WARNING!!! You do not want to read this!
Let me warn you now - I am going to say some things that might make you mad. I don't care!
God has been moving my heart all year, and today I had the opportunity to explain somethings to a couple guys and as I did I started to realize that what I am preaching I'm not truly living. My Christmas was amazing and I love the joy my family gets from it, but is it possible to get the same joy from giving to those in need rather than ourselves? But I was also disappointed in myself because I vowed earlier this year to make a change yet I fell back into the same old trap that the Devil has set. I am meant to follow Christ in my life and put God first in everything I do. But i'm not.
Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be born in a manger, but not the nice pretty one you see in the nativity scenes. He lived his first 30 years poor studying what we call the old testament and became a carpenter from Nazareth. One statement in the bible says (John 1:46) "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" He had no formal education, no college, no iphone, no McDonalds, and he never traveled more than 200 miles from his birthplace. He lived his three year ministry with no home, a drifter. There is a reason all this happened, because he could have easily been born in a palace, lived a lavish lifestyle like Solomon and David. He could have just snapped his fingers and everyone would know he WAS GOD. But he didn't. God in the flesh lived a sinless life as a poor, homeless, Jewish carpenter from the ghetto and died a sinners death and was denied by all of those whom he loved.
So here is my question: What makes me (or anyone) think that God cares about the car I drive, house I buy, the kind of shoes I wear, or how much money I have in my bank account? God sheds his blessing on us so we can do something with the money that matters, not so I can "upgrade." Go tell a kid in Guatemala or Africa, or Russia that God wants me to have all these nice things (where kids are dropped off in orphanages at any age by the boatload, starved to death, and die daily from minor diseases). Jesus never said anything of the sort, in fact this is what he said:
I will focus on myself, because I take for granted too many times the blessings I have received in life. I get caught up in the american dream of success and wealth. I think in advance of where my kids should attend college and what kind of nice car I should drive. I eat out too much and I just flat out waste money. Christ said it would be hard for the rich to enter God's kingdom(Matthew 19:23). But am I rich? Compared to who? 50% of the world would say YES! Revelation speaks of lukewarm Christians being spit out of the mouth of Christ (Revelation 3:15-17). I don't want to be luke warm anymore. We were never meant to gain and gain and gain because we are blessed by God. To truly follow Christ we are to give and give and give like Jesus did. Christ didn't die so we could have fancy things and live beyond our means, I need to humble myself and step back and remember that my whole life in it's self is a blessing and I need to make the most of it.....
"so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty,but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."Isaiah 55:11
God has been moving my heart all year, and today I had the opportunity to explain somethings to a couple guys and as I did I started to realize that what I am preaching I'm not truly living. My Christmas was amazing and I love the joy my family gets from it, but is it possible to get the same joy from giving to those in need rather than ourselves? But I was also disappointed in myself because I vowed earlier this year to make a change yet I fell back into the same old trap that the Devil has set. I am meant to follow Christ in my life and put God first in everything I do. But i'm not.
Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be born in a manger, but not the nice pretty one you see in the nativity scenes. He lived his first 30 years poor studying what we call the old testament and became a carpenter from Nazareth. One statement in the bible says (John 1:46) "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" He had no formal education, no college, no iphone, no McDonalds, and he never traveled more than 200 miles from his birthplace. He lived his three year ministry with no home, a drifter. There is a reason all this happened, because he could have easily been born in a palace, lived a lavish lifestyle like Solomon and David. He could have just snapped his fingers and everyone would know he WAS GOD. But he didn't. God in the flesh lived a sinless life as a poor, homeless, Jewish carpenter from the ghetto and died a sinners death and was denied by all of those whom he loved.
So here is my question: What makes me (or anyone) think that God cares about the car I drive, house I buy, the kind of shoes I wear, or how much money I have in my bank account? God sheds his blessing on us so we can do something with the money that matters, not so I can "upgrade." Go tell a kid in Guatemala or Africa, or Russia that God wants me to have all these nice things (where kids are dropped off in orphanages at any age by the boatload, starved to death, and die daily from minor diseases). Jesus never said anything of the sort, in fact this is what he said:
Luke 9:22-24
New International Version (NIV)
22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.
I will focus on myself, because I take for granted too many times the blessings I have received in life. I get caught up in the american dream of success and wealth. I think in advance of where my kids should attend college and what kind of nice car I should drive. I eat out too much and I just flat out waste money. Christ said it would be hard for the rich to enter God's kingdom(Matthew 19:23). But am I rich? Compared to who? 50% of the world would say YES! Revelation speaks of lukewarm Christians being spit out of the mouth of Christ (Revelation 3:15-17). I don't want to be luke warm anymore. We were never meant to gain and gain and gain because we are blessed by God. To truly follow Christ we are to give and give and give like Jesus did. Christ didn't die so we could have fancy things and live beyond our means, I need to humble myself and step back and remember that my whole life in it's self is a blessing and I need to make the most of it.....
Luke 12:15
New International Version (NIV)
15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
"so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty,but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."Isaiah 55:11
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