Friday, November 13, 2009

life at memorial north park

The Ninevah Experence

Here is an idea.

Suppose you woke up one day and said to yourself

“Said to your self”, heh, I guess that’s the first sign that mental health is questionable here

But

Suppose you woke up and said to yourself

“Hey”

“See that guy over there”

“Yeah the one who got sick and had to come home to his only living relative”

“Yeah the one who has an incurable eye disease that’s blinding him”

“Yeah that guy”

“Well I HATE him”

“Nah I don’t actually know him”

“But I am going to do everything I can to get him”

“For What?”

“It don’t matter … I ain’t got no reason.”

“I am going to break into the house and plant cameras and microphones. I am going to get everyone in da hood to help and if it gets to be too much I am going to hire a big expensive company to help. I am going to put a gps device and some microphones in his car. I am going to watch him 24 hours a day at home, at work and at church. I am going to poison his food and pay as many people as I can to try to make things hard for him”

“Nah I don’t know him, I hear he ain’t been in town in over twenty years”

“Well nah he a’int done nothing to me.. but”

“I still HATE him”

Psalm 37:32 The Wicked watches the Righteous and seeks to slay him

Thats kind of a strange way to start a article....

But that’s my life in Chattanooga.

You are wondering first of all why someone spends a lot of money and a lot of time and a lot of effort going after someone who doesn't even know their name? Its really a good question and i have to admit i have asked myself that question from time to time. But when i don't understand something I turn to God's word.

Proverbs 23:12 Apply your heart to instruction. And your ears to the words of knowledge.

See I am not operating under the illusion that i actually know anything. The fact that i am not dead already is just a testimony to the saving power of my incredible all knowing, all powerful God. But I am smart enough to know that i can get on my knees and pray to a supernatural God that has all my answers.

Daniel 1:22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in darkness, and light dwells with Him.

You may think you are doing dirt on the down low, but trust me....

God knows

and he will reveal it

That’s called revelational knowledge,

You have no logical way to have known it

But the Holy Spirit will download it into your spirit.

Its sort of like Holy ghost itunes,

......without the silly charges.

But you have to ask and it has to be in his will for you to know.

Daniel 1:23 I thank you and praise you, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might. and have now made known to me what we asked of you.

The problem is that I don't always know the correct questions to ask. I mean I could ask God how long? I could ask God why? I could ask God if the Titans will ever win the Super Bowl?

But God's ways are higher than my ways and those of coach Fisher

Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts

How can i hope to understand why or how God allows the sons of disobedence to do the things that they do. I mean its like a french man trying to understand a bollywood movie without the corny sub titles. I will never understand how you can hate someone you don't know.

For that matter if i could understand hate at all, i wouldn't be a child of God.

If you can look at your life right now and name one person that you hate then you are not saved.

Jesus said that the second greatest commandment was

Matthew 22:39 […] You shall love your neighbor as yourself

The word of God also says

Leviticus 19:17 You shall not hate your brother in your heart

I'm not even trying to understand how so many people can think it’s such a great idea to persecute, poison and stalk another human being.

Much less a human being who you don’t know

It makes a statement about the nature of the pagan world.

For most of my life, I never saw the difference between Christians and Pagans.

I used to think, well Christians are the ones who get up Sunday and go to church.

That was the only difference that I saw.

Well now I know the difference, Christians are the ones who can not hate their brother.

You know I said I didn’t understand how so many people could think doing evil to a Christian was such a good idea…

But Jesus understood, he said

John 15:18-19 If the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you

It’s spiritual

Look, If you ever find yourself spending two years trying to get even with someone you don’t know who has never done anything to you…

You probably have a problem

Hate is a problem.. and it’s a spiritual problem

Jesus knew it and he said

John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Hate is a spiritual problem.

But it’s not my problem.

When this all started, I thought it was a curse. I mean here I have a whole army of people who don’t know me but are willing to do anything to get me. But the word of God has a way of putting things in proper perspective. See I thought it was a curse, but it was actually a blessing.

The word of God says

Philippians 1:29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake

Philippians 1:30 having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear in me

You see, I am suffering for the sake of Christ

And that’s good news..

If you are a sinner the devil doesn’t bother you. Why should he? He’s got you on the highway to hell… with an alcohol wash rag around your neck.

If you are just a lukewarm I just go to church to talk about people Christian. The devil is not going to mess with you. You might as well be on his payroll.

But, if you are really in love with the word,

if you really want to live for Jesus…

If you read the word of God and delight in it….

If you are a tongue talking holy ghost filled person with a heart to submit and serve the lord your God..

Well then the devil has got to come at you with both guns blazing

And the fact that he has to throw so much at you, tells you

Just how close you’ve gotten to God

And Just how big a destiny he has for you

And if that doesn’t make you do a holy ghost happy dance nothing will

God is in control of the situation

And God has a purpose for you being in this situation

Maybe you can’t see it yet..

But the word says

Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the lord, and he delights in his way,

So God is guiding my life…

He may have taken me through a valley, but the only way to get to a mountain top is to come from a valley

It makes no sense for me to worry about it. So I don’t worry. I simply trust in the Lord. I don’t know why people do the things they do. I can’t understand and I have given up trying. I simply know that god is in control and I know what Gods thoughts are toward me

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope

I may be in a storm.

But I still love the Lord and one day the storm will be over.

And I will be rewarded

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, and he shall give you the desires of your heart

I can’t look at the storm… I am too busy looking at the sunshine that’s coming over the horizon