Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Explanation


I thought before I moved on to other topics I might give an explanation as to why I choose to entitle the last 13 Post as “What Can Be Said”.

When I started this series I really had no idea as to why I chose this title for the topic, other than I hoped it would cause people to be curious enough to read into what was being said.
However, somewhere within sharing my past and being where God wanted me to be I began to see how the events of the past are directly related to the understanding of present-day.

For years I wondered what God had in mind for me but not enough to do anything about it. Not enough to be active in a spiritual way, or to be where He wanted me to be and under the Authority of those who are now over me. I had an understanding of who God was and when I started to return to Church and be where God wanted me to be I gained a new understanding of God. Over the last two years or so that understanding changed again. I moved from one understanding to another understanding or as the Word of God says, moving from one type of glory to another type of glory. Praises be to God.

Still, with all possible humility I say that what ever distance I have come spiritually speaking, there are depths of understand that I can not currently fathom.

So to answer the question, “what can be said”?
We have a Sovereign God who demands our obedience and our loyalty and our devotion. And how better than to show you in the Word of God.

1 Peter 2:9-10 But you are (A)A CHOSEN RACE, A (B)royal PRIESTHOOD, A (C)HOLY NATION, (D)A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you (E)out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10(F)for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

A) 1 Peter 2:9 : Is 43:20; Deut 10:15
B) 1 Peter 2:9 : Is 61:6; 66:21; 1 Pet 2:5; Rev 1:6
C) 1 Peter 2:9 : Ex 19:6; Deut 7:6
D) 1 Peter 2:9 : Ex 19:5; Deut 4:20; 14:2; Titus 2:14
E) 1 Peter 2:9 : Is 9:2; 42:16; Acts 26:18; 2 Cor 4:6
F) 1 Peter 2:10 : Hos 1:10; 2:23; Rom 9:25; 10:19

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

What Can Be Said 013


Continuing with Post # 012, I am finding the part of my past that I wanted to write about is difficult to put into words, there is too much detail and not enough words. Sometimes the pictures of our memories are not easily put into words. As stated in the phrase, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” I guess the challenge is going to know what to add and what to exclude.

“Even in the negative thought progress of one’s own depravity God will get your attention.” I had originally intended to put down in words every detail of how God had decided to get my attention, and how it had affected me spiritually. However, I think if I did that it would be more like glorifying me than glorifying God. I know that the, “old man” in me enjoys the idea of what your response would be concerning those events. Moreover, we are in no way here to glorify ourselves, but it is God Almighty whom the glory belongs.

To be completely truthful it wasn’t until some years had passed that I looked back and understood that God was tapping me on the shoulder and it was God telling me that I had strayed beyond the limitations of the flock. We are after all under Authority and we do have limitations. Indeed, we are free, but there are without doubt places that will be harmful for us to stray into.

I remember just before calling to God and just after thanking Him for saving me from each event, for “pulling me through” as it were, though that feeling of thankfulness didn’t stay long. I guess I just wasn’t ready to admit that I was angry over my physical condition. Moreover, I certainly was not ready to say I was sorry for my actions or my feelings.

I’m sure no one looks forward to the feeling of impending death; and fear that I felt was real but I’m not sure on some level it wasn’t what I really wanted. Not the fear, but the death. Life in it self can be miserable but having to live with the fact that you will never again have that that was taken away is (or was) beyond what could handle. In the simplicity of my mind, I knew I was saved, and in that gave a kind of comfort to the idea. I hated what I was and what I had become and I hated God for putting me in that situation.

I never did attempt to take my own life, not in the traditional ways. I simply continued on the path I was heading, slowly tearing down whatever was left.

The bright spot in this situation is that God did eventually get my attention and He did help me to come to terms with my physical condition. Although I still didn’t understand the, “why” in all this, God taught me that I could live this way and that I could worship Him this way. The breath the depth and the length of all this would take time and I was willing to wait.

It was 1998 when I finally started coming back to Church, yeah I had come a couple times a year for a while but I still remember the Sunday that I was sitting in Church and I realized that I had come two weeks in a row. Seems silly now but it was very important to me then. Yes, I still mess up and I still have questions but not as many as before. Thank you Lord.