!, but not me. I say that is praying for a side effect, not the underlying cause and need. I say we should pray for the hearts of those against The Truth, to be softened. For their eyes, ears, minds, and hearts be opened to the truth. Pray for laborers in the harvest field so that when hearts are softened there is someone to deliver the seed.

Here is a website set up to help. You should check this out.

http://www.atfp.org/

That is Adopt a Terrorist for Prayer. This based on scripture.

• Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you

Even if you personally have not been persecuted, you can rest assured that it is only because they have not got to you yet. They believe if you oppose their view, they are commanded by their religion to kill you if you will not convert.

So it is clearly commanded, by our Lord, we need to be praying for these people. Not for peace. Not for prosperity. But pray for those that are condemned to Hell, that they might see the light, soften their hearts and humble themselves before the one true God. That is the only hope for our nation, and this entire world.

• 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.

I Walk the Line

Much like Johnny Cash sang, I too walk the line. A different line however. I often feel I am perched on the line between being critical and just discerning.
Yesterday we had a member of the congregation get up and preach. His sermon was titled "Religious but Lost". Amen, that is a problem. But I soon found myself disagreeing with this man. The first point was when he was talking about Saul, who later became the Apostle Paul and gave us most of the New Testament. He was talking about how Saul was too focused on religion to have a relationship. However Saul was a Jew, and a Pharisee. The Pharisee's were legalists. They were consumed with the law, not religion. Even to the point that they said Jesus was breaking the law of the Sabbath by spitting when He healed the blind beggar. But this was a minor disagreement that I can over look. Well there is also the point that Jesus intercedes for us, allowing us to have that relationship with God. But even still, I see his point. My main complaint with the entire sermon was that he devoted a lot of his time to talking about the love of God. Which is fine, but to truly understand the love, you must understand the wrath. For God's love to be real, his wrath must also be real. What are we saved from? God's wrath. God so loved us that he poured out His wrath on His own Son that we might be washed clean. The single greatest act of love, grace, and mercy all in one. With out the wrath, the cross is a pointless act. If God was just going to overlook our trespasses why did Christ have to suffer and die on the cross? It makes no sense. God's wrath is very real. Hell is very real, and it goes on forever. So in my opinion if you are going to preach God's love, you must first preach God's wrath. Jesus Christ was the spotless Lamb of God, yet we know He was punished. Why? Because we are far from spotless. I would venture to say most of us have broken all ten commandments when you look at how Jesus explained them more in depth.

• Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

There are ways to evaluate if you are truly saved, or just living the religious life.

1. Are you growing in Holiness?
2. Do you hate the sins you use to love?
3. Do you hate the things God hates, and love the things He loves?

Those are just a few points I have learned from Todd Friel on Way of the Master Radio and Wretched TV. If you are not sure of your salvation, look to the law. Examine yourself under the law. And know the God can only be righteous if He punishes law breakers. Know you are wretched in His sight. The knowledge that you are a sinner damned to an eternity of suffering in Hell should bring you to your knees. Humble yourself before Him, repent, and know that your only hope is in Jesus Christ. Pray in His name, beg forgiveness for all your sins. Devote your life to Him. Know that He died for you, and rose again on the third day and you will be saved. (Note: no mention of "accept". I'm saving that for another post.)

• Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
• Matthew 7:21-25 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.