Things I've learned

Wow has it been a long time since I last posted or what?

I have taken some time really prayed and read and have been enlightened on many many things.

1 thing that kept coming up was God's will. Is this or that His will. Many nights I spent agonizing, praying and seeking God's face and His will. Many people including myself tend to believe that if you are in God's will you will feel peace about your situation. There were many times I prayed and never got any peace and still felt nervous and was no closer to the answers I longed for. Even though I know God heard every one of those prayers I know my opinions on His will have changed.

I don't believe there is perfect peace within His will. Look at Jesus in the Garden he prayed and was agonizing over His fate. I'm sure he was scared. He was about to be turned over to be murdered, how could he not be. Yet this was God's will. Jesus wanted another way but submitted to the plan that was in place. There are many times in my life where I don't have complete peace about the situation. Some of the biggest decisions have been the most terrifying experiences and I had not peace at all about it.
If we were truly living in God's will He would have us all in the garden of Eden again living in perfect harmony with Him. But we chose to disobey. Was that God's will? No. God wanted us to live with Him. We chose different. That's why He has given us free will.
I don't feel like God is involved as much as I once thought He was. Did He command hurrican Katrina to happen? He is the maker of all things, but if we were truly in His will then all of creation would be paradise. He would have made robots. I now believe that sometimes thing just happen. Is God in the midst of all of this, yes. Can He turn our choices around for good? Yes. But the choice is ours, and I think if it doesn't go against God's two most important laws Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself then God doesn't really care if you take a job in Tuscon Arizona, or stay planted right where you are. The point is, God can and will use you wherever you are.
Not trying to be crass but do we ask God what His will is concerning us going to the bathroom? No. The urge is there and we go. Sometimes "stuff" happens....quite literally in this case.
I don't recall an instance where Jesus hemmed and hawed over His living arrangements. He just went, and he was used.

I guess it goes back to the old saying "Don't sweat the small stuff."

2nd thing I've discovered. Most churches and "Christians" are very legalistic and seem to forget the most important things. I don't think God cares if your wearing a bikini, or a one piece. I don't think God cares if you drink a few beers, or have long hair or wear dresses or pants. Jesus came as the new covenant. Jesus came to give us freedom not a new set of laws to live by.

It says in
James 1:26-27

New International Version (NIV)



26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.


True religion help the fatherless and widows. Sure you may go to church every Sunday because that's what religion says to do but when was the last time you helped out orphans or widows? According to the New Testament this is true religion.
Again it all goes back to Luke 10:27 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Is this what Jesus meant by Pharisees who are all clean on the outside but on the inside are dirty and corrupt?

Third thing I learned. You can make any idol out of anything. Even the Bible----gasp! Don't get me wrong the Bible is a great manual, but many times it is taken out of context. There are many scriptures in the Bible that are read to us as promises for us or rules for us, but were written for a specific time period to a specific people. I think a lot of the the things in the Bible are not neccessarily promises to us, but rather an account for us so that we never forget. We dont' see miracles happen the way they did back then. You don't see people healed of leprosy, men raised for the dead, seas parted, waves calmed. Does that mean God can't do it? Absolutely not. But is it likely that grandma will come up from out of the grave? Probably not.

There are so many people who follow the Bible to the letter. Things that were written long before Christ shed his blood for us. Rules that must be followed because the Bible says. But we are forgetting the one thing that is unique to us here in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit. The Spirit was not here before or during the time when Jesus was here. It was only when he left that the Holy Spirit found it's place here. We have to spend more time listening to the Spirit rather then following the letter of the law. And if the Spirit is quiet, but you haven't broken then two rules....Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor as yourself then God probably doesn't really care either way. He'll be happy with the choice you make.