Through the Ages.

The Campaign Against Political Correctness logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

      All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

I absolutely love this, and Paul wasn’t joking one bit when he said “All Scripture,” and the key word is “ALL.” What does this mean? All of it, the bible is God-breathed and is useful even to this day. The other day I was reading about someone who was trying to say the bible didn’t apply to today’s society.   Really, if there was ever a time that this world and culture of ours needs scripture, needs God, the time is now.

The bible has been tested through the ages and time and time again its been proven correct. People have tried to prove it wrong, but in the end the bible always wins out. It has been falsely accused and banned in some country’s and still its the most sought out book in history. It always prevails and it always trumps anything humanity could come up with on the way we are supposed to live.

I have found that people don’t want to accept the truths of scripture because they don’t want to admit they need help. They don’t want to admit that the way their living is wrong and then scream the bible and the church are wrong. I see it all the time, people need the hand of God in their lives, but refuse anything He has to offer, because they “know better.” I was talking to a guy the other day and he was trying to tell me that living an adulterers life was OK, that “everyone does it.” Really? Well I’m here to tell yo that not everyone does it that’s for sure.

Scripture was given to us by God so we can learn about His awesomeness and His love for us. It teaches us how to get along with God, and with other people. It is the foundation for life and the undisputed word of God. The biggest problem with society today is “Political Correctness,” saying things that make people feel good. Well I’m not a politician so I refuse to be political correct. Last night I  was having coffee with a friend whose a teacher for second and third graders, and she was telling me that they can’t tell the students they got an “F” because it hurts the students feelings! This is why young people don’t stand a chance these days because their feelings get hurt if they get a bad grade.

When I was growing up we had to work for our grades, and if we didn’t work for our grades then we failed, end of story. This society we live in is so worried about hurting people’s feelings that just saying “Hi” to someone could get us locked up. Let me fill you in on a little secret, if your feelings get hurt by something I said, good!! Take it up with God because that’s were the problem lye’s, not being right with Him, and the majority of society isn’t right with Him, so there little feelings will get hurt.

Scripture is the only thing, the only way to truly know God. Its meant for loving us and teaching us and rebuking us, and this is exactly what this society of ours needs today.

Thanks for reading!! be blessed!!!!

 

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Accepting Responsibility

Last week former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted of 45 counts of child sexual abuse. 45 separate times he abused the trust of young boys–and their parents–who looked up to him and counted on him for guidance and protection. That same day a Catholic monsignor in Philadelphia was convicted of covering up sexual abuse by priests of the young altar boys entrusted to the Church’s leadership and care.

So perhaps it’s no great revelation now that not just women become victims of sexual violence.  This is the fourth post in my Voice of Violence blog series but the first one authored by a male victim. My friend, whom I’ll call Justin, had just lost his father at age 11. Sexual predators seek out victims who are vulnerable, and as a lost and suddenly-fatherless young man, Justin fit that category perfectly. His perpetrators pounced.

What struck me about Justin’s story is…

View original post 967 more words

Running to Your Arms.

The Transfiguration Lodovico Carracci 1594 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Running to the arms of the King and not looking back. You are good, when there is nothing ever good in me, and I’m running to your arms holding nothing back, my heart will sing your name oh Jesus. This is my theme for the summer, running to the arms of the one who created it all, from the heavens to the earth and the stars in the sky, I will run to His arms.

My whole life consisted of meaningless chasing of the wind; Bottles and babes, booze and needles, pain and darkness all consumed me like a burning fire from the pits of hell. I lived and loved, died and came back again, and through it all I have never experienced a love like that of Christs. He breathed the breath of life into me and gave me a direction to go, and go I will in the direction He wants. This summer I am going back to the beginning when I started this journey to gain a new perspective of life and what God wants me to do next.

         Refine me Oh Lord, melt me, and mold me into the man you want me to be Oh Lord. Give me strength to proceed and to believe and to do your will–Amen.

If there’s one thing I have learned, is we have to run to His arms daily. This means when life is great, we run to His arms. When life is not so great, we run to His arms. His arms are the only safe place to be, so this summer I am running like a cheetah into the arms of Him who is greater than the world.

Thanks for reading!!! Be Blessed!!!!

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Hacked!

twitter fail image (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Good morning all! Its been a wonderful few days just hanging out with the family and maybe, just maybe, next week I’ll get into the job hunt once again. I’m not really concerned though because I know our heavenly father is taking care of every detail. I’m not independently wealth or anything like that, I have financial issues as well(not as bad as the governments) I’m just taking this time to get re-focused and energized for the next chapter in life.

