Don’t Blame God! Bart!

Earlier today, I had an interesting interaction with Bart@sluckyducky on Twitter. He was apparently upset with me because I posted a tweet thanking God for the 1+ million readers I’d asked Him for and standing in faith to receive.

Okay, there were a number of questions he asked that I’ll try to answer. Why not pray that no more children die of starvation? He accused me of caring more about getting readers than ending rape, cancer, murder, etc. While I understand that his primary purpose was to goad a debate or argument, I refused to engage. My faith–in whatever I’ve asked for–is based on my relationship with Him and faith in God is accessible to any who choose to believe. Now for people who choose not to believe, that’s on them. Don’t blame God for all the ills of the world when those ills were caused by greedy people, selfish and self-centeredness, and lack of moral compasses.

Hungry children–when people cannot afford to feed their children they should consider that fact before having them. When governments care more about keeping the rich, rich and care nothing about the poor, that’s on the governments. When droughts occur that keep crops from growing and deplete appropriate animal feed and care–let the scientists explain it for you since you do not believe in God.

And that’s the other thing–why are you blaming God when you don’t believe He exists? How does that work? Are you choosing to blame Him for things that people do because it is so much easier to blame “a non-existent God” than to hold people accountable for their actions?

Bart said,”I have a Master’s Degree in Theology and ‘was’ as Christian for 30 years.” Apparently, something happened in Bart’s life that he never forgave God for. Perhaps, it was guilt over his own inadequacies, or hurt because of a loved one being lost or a host of other things. Bart–God did not do anything to you or anyone you loved. God is a spirit and He is love. Whatever happened in your life to make you hate God and deny His existence is between you and Him and I pray you get it straightened with Him before the end comes.

But let me get back to The Word and my prayer life, which is no secret. As I said to Bart earlier, my prayer tweets are a matter of public record and I have prayed for peace, calm, wisdom and the end of abuse and neglect of children, the end of senseless violence and hatred, as well as for “readers” of my books. God doesn’t have a problem with what I ask Him, so I don’t understand why you do?

When I ask God for anything, I ask–once, in faith–believing I shall receive that for which I asked (which is why I thank Him in advance of receiving it) and He always delivers. I don’t doubt Him for a moment for if I doubted He would do as I ask, I would receive nothing. But do know this–God does not force anyone to do anything. Obeying Him is always a choice. When our relationship with Him is right, we hear Him when He speaks and when we obey Him, we can have what we want from Him.

When people feel powerless in events over which they have no control, instead of seeking God for wisdom in how to respond to the situation, they simply blame God and then deny His existence. That’s not going to solve anything. The root of the problem is the individual’s unbelief and lack of faith. If they were to exercise their faith in God, without doubting, they would see the same results I get.

People play the lottery because they have faith in a lottery. They go to casinos because of their faith to win. They go to race tracks because of their faith in a horse. That is where their faith is. My faith is in God and since I don’t have a problem with people who have faith in other things, why on earth do you have a problem with my faith in God? Is it envy, jealousy, guilt, remorse, what?

Whatever it is or was–Bart–you need to get over it and stop trying to project your guilt over a situation onto others who choose not to share your lack of faith. And if it’s that deep–seek Him and get it right. The fact that you “say” you don’t believe He exists doesn’t change His existence for all who believe. You believe what you want, and so will the rest of the world, and that certainly includes me.

God loves you so very much that He willingly came down and hung on a cross for your sins (and everyone else’s). Was His love in vain? Are you so callous that you cannot see the sacrifice He made for you and me? Are you so overwhelmed with guilt that your heart has hardened and you have no room for love? If you cannot receive God’s love, you certainly are incapable of loving anyone else and that includes yourself. Let Him into your heart and stop hating Him for those things that happened that you could not control. Don’t blame God! He’s innocent! It is people–whoever created the problem for you–that you should be angry with, but you should also forgive–so you can go and have the best life God intended for you to have.

God loves you and so do I and your lack of faith in Him–will never change my complete faith in Him and all He does for those who believe that He is and will do for those who do not doubt Him.

I entreat every Born-Again Believer who reads this to pray for Bart–that he’ll seek God, forgive God, and receive God’s best in his life. God knows who he is and the real problem and He is able to do all things well.

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Rising Light!

