To those who read this blog: sorry for my absence. But I'm going to be switching up things a bit.
For the rest of the month (starting tomorrow), I'm going to be posting two posts a day. One of the posts will be an old story/poem that I wrote. The other will be an explanation of the story/poem.
Why am I doing this now? Well, I feel like I've been so caught up in life, that I've kinda forgotten about this blog, and I'm a little upset about that. I've also heavily neglected my knack for creative writing, and I feel like I shouldn't ever stop expanding on that. Because writing stories and poems riddled with meaning is/was one of my favorite things to do. While I have shared a few of my stories on Facebook before, I feel like most of these have been kept to myself, and I think it's about time to share these. And don't worry; if you're here for my religious insight, that's not really going to change. Most of my writing, while seemingly normal, is vastly inspired by something pertinent to Christianity.
So I hope this entices you to read. If not, then I'll try to resume my normal pattern next month.
Tomorrow: Soul Chasm
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Forsaken
I'm sure we've all felt as if God has abandoned us at one time or another. I know I have. When we're broken emotionally, physically, or spiritually, we cry out to Him in an attempt to understand our circumstances. In the case of Jesus, he was broken in all three areas at once. When he was hanging from the cross, bleeding and struggling for air, the Bible says that he cried out in a loud voice, saying "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:14).
The amount of depth hidden in those words is incredible.
Jesus's words here aren't ones that begs pity on his situation. He's not saying that he doesn't understand why God has left him. He doesn't lack insight on God's plan. What Jesus is doing here is delivering a message to those who are wise enough to understand it. Jesus, in his final moments of life, is quoting a Psalm. Psalm 22 to be exact, which says the following:
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads.“He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment. But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you. I will fulfill my vows. The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him— may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations. All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!"
The amount of depth hidden in those words is incredible.
Jesus's words here aren't ones that begs pity on his situation. He's not saying that he doesn't understand why God has left him. He doesn't lack insight on God's plan. What Jesus is doing here is delivering a message to those who are wise enough to understand it. Jesus, in his final moments of life, is quoting a Psalm. Psalm 22 to be exact, which says the following:
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads.“He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment. But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you. I will fulfill my vows. The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him— may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations. All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!"
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Perception
Not everything is the way it seems. It never has been. It never will be.
That boy that steals food and drugs? He's trying to keep his sick mother alive.
That girl that's anorexic? She's made fun of at school for her appearance.
That homeless man on the streets? He's a war veteran with PTSD, and his wife took all his money while he was away.
The vast majority of Christians (in particular) will take one look at each person in these scenarios and immediately pass judgement on them and their circumstances. "Oh he's a thief? He should be arrested. Oh she's anorexic? She made herself that way. Oh he's homeless? He should have learned to handle his money better. " My question is; why do we feel the need to judge in the first place? Every time someone judges another human being for what they're doing or what their life is like, they are doing a lot of harm. To themselves, and to that person. In the end, there is only One who can rightfully pass judgement. And He is the only perfect and righteous judge.
Do you know why passing judgement hurts other people as well as ourselves? Because it's not out of love. The more we judge others, the less we love them. Jesus was able to love others, despite what they had done. Take John 8:2-11 for example:
"Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."
The pharisees were clearly testing Jesus in this passage; they wanted to trap him in his actions, as they had tried to do so many times before. Either Jesus follows the law, or he dismisses the law, and in both cases, they could have taken charge against Jesus. But Jesus does something amazing by forgiving the sin of the woman, which is something only God could do. However the point here is not the forgiveness of sin, but rather the way Jesus said "Everyone sins, are you going to judge and condemn her for hers?" Imagine if more people could behave like this. Gandhi once said "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians." And you know why? It's because people go around judging others, pointing the Bible at them, and telling them how they should behave. That statement was said around 75 years ago, and the sad thing is that there's still a lot of reason to dislike Christians. Andy Mineo said in his song "Uncomfortable" that we have to "grip that blade of the sword." The sword he's talking about is the Sword of the Spirit, and by gripping the blade, he's saying that "what cuts you should also cut me." Gripping the blade by the handle and pointing it at others can certainly be taken as threatening. We have become callous to the scriptures, and we rain down truth on everyone we meet. But truthfully, we should also be submitting our own lives to the authority of the Word. This is where I believe we should start if we are looking to change the way that the outside world views us.
