It's No Skin Off My Nose

 

BUT Know This:

The Truth Brings Pain, but in the End Life...

Lies Are Easy, but in the End ALWAYS Lead to Death.

 

"But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"

Matthew 6:23

 

When I was 15 I thought a search of the facts would give me proof I was born gay.  After 10 years of finding the facts I discovered I wasn't born gay, biology wasn't the smoking gun.  I told my friends, but they weren't interested in the facts.  When we learned one of our friends had AIDS I thought the facts would be more acceptable, and were, possibly, the way to positive change.  I was wrong on all accounts.  Instead of embracing the facts and the clear need for change my friends rejected me.  It hurt but I decided I'd go with the facts, and I have little doubt I am alive and HIV negative, because I chose the facts and accepted the need to change, afforded me by the HIV virus.  Many of my friends who rejected me are dead.  They aren't dead because of anything I did, I told them the facts, and laid out the reasons we needed to change.  They wanted what they wanted, despite the evidence confronting them.  Too many of my friends are dead today, because they preferred lies.   

I don't hate gay people, far from it, but I'm still all about the facts.   It's taken years to sort out my sexual and relational brokenness, but I wouldn't trade all the hard truth for what I left behind.   I don't mind if folks want to buy into homosexuality, I get it.  Keep your eyes closed if you like, but my eyes are off limits.   People I cared about died, because they refused the truth.   I owe no one in the LGBT community anything, but the LGBT community owes my friends, and I'm not talking about a panel on the AIDS quilt either.   Believe whatever you like, but don't come to me with arguments which, in the end, killed my friends.  Everyone has the right to their own beliefs and opinions, but I'm not bowing because my beliefs aren't as popular as the belief LGBT people are "born that way."   I'm beyond the reach of political correctness; beyond rewritten histories and religious writ; beyond feelings, no matter how convinced people are about their feelings.   I decided life was more important than feelings, anyone's feelings.  No matter how many people bend their knee to the lies and feelings, I will not bend and I will not bow to the lies or feelings.   I know the truth, and that truth has set me free.   I hope many more will be open to learning the truth, but even if I must stand alone, then I will stand alone.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

BUT...For Pete's Sake Don't SWALLOW!!

 

 

"And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."

Luke 9:52-56 (NKJV)

 

 

 

At work some of my warehouse guys were talking about big lottery wins and winners.  I interjected, "What no one ever wants to admit, about big lottery winners, is that winning ruins their lives."  That statement is a fact proven by countless winner's real life stories.  Are there exceptions to the rule?  Aren't there always exceptions to every rule?  The problem is everyone believes they'll be the exception to the rule.  "I'm not going to be the one destroyed by the lottery, drugs, alcohol, porn and dangerous sexual behaviors, or whatever your favorite "candy" may be.   But even the exceptions to the rules aren't all that exceptional.   Look at the families of the most successful of the wealthy.  The wealthy are great at making and keeping wealth, but their families prove them to be not so good at building relationships, or their children into worthwhile, productive adults (Anyone remember Paris Hilton???).   Like I said, even the exceptions can't escape the rulership of the rules.  Greed like drugs is intoxicating, but also like drug use there is an enormous cost to body and spirit, and to those closest to the greedy's addiction.  

We want what we want when we want it, and PLEASE! don't bother confusing us with the TRUTH!  How about the movie PRETTY WOMAN, with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere?  A hooker with a heart of gold changes a cold, calculating, heartless, corporate grim reaper.  And they live happily ever after!!!  

AAAAWWWWW!!!!   AIN'T IT SWEET???!!!!!   

Oh! Darn it!  I forgot to tell you... 

SARCASM ALERT!! 

 

OKAY!...Cut me some slack here!  I did tell you..."better late than never," I always say. 

 

I've spent more than few minutes with hookers...offering the love of Christ, and nothing else.  A guy using a hooker to put his hard on in, does not grow a heart in a hookers breast.  And no matter how much gold she is paid, for the use of her orifices to masturbate, instead of your hand, NONE of it ever goes to her heart.  And let's not forget the noble monster and the hapless, helpless damsel in distress the TWILIGHT series of books and movies.  Bella, the hapless and helpless klutz'o'matic, goddess of chaos, wins vampire Edward's cold dead heart for all eternity!  

SARCASM ALERT!!!

AAAAAWWWWWW, THE HOTT, SPARKLY, SWEET SMELLING, VAMPIRE WUUUVVVVVS HER!!!!   **HUG AND KISS OUR TEDDY BEAR TIME!! (with eyes closed so we can imagine it's Eward)!.**

HA!  Got it that time!

