Isaiah's explanation of the animals in heaven
Isaiah, my son, starts off explaining that there will only be 2 kinds of animals in heaven: "tomagoes" and donkeys. Then he later adds zebras...
Change and more change!
If you've attempted to comment or view an individual post on my blog in the last week or so, you've probably noticed that you get redirected to a new site.
I've decided to change my blog completely. The new site "ofChrisDavis.com" is more of a lifestream than just a single blog site. It will include my Tweets (from Twitter.com), photos (from Pikter.com) and many other things that I update on a regular basis.
However, for those of you who still want to just read my blog posts, you can visit Blogs.ofChrisDavis.com and it will give you only my blogs.
As of now, http://blog.allthenations.org will still load and my blog posts will temporarily show up on that site... just wanted to give everyone time to switch over their bookmarks.
The other change that's happening, our student ministry has a new identity! Since the inception of the student ministry at our church, West Ridge, to our knowledge, it has been called "Ground Level". God has given us fresh vision and it is now "Awaken Youth Church". You can check out the video announcing the transition here.
Kingdom of God: Which Kingdom?
So when it comes to the Kingdom, in your personal life, which one are you helping build? His or yours?
I'm sure those that claim to be Christian, yet build their own kingdoms would probably say that they were building God's Kingdom. But really, they're not.
There's an area of self-building-kingdom that I think we over look a lot of times... either because we don't know how to deal with it or we don't want to offend the offenders.
So here it goes: complaining.
Think about it. What good does the complaining do? And who does it profit? Does it profit the one being complained to or does it profit the one who is doing the complaining? I would definitely say that complaining is an attempt to build our own little kingdoms and not the Kingdom of God.
Jude 16 says this: "These people [false teachers] are grumblers and complainers, doing whatever evil they feel like. They are loudmouthed braggarts. and they flatter others to get favors in return."
In context, Jude was referring to false teachers... but the evidence of their lifestyle speaks to them building their own kingdoms... and grumbling and complaining is one of the ways they're attempting to do it.
And Paul says in Galatians 5:19-21: "When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results... hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy... Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God."
Definitely makes you think.
Or at least it did me.
So which kingdom are you building? Is what you have to report a complaint or encouragement? If it's a complaint, if you kept your mouth shut, who would benefit? The other person? If you went through with the complaint, who would benefit? You? If so, then don't. Please sit down and keep your selfish opinion to yourself.
If you're in this to build your own kingdom, to gather people around you, for you to establish your name instead of His, please stop now...
We need to be about expanding His and not our own little dominions. Because when He returns... or we die and stand before him, these little kingdoms we build for ourselves will crumble.
So which kingdom are you building?
His or yours?
Hogwash
I was on the tread mill this morning at the gym and saw a clip on the Today Show announcing that they would be showing information about a new scientific development that has discovered the gene in men that causes them to be unfaithful to their wives.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to view the actual segment on it... but it got me thinking.
It's normal for us humans to find excuses for our sin... but this is getting out of hand. We could have saved those scientists a butt-load of time and we could have saved someone a bunch of money.
It's called human nature people. It's called Adam and Eve sinned thus damning the rest of us and introducing sin into the human race. It's called taking responsibility for our actions and then being held responsible for them.
Identifying the gene and creating a genetic enhancement won't change you. A drug won't solve your infidelity, nor will it help you keep your pants on.
Relationship with Jesus is the only solution.
If you're interested, Google help me find the article online. You can read it here...
JesusBranded
Thought I'd throw in a fun blog entry seeing that I have a new blog layout... so here goes.
A year or so agao I found a really great Christian clothing company called JesusBranded. If you want real, gut-level t-shirts that make people think... definitely check them out. The prices are incredible and the shirts are great quality.
I also like JesusBranded because you can tell that they REALLY love Jesus by the content on their shirts.
P.S. I did get something for writing this entry, but JesusBranded is seriously my favorite. Ask my bride.