So while judgement upon another person might be a passing thought, you can still harm a lot of people with that thought, including yourself. Take the time to consider that the person you are judging is a dearly loved child of God. If you still aren't convinced, take a look at this verse:
"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." -1 Samuel 16:7
That boy that steals food and drugs? He's trying to keep his sick mother alive.
That girl that's anorexic? She's made fun of at school for her appearance.
That homeless man on the streets? He's a war veteran with PTSD, and his wife took all his money while he was away.
The vast majority of Christians (in particular) will take one look at each person in these scenarios and immediately pass judgement on them and their circumstances. "Oh he's a thief? He should be arrested. Oh she's anorexic? She made herself that way. Oh he's homeless? He should have learned to handle his money better. " My question is; why do we feel the need to judge in the first place? Every time someone judges another human being for what they're doing or what their life is like, they are doing a lot of harm. To themselves, and to that person. In the end, there is only One who can rightfully pass judgement. And He is the only perfect and righteous judge.
Do you know why passing judgement hurts other people as well as ourselves? Because it's not out of love. The more we judge others, the less we love them. Jesus was able to love others, despite what they had done. Take John 8:2-11 for example:
"Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."
The pharisees were clearly testing Jesus in this passage; they wanted to trap him in his actions, as they had tried to do so many times before. Either Jesus follows the law, or he dismisses the law, and in both cases, they could have taken charge against Jesus. But Jesus does something amazing by forgiving the sin of the woman, which is something only God could do. However the point here is not the forgiveness of sin, but rather the way Jesus said "Everyone sins, are you going to judge and condemn her for hers?" Imagine if more people could behave like this. Gandhi once said "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians." And you know why? It's because people go around judging others, pointing the Bible at them, and telling them how they should behave. That statement was said around 75 years ago, and the sad thing is that there's still a lot of reason to dislike Christians. Andy Mineo said in his song "Uncomfortable" that we have to "grip that blade of the sword." The sword he's talking about is the Sword of the Spirit, and by gripping the blade, he's saying that "what cuts you should also cut me." Gripping the blade by the handle and pointing it at others can certainly be taken as threatening. We have become callous to the scriptures, and we rain down truth on everyone we meet. But truthfully, we should also be submitting our own lives to the authority of the Word. This is where I believe we should start if we are looking to change the way that the outside world views us.
So while judgement upon another person might be a passing thought, you can still harm a lot of people with that thought, including yourself. Take the time to consider that the person you are judging is a dearly loved child of God. If you still aren't convinced, take a look at this verse:
"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." -1 Samuel 16:7
So ask yourself; is it really worth it to judge? Does it honestly benefit anyone? The answer:
Nope.
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."
-Luke 6:37
Friday, September 18, 2015
Make Me a Believer
In celebration of Andy Mineo's new album, "Uncomfortable", I've decided to write a post commemorating the launch. One particular song on the album stood out to me, and I want to take the time to talk about why it resonated. The song, as the title of this post says, is called "Make Me a Believer". The lyrics are as follows:
"Why is it so hard to love you?
"Why is it so hard to love you?
Why is it so hard to love you?
You make it easy, but I make it hard
Oh my God
You take the blame when I don't deserve it, no, no
I break your heart, then I do it again, do it again
You give me patience when I keep you waitin'
I don't know why you call me your favorite, oh
"Are we for real or not? (tell me, tell me)
For real or not? (tell me, tell me)
Are we for real or not, I gotta know
(Tell me, tell me)
You're givin' me all you have
You saw me without my mask
But I can't change my past
So can you promise this gon' last
Make me a believer
Cause all I've ever seen is pain
Make me a believer
Promise me I'm not the same
Make me a believer
They tell me seein' is believin'
But all ever saw was the schemin'
All I ever saw was the people that I loved
They was gettin' up and leaving, throwin' peace signs
What's up, what's up, aye
What's up lately?
How did you love me?
You stayed when I went buggin'
You stayed
It's messin' with my head now, it's messin' with my head
Why you haven't left now?