 

Believe it or not there is a real life love story about a hopeless, hapless girl klutz'o'matic and a monster boyfriend.  Eva Braun and Adolf Hitler.  And just exactly like Bella and Edward, Eva makes a mass murdering, psycho creep, fall in love with her.   And when 'Dolfy falls for the BIG E.B. you know it saves him, and all of Germany!  AND!!!!! (this is the best part)... Instead of murdering millions of Jews, 'Dolfy Poo, throws a big luvfest with everyone putting flowers in each others hair, and dropping acid for world peace! 

SERIOUSLY???  After two warnings you can't figure out there's going to be more sarcasm???  

Eva Braun did nothing to change the monster, BUT!  In the end Adolf married her!!!   Hitler didn't take her to bed, for a torrid night of hot newlywed schtupping, he lovingly gave Eva a cyanide capsule before blowing a hole in his own head!   Nothing says love like poison and a 7.65 mm slug to the gray matter!  (Actually Hitler would never have "schtupped" anyone... "schtup" is derived from Yiddish, a language used by Europe's Jews). 

We want what we want, and no matter how impossible, or ridiculous, or incredibly stupid the notion... We'll do anything to have what we want.   We'll make science say "You're just born that way," even though NO valid scientific evidence can even possibly exist!  We'll rewrite whatever histories or religious writ that stands in our way.  And anyone who raises any standard against our "wants" will be vilified as "hateful", "stupid", "fearful", and "savage".  

It's just movies, Lonnie!  Gee!  Take it easy... Don't have a cow bro!!  BUT, see, it isn't simply movies.  Don't forget the big lottery winners and all the ruined lives!  How much evidence does it take before we see that getting rich quick is a terrible life spoiling thing?   Do you know what God's definition of stupid is?

"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid."

Proverbs 12:1

From God's perspective stupid people aren't people who can't learn but rather, people who won't learn. 

When Eve was tempted by Satan in the garden, this is what she said first:

"but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die."

Genesis 3:3

And then of course Satan has his say, he always has his say, and that snake is always charming...

"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman."

Genesis 3:4

Satan always has to accuse God of being guilty of having the evil character Satan is actually guilty of having.  It is a sly but powerful way of lying, and we humans always fall for it!   When our desires come into conflict with God's ways, we would be wise to sacrifice our ways.  "BUT...BUT...YEAH BUT..."  "I can sleep in the same bed with my boyfriend and not have sex."    "YEAH BUT..."  "I can win the lottery and do something good with the winnings"   So what if you can share a bed with a boyfriend/girlfriend and not have sex?   There are too many Christians who can't pull that off, so be a good example to them.  When I work with drug addicts and alcoholics I stop drinking every alcoholic beverage.  I can a couple of beers or glasses of wine, and cut it off.  I can go for months and years without one beer or glass of wine.   The fact I can have 1 or 2 doesn't mean the people I'm ministering to can do the same thing.   When asked, "Hey do you ever drink?" I can say, "No I don't drink alcohol."   I know I can't simply say, "Well I do drink, but I only drink 1 or 2."   The response to that is usually, "Well that's how I'm going to drink from now on too."   I know 1 or 2 drinks to the alcoholic isn't even a remote possibility, so I've caused my brother to stumble.  

Again, so what if you won the lottery and planned to do something good with the money?   Your winnings come out of the pockets of people who could ill afford to even buy lottery tickets.   It doesn't matter that these people freely chose to play the lottery.   We're talking about people who have a completely deluded outlook on the lottery.  I know salvation doesn't come from a big jackpot, and I'm not going to stand on the backs of people who've paid too high a cost for their foolish pursuit of instant wealth.   I can't do anything about the foolishness of other people, but I can decide not profit from their foolishness.  

 

Blessings,

 

Lonnie

 

 

 

 

I Tend To Agree... But Its Meaningless

 

 

 

 

 

 

 ^{"for everyone born of God overcomes the world."}

1 John 5:4

 

 

The Boy Scouts of America are at it again! Sticking to their rejection of gay leaders and members, and claiming it is about character.  Of course the powerless, misunderstood, and much maligned (and if you believe that I've got a beautiful bridge in Brooklyn to sell you,) LGBT community have been crying foul...AGAIN.   Do you know that even as a gay man I could not stand those gay people who wanted to ram their agenda down everybody's throats.   I HATED the jerks!  I lived as a gay man, but also defiant of the LGBT agenda and those who pushed it off on everyone.  Wasn't I aware of how bad gay people had it??  Yeah, I knew many gay people who had it bad, mostly from close family and friends.  I'm not saying some of us didn't suffer at the hands of some stupid bigot or religious jerks, but hey, you need to know who hates you so you can avoid them.

