So I’ve had a good deal of time on my hands today and I’m outlining what I want to talk about. I’m thinking the Theological Virtues. What’s that you say? You don’t know what they are? Well, they are Faith, Hope, and Charity. Simple, right? Wrong! We must try our very best to not try and over-simplify things. I will do my best to explain these vvirtues to the best of my abilities.
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Due to recent changes in the blogging world and the real world, I haven’t been able to write anything for a while and I’m sorry guys. Because I haven’t been able to write anything, I figured it would be a good idea to take a leaf out of Bob’s book and open up the blog to any teen that would like to spread the truth through the internet. Email me if interested. homer1229@earthlink.net In The Screwtape Letters C.S. Lewis speaks of the human self being comprised of two parts. The spiritual and the bodily. If that is true, which I believe it is (I mean, how can you argue with a guy like C.S. Lewis??), then wouldn’t it make sense that we live in both worlds? In case you haven’t noticed, our bodily world is a battleground. Not just the big wars and the violent conflicts all over the world. But what about all the supposed ” little things” that happen in everyday life? Traffic, family, government, and traffic. Did I mention traffic? Oh well, that’s another thing. The point is, our world is a battleground and not all of the battles are the fault of people. Any guesses as to who the being might be that causes such things as corruption, terrorism, and doubt? Now that the gears are turning (mine are still a bit rusty) let’s take a look at the flipside of our existence, our spirituality. If you don’t know this already, the spiritual world is a battleground (oh, the redundancy). But it is not a battle that mere people engage in. No, it’s a battle of Good and Evil. As cliche as it sounds, it really is. What’s more is, the battle continually spills over into the bodily world (i.e. traffic, the omnipresent warzone). For those of you that doubt the presence of the devil in everyday struggles, let me share this from Revelations 12:7-9 “Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back,” See what I mean about a battle? “but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. the huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who decieved the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown with it.” What was that last bit? Where were Satan and his followers thrown? “Down to earth.” The battle is here. Now, at this very moment. Satan sees God moving in us and he HATES it. He will throw everything he’s got into trying to make us pull away from God. But I have great news. God is doing the EXACT same things, only he uses his power to bring us closer to Him. But God will not force us to grow close to him. He will not enter and transform our heart unless we give him permission. He is not forceful, he is a gentleman. More good news, we are not unarmed in our fight. We will look over what we have to use later. Please comment, Louis I owe the credit for this post to John Eldredge, author of Wild at Heart. Have you ever felt like the whole world was caving in around you? Did you find yourself thinking Well, I’m not gonna make it out of this one. Did you make it? Are you still struggling? I have good news. It’s all a test. That’s right. God is giving you a test. No, it’s not because he is some mean old teacher that just likes giving ridiculously hard tests in biology class. It’s not because he wants us to prove ourselves to him either. I mean, why would he need to? He knows each and every single one of us better than we do and he absolutely knows if we are worthy of Him or not. If that’s true, then why would he test us? The answer: He is trying to show us how worthy we are of Him. No, we didn’t make ourselves worthy. God made us worthy through Jesus. What do I do if I fail a test? Do the exact same thing that you would do if you failed a test at school. 1. Do some make-up work (a.k.a. go to Reconciliation) 2. Study for the next one (a.k.a. praying) 3. Help others with their tests I have to say right now that I am not encouraging cheating on tests at school. I am simply saying that if you have a friend that is going through a tough time, help them out as best as you can. In doing so, you may find out something about yourself that will help you with your next trial. Oh, by the way, God will never give us a test that we cant pass. Let me start by asking a few questions: How many people do you know? Of these people, how many can you not stand? How many do you always want to be around? How many of these people feel the same way about you? Now here is the important question….. How many of these people do you love? I’m not talking about the love that is shared between Hollywood couples that get married in Las Vegas and then divorced the next day. That isn’t love, but it is the topic of a future post. But really, who do you Love? This is the hardest and easiest question that I have ever asked myself. It’s easy because when you ask yourself this, several names or faces instantly pop out at you. But what about the others? What about the people that didn’t pop into your mind when you ask yourself that. Do you love them? What about that old lady who is driving forty miles an hour on the interstate? Do you love her? What about that kid in a gang that killed two policemen in a shootout? Do you love him? I’m not sure who wrote this quote, but it definitely helps me get my point across: People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. People need help, but may attack you if you try to help them. In the final analysis, it is between you and God. Stay tuned folks, Louis Deacon Max has passed into everlasting life. he will be missed by many. Please pray for him. This is one ofthe devotionals that I have been receiving. To subscribe, follow the links below. This is something great to read before and after Reconciliation. One evening I invited Jesus Christ into my heart. What an entrance He made! It was not a spectacular, emotional thing, but very real. Something happened at the very center of my life. He came into the darkness of my heart and turned on the light.