Kingdom of God: Priorities
Something bugs me and I can't quite put my finger on it. There seems to be a lack of understanding concerning the Kingdom of God amongst us American Christians. I, myself, have not arrived... and I don't know exactly WHAT we're lacking, it just seems that at times we are.
Over the next couple of days (may end up being weeks if I don't blog every day) I'm gonna try to share some of my thoughts concerning Kingdom. We'll see how it goes. :)
I was reading through one of the "marriage" passages in 1 Corinthians last week and it got me thinking on some things.
1 Corinthians 7 seems to completely focus on marriage... and Paul even suggests that if you're able to not marry, then that's not a bad thing. But there is a huge nugget wedged in this chapter that I wonder how often it gets over looked simply because of the context of marriage.
I'm all about context and believe that we should interpret scripture in light of it's context, but there are a few verses I think you should read... by themselves...
"Happiness or sadness or wealth should not keep anyone from doing God's work. Those in frequent contact with the things of the world should make good use of them without becoming attached to them, for this world and all it contains will pass away. In everything you do, I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the LORD' s work and thinking how to please Him. But a married man can't do that so well. He has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife." - 1 Corinthians 7:30-33
If you really listen to Paul, you get his heart. He's not JUST talking about marriage... he's talking about priorities.
As a child of God, a lover of God, what is our priority? Jesus. Paul is saying that there WILL BE distractions with the "things of the world" and he's obviously not referring to sin because he says we should "make good use of them"... but notice he adds that we should not become "attached to them".
I challenge my students all the time... what is a part of your life that is MORE IMPORTANT than Jesus. Doesn't have to be something we slap a "sin" label on... but if you think about it, if there is something in our lives that is "more important" than Jesus, then technically, I guess it would be sin.
THIRST WEEK is about priorities, pursuing Jesus and seeing this generation awaken to the love of God.
If you'd like to subscribe to the podcast, please click here. Otherwise, enjoy it below!
My Response
Someone recently asked me a question concerning homosexuality and being a Christian. I thought I'd share my response...
The question that arose was, if someone had been "made right with God" and was still gay would they go to heaven?
I believe the context was that this individual was not necessarily living in homosexual sin, but still felt that they were gay. I didn't address the whole child of God concept, but I felt my response was basic and to the point.
Here it is:
SIN IS SIN. If you're lying to your parents, stealing from your friends, gossiping about the neighbors, looking at porn, or committing a homosexual act... sin is sin. All of that breaks God's heart. And because God is holy, His holiness requires that our sin be judged.
If we say we've "given" our lives to Jesus, if we say we've asked Him to be LORD of our lives, that means He has complete control. That means that we make decisions with our life (lifestyle) that are according to His desires and not our own. If we say we've asked Jesus to forgive our sins, we don't keep doing what we've asked forgiveness for. That would be spitting in Jesus' face.
I *DO NOT* believe any one is created gay. If they were, God would have made it clear in the scriptures, yet there is not even a HINT of that possibility in the Bible. Homosexuality is a sin just like alcoholism, gluttony or gossiping is. It is something we chose to wrap our mind around and allow our hearts and flesh to be bound to.
With that in mind, understand there is a *HUGE* difference from committing homosexual sin... and having homosexual tendencies (temptations or thoughts). Just because someone has occasional "desires" for a person of the same sex does not mean they're gay. Those are simply temptations. And temptation in and of itself *is not* sin. What we do with that temptation determines if it becomes sin.
Just because someone is tempted to get drunk *DOES NOT* mean that they're automatically an alcoholic. Just because someone is tempted to murder someone *DOES NOT* make them a murderer. And just because someone has a temptation of a homosexual nature *DOES NOT* make them a homosexual.
It is possible to live free of homosexuality... even the desires... what it really boils down to is if a person is trying to excuse their sin, then they've probably not given their lives completely to Jesus. If people are looking for loop holes in the Bible, then Jesus isn't really LORD of their life.
When we make Him LORD, the only option then is to obey Him. And Jesus made it clear that those who say they love Him must obey Him and His Word.