I have never had a problem with The Boy Scouts of America.  When I finally acknowledged I was a gay man didn't I understand I wouldn't be welcomed by groups like the Scouts?  Didn't I understand how hateful and unfair the BSA were being to me???  I didn't care, because I didn't have to hang out with Boy Scouts.  I didn't have to hang out with religious people, I didn't have to hang out with the KKK, and I sure didn't have to, or even want to hang out with groups like GLAAD, or PFLAG!  If LGBT people have the right to live as they like then so do the Boy Scouts of America.  Everyone trying to pressure the BSA to accept gay members and leaders aren't planning to toe the line of the official rules and regulation of the Scouts.  The whole idea is to force the BSA to change and get in line with LGBT think.   I don't have to like any special interest group.  Whether they be religious, atheist, LGBT, racist, so on and so forth.  This is America, last time I checked, and The Boy Scouts of America have the right to choose with whom they associate.  Though there is a lot of, "sound and fury signifying nothing," there still isn't a shred of factual evidence proving humans are hardwired with any flavor of sexuality. 

Sex, like language, is not dictated by biology.   Biology dictates, only, that language may develop, but does not dictate that a person speak Swahili, Yiddish, or Tamil.  Biology cannot take into account the direction a life will go, and something as complex and varied as language or sexuality is far too complex for biology to dictate.   Biology gave Michael Phelps the right kind of long torso, prized in champion swimmers, but biology didn't make Michael Phelps a champion.  (I also have the long torso prized in champion swimmers, but I've always been a champion sinker!).   As much as gay activists want to claim "I'm born this way," the facts should not be forced to bow to "wishful" thinking.  I'd like to have been a championship swimmer, got the body and everything for it, but I wasn't willing to endure the training, and there were other things I liked doing a lot more.   I never liked how the gay community bullied everyone who got in their way, and worse still, they've bullied anyone who simply dared to disagree with them.  And just for the record I don't like religious creeps like Dr. Dobson, Jerry Falwell, and Pat Robertson.   Spare me the Retardation Day Parades lead by self-appointed kings and queens (religious or gay, they're all the same to me) prancing about naked, so we peons can appreciate the non-existent splendor and superiority of their royal garments.   The emperor is still nekked no matter how many ways the "Brown Nose" media attempt to spin it.   I do hope the Boy Scouts of America stand their ground, and continue to kindly, but gently say, "no".   

Of course it doesn't matter what the Boy Scouts of America decide to do now or in the future about gay members and leaders.  The Boy Scouts of America don't have a solution for what they believe to be a matter of character.  All the Boy Scouts of America can do is say, "no."  Nature, including human nature, abhors a vacuum.  And if there is no answer; solution; way forward out of homosexuality, (or any other form of sexual brokenness, for that matter), then the only way is backward.  The Boy Scouts of America will lose ground, until they have none left to stand on, and you can take that to the bank.  If you can't overcome the problem then the problem will overcome you.  History is full of terrible stories about base human vice leading to the destruction of great and accomplished cultures.   It will never be enough to pass laws and make moral speeches.  God sent his righteous and holy laws to human kind, but human kind could not keep God's good and holy laws.  The most powerful religious men became petty, cruel, hypocritical, and worthless.  God's law failed, not because it was not good, right, and holy, but for the reason that human kind is not good, cannot be righteous, and fall very short of holiness.   The God, who first sent the world laws they could not keep, finally sent a single man who could keep all the Laws of God.   Only one man in all the history of the world kept all of God's holy and righteous laws.  AND then he laid his life down in sacrifice on a Roman cross.   One man could keep all the law, and that same ONE man could take all the punishment and all the enslaving power of sin, for all of us law breaking humans.  After just 3 days that one man shook the bonds of death and the grave off, as easy as I can dust off my shoe.   That Son of Man who overpowered sin, death, and eternal damnation to the grave, now became the giver of eternal life.   That one Son of Man can now live in and through, any and every human to overcome the world in and through them.  This is the ONLY solution God offers the world.  For each and everyone of us, either Jesus will overcome the world, or we, relying on human laws and powerless morality will be crushed by the world.   How can the Boy Scouts of America do anything but fail?   Did Jesus create the Boy Scouts of America?  No, he did not.  The Son of Man created his Church, and through that Church he will overcome the world.  But if American religious people will not repent, and turn from the world's ways (politics, laws, nation worship, violence, moralizing, and etc.) then they will fall as well.   God knew that only Jesus could overcome the world, and he is the only answer; cure; way forward out of every human brokenness and vice.  Laws and "standing" up against sin only ever leads to pettiness, cruelty, hypocrisy, and worthlessness.  Since no one, including Christians will obey and pursue the ways of God, excluding the "ways of men", then there is no way forward.  The only way left is backwards until there is no ground left for standing.  God has only one way: 

OVERCOME OR BE OVERCOME.