He built a fire on the hearth and banished the chill. He started music where there had been stillness, and He filled the emptiness with His own loving, wonderful fellowship. I have never regretted opening the door to Christ and I never will.
“Lord, I want this heart of mine to be Yours. I want to have You settle down here and be perfectly at home. Everything I have belongs to You. Let me show You around.”
The Study
The first room was the study–the library. In my home this room of the mind is a very small room with very thick walls. But it is a very important room. In a sense, it is the control room of the house.
He entered with me and looked around at the books in the bookcase, the magazines upon the table, the pictures on the walls. As I followed His gaze I became uncomfortable. Strangely, I had not felt self-conscious about this before, but now that He was there looking at these things I was embarrassed.
Some books were there that His eyes were too pure to behold. On the table were a few magazines that a Christian had no business reading . As for the pictures on the walls– the imaginations and thoughts of the mind- -some of these were shameful.
Red-faced, I turned to Him and said, “Master, I know that this room needs to be cleaned up and made over. Will You help me make it what it ought to be?” “Certainly!” He said. “I’m glad to help you. First of all, take all the things that you are reading and looking at which are not helpful, pure, good and true, and throw them out!”
Now put on the empty shelves the books of the Bible. Fill the library with Scripture and meditate on it day and night. As for the pictures on the walls, you will have difficulty controlling these images, but I have something that will help.”
He gave me a full-size portrait of Himself. “Hang this centrally,” He said, “on the wall of the mind.”
I did, and I have discovered through the years that when my thoughts are centered upon Christ Himself, His purity and power cause impure thoughts to back away. So He has helped me to bring my thoughts under His control.
The Dining Room
the room of appetites and desires. I spent a lot of time and hard work here trying to satisfy my wants. I said to Him, “This is a favorite room. I am quite sure You will be pleased with what we serve.”
He seated Himself at the table with me and asked, “What is on the menu for dinner?” “Well,” I said, “my favorite dishes: money, academic degrees and stocks, with newspaper articles of fame and fortune as side dishes.” These were the things I liked–secular fare.
When the food was placed before Him, He said nothing, but I observed that He did not eat it. I said to Him, “Master, don’t You care for this food? What is the trouble?” He answered, “I have food to eat that you do not know of. If you want food that really satisfies you, do the will of the Father. Stop seeking your own pleasures, desires, and satisfaction. Seek to please Him. That food will satisfy you.”
There at the table He gave me a taste of the joy of doing God’s will. What flavor! There is no food like it in all the world.
The Living Room
This room was intimate and comfortable. I liked it. It had a fireplace, overstuffed chairs, a sofa, and a quiet atmosphere. He said, “This is indeed a delightful room. Let us come here often. It is secluded and quiet, and we can fellowship together.”
Well, as a young Christian I was thrilled. I couldn’t think of anything I would rather do than have a few minutes with Christ in close companionship. He promised, “I will be here early every morning. Meet me here, and we will start the day together.”
So morning after morning, I would come downstairs to the living room. He would take a book of the Bible from the case. We would open it and read together. He would unfold to me the wonder of God’s saving truths. My heart sang as He shared the love and the grace He had toward me. These were wonderful times.
However, little by little, under the pressure of many responsibilities, this time began to be shortened. Why, I’m not sure. I thought I was too busy to spend regular time with Christ. This was not intentional, you understand. It just happened that way. Finally, not only was the time shortened, but I began to miss days now and then. Urgent matters would crowd out the quiet times of conversation with Jesus.
I remember one morning rushing downstairs, eager to be on my way. I passed the living room and noticed that the door was open. Looking in, I saw a fire in the fireplace and Jesus was sitting there. Suddenly in dismay I thought to myself, “He is my guest. I invited Him into my heart! He has come as my Savior and Friend, and yet I am neglecting Him.”
