Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday....Someday

Someday is better than Today

  



The idea of "someday" seems so innocent. Our lives are often consumed with the troubles of today. Media continues to bombard us with fear, making us conscious of world crisis, as well personal issues (Chemical Weapons in Syria, Government Shut Down, Oil Prices Rising, Paper Due in 3 Hours, School Loans, Job Lost, Best Friend Dies). Every day has its own problems, and everywhere we see conflict that affects our daily walk. Here's what is interesting: when we dream of "someday", we quickly forget that someday will have struggles of it's own. "The someday house does not have a mortgage payment on it, the someday job is stable, the someday world is at peace"... Truth is, the someday will always seem more appealing that life today. This is because in our minds we want to believe we will have it all together. We often accept the lie that life will not be stressful and won't be falling apart. 


Reality “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.” ― A.W. Tozer

Just looking back and ahead in the overarching story of what my life has become, someday never turns out like you expected. Growing up I never thought Travis (my brother) at age 13 would have Thyroid cancer. The end of my Junior year of high school, the first day of summer, did not turn out like I anticipated. Finding out my dad cheated on my mother and leading to my parents divorce, (now that part of my life is better and God is working) My someday dorm room never had a scenario where my laptop would be stolen. I did not foresee my car dieing over Christmas break this year. The struggle with lustful passions all throughout high school, always thinking I should be stronger than what I really am. Being benched my entire Junior year of football after putting my all in every practice and workout was not on my agenda.  But I did not imagine how close I would be to God in the hard times of my somedays. That peace has consumed me. The turn of the tables is that I did not anticipate how good God would be to me. I could not have imagined the blessings I have seen in the Somedays of life, a family friend replaces my laptop for me, my car dies and someone decides to give my family their old car. My parents are divorced but my father is making steps to find God and that relationship is ten times better than I thought it would ever be. I am currently playing college football at Eureka College and swimming as well, and through sport I am a living testimony to my teammates. I did not think so much goodness could happen to me out of tragedy. I was not blessed because I am such a swell guy, no I am blessed so that I can give God all the credit and tell others about all He has done in my life and how much my relationship to Him means to me. I am blessed because God is good not because I am good by any means. I am glad I was put through various trials in my life because it has refined me into something greater, that I have become a more usable tool for God to use. It is my trust In Christ and His perfection that I can have the strength to face the Somedays of life. 

1 Peter 5:7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Someday the Messiah will come
The Jews were waiting for someday for the Messiah to come and save them, and when Jesus did come they were so focused on Someday that they did not see Jesus when He was here.

Luke 4:16-30

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,


18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph's son?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers[a] in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away.

Scripture was written in the Old Testament telling of the coming King from the line of David, and when Jesus started his public ministry the people denied him because Jesus did not fit in the the Someday scenario that the Jews had planned for Messiah to be. God already knows all the days of your life, none of the events of your story are surprising to Him or catch Him off guard. Do not be so bent on your will for "someday" that when God leads you in another direction you say to God my will be done. I have noticed the more plans I put up in my life the more God is app to tear them down. 

Dealing with God's will

Let me lay it out God is for God, that means the will of God is for God. It is not about your passions to succeed at business, sports, school, that girl friend or boy friend. The will of God is not mystical but it is found in the Bible. Man can not go off of gut feelings and emotions and then connect these feelings to be God's will. The Bible will not have a mapped out step by step plan of your life, but on how to live your life is a different story entirely. God cares about transforming you into the image of Jesus Christ His beloved son. God cares how you treat people and love them. Above all God's will is that He wants you to devote your life to be a living sacrifice. Not what job to take, where to live, the important thing is are you pursuing God in everyday life. Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.  If that is what you are doing it does not matter what you are doing as long as you are living a Godly life and being transformed in Christ's image. realize there will be no point when you say I have arrived, I am exactly who God wants me to be, the only time that will be said is when you go to heaven. How does this tie into "Someday" well if start seeing God as in complete control and see each day as a day to chase after God more and more, and that hard times are actually a blessing for us because we can find peace in knowing and experiencing  God through it all. Live life with God for it is the only way to truly live.  John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 