“if you pour yourself out for the hungry

and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,

then shall your light rise in the darkness

and your gloom be as the noonday”(Isaiah 58:10 ESV).

How often have we seen people who are hungry–naturally and spiritually? Finding a way to help feed the naturally hungry is fairly simple (sometimes). We point them in the direction of a soup kitchen, buy them a meal, take sandwiches to the areas in which the homeless can be found, and some will even take people home with them to feed them.  At the end of the day, we feel we have accomplished something. We have–the rumblings and gnawings in their stomachs have ceased for a moment. But tomorrow, they will be hungry again.

Some of us have put ourselves in the position to comfort those who have been afflicted–by life in illness, abuse, or loneliness. We were there to offer them a shoulder to lean on or cry on when they needed. But when we left, they were left to their own devices.

Now the real question is–how many of us have poured ourselves out to those who are spiritually hungry–feeding them The Word and showering them with love, leading them to a Risen Savior who can quench any thirst and hunger, comfort, heal and counsel like no one else? When people are fed and nourished in The Word, have opened their hearts to Jesus, and accepted the outpouring of love being offered, they will hunger no more and the prophet Isaiah tells us that the light within us will rise and our gloom (feelings of despair will dissipate) shall be as the noon day (as bright as the noon day sun).

If we stop and think about how we feel when we help someone else, we’d have to admit that helping others, certainly makes us feel better about ourselves. At least that is true for many who do out of right motives–a simple desire to help. When we do things to be seen or for a photo-op or for any other ulterior motive, we have not accomplished much and what we do–is tarnished by our motives.

Before we do anything to help someone else, make sure it is being done to the glory of God and not for self-aggrandizement. God knows our hearts and instead of seeing a light rise within us, we may sink into a pit of darkness because of selfish motives that were intended to help no one but us. Despair not! Even when we mess up, God will pull us out of the pit–using someone else with pure motives–and give us another chance to have our lights rise!

Is your light rising or is it sinking into darkness?

Father, in the name of Jesus, help us see beyond our own needs and reach out to others who are in need. Help us to see the need to feed–naturally and spiritually so no one will ever hunger again. Continue to fill us as we pour out of our spirits, all You have poured into us, to all who will accept what we have to offer. Grant us continued mercy and grace as we do all to Your Glory!

Thirsty Thursday!

“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness!”

How thirsty are you today?

Since I have known and understood God’s calling on my life, I have had a deep-seated desire to know and understand His Word and how He expects me to live.

I had a hunger in me to understand that would not be satisfied with just reading the Bible. I spent countless hours in the public library researching history and terminology so I could get a better handle on what the Bible was saying. I prayed incessantly–asking and thanking God for revelation and inspiration. I never felt bloated or filled with knowledge, and never really satisfied with what I knew; I always felt like there was more to know and I still feel that way.

Thirst–that feeling one gets when there is a need to quench dryness. Depending on what’s going on, water won’t always quench a thirst. Soda pops won’t always quench a thirst. Alcoholic beverages won’t quench a thirst. Coffee and tea won’t quench all thirsts. Our gathering of knowledge won’t always quench the thirst to know more. This is why Jesus said we are blessed when we hunger and thirst after “righteousness.” In other words, we can never be satisfied when we are still hungry and thirsty to know more about God. When people reach a place in their lives when they are no longer hungry or thirsty to know about God and how He wants us to live, they are closing the door on their own blessings.

Lord Jesus, I stand before You today, hungry and thirsty to know more of You and in how to become more like You. Hallelujah!

Just One Thing!

If there was just “one” thing you could do to make a difference in the world, what would it be?

Would you feed the hungry?

Would you house the homeless?

Would you establish world peace?

Would you stop all the hatred in the world?

Would you encourage everyone to love one another?

Would you create riches for everyone?

Would you provide a quality education for every child?

Would you abolish gun manufacturing?

Would you create a potion to stop child molestation and abuse?

Would you create a mandate for “parent training” or licensing?

Would you supernaturally find a cure for all terminal diseases?

Would you encourage independent thinking and reward those for their consideration of mankind over personal gain?

Would you create a society of people who understood right and wrong and lived a righteous life?

Would you promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Would you share a testimony as to how good God is?

Would you share this post with others, just to make them “think” about just one thing?

While you’re thinking about that one thing, have a blessed day!