I stopped, turned and hesitantly went in. With downcast glance, I said, “Master, forgive me. Have You been here all these mornings?” “Yes,” He said, “I told you I would be here every morning to meet with you. Remember, I love you. I have redeemed you at great cost. I value your fellowship. Even if you cannot keep the quiet time for your own sake, do it for mine.”
The truth that Christ desires my companionship, that He wants me to be with Him and waits for me, has done more to transform my quiet time with God than any other single fact. Don’t let Christ wait alone in the living room of your heart, but every day find time when, with your Bible and in prayer, you may be together with Him.
The Workroom
Out in the garage of the home of my heart I had a workbench and some equipment, but I was not doing much with it. Once in a while I would play around with a few little gadgets, but I wasn’t producing anything substantial.
I led Him out there. He looked over the workbench and said, “Well, this is quite well furnished. What are you producing with your life for the Kingdom of God?” He looked at one or two little toys that I had thrown together on the bench and held one up to me. “Is this the sort of thing you are doing for others in your Christian life?”
“Well,” I said, “Lord, I know it isn’t much, and I really want to do more, but after all, I don’t seem to have strength or skill to do more.” “Would you like to do better?” He asked. “Certainly,” I replied.
“All right. Let me have your hands. Now relax in me and let my Spirit work through you. I know that you are unskilled, clumsy and awkward, but the Holy Spirit is the Master Workman, and if He controls your hands and your heart, He will work through you.”
Stepping around behind me and putting His great, strong hands under mine, He held the tools in His skilled fingers and began to work through me. The more I relaxed and trusted Him, the more He was able to do with my life.
The Rec Room
He asked me if I had a rec room where I went for fun and fellowship. I was hoping He would not ask about that. There were certain associations and activities that I wanted to keep for myself.
One evening when I was on my way out with some of my buddies, He stopped me with a glance and asked, “Are you going out?” I replied, “Yes.” “Good,” He said, “I would like to go with you.”
“Oh,” I answered rather awkwardly. “I don’t think, Lord Jesus, that You would really enjoy where we are going. Let’s go out together tomorrow night. Tomorrow night we will go to a Bible class at church, but tonight I have another appointment.”
“I’m sorry,” He said. “I thought that when I came into your home, we were going to do everything together, to be close companions. I just want you to know that I am willing to go with you.” “Well,” I mumbled, slipping out the door, “we will go someplace together tomorrow night.”
That evening I spent some miserable hours…. I felt rotten. What kind of friend was I to Jesus, deliberately leaving Him out of my life, doing things and going places that I knew very well He would not enjoy?
When I returned that evening, there was a light in His room, and I went up to talk it over with Him. I said, “Lord, I have learned my lesson. I know now that I can’t have a good time without You. From now on, we will do everything together.”
Then we went down into the rec room of the house. He transformed it. He brought new friends, new excitement, new joys. Laughter and music have been ringing through the house ever since.
The Hall Closet
An arresting look was in His eye. As I entered, He said to me, “There is a peculiar odor in the house. Something must be dead around here. It’s upstairs. I think it is in the hall closet.”
As soon as He said this, I knew what He was talking about. There was a small closet up there on the hall landing, just a few feet square. In that closet, behind lock and key, I had one or two little personal things that I did not want anyone to know about. Certainly, I did not want Christ to see them.
I knew they were dead and rotting things left over from the old life. I wanted them so for myself that I was afraid to admit they were there. Reluctantly, I went up with Him, and as we mounted the stairs the odor became stronger and stronger. He pointed to the door. I was angry. That’s the only way I can put it. I had given Him access to the library, the dining room, the living room, the workroom, the rec room, and now He was asking me about a little two-by-four closet. I said to myself, “This is too much. I am not going to give Him the key.”
“Well,” He said, reading my thoughts, “if you think I’m going to stay up here on the second floor with this smell, you are mistaken. I will go out on the porch.” Then I saw Him start down the stairs.
When one comes to know and love Christ, the worst thing that can happen is to sense Him withdrawing His fellowship. I had to give in. “I’ll give You the key,” I said sadly, “but You will have to open the closet and clean it out. I haven’t the strength to do it.” “Just give me the key.” He said. “Authorize me to take care of that closet and I will.”
