Haven't blogged in awhile...and it's not that I haven't still had moments where God has revealed Himself in new ways. I just have lacked the desire to share them for some reason. But then I remember how encouraged I am by other people's blogs. Since I want God to be able to use me to impact others, blogging is something I must discipline myself to do, so I can share how AWESOME He is!! :)
For those of you who haven't visited www.utmost.org yet, I STRONGLY encourage you to do so. I set it as my browser window homepage so it pops up when I get online. Then NO excuses not to dig deeper into your relationship with God!
That devotional has given me a ton of good material to break down for you. However, I read something from another source just a minute ago that I want to explore.
"I am not trying to preach or force religion, but if you have any faith, any, share it. "
This is the perspective within the nursing career as well- we are to encourage expressions of "faith". Any faith. (I'm thinking..."because having any faith at all is better than none??!") This theology bothers me. You see, I have been blessed with an abundance of faith in Jesus. I think God knew I'd need it with what I've been through. And I'm simply too logical NOT to connect the dots.
Here's the dots...
1- We are obviously created beings. Our body's DNA alone would stretch to the sun and back about 50 times. If you are a logical, thinking person, the more you learn about how complex you are, you've got to admit we didn't just evolve out of mud and protoplasm.
2- If we were CREATED...then whoever created us gets to make the rules. I am "over" my children, as head of the household. I make the rules and enforce them in love. If I let the kids make the rules, this would not go well for them, I assure you. So....if we were created, and can conclude that there is a "higher power", then they are the ones that make the rules.
3- Jesus Christ walked the earth. We know this. There is more evidence that he existed, then that William Shakespeare existed, and no one questions HIS life! Jesus proclaimed to be the son of God, the sent Messiah/savior. So He was either right, or he was nuts. If your professor began calling himself the son of God, you wouldn't think he was a great teacher/prophet...you'd think he was crazy. Send him away to a facility. SO- this man, Jesus Christ, existed in the flesh, walked among man, performed miracles, prophesied events, and called Himself the son of God.
4- Jesus Christ's body is no longer in His tomb. That's because He rose from the dead. This is how we get to live with Him forever, because He went to hell and back for us. Literally. You find His body, you let me know.
5- This God, as the creator, and Jesus, as His son, exist and are real and dwell in heaven. They are the ones we answer to. They are in charge. They reign above all created matter, because THEY created the matter.
These are the logical dots that I have made, because if you believe in God, He has to be almighty, He has to have power, He has to be unknown in many ways...because if I can reduce Him to be like me, and think like me, then He is no longer a Holy, perfect, God...He is a glorified version of man.
And here is what HE has to say:
"ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus" Romans 6:23
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8
"If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" Romans 10:9
"Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Christ Jesus" Romans 5:1
"There is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me." Isaiah 45:21
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me." John 14:6
So if He is a holy, righteous God who gets to make the rules, is it logical to believe you can worship/believe whatever you want and still slide by into heaven because of good deeds? Are you just banking your eternity on wishes and hopes that you'll be good enough? Do you think it doesn't matter because, well, who KNOWS what happens when you die? Well, the answer is in the scriptures above. You get to make the choice, because He loves you so much He's not going to force you to love Him. Which I think is pretty nice of Him.
I'm in this battle for your soul. I'm "in it to win it." I want you to know the truth so you can be set free from sin, defeat, and despair. No way would I ever, ever encourage you to believe something, anything. There is one God, and one Jesus, and He is absolutely AMAZING! You can't earn His love- it's yours already! He cares for us and shows that love in ways I would love you to see. If you want to reject Him for a lesser version, a god of your own making...you can. But I don't recommend it.
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