Boy Scouts of America: It was nice knowing you.  American Christians:  It was nice to know you too.  It's just too bad you wouldn't pursue ONLY God's ways and reject the ways of human kind, which only ever leads to destruction.   It's been in the Bible for about 3,000 years, so there is no excuse:

 

"The way that seems right to human kind, in the end, is always the GPS leading the way to death's kingdom."

Proverbs 14:12

 

 

 

 

 

It's For More Than Milking Cows

 

 

adjective

 1. complete; total; absolute: her utter abandonment to grief.

 

"Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

Hebrews 7:25

 

 

This isn't about cows, eating cows, or drinking cow's milk.  While I have mostly gone vegetarian, I'm certainly not against people eating cow or wearing leather.  I still wear leather, and have no intention of stopping.  I have chosen not to eat red meat, strictly, for health reasons.  No Christ follower should be going around telling people they are sinning if they eat cow, chicken, fish, shrimp, clams, pork, and etc.   Want a thick juicy steak??  Have at it!  None for me thanks, but I'm all for you eating cow til...well, "til the cows come home"...  And, just so you know, no cows were harmed, no milk was spilled, in the writing of this post.  Always gotta have a disclaimer because of all the tree huggin, anti-meat eating, nutball, activists who want to push everyone else around.  Funny, I'm bad because I believe the Bible, but nutball, anti-meat eating activists are "good" because they're trying to "save" cows.  I want to save the humans, by drawing people to Christ, so that they may be conformed to the UTTERly perfect image of Christ.  The nutballs, who want to force everyone to conform to their way of thinking/living, are the good people...

 

But I digress...

 

This is about the word "utter", and when I first think of utter I think about milking cows.  The utter I'm talking about is used as an adjective in Hebrews 7:25, meaning: "complete;" "total;" "absolute" and "unconditional;" "unqualified".   What Hebrews 7:25 is saying is, "Jesus is able to save, "completely;" "totally;" "absolutely;" "100%."   Now if Jesus saves "completely; totally; absolutely; 100% then what is left for a Christ follower to do???   A Christ follower does 0% of the work of salvation.  God does it all.  The only thing a Christ follower does is receive a completely new spirit.   A true Christ follower is "born again," which means God himself has made that person a new creation.  This isn't the new birth which comes from the sexual union of a man and a woman.  When God makes us "born again" he literally takes a portion or "seed" of Jesus Christ and places that in us.  We become, "partakers of the divine nature".  God makes us "kind after Jesus' kind,"  and this new creation is 100% the work of God.  No mere human can make another human, or even him/herself a new creation.   There is this misunderstanding in much of the body of Christ today that what makes a person a believer is the believer's choice.  No believer or unbeliever can make a "choice" to be born again.  Only God can make a person truly born again so no human decisions or actions has anything to do with making a person born again.  God enables us to make a choice to receive, but receiving is all we mere humans can ever do.  So salvation is God's work from first to last; beginning to end; completely; no loose ends to tie up; absolutely 100%; UTTERly God.  

SIDE NOTE: You know, you Calvinists out there need to stop believing lies about those of us who hold to an Arminian view.  Stop reading what Calvinists say about what Wesley and Ariminius believed.  Go to Wesley if you want to know what Wesley truly believed.  

There is no work an imperfect, sinful person can do to make themselves sinless and perfect, as Christ is perfect.  Perfection comes from the perfect.  Imperfection cannot be any more than what it always has been and will always be:  IMPERFECT.   Only God is perfect, and only God can make perfect, so don't waste your time thinking God expects you to perfect yourself.  That's what many religious people do:  They try to make themselves perfect.  They think that God, when he saves them, gives them a box of "Holy Spirit" Tide detergent, and some "Holy Spirit" Shout stain remover.  These poor hapless and deluded souls think if they just put enough "Holy Spirit" cleaner on their sinful imperfection they can clean it off.   God doesn't want to clean us off.  God wants us to "put off our former self..."  and "put on the new self created to be (UTTERly!) like Christ(read Ephesians 4)  JUST STOP TRYING TO CLEAN YOURSELF UP, AND GIVE UP!!!!!  ACCEPT AND BELIEVE IN GOD'S PERFECT WORK IN CHRIST ONLY!!!!!  

Simply receive the new creation of God, walk with God believing he and ONLY he is your perfection and that he will perfect you UTTERly, because Jesus is perfect.  Jesus Christ's saving work on the cross and his new resurrection life are all there is to the work of God's salvation.  When we see Jesus face to face that work will be completed, but God calls the work completed, as if it already were, because Jesus CANNOT FAIL!!! (Romans 8).  Jesus, AND ONLY JESUS, saves, and Jesus saves: COMPLETEly; ABSOLUTEly; 100%ly; PERFECTly; NEVER FAILINGly; UTTERly!