With trembling fingers I passed the key to Him. He took it, walked over to the door, opened it, entered, took out all the putrefying stuff that was rotting there, and threw it away. Then He cleaned the closet and painted it. It was done in a moment’s time. Oh, what victory and release to have that dead thing out of my life!
Transferring the Title
that You would take over the management of the whole house and operate it for me as You did that closet? Would You take the responsibility to keep my life what it ought to be?”
His face lit up as He replied, “I’d love to! That is what I want to do. You cannot be a victorious Christian in your own strength. Let me do it through you and for you. That is the way. But,” He added slowly, “I am just a guest. I have no authority to proceed, since the property is not mine.”
Dropping to my knees, I said, ”Lord, You have been a guest and I have been the host. From now on I am going to be the servant. You are going to be the owner and Master.”
Running as fast as I could to the strongbox, I took out the title deed to the house describing its assets and liabilities, location and situation. I eagerly signed the house over to Him alone for time and eternity. “Here,” I said. “Here it is, all that I am and have, forever. Now You run the house. I’ll just remain with You as a servant and friend.”
Things are different since Jesus Christ has settled down and made His home in my heart. by Robert Boyd Munger
IXTHEUS CHRISTIAN GROWTH DEVOTIONALS
ALWAYS FREE OF CHARGE (but not necessarily free of COST) Feel free to redistribute these materials to whomever you want. Please submit all questions, comments, suggestions, or REQUESTS FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS to ixtheus@execpc.com
Request a free email copy of my evangelistic presentation: “The God Who is Really There” from ixtheus@execpc.com View back-issues of Devotionals at this site: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IxtheusChristianGrowthDevotionals/ Just click on “messages”. to unsubscribe from these devotionals, send an email with CANCEL in the subject line to ixtheus@execpc.com God Bless You In Christ…..brother bob…….<>< Ok, I concede that this may not be the most creative title that I could have come up with, but at least it lets you know where we are going. The fact that some states pride their use of the death penalty in America is a poverty,(there are a lot of those here). Now most people think that it is just and fair to legally execute someone because the accused has murdered someone else. Okay so I acknowledge the fact that what the person did was horrendous in and of itself. But how does it make it better that WE do the same thing to him/her? Neither of the lives taken are humanity’s to take. That responsibility belongs ONLY to the one who created life. Another problem that i have heard about is the cost of keeping the prisoners on death row. People say that it is just another reason to speed up the execution process. I mean think about it. It can be pretty expensive to provide food, clothing, shelter, wages for the guards,wages for the prisoners. “What! They get wages!?” is what some may ask. That’s right, they do. I’m not sure what the exact figure is but I am pretty sure that it’s more than what they should be getting. Food is also a major expense in the Corrections department. I am sure that the prisoners could go with some lighter portions of food. Another thing that is a major problem in prisons, notjust death row, is the gangs. Why are these even there??? I bet twenty dollars that if the prisoners were forced to do hard labor, I mean really hard labor, that they would be too tired to even worry about gangs or anything like that. But now that a bunch of groups for the “rights of prisoners” have stepped in this seems more like fiction than reality. So to recap, the death penalty is WRONG because God created life. And he alone is to decide when you die. Second, the death penalty wouldn’t even be necessary if prisons would simplycut down on unnecessary costs and put the inmates to work. Let me know what you think about this…. Last night I was about to go out to Kroger and I realised that my sandals had gone missing. I went into the living room and asked my dad if he had seen them. He didn’t reply so I assumed that his answer was no. After turning the house inside out I walked back into the living room and saw that a stack of books that my dad was reading on the floor had a very uneven base. So I moved the stack and found my flip flops sitting there. I turned to my dad and asked if he knew that these had been here. he said yes. so i asked him why he didnt tell me where they were when i asked him.”I wasn’t listening,” he replied. Needless to say, I was mad. I had spent about twenty minutes looking for those shoes and i had to be at kroger before they closed. That’s when it hit me. How often do we as teens disregard or just tune out whatever our parents say? Even worse, why do we get mad at them when they dont listen to us? Worse still, how many of us “tune out” what God is trying to say to us? This whole “tuned-out” personality of teens has reached a level that just makes it ridiculous. This is the first post of a blog about me. A Catholic teen. The blog will talk about many different problems and issues that affect a teen’s faith life, family life, and whatever other life I can think of. |
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