The other day I received a message that my Twitter account had been hacked. I take a look and sure enough it was sending obscured links to everyone, so I had to delete my account. Unfortunately some of my readers also follow me on Twitter and I couldn’t save them. So, if you have a Twitter account and want to follow me @scottcraig76 go ahead, I would love to have you. It’s a secure account this time, which means I will have to approve the follow my self.

I do have a moral to the story though, I didn’t just write to tell about my account being hacked on twitter, it’s not that important to me, but the moral of the story is don’t we as Christians get hacked by the devil all the time? When I created my new account I used a secure network to create it, it has a password I can barely remember, and I have to give permission now to followers. The thing is,this is how God wants us to be with our lives as well, so we don’t get hacked by the devil.

Think of it this way: Prayer is the secure network, our lifeline to God. Prayer if you will, is our social network with God the Father and He accepts all friend requests. The bible, the very word of God is the instruction manual for us to live. The password to get into heaven no matter what Oprah says is Romans 10:9. We need these everyday so we don’t get hacked by the devil or the worlds pathetic philosophies and culture.

I know when I’m not praying and reading the word, or fellow-shipping with other believers, I become vulnerable to be hacked. When we get hacked, sometimes its like a virus that takes its time. Slowly corroding the thread of our very being until were doing something or saying something we shouldn’t. Other times when the devil hacks  us it can be immediate.

So for the Christians out there that don’t think going to church is a top priority, or reading scripture is just another Monday  book and prayer and fellowship are just ways of getting you out of trouble, think again. The devil uses these pathetic excuse to Hack you and your lively hood.

Thanks for reading!! Be Blessed!!!!!!

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No More Tears.

Songs of Our Fathers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

     This post goes out to all that’s lost a loved one, especially a father. As we prepare for Fathers Day weekend we enjoy spending time with our fathers and honoring him, but for those of us that don’t have a father due to an early passing, neglect, divorce, or just have never been involved in your life, please let me take the time to honor you. The heartbreak and loneliness that a fatherless child endures is beyond anything in this world. Trying to understand the big question, “Why?”” Why has daddy died or left?”, or “why is daddy passed out on the couch all the time?” or” why does he work so much?”. Any of these familiar? I know for me my biggest question was “Why did daddy have to die?” 

       I have wrote about this before, when dad passed away when I was younger, but this time I want to take the time to thank all of you around the world who have made the choice, no matter what to succeed in the eyes of our heavenly father and lay your burdens at his feet. I have forgiven my father for passing at a young age, and I realize today it was because God loved me that this happened. Though I went to hell and back for about 10 years, living a life of self-destruction and  failure, I have now been sober and living in grace for almost 8 years, and today I truly believe that my earthly father is proud of me.

    I understand the hurt and pain that come along with losing a daddy, but I am here to tell you that you have a heavenly father that loves you more than you could ever understand. He has a love that goes deeper than the ocean and he not only loves us, but disciplines us as well. He carries us, walks with us, and talks with us on a cool morning with sun coming alive. He searches for us through the darkness and debris of this life until we come face to face with His omnipotent presence and says, “let me love you.” God loves us so much, he gave his one and only son to die on the cross for us, and that my friend is the greatest love known.

   He is the author of love and and His majestic presence in our lives is something we truly don’t deserve, so my friends, no more tears. No more tears on a lonely night thinking about “What if?” Or “Would life be different if daddy was around?” No more tears when were around our friends and their dad is a shining star of what a father is to be. No more tears, because this is were the healing begins, in the hands of Christ.  Its true that a fathers love for the son is like none other, and God, our heavenly father has a love for us that’s perfect.

    So my question is, “Will you let Him heal the hurt?” So you can say no more tears on a lonely night? Thanks for reading!!!! Be Blessed!!!!!

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Epic Fails and Absolute Truth.

Flourless chocolate cake with green tea ice cream at West Village, NYC (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

       What an interesting first week I had off from work! As you may know I lost my job about a week and a half ago and its been a roller coaster to say the least. I haven’t been really motivated to do much because if anyone has ever lost a job, its heart breaking especially if you really liked that job and it wasn’t you fault for loosing it. I have been keeping to my self for the past few days, and as we all know isolation isn’t good when your going through a tough time. With that being said, I’m glad to say that the Lord has pulled me out of that isolated state and and renewed my faith.

     The other evening I started to come down with a cold, and common sense is to take cold medicine right? It was about 10 P.M. last Tuesday night and I decide to take some, unknowing what I just took I sit back on the couch to enjoy the movie I was watching and fall asleep. Well, about 11, I was wondering to myself why I hadn’t gotten drowsy like your supposed to with night time cold medicine. I go to check out the bottle and these little words struck me, “daytime cold medicine,” ohhhhhhhh!  Needless to say I was in for a long night, and finally at 4 a.m. I was able to sleep, thank God I didn’t have to work the next morning!