Dear saints in Christ:

  "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

 

The only thing perfect I've ever been able to achieve is being a "perfect" butthole.  There are a lot of people who can see Christians being "perfect" buttholes, because that is what Christians are when they are trying to make themselves perfect.  Jesus said, "Do what I teach, and this will make you my true disciple..." John 8:31.   Jesus NEVER said, "Do the best you can to fix yourself and make yourself perfect..."   Perfection is God.  Unless you're God then you are UTTERly sinful, UTTERly broken, and UTTERly beyond help.  Receive Christ, and 100% of the work is completed to the UTTERMOST; absolutely; totally; perfectly, as ONLY Christ can do it. 

 

Bless You...

 

 

 

 

 

Do You Sweep Up the Pieces and Toss Them Out?

OR

Do You Try to Assemble the Pieces Again?

 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

John 13:34

 

 

I have this disgusting physical condition called, Cystic Acne.  I get these terrible blood, serum, and puss filled areas beneath my skin.  They have been as small as a quarter, and as large as my fist.  Some bleed out and never come back. others stick around for years and years.  The ones which sit there for years are the worst.  Eventually they become infected and grow to the size of a baseball...YUCK!!!.  I've needed surgery to go in and tear out the cyst's structures, so they don't come back.  Well at least one has come back....YUCK!!  YUCK!! YUCK!!! .

The way I view my cysts is the way I've come to view my world; lifestyle; way of being; way of thinking, and etc.  There is a reason God blows up my world... so he can give me a new one.  Just like I need surgery to get the cyst's walls out of my body so it won't return later and become a baseball sized nightmare again, so I need God to blow up the sick diseased way of thinking and doing which is my world.  I need God to come in and tear my world away from me, and break it up, so it can be thrown out.  And I just hope I get every little poison piece of my blown up world thrown out.  Because if one little piece of that sick little world of mine is still around, just like the walls of my cyst, my sick little world grows back. 

I'm not saying I don't still fight God sometimes, I certainly do, and that simply makes the "infection" worse.  I have to learn I can't keep any part of my own little world, or it will poison the new world God desires to give me.  I used to look at Christ's teachings as something I "had" to do, and grudgingly, at that.   Now I look at Christ's teachings and think, "Gee, I want to have that in my own life..."  It costs me a lot of pain, suffering and money to be rid of one of those terrible cysts, but I am so happy when everything heals up.  I don't have  to worry so much about a baseball sized infection invading my body.  When God finally gets me to release the pieces of my own little world I feel better, and what's more...I am better.  When my own little world is gone then I get God's bigger better world.

Do you know the worst part of it?  I don't look at my own little world the way I look at my cysts.  I like my own little world; I LOVE my own little world, truth be told.  My own little world is, in its own way, just as nasty and bloody as any cyst I've had cut out of me.  The true difference is I created my own little world.  I didn't choose my cystic acne, but I did choose my own little world.  And not everything is necessarily wrong with my own little world.  Hey I can put some good things into my own creation.  There are lots of very good things in my own little world, but the problem is only God can create an eternal world.  No matter how good my own little world is, it is and will always be a broken sinful world.  Anything good in my own little world will become infected by/with my sick sinful human nature.  No matter how good my little world is or seems to be it is still shot through with sin and brokenness.   You know even Adolf Hitler did good for the German people, during his terrible reign.  Nothing good Hitler did can come close to standing up against all of the horrible evil he did. 

My own little world needs to be blown to little flaming bits.  It's painful when God blows up my own little world, but I am learning gratitude!  I am most thankful for the understanding and wisdom to see the problem and allow God to keep destroying it.  

You may be assured God is faithful, and may be trusted to keep blowing up your own little world.  You know what I mean, don't you?   The ways you and I think and live which look good, but are, in fact, infected with sin and brokenness.  God is faithful, and will faithfully keep blowing up our "own little worlds".   I always like the way God says things...

 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord and shun evil."

 

  See, we aren't trustworthy...AT ALL!!  But God is, and he will keep destroying what we think is best.  Now let us get on board with God's efforts to destroy our own little worlds.  Don't keep any of the pieces, throw them out of your life, so God can give you an eternal world of his own creation.

 

Bless You...

 

 

 

 

Stop Holding Off And Live Born Again

 

 

 

"...to be made new in the attitude of your minds;"

Ephesians 4:23

 

 

There is a Xangan I'd like to thank and give credit for inspiring this post.  Miss @clumsyandunaware posted this on a recent pulse...  

Truer words have never been spoke.  But they are dangerous words to say, especially to those who call ourselves Christians in America.   Miss "clumsy..." we American Christians are a freedom minded people who don't like hearing things which make us someone's property.   None the less the statement you make is gospel truth...

"You are not your own; you were bought at a price."