I still can't guess, tell me"
The reason this song speaks to me is because it made me realize something; even as believers, we still have moments of unbelief, in which we question, doubt, and wonder if this God we worship really exists. Andy in the song takes the perspective of someone who can't wrap his head around God's love and grace. In many ways, I think we can all relate to this message, because while we know why God sent his son, why Jesus died, and why God loves us so, it's another thing to fully comprehend all of that. If you were a Christian that grew up in the church, that message was probably bashed over your head numerous times until we're desensitised to it. We might hear something groundbreaking from the gospel, but then we shelve it away, and miss the message, and therefore the point. If that's the angle we take in our life, of course we're going to miss a lot of the message. Do we really believe what we read? Or do we just take it and run with it because that's what we're suppose to do as Christians? Can we believe what God has done for us? In the midst of pain, of hurt, of destruction? Or do we shake our fist at the skies when the world turns on us?
And even when we're the problem, God doesn't leave us. I used to think that when I was deep in sin, God would leave me, and I would have to claw my way back to Him. But I know that this is a lie. I will never be able to understand how a perfectly holy God can perfectly love a sinner like me, and never leave me.
Lord, I pray that you make me a believer.
"Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and confident of what we cannot see."
-Hebrews 11:1
-Hebrews 11:1
Monday, August 31, 2015
Fisticuffs
It was a normal day at work, just like any other. Things were getting busy out in the restaurant, and our orders were piling up. Our screen was filled, and we were scrambling to get the food out at a reasonable pace. On this particular day, I was multi-tasking between stations. Normally, one person would stay at one place for their whole shift, but when things get crazy, it's not uncommon to hop around to help out the struggling areas. What I normally do is make "sets" that indicate how a certain order should be made, but that was covered by someone else, so I was helping out with making the wings and putting the sauces on the wings. When I returned to the sauce station (after helping out other areas) an order had been made out for us. I thought nothing of it, and made it how it was indicated. As I sent it over, I was asked by the person on the order screen if the wings were made extra crispy, as they had come in. We'll call the order person Jake (this isn't his real name; I changed it for the purposes of this retelling). I said no, a little confused. Jake, while I was away helping out elsewhere, had stated that the order was extra crispy, and that the wings need to be made as such. Now, we have ways to indicate special wing orders, (such as all drums, or extra sauce), but Jake had cut corners, and left off these indications, thinking that stating "these are extra crispy" would be enough. So I, getting frustrated (from the long ticket time on this order), had asked him why he didn't put on the extra crispy indicator.
What he said after that is not something that is repeatable.
As soon as Jake had said what he did, our "disagreement" was broken up by someone standing near by. We both resumed to our normal duties, but my heart was now heavy, and I was deeply upset with the way I had been spoken to. It took most of my strength to not break down in tears right there. And when I got home, I still couldn't let it go. I feel asleep around 4am that night, plagued with words and emotions.
The next morning, my mom read me like a book, and knew something was wrong. I told her what had happened, and immediately after she got on the phone with the manager, and recounted my story. I spoke with my manager, and she first asked me if I was okay coming in that night. When I said I was, she told me she wanted to talk to me in person. After I got there that night, she told me that she had just gotten off the phone with the GM, and told me that he'd be there tomorrow when Jake came into work, and have a talk with him. She then asked me to write down everything that had happened with pen and paper. The next day, Jake was gone. There were rumors that he had been let go because he threatened one of the managers, but I knew that if that was true, it wasn't the entire reason.
There was a lot I learned from this, and I want to share some of that insight.
When Jake had said what he did, there was nothing I wanted to do more than punch him in the face. I had so much rage and anger from his statement that I actually wanted to start a fight with him. Taunt him back. Get under his skin with a snide remark. But God stepped in at the right time, and stopped things when he did. Later I thought of a few verses;
"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." - 1 Peter 3:9
What he said after that is not something that is repeatable.
As soon as Jake had said what he did, our "disagreement" was broken up by someone standing near by. We both resumed to our normal duties, but my heart was now heavy, and I was deeply upset with the way I had been spoken to. It took most of my strength to not break down in tears right there. And when I got home, I still couldn't let it go. I feel asleep around 4am that night, plagued with words and emotions.