   This past Friday night was the most unspeakable act I think I have ever committed, and before I came to the Lord I committed a lot of them. As some of you may know I have a taste for ice cream, I have mentioned it before in previous posts. I try to have Ice cream at least 3-4 nights a week and I am not scared to admit it. I LOVE IT! Well Friday I go to the store to get some which was fine and dandy other than the fact I forgot to bring it in the house! I forgot it in the car all night and when I got it Saturday morning, thank God it wasn’t a mess. But the fact is, I left the illustrious treat in the back seat of my car for the heat of the sun to melt. Epic fail.

     Ha-ha go ahead and laugh, I do, this is funny stuff! The good thing of all this, I have had plenty of time to get into God’s word and really learn that His truth is absolute truth, period. Being away from a secular job and environment has really gotten me back into His word and His truth, and this is what I have found; the world and all its foolishness can never love me as much as Christ, and His love is everlasting. Such a strong reminder and a great reminder because sometimes when we as Christians work in secular places, sometimes their pathetic theologies can rub of on us. Not intently, but it does happen, and that’s when we need a reprieve from all the moronic truths, and get back to the real truth that is in Christ.

     I’m grateful today that I lost my job, because its giving me an opportunity to grow closer to my heavenly father. Sometimes things happens in our lives to not only teach us a lesson, but to learn to rely on God. This is something I am learning more and more, to rely on Him for my daily bread and let Him just love me.

   Thanks for reading!!!!!! Be Blessed!!!!!!

      

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Inside Out

       Today I want to love you from the inside out. Today I will love you from the inside out and shout to the world my undying love for Christ.

Today Christ is my all in all and is my everything. I can do nothing without Him, nor do I want to try. This is my prayer as the day goes on and activities seem to be distracting, I still want to love you from the inside out. From the inside out is were I will show my love for you Oh Lord, because the outside has nothing for me.

    This is how we are to live as Christians with love from the inside out, everlasting love for Christ and other people. If this is how we are to live, my question is why do so many Christians not live this way? If we are to honor God, show love, and give love, why do we fail? I have seen many Christians that I know, well they say they are anyways at church, but out in public, they act like you don’t even exist. I have been ran away from by other “Christians” for no apparent reason and I will continue to pray for them.

    The thing is its sometimes unsettling because it makes me feel less than I know I really am. I to am a new creation with the fundamentals and beliefs of other Christians, but I missed the memo that you also have to be apart of the “cool kids club” even at church to fit in. Yes this is true even at church, if you don’t look the part you don’t get noticed. The most important thing I have ever learned is we don’t go to church for other people, we go to church for God, period. We go to hear what He has to say to us and bring our requests to Him who loves us dearly, and the fellowship with other people is an added bonus. I mean don’t get me wrong, I love seeing my friends at church, but their not the reason I’m there.

   This is were I have learned to love Christ from the inside out, and everything else is just an added bonus. When I love Christ from the inside out, I am able to do more and be of more service to Him and other people. When I love Him from the inside out I can love other people and do what He has called me to do. When I am more concerned with the petty things of the world, or if I go to church just to “hang out,” I have failed God and myself because I put Him at the bottom of the list. Today I choose to love Him and obey Him with all that I have, from the inside out..

   Thanks for reading!!! Be Blessed!!!!

 

    

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Proverbs 7.

Marriage (Photo credit: Lel4nd)

  My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and to insight, “You are my relative.” They will keep you from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words.

    At the window of my house I looked down through the lattice. I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who had no sense. He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in.

   Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent. She is unruly and defiant, her feet never stay at home; now in the streets, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks. She took a hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said:

    Today I fulfilled my vows, and I have fellowship offering at home. So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you! I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. Come, let’s drink deeply of love till the morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love! My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. He took his purse filed with money and will not be home till full moon.

   With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. All at once he followed her like an ox going to slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life.

   Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say. Do not let your heart turn to her paths. Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.

The book of proverbs is filled with so much wisdom and discernment that even an atheist would come to his senses. Proverbs 7, which I really enjoy comes with a strong warning for both men and woman: Don’t even think about looking at, thinking about, touching, or anything else with a married person. Christ fulfills this prophesy when He said, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Mathew 5:28

Today’s society is about as pathetic as a dog at the dinner table begging for food. With men and woman stepping out on the marriages because they “don’t feel it anymore” is just plain sad. And we wonder why our youth are not responding to parents, or are acting out and doing things they shouldn’t be doing, because they see their parents doing it! To many men have said they don’t love there wives anymore and woman are in the same boat, and just a note: people who are met at the bars or clubs are not life partners.

My hope and prayer is to get married and have kids someday if it’s ordained by God, and when it happens I will respect my wife and love my wife and lead my wife like I am called to do, through thick and thin.  Stepping out on the marriage, in my opinion, is cowardly and the easy way out, because your causing more pain than what you realize and it breaks Gods heart.