1 Corinthians 6:19 & 20

We don't like the idea of being bought and owned, even if it is God's doing.  We don't openly rebel against what God says, we excuse our rejection of God's ownership by quoting some other Scripture which speaks to freedom.  Never mind that the same Scriptures which proclaim our freedom in Christ proclaim God's ownership of us.  We belong to God, and he calls us to the works he desires for us to do.   I've heard Christians often quote part of Jesus teaching,

"You may ask anything in my name and I will do it for you."

John 14:14

But the same savior who says "...ask anything in my name..."  also says

 

"Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees the Father doing, because what the Father does the Son does."

John 15:19

So when asking Jesus for something it must always and without fail be completely in line with Father's perfect will, purposes, plans and ways.  Jesus himself was sent into the world to be a "lamb lead to the slaughter"; a suffering servant savior. 

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son."

Romans 8: 29

 

So if it is Jesus' desire to do what he sees his Father doing then to be in the image and likeness of Christ necessarily means I, a born again person, desire to do only what Father is doing.  I like what my friend Shawn says, "Find out where God is working and involve yourself in that work."   So simple, but not at all self-serving or self-centered, but very like Christ.  The call is God's, the work is God's, the credit is God's, and God making us a worker in his call and in his work is intended to be a tasty slice of heaven.    In the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, his disciples leave Jesus to go and purchase food  (John 4).  When the disciples return it is just in time to see the Samaritan woman leave Jesus.  His disciples can only watch silently, which is not at all surprising.  No good Jew could ever understand why another good Jew would ever speak to a Samaritan, let alone a female Samaritan.   One of Jesus' disciples finally tells him they've got food, to which Jesus responds, "I have food you don't know about... My food is to do the will of my Father."   No wonder Jesus wants to do whatever Father is doing, IT IS GOOD FOOD!!

Here's the deal if you claim to be born again then God owns you.  God doesn't treat us like slaves, but that is what we are.  I love the way Paul says it, "I am a bond servant of righteousness..."   Jesus was a bond servant; slave of righteousness, and so like his savior, Paul reveled; boasted; loved; rejoiced in being a slave of God.  Being a slave of righteousness isn't so much obligation as it is the DNA of every born again lamb of God.  Obedience isn't burdensome, because we, literally, have the the spiritual DNA of Christ... What do you think "partakers of the divine nature, " means??   "We are kind after his (Jesus') kind."  We are made new creations being molded into the eternal image of Jesus Christ.   But of course that kind of thinking isn't what we freedom minded American Christians want to think about or do.   Too bad, because slavery to Christ is better than one day as a free American. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Can't Produce The Fruit Of Obedience For You

 

 

 

 

 

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32

 

 

 

I used to get so upset with people who asked for my help dealing with the LGBT people in their lives.  I've given all I have to give, but it will never be enough.  I can't teach you how to obey God.  Obedience is the teacher every believer in Jesus Christ needs.  If you want to know how to reach LGBT people for Christ then go and reach out to LGBT persons.  Now there is one thing I can tell you:  Don't ever say to God,  "I don't know what to do so I can't do anything."  That won't fly with God.  Saying, "I don't know so I won't go," will only bring God's swift and harsh judgment down on your head.  I pity Christians when I hear them say such foolish things.  Jesus did NOT say, "GO!" But only after you figure out what I'm calling you to do..."   "GO!" But not until you figure me out..."   The only person who needs to know what he's doing is God.  

If you say to God, "I don't know..." his response is, "That's right, you don't know.  And if you did know then you would be me, so it is best for you that you don't know."   "I don't know," is the exact right answer.  God does not judge us for our ignorance, God condemns those who won't go when he tells them to go. 

Consider Moses; Exodus 3 & 4.  God tells Moses to go to Pharaoh, 3:10.   For the rest of chapter 3 and the first parts of chapter 4, Moses expresses his doubts about his own ability to carry out God's call on his life, and God explains to Moses why he should simply trust him.   Four times Moses expresses his doubts to God; Exodus 3:11, 13 and 4:1, 10.  God carefully explains what Moses is to do about each of his doubts.   All the while Moses is expressing his doubts God is telling how it will work out just fine.   God, it appears has no problem with Moses' doubts, and shows no anger or impatience with him.  God has a solution for each of Moses' doubts.  God knew exactly what needed to be done. He showed Moses he knew what to expect.   God is completely fine with the fact you don't know what to do with sexually broken people.  Ignorance is clearly not a sin, and God shows Moses, and us, that he is very patient and caring about the predicament he places us in when he calls us to his works.  

God is just fine with us not knowing what to do when he tells us to "GO!"  But we know that God did become angry with Moses, don't we? So was God finally getting tired of Moses' continued questioning and doubts?  No, the text never gives us anything to say that God is getting the least bit put out with Moses because he can't do what God has called him to do.  Admitting we don't know what to do will draw God's favor and help, never his anger.  So what did Moses do to draw God's hot anger?   We are told in Exodus 4:14 that God loses his temper with Moses...