The next morning, my mom read me like a book, and knew something was wrong. I told her what had happened, and immediately after she got on the phone with the manager, and recounted my story. I spoke with my manager, and she first asked me if I was okay coming in that night. When I said I was, she told me she wanted to talk to me in person. After I got there that night, she told me that she had just gotten off the phone with the GM, and told me that he'd be there tomorrow when Jake came into work, and have a talk with him. She then asked me to write down everything that had happened with pen and paper. The next day, Jake was gone. There were rumors that he had been let go because he threatened one of the managers, but I knew that if that was true, it wasn't the entire reason.
There was a lot I learned from this, and I want to share some of that insight.
When Jake had said what he did, there was nothing I wanted to do more than punch him in the face. I had so much rage and anger from his statement that I actually wanted to start a fight with him. Taunt him back. Get under his skin with a snide remark. But God stepped in at the right time, and stopped things when he did. Later I thought of a few verses;
"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." - 1 Peter 3:9
If I really did antagonize him back, what good would have really come out of that? How would that be showing the love of Christ to anyone? Instead: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" - Matthew 5:43
In that moment, I realized that Jake was not the enemy, but someone in desperate need of God's love. I don't know what kind of life he lives to have said the things he did like it was nothing, but it didn't really matter. I was praying for him, no matter what he actually deserved from me.
This, my friends, is the kind of reckless love that God calls us to. Love others, unconditionally, no matter what they say or do to you. And I'll be honest: loving Jake was not a primary interest of mine. It was really, really hard to think of him in this way. Yes, I prayed for him when I got home, but it wasn't really out of love. It was more because I felt victimized, and needed answers.
But tell me this; who was really the victim that day?
In the end, it doesn't matter what someone has done with their life. How they act. What they say. What they do. Because Christ died for those who he didn't even know. He looked upon those who were mocking him, and said "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." - Luke 23:34. Allow me to reiterate this: Jesus forgave those he didn't know, and those who cursed and mocked him. And the simple fact is Jake is completely worthy of all love and grace from Christ. If Christ is not only able to forgive Jake for his actions, but die for him, then why can't I forgive him?
Friday, July 31, 2015
Blessings
Every day, whether we realize it or not, we have blessings. Things that we are thankful for, that impact us in big or small ways. Now let me say this; a blessing does not have to be super profound, deep, or noticeable, in order to exist, or have an impact on you. A few years ago, a woman by the name of Ann Voskamp wrote a book entitled "One Thousand Gifts". In the book, Ann writes down one thousand things that has blessed her throughout the years. In order to reach one thousand, she had to step out of the traditional idea of a blessing, and write down things that the everyday person might not think about. At the end of the book, she challenges the reader to make their own list of one thousand gifts. Here are some of my blessings:
