Living by 2 Samuel 24:21-24

Some days I find myself praying a prayer for my life that looks very similar to this:However,

Have you noticed that true rewards, lasting satisfaction, achieving excellence, building character, showing real love, living for things that last, and pursuing the Kingdom is NOT in any way easy or effortless...Think about the life of Christ... Think about all the good lasting/significant things in your life up to this moment. (I'd be willing to bet that they all came as a result of hard work, faithful risk, or something of the sort. -basically: the opposite of an easy, no effort action, right?)Namely, spending time in prayer and cognitive sweat over scripture, faithfully studying/learning from His word goes directly against our crave for comfort.
Is anyone like me > I find myself asking, "Lord show me your will." - still, sometimes (more than I'd be willing to admit) without a sincere heart, my root reason for asking this question is really only to get out of having to expend effort in my christian walk. I want the answer now, I want it without having to do anything or cultivating any type of relationship. Even worse, my crave for this ease or an immediate answer usually then spills over into my sacrifices for God. My time, my $money$, my relationships, all of them could be offerings to God. But just because we do in fact sacrifice to Him, because we do read our bible, because we do pray- does that automatically qualify us for his favor? Does it ever cost us anything? Is it real?

To sum it up, scripture always does better at revealing my heart's expression than I do:

"I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing."
- 2 Samuel 24:24

what a verse... this will be my prayer now, tonight, tomorrow - and for the rest of my life...

not always cool...

This one is easy to do, and it is not even fun to post about- but God's truth doesn't back down from affecting our comfort zone. This is truth. This is right. Yes, and its contrary to our nature...

The Sin of Partiality

[James chapter 2]

1My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in a good place," while you say to the poor man, "You stand over there," or, "Sit down at my feet," 4have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

8If you really fulfill the royal law accordin g to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well.

things in perspective...

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,
Only what's done for Christ will last.
Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.
Only one life, 'twill soon be past,
Only what's done for Christ will last.
Only one life, 'twill soon be past,
Only what's done for Chirst will last.

Many, if not most of you, already know that the above words captivated the mind of pastor John Piper as he grew up. [If these words can intrigue a mind like Piper's, then I certainly do not want to overlook them without some careful thought...] His book Don't Waste Your Life is centered around this phrase and is jam-packed with scripture to reveal what life is truly meant to be about. I had the chance to read this book with some other bro's in Chirst while in high school.... I was thinking about the book today:
The book is awesome and challenging. Awesome, because the goal and purpose of the book is so crystal clear. More awesome because the aim of the book screams aloud what scripture is (and always has been) saying about how we should live. The book is challenging for the simple fact that it goes against the entire mindset of the American culture . Challenging, b/c it goes against what our flesh desires. Challenging, b/c when you try and live it out - you realize that not many others are striving for the same goal as you are...

But I'm not really writing this post to pump a particular book. (although I love it, and would encourage you to read it, two - or three times!) Rather, this post is on my heart to just put some things in perspective. Think about it. Think about your life. Think about your faith > WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' WITH IT! (and NO, there is not a question mark at the end of that sentence)
The reason I'm screaming this out (for me and for you) NOT in the form of a question - is simply b/c Jesus does not leave this life up for debate! We are not allowed to just pick and choose what scriptures we'll follow. Ya, it can seem overwhelming but maybe this can be some encouragement:
look up II Peter 1:3-4 think about it...

This life is too short to just fiddle fart around with temporary things. Seriously. TV is mostly a time waster... Sittin' around watchin YouTube (as cool as some of the videos are) is mostly just a time waster. He has given us all that we need to know him, but so many other things just seem to get in the way... yet they don't have to...