When the Someday's of life happen have faith, John 16: 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Jesus has already won the war, and every battle of our lives, Chaos may arise in our lives but we have peace. Many times we praise God once we have made it through the valley of the shadow of death, because afterward we see his Glory and power and praise. We need to start praising during our walk through the valley of the shadow of death, because He is on the throne over all, all the time. Death has died and Jesus Christ has won. What the world plans for evil God uses for good, the best reversal of all time is when God crushed His one and only Son, causing us who are called to be saved. God killed Jesus, and Jesus sacrificed Himself for all who believe, in one fell swoop with the resurrection of Christ Jesus it annihilated Death. By the death of Jesus death also died with Him, but Jesus rose from the grave so now all who repent and trust Jesus for there source of purpose and livelihood now will never truly die, but have life forever. 

“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done."- C.S Lewis 

Author-Taylor Huber
Editor- Dan Murphy

War War Never Changes- Fallout 3

I make war! Cause sin never sleeps It's got me in a trance You can see it in my dreams I make war! Man I beat my flesh
To the death, every breath Like I beat my chest I make war

Spiritual Warfare

Christmas break almost over, which means I will return to Eureka College. The long Christmas break has become a cease-fire or retreat from the "War" that takes place on campus each day. Some may happen weep for their classmates out of the pain and heartbreaking love that they have for them. Personally the thought of people, who I go to school with day in and day out that do not follow Christos 
(2Corinthians 5: 14-15) "For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised."). keeps me up at night from time to time. The truth is, that War never changes, whether it is on the battlefield of campus/job, or to when everybody goes home. War, War follows you home. We have all heard the stories of men who went out to battle and come home with traumatic stress. Out in War the soldiers  sometimes see their best friends blown up in front of them. Some warriors are captured and are held prisoner for years. Battle scars are created from the events from what is seen in war. War can change a man, but War the very event itself never changes. The warrior returns home thinking the war is over, but the war in the mind has just begun. When you fall asleep and the events play back in your head over and over only to haunt you. Fallout 3 was right, "War Never Changes"Evil never changes, lets be honest.  

Ephesians 6:12 (NASB) For our struggle (war) is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

The war we fight as Christians is not just an external war but also an internal of the soul. Our struggle is against darkness, spiritual forces, wickedness. Our struggle is not against people, the lost or thoses who are considered enemies of the Gospel, (" Romans 11:28 From the standpoint of the Gospel "the lost" are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers")

Instead of seeing people as enemies in War, we need to see them as potential family members of the body of Christ. That we want to see our friends and family, classmates, teachers, all who are around us in our lives...ect in heaven to know the love that we have with Christ and In Christ. Matthew 25:40“And the King (God) will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’(Think about it) Who can be lower than those who are not enriched in Christ and known by Christ. This is a whole new perspective of how to see who are "the least of theses" in our lives. Because the way we treat others should be the same way we would treat Jesus. When we care the the weak and the lost and our enemies that is how Jesus cared for us when we were in darkness. Make War, because War Never Changes, evil never rests, but be encouraged God never changes  (Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.) and He to never rests, and one day He will put evil to rest and then the world will be at peace.

Revelation 21:3-4

And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

War Never Changes but war will cease to exist, and be nothing but a memory.

Take the words I have wrote, think and test it with Scripture for I need to hear this message just as much as the reader does, for I am just man. Be Humble, May Grace and Truth be with you always.

We've been blinded to our blindness.- Gandalf

     

We've been blinded to our blindness.- Gandalf

Background of the Hobbit
The Lord of the Rings books and movies have Biblical truth and ideas fluttered throughout the series. From the over arching story of Good vs. Evil, the over the top characters, and the wisdom and in-depth development of the lore. A humorous story about The Lord of the Rings, is that it almost did not exist at all. C.S Lewis took a gander at J.R.R Tolkien's manuscript for The Hobbit and Lewis pleaded for Tolkien to publish the book. But Tolkien said that his stories were just stories he wrote to read to his children and it would be past down generation after generation. Lewis decided to "barrow" Tolkien's copy of The Hobbit and Lewis forged Tolkien's signature and started the publishing processes of The Hobbit. So basically if Tolkien did not help lead C.S Lewis to Christ and Lewis did not commit forgery to publish The Hobbit, it is very likely the The Lord of the Rings would not even exist. So it is by the Grace of God that C.S Lewis started following Christ and that we have The Lord of the Rings, and oh how different the world would be if Lewis did not became a Christian and if we did not have Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. God is good all the time.

