Our Self Righteous Sin

How often do we look at others - scorning, condemning, and looking down on them because they "aren't like us."

Why, after all, we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we're all the sudden "worthy," "righteous," and apparently better than others - maybe because we don't swear, don't watch tv or certain movies...maybe it's because we don't go out to parties and drink - whatever it is that we do or don't do as Christians. Ummm...Garbage!

Don't get me wrong - Let us stand for righteousness as Christians.
But DO let us live as the man (or woman) who does not sit in the seat of the scornful (Psalm 1)

I don't agree with your actions: you smoke, drink, swear, steal, sleep with your bf/gf.
It doesn't change that I love you.

It is God who convicts. He's much better at convicting. We as humans turn our convictions into condemnation.


Try this on for size. Why is it that Christians have a hard time admitting they sin. It's embarassing, right? I'm ashamed sometimes - I don't like sin, I don't like that I sin, but I do. Bottom line.

If you can't admit and confess your sin, then don't call yourself a Christian. That is after all what defines us as Christians - we recognize that we are but sinners and when we confess our sins - HE is faithful and rightous to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9).

When people confess their sins to us, they recognize it. We don't have to make it worse by saying, "you should have done this or this, next time do this." Let's stand with them, pray with them, and walk it out with them. ( I believe it's called loving on them).

In other words - let's stop trying to convert and make people our projects - and love them to Christ or to walk deeper into Christ.

Faith - Obedience - And Scattered Thoughts

Hebrews 11: 1 says that "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (NKJV) In Verse 3, it says that "By Faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. "

We are guided first by Faith(the substance of things hoped for), through His Word, and then by His peace (You have to know His word before you know it's peace that surpasses all understanding;) )

I could probably stop here. Seems like what's already written is confounding enough for one day.

My Little Addition
The longer I walk with Jesus Christ, it seems I understand less and less everyday. While I learn and gain knowledge, that knowlege has made me realize the overwhelming vastness of His design. I strive for control of the present and the future - to somehow grasp onto what the Lord has put before me. Haha! I make me laugh, that I have the pride to think I would understand His ways.

Lately I've been going through a phase of learning to trust His voice and His direction. When we listen with a pure heart, He will speak to us - When we think God speaks, we must be obedient to what He says, in Hope that each decision made with our purest heart is guided by His eyes. It's a risk we have to take if we want to know His direction and His voice.

Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and I will teach you the way you should go. I will guide you with My eye"

Victory Is The Gift of God

From "Lover of My Soul"

"I've always thought of victory as an accomplishment. If an athlete strives, trains hard, and performs well on game day, he wins. If he is out of shaped or chokes when the pressure is on, he loses. championships are won through hard work, athletic prowess, and a few good breaks. But victories are not gifts.

Similarly, most Christians think of spiritual victory as a sort of accomplishment. run hard, keep one step in front of the devil, pray an hour each day, and memorize scripture every week; we call it living the victorious Christian life. But if you get down in the dumps one day, choke on your own prayers, and cry in your pillow, we call it living a defeated life."

It goes on to say that our victory - is a gift. "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "It's not so much about how strong I am - it's about how strong God is."

It's also know that it's not enough just to "know" something. When it comes to God - it's a matter of accepting. Accepting Christ, accepting His victory on the cross, and accepting that He is in control of our future. The tough part is living it.

So I feel better about crying in my pillow some nights.

Our worship is embracing victory in Christ even during our times of trouble - when we feel the most defeated. It's when our victory becomes less about how we feel, and more about simply knowing He is God - We are victorious through Christ even during our deepest hurting and most defeated feeling moments.

Again, we don't have to win or earn our victory -
It truly is a gift from God through our Lord and Savior - Jesus Christ