¹⁴ "Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses..."

Why all of a sudden does God become hot with anger at Moses??  How does Moses get God's shorts in such a bunch?  If God isn't upset with his many doubts or ignorance then what makes God so angry with Moses??   Let's take a look at Exodus 4:13

^{13 "}But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”

When Moses says to God, "Find someone else to call," we are told that God becomes hot with anger toward Moses.  Ignorance doesn't draw fire from God.  Doubting our abilities to carry out God's call doesn't disturb God in the least either.  It is when Moses decides he simple doesn't want to do what God is telling him to do that God becomes burning mad at Moses. 

Not knowing what to do is never a problem for God, so if you say to God, "I don't know what to do," be assured God is not angry with you.  God did not become angry when Moses confessed his doubts in his ability to carry out God's commands, so he certainly won't hold ignorance or inability against you either.   The sin in God's eyes is refusing to do what he tells us to do.  You may be assured God knows you are completely incapable of knowing what to do, and that you are simply inadequate to carry out his wishes.   God doesn't expect us to do his work for him.  God only expects that we trust that he knows exactly how to achieve his ends.  God has more "able" than we have incapable.   "No", is the answer which brings God's burning hot anger down upon us.  We may be assured that if God's anger burns against us we've earned it, through unbelief and rebellion.   There is no sin in ignorance or inability, but there is great sin in rebellious disobedience.  Say to God, "Please send someone else," and there will be Hell to pay, and the expense is coming out of your own hide.

You may say to God, "I don't know what to do about gay people," and you may be assured God will not condemn you.  But say to God, "No, I don't want to deal with gay people," and you may be assured of God's harsh judgment.  If Jesus says,  “If you love me, keep my commands," then surely we may say, "If I disobey God's commands, I prove I do not love him."

Ignorance is no sin, but remaining ignorant is Hell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nope, It Doesn't Serve God's Purposes...

 

 

 

 

Since returning to Columbia, SC, and the church I attended then, I'm reminded of some loose ends left when I moved from here to there.  One of loose ends, upper most in my thinking, has been something my pastor said to me, not long before I left, "Lonnie, when are you going to let yourself off the hook for your past (in homosexuality)?"  I stayed silent, because I was impressed to remain silent.  I knew God had an answer for the question, and I knew it was a good one...a VERY good answer.  What I didn't understand then I have come to understand now.  I needed the answer more than my pastor needed the answer then.   God's answer was simple but among the most profound things I've ever learned from God.

I'll tell you what that answer was:

"Lonnie, you'll get off the hook, for your past, when the Church removes you from it, by taking your place on that hook."

It took almost another five years before I was able to understand why God wanted to give me his answer long before he wanted my pastor to have it.  It took a long time for God's answer to grow on me and into me.   I, of course, became more angry when God answered that very important question my pastor asked.  I remember my response to God when he filled me in.  "Well, God," I said sarcastically, "I won't be holding my breath waiting for the Church to step up and take me off the hook.  I'm certain if you came back in a 100 years my sun bleached bones will still be dangling from that, proverbial, hook."    I was still seeing things from a decidedly negative perspective.  I must confess here I do not believe the Church, for the most part, will ever step up to get on the hook where I hang, but that is God's problem and not mine.   Mine is to join my life to Christ in his yoke, and pull the burden he pulls.  Not that I'm the one really doing the pulling, mind you.  That I think is the heart of the matter... for me at least... Christ's burden and Christ's yoke.

Jesus says it like this: 

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

Don't get me wrong, I'm not happy with Christians who continually refuse to obey what Christ says, but today I have a greater sense of disappointment that my fellow Christians are missing out on the great work Jesus would do in and through them to a lost and dying world.  I've also come to realize too many of my fellow Christians are no different from the homosexual state, from which God freed me.  How could I remain angry with a Church as lost as I was??   

Perhaps you will accuse me of being full of myself... How dare I pass such judgment??!!  I must think far too highly of myself, or I'd never dare say such things about my fellow Christians.  But how is it that Christians who are called, cleansed, justified, and freed, by Jesus Christ cannot understand how to reach sexually broken people?  The cure for sexually broken people is relationship with God, and relationship with his people THE CHURCH!    The Church cannot see, because they are blind; Christians are just as relationally broken as any gay person walking around today.   If Christians understood their relationship to God, they'd see clearly how to help the sexually broken.  The answer was always so simple I thought Christians were just being mean.  I thought Christians fully understood what they were doing, and were actively refusing to offer what they had in Christ to gay people.  The biggest shock of my life wasn't that God could free me, and anyone else from their sinful thinking and ways, but that most of my fellow Christians don't understand or have the kind of relationship to God they think they do.  