       

The Real Content

 Kurios Chirstos- Jesus is Sovereign or Jesus Christ is Lord  

"We've been blinded to our blindness" When watching the movie,"and I saw it twice", this quote sparked a dwelling thought in my head, the gears started turning.

I looked back the years before I decided to proclaim Kurios Christos, I thought I was a believer, but in the reality of my situation I was a enemy of the Gospel. I was blind to my hatred. I was a porn addict and the deeper I gave my self to sin the more I tried to cover it up and hide in darkness. But because I went to church, I knew the right answers, and could play the part. I thought I was fooling God. I even fooled my self. (God has conquered all remnant lusts of my heart and I am free from my old way of living and sin, Amen.)

 John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 
Romans 1:24-25 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 
 
Sin is deceitful and lures the lost even farther away form the Light. Man cannot overcome Sin (To be clear only Christos defeated Sin) and receive sight till they know the position that they are in. That fooling your self and thinking you are fooling God will be passed by on judgement day. Knowing you are blind is the first step to being able to See. Only by the power of The Holy Spirit can make the Initiative to even make it known to man how blind we truly are without Christos.

"The Prayer" leads more people to hell than every brothel in America 
 Paul Washer
  
Luke 6:39-40 He (Jesus) also told them a parable: " Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. 

When blind lead the blind it is never in the right direction. We have a common belief that if we get people to say a "prayer" they are saved. the so called sacred prayer in not even in the Bible. The Prayer has become the number one way to lead people to Christos, but it does not lead people to proclaim Kurios Christos. The sinners prayer does lead people it leads them to become deceived and leads them down a broad road to Hell. (you the reader are probably all fired up, just keep reading) Jesus calls us to people to Him and he will do the saving. When the sinners prayer is preformed it is the preachers way to briskly wrap up a sermon in a timely fashion, and not take the time to see that extreme care should be taken when sharing the Gospel. Let me rebuttal you the reader.

• The verse you are probable going to use is Romans 10:9 because if you confess mouth that Jesus is Lord and Believe in you heart that God raised him from the Dead you will be saved. 

             The cost of Believing in Jesus is Lord came with a cost, do you not know, only Caesar could be Lord. That in the Roman Empire to call anyone but Caesar Lord was to be hailed as Lord, to say other wise meant death. Think why would the Romans persecute Christians. They severed the poor, loved all people, Christians were persecuted for Believing for living out Jesus is Lord = Kurios Christos. The term Christian was originally a insult to followers of Christ. The prayer takes away from people the Lordship of Christ, and that life will be easy once you "accept Jesus in your heart". Man can't make Jesus Lord of your Life, I'm sorry, Jesus is Lord of your Life weather you think He is or not. Jesus is Lord weather you like it or not. 

• The sinners prayer portrays Jesus as a beggar who is just pleading with you to accept him, that Jesus need man's acceptance. When Blind men lead other Blind men it just causes others to stumble. How about instead of Jesus being the beggar, realize that you should be begging him to accept you, we are lost, hopeless, dead people without Jesus in our lives and leading our Lives.  When preaching the Gospel preach the whole Gospel, to short hand people is dangerous and actually damning. The overflow of your very being crying out for God to save you, and turing away from evil is how we are saved by His Grace. The driving force for God to save his enemies is His unconditional Love. Jesus saves not a prayer. Eternity is a long time to remain Blind forever and not know it. 

Take the words I have wrote, think and test it with Scripture for I need to hear this message just as much as the reader does, for I am just man. Be Humble, May Grace and Truth be with you always.