Please, don’t take the easy way out of your marriage, let God restore it and make it better than ever!

Thanks for reading!! Be Blessed!!!

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Love Lavished.

Father of Mine (Photo credit: Just Us 3)

       See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. 1 John 3:1

Lavished— Characterized buy or produced with extravagance and profusion, or Immoderate in giving or bestowing; unstinting, or in layman’s terms generous. We came across this scripture at our mens bible  study last night, and I have to tell you we were all a little overwhelmed with that one. Just think about it for a moment; God, in is infinite wisdom, sent His son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, and to bring us into repentance and holiness with Him. Do you no anyone else that would sacrifice their child for you??

I struggled with this for a long time, trying to wrap my head around how much He loves me, the creator of all things, the TRUE master of the universe loves me that much He wants a relationship with me. When my father passed as a young man I blamed everyone for his death, including God. I felt abandoned, alone and confused and frankly it left me asking this question; Am I a man?  Just because we reach a certain age or do certain things does not make us a man until we have truly learned from the one man, Christ.

For years I endured strongholds in my mind-set by the devil telling me that I was nothing more than the garbage on the street, and the sad thing is I believed it. Many years wasted feeling sorry for myself and crying myself to sleep  because of the emptiness I felt. Even after I came to the Lord, I still had these feeling and thoughts, and I’m not saying life would have been different if dad would have been alive longer, but it could have. I think back though, and as it stands, I wouldn’t have changed it for the world, because the life I lived once makes a great testimony and it made me the man I am today.

I believe today that their was a reason God took my father at young age, and that’s to realize how much He loves me. Lavished is used in this scripture because it never ends, He pours out His love, non-stop, every day and to me that’s amazing! Through the years of chasing the platinum beauty’s of the night only to be left holding an empty pillow the next morning, through the bottles and blood, I never found a love that’s lavished on me like our heavenly fathers! Thats the one thing I was always searching for, striving for in everything I did, but never found it. Love lavished only comes from the father through His son Jesus Christ, and today I have finally found it.

Thanks for reading!!! Be Blessed!!!!!!!

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Root Canals and Unemployement.

Root Canal Illustration Molar (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hello blogging friends! Sorry I haven’t posted in a while, I have had some stressful times, and I’m praying that there over for a bit. The other day as I was enjoying some leftover brats from a Memorial Day cookout I had a tooth start to throb. As the evening went on, so did the throbbing tooth and the headache that went along with it. The next morning I get to work and a swished some salt water in my mouth, because that usually helps with a tooth ache and it did, but I still made an appointment to see the dentist.

The next morning I get to the dentist and I was just expecting to get the tooth pulled, but after the dentist told me I would eventually run out of teeth if I keep getting them pulled, I agreed to the root canal. I wait patiently and the assistant comes to get me and we head for the “Chair.” If you have ever had a root canal, you will no what I mean. Within an hour or so we were done and I was headed to work. Now, the day before at work they laid off about 11 employees, most of them long-standing employees with multiple years in. I kinda, deep down had a feeling I would be let go, just for the fact that I had only been there for a few months, but I was hoping not.

After I had the root canal I head into work and I had a certain peace about everything, ya know, that peace beyond all understanding that only comes from Christ.  When I arrive at work, I sit down to have lunch with the others then after lunch my boss comes to me and says, “we need to go over to human resources.” My jaw dropped and my head fell sluggishly for I knew what was in store. We get the HR office and sure enough, I was the next one on the chopping block. A feeling I knew oh so well crept back in, that feeling of uselessness and emptiness started to surpass that peace I had. For a slight moment, walking back to the kitchen to get my things, that feeling of utter failure I knew for so long crept in. I didn’t enjoy this feeling nor was I going to stick around to see the outcome. I collected my things and told everyone good-by, and like a flash of lighting I was gone.

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and Gods plan is way better than anything I could come up with. Driving home that day I was replaying the past 8 months in my head. Did I do something wrong? Did I not work hard enough? Several other questions like this were racing through my mind as I tried driving with tears running down my face. Tears of frustration because I really enjoyed this job and the people I work with and through the tears I heard a voice I was very familiar with, “Let me love you Scott.”

When the tears dried, I couldn’t help but to laugh because not many people can say they got a root canal and lost their job in the same day! Two of the more agonizing things that could happen to someone, and I had the pleasure of both, in the same day. Through scripture I have learned that when one door closes God opens another one way better. Though today I sit here unemployed and broke, I still praise God for everything because if it wasn’t for Him, I wouldn’t have a testimony to how good He is. I do believe that He will provide, because he always has.

Thanks for reading!!! Be blessed!!!!

 

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