1. My brothers
2. My parents
3. My friends
4. My dog
5. Running water
6. Fresh Air
7. The stars in the sky
8. The warmth of the sun
9. Laughter
10. Joy
11. The feel of the wind at my back
12. The way the trees sway in the wind.
13. The sound of a babbling brook
14. The way the sun pierces through the trees and makes light in the shadows
15. The dirt road that leads into the woods
16. Waterfalls
17. The sound of the car starting every morning
18. Having electricity/gas
19. Having a warm/cool house to live under
20. Fellowship
21. Quiet times
22. Fun times
23. Playing video games with my brothers
24. Taking walks at night the warm summer air
25. The way the moon illuminates the clouds
26. The sound of the sparrows in the summer mornings
27. The leaves fluttering to the ground
28. The crisp gold colors of the trees in the fall
29. Love
30. Education
31. Peace
32. The Bible
33. The feel of the sunlight on my skin
34. Sitting on my back porch and watching/listening to nature
35. A good book
36. The wisdom of others
37. Finding comfort in times of distress
38. The hard times in life
39. Church
40. God
41. The smell of freshly ground coffee in a busy city
42. The smell of freshly baked bread
43. Working hard and feeling accomplished
44. Good music
45. The way a candle looks in a pitch black room
46. The way light creates shadows, and the way those shadows look
47. Taking that first bite of a big juicy apple
48. The thin layers of fog that appears on humid days
49. Answers and resolutions
50. Standing on the edge of a dock and being able to see the water for miles
1. My brothers
2. My parents
3. My friends
4. My dog
5. Running water
6. Fresh Air
7. The stars in the sky
8. The warmth of the sun
9. Laughter
10. Joy
11. The feel of the wind at my back
12. The way the trees sway in the wind.
13. The sound of a babbling brook
14. The way the sun pierces through the trees and makes light in the shadows
15. The dirt road that leads into the woods
16. Waterfalls
17. The sound of the car starting every morning
18. Having electricity/gas
19. Having a warm/cool house to live under
20. Fellowship
21. Quiet times
22. Fun times
23. Playing video games with my brothers
24. Taking walks at night the warm summer air
25. The way the moon illuminates the clouds
26. The sound of the sparrows in the summer mornings
27. The leaves fluttering to the ground
28. The crisp gold colors of the trees in the fall
29. Love
30. Education
31. Peace
32. The Bible
33. The feel of the sunlight on my skin
34. Sitting on my back porch and watching/listening to nature
35. A good book
36. The wisdom of others
37. Finding comfort in times of distress
38. The hard times in life
39. Church
40. God
41. The smell of freshly ground coffee in a busy city
42. The smell of freshly baked bread
43. Working hard and feeling accomplished
44. Good music
45. The way a candle looks in a pitch black room
46. The way light creates shadows, and the way those shadows look
47. Taking that first bite of a big juicy apple
48. The thin layers of fog that appears on humid days
49. Answers and resolutions
50. Standing on the edge of a dock and being able to see the water for miles
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Vessels Of Glory
I have a short idea today. Something that's been on my heart for a while. This idea comes out of Exodus 40:34:
"Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle."
The verses in this chapter leading up to this point was God giving detailed instructions to Moses on how to build the tabernacle. It was built out of precious metals, assembled with holy relics, and meticulously erected, down to every last detail that God had commanded. Anyone else wishing to enter must be consecrated and be made priests. It was a very serious place, to say the least.
However. Even though the tabernacle was filled with the holiest of relics and assembled with the utmost care, there was something missing even after Moses had did everything God had asked of him. It was God's Glory. The Tabernacle was not completed until the very presence of the Most High came into the holy place.
We too, are not complete, until the glory of the Lord enters into us.
In the grand scheme of things, what actually matters if we are doing things without God? We can be the most successful person in the world, with all the fame and fortune we desire, but if God is not in our life, then it is simply a vain pursuit. You can't bring money or fame with you in the grave. Money eventually perishes. Fame is fleeting. But the Glory of the Lord stands forever.
Our sole purpose on this earth is to bring glory to the one who created us. We can do this in a number of ways. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." As long as we live, we should live to bring glory to God. We can literally bring glory to God by anything we do on this earth, and bringing glory to God is more valuable than whatever else we can achieve in our life.
We are vessels of glory, tasked with the mission of amplifying God's majesty. Our lives are not complete without Him. Much like the Tabernacle, we can have all the most precious metals, have the best appearances, and live a holy life, but without the Glory of the Lord, we are incomplete.
"The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over many waters."
-Psalm 29:3
"Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle."
The verses in this chapter leading up to this point was God giving detailed instructions to Moses on how to build the tabernacle. It was built out of precious metals, assembled with holy relics, and meticulously erected, down to every last detail that God had commanded. Anyone else wishing to enter must be consecrated and be made priests. It was a very serious place, to say the least.
However. Even though the tabernacle was filled with the holiest of relics and assembled with the utmost care, there was something missing even after Moses had did everything God had asked of him. It was God's Glory. The Tabernacle was not completed until the very presence of the Most High came into the holy place.
We too, are not complete, until the glory of the Lord enters into us.
In the grand scheme of things, what actually matters if we are doing things without God? We can be the most successful person in the world, with all the fame and fortune we desire, but if God is not in our life, then it is simply a vain pursuit. You can't bring money or fame with you in the grave. Money eventually perishes. Fame is fleeting. But the Glory of the Lord stands forever.
Our sole purpose on this earth is to bring glory to the one who created us. We can do this in a number of ways. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." As long as we live, we should live to bring glory to God. We can literally bring glory to God by anything we do on this earth, and bringing glory to God is more valuable than whatever else we can achieve in our life.
We are vessels of glory, tasked with the mission of amplifying God's majesty. Our lives are not complete without Him. Much like the Tabernacle, we can have all the most precious metals, have the best appearances, and live a holy life, but without the Glory of the Lord, we are incomplete.
"The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over many waters."
-Psalm 29:3
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