How could I go on being angry with Christians when they are just as relationally broken as I was in my own gay lifestyle??  I'm certainly not angry with LGBT people.   They are, after all, just being what they are, and what they are is ignorant of what true relationship is meant to be.   If I can't be mad at the gay people then I can't be mad at the religious people, and for the same reason. 

I don't know what God wants to do with this new found understanding he's given, but I'm not angry any longer.  I'm still passionate, but not angry.  God has a way, and he'll show me what he wants in his own good time.

 

 

 

 

 

The Heart Is Where Home Is

 

 

 

“Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”

  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.   But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

1 Corinthians 15:55-57

 

"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;"

Psalms 23:4

 

 

"If God is standing in the valley of the shadow of death, it is the place we should desire most to be."

 

Our circumstance might look like death.  Indeed we might be standing upon the threshold of death's door, but wherever God stands he brings life.  God cannot fail to be and bring eternal life wherever he is.  To follow God is to find life.  Though God stands a foot from death, eternal life, then, would be standing next to death.   Death's location has nothing to do with how close or far eternal life is.   If we are in Christ, though we die, (death takes our physical bodies) we're still eternally alive, because we are in Christ. 

5 years and 10 months ago, when I left my heart's home in Columbia, SC, I simply left my heart behind.  I didn't realize it, until I met up with my heart, upon returning to Columbia.  To be precise I left my heart at my church, Calvary Chapel North(E)ast Columbia; CCNE for short.   Feel better?   I'VE NEVER FELT BETTER!  But it would have been better if I'd taken my heart with me.  I'd have been obeying God if I'd taken my heart with me, instead of insisting I should never have had to leave CCNE.  I don't know how long God will allow me to stay at CCNE, but I know he'll be moving me on eventually.  I'm going to enjoy and appreciate the joy and tears while I'm here, but when I leave CCNE the next time I'll be taking all of me.  I love the pastors and people at my church.  I love being back to work as a merchandising manager for a furniture company. 

God doesn't  ever tell us to figure him out.  Jesus says:

"and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Matthew 10:3-5

If we are truly born again people we are the Good Shepherd's sheep.  We may not FEEL like following God, but that will never work.  We may feel we'd rather be in some other pasture.  (Isn't the grass always greener on the other side of the fence?).  God doesn't reside in those contrary feelings.  God calls us to follow him, and our part is to do what he asks of us with our WHOLE HEART.  I can't find where God says, "First clear my commands with your FEELINGS, and then obey them."  Jesus says:

“If you love me, keep my commands."

John 14:15

 

The problem is our FEELINGS... they are too big for us, but thanks be to God!  God tells us how to overcome those overpowering FEELINGS of ours... love, completely devote, and serve God with our WHOLE HEART.  When our heart for God grows bigger than our FEELINGS, God overwhelms our feelings!  Our feelings are put in their place and we become more and more Christ's sheep.  God has a HEART of love for us, and when we obey Christ's commands he expands our HEARTS for him and others.

When we're facing a dead end, or are, literally, standing on the threshold of death's door, and our FEELINGS are telling us to RUN AWAY!!!!!!!  God is there with a bigger HEART full of eternal life and love for us.   When we answer his call to obey our completely devoted, loving, serving WHOLE HEARTS for God will overwhelm our overpowering FEELINGS and bring them down to size.

 

WHOLE HEART FOR GOD       > our feelings <

 

I'm gonna let God have the last word... And WOW is it BIG!!!!!

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 15:13

 

 

 

 

 

My Brother's...Hee, Hee, Hee!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today is my brother's 50th Birthday.  I've still got more than a year and a half before my half century mark.   We're having a party for the old boy tomorrow afternoon.  Of course we probably should call it abuse rather than a party.  I went to Goodwill today and got him his "Old Man Clothes".  It's an ugly green pen striped pair of pants, an orange, rust, and some other color checked shirt.   Topping off the ugly mess is a multicolored checked camel hair jacket, which should never have been allowed to escape the 80's unburned.  I'm putting it in a "Joseph A. Banks" bag, and including instructions.  "This is your "Old Man Clothing":

 

INSTRUCTIONS:  Now that you are an old man there are certain rules about clothes. First step when dressing is walk into your closet and shut the door behind you.  When you are completely in the dark begin dressing.  When you are fully dressed you may step out of the closet. 

IMPORTANT NOTICE:  Whatever you do, don't...DO NOT, look at yourself in a mirror.  At your age no one cares what you look like anyway.  And when they see you in these clothes they might feel sorry enough for you, to give you money!  Also remember the proper place to wear your pants is now just below your armpits.  Inspectors will be measuring to make sure the top of your pants are properly placed.

 

I also got him a nice gift card from Lowes.  He may even forgive me in time for his 60th Birthday!!