Talkin' with a good friend the other day, he brought up a great thought. He basically said, "We can rest in eternity, so why not give this life everything we got!" Wow, that resonates within' my heart - and still does now. I guess it hits home b/c -- I complain sooo much. I really do. Man, am I lazy. I whine about my work that needs to get done, or about this and about that. I constantly base my spiritual growth off of what others are doing -rather than the standard of God's word. I usually do not take the time to build others up. I'm just so focused on the temporary. But I think if God wanted to respond to some of those thoughts, he would be tellin' me right now to just stop. To take some time out and step back, really put this life in perspective... He would be saying: Try and see life like I see it. Make it a priority to hear from me and grow your relationship with me before you wonder off into anything else, even if it is somethin' good. Pour out your life for people, for me! Eternity is comin', it's coming quick! You only get one crack at this life, do you get that.- I mean really get it? WHY are you livin' so cautiously! Who are you trying to impress?

--- that's kinda why I was thinkin' about the book I guess... summing it all up He would really just be saying:
Hey, Don't Waste Your life!

ya, I know you've heard it before > But do you truly heart it?....
let's live it. (Philippians 1:20-21)

Childlike or Childish? Ya, there's a difference.

"Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Matt 18:3-4

"So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him..."

Ephesians 4:14-15

a few others are 1 Corinthians 13:11 - Ephesians 5:1 - and 1 Peter 1:14
In the two verses above. One says 'so that we may no longer be children...' while the other says 'unless you turn and become like children -you will not enter the kingdom of God'..., so which verse is right?
They both are : I think that one speaks on childlike living and the other about childish living. Yes, there is a difference.

[Ok, cool. So there's a nice lil' kid pictured above to compliment some verses on "children" in the bible... get to a point, where are you going with this?
This post doesn't exactly follow suit based on the context of the last picture of the previous post.]

Here's how the thought even sprang into my mind:
Yesterday in my PSY 215 class and small boy sat with his mother just in front of me. He was in 1st or 2nd grade and was definitely NOT pumped to be sitting in class with his mom. To cap it off, she was constantly prompting him to read one of his books for school. Ouch, I have to feel for the lil' guy. Anyway, nothing out of the ordinary ever happened, I just went right along listening to the class lecture. However, later in the day - God was using the actions of that little boy to shed light on some scripture. (namely, the verses above).
In thinking about it all,
the thought that kept creeping in my mind =

My faith is often childish instead of childlike.


Notice the difference. Childish is the unfavorable, immature, foolish, (overall negative) side.
While the term Childlike pertains more to the favorable qualities such as innocence, guilelessnes, trustfulness, etc. (overall positive qualities)

Watching that lil' boy in front of me in PSY class was actually a blessing in disguise. It was a living picture of the scriptures! Although he was wigglin' in his seat and captivated by even the slightest noise or movement around him, he still obeyed most of the time. You could see that he wanted to please his mom, but he often wanted to do his own thing and I'm sure he thought that he knew what was best for himself.

Wow, how scary it is to see that his actions often mirror my own faith. Like him, I too, am usually distracted by the smallest, most trivial things. I usually think I have it all togeather. I often judge myself and my spiritual growth by other people rather then focusing on being pleasing to the father. And even the times I do obey Him, it is often just for a moment. Then I go back to being more interested in something else. I guess to sum it all up: I need to LISTEN more. b/c:
The only time that lil' boy in class knew what to do > was when he looked for guidance outside himself. He had to be looking in his mom's direction to hear her. He had to stop and process the information she gave. That's not all though, he then he had to act on it. Simple. yes, but that is why "the kingdom of heaven belongs to these" because they are so good at fully trusting. A child does not care what people think when they drop everything and run to the one they love. They are not worried who is watching, or if someone sees them cry, or if they look funny while running to dad/mom. So why do I (we)?

I want to be a little more childlike today; and less childish. [Philippians 2:4 will certainly help.]

and while I do not see things clearly yet (and never will while on earth), one thing IS for sure = that I can see now, just how little I saw before.

let's keep growing.
--may God continue to do great works....

This ain't a game...

"Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." - 1 Peter 5:8 "Resist him, firm in your faith"... Are you livin' like this?