The story of the prodigal son is an extremely familiar story. Most of it know it well. But lets just run through it real quick. The story is found in the book of Luke chapter 15 starting at verse 11. A Father has 2 sons one of them decides he doesn't want to wait till his father dies before he gets his inheritance. So the son goes to his father and tells him to divide his portion of his inheritance to him. The father divides the inheritance to them. The prodigal then sells his part takes the money and moves to the big city. There he wast all of his money partying. After his money is gone and his friends with it. A famine arises in the land.
The prodigal takes a job feeding pigs for a farmer. The man was so hungry he would have eaten the pig food. But then he came to him self, and said to him self, "how many of my father's hired servants have bread enough to spare, and i perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father and will say to him, 'Father, i have sinned against heaven and before you, and i am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.'"
So the son heads back home. The father sees him while he is great way off. Runs to him, falls on his neck, and kisses him. The son starts his prepared speech about being not worthy to be his son. The Father ignores him, tells the servants to bring out the best robe put a ring on his finger and new shows on his feet. Then the father tells his servants to kill the fatted calf and party.
Well the older son is out in the field working during all this. When he comes to the house, he hears the party, and ask whats going on with this. Well a servant tells him, and big brother gets an attitude. The father comes out to talk to his older son. The sons says to his father, " These many years do I serve you, neither transgressed I at any time your commandment. Yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this, your son, was come, which hath devoured your living with harlots, you have killed for him the fatted calf."
The Father answers him saying, "Son, you are ever with me, and all that I have is your. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this your brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."
It is an awesome story of the Fathers Love. But the Fathers Love is not what i want to talk about. I want to talk about the older brother. We saw in the story that the Father was looking for his lost son to return home. The older brother was in the field working, if the older brother really cared about what the Father cared about he would have been out there with his father looking for the little brother! But no, he was in the field working.
Just why was in the field working? They had lots of servants. Why would the older brother had to have worked? Simple answer is because he doesn't know his father. He thinks he does but he doesn't. If he did know his Father he would have been out there with his Father Looking for the Little brother. He would have cared about what the Father cared about.
Why did the older brother get mad when the Father had a party for the little brother? His answer to the Father tells it all. "These many years have I serve you, neither have I at any time transgressed your commandment. And yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this, your son was come, which has devoured your living with harlots, you have killed for him the fatted calf."
He was angry because he said the Father never gave him a "kid" or a young goat, so he could through a party with his friends. But that was very far from the truth of the matter. Remember back at the beginning of this story when the prodigal ask for his portion? Lets look at.
Luke 15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
Do you see it? It says "And he divided unto THEM his living." Who is them? His two sons. You see all the Father did not have anything anymore. Everything in this story after the little brother wasted his portion belonged to the big brother. Because the Father had given the Them his living. So that brings us back to why was the big brother working his own field? And why was he angry with the Father for not giving him a goat? He owned everything on the farm. It was all his.
The truth is the big brother was like many Christians today. They don't know what is theirs.
Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
What is left out of ALL THINGS? Simple answer nothing. Most preschoolers can tell you that. But most Christians will argue with you over it for days. The Older Brother never accepted his inheritance. He was like most Christians. He had a work/earn mentality. That is why he was working in the field. He could not believe the Father was good enough to give him everything. He felt like he had to work for it.
He had the mentality that the Blood of Jesus wasn't good enough. You see it in the way he talks about his little brother, "which has devoured your living with harlots". He throws his brothers sin right back in the Fathers face. Even though the Father had already forgiven His son, the older brother thinks it his job to tell the Father what the son had been doing. Just an interesting point here. How did the older brother know about the harlots? He was busy working the field. Also no where else in the story does it say anything about harlots. The older brother is assuming that the little brother had been with harlots. Most likely because that's what he was thinking about doing! Anyways.
Then the older brother gets angry with the Father for killing the fatted calf. Because He said the Father never gave him a goat to make merry with his friends. With his friends. Once again the older son does not know the Father. He wants to earn stuff from the Father to have fun with his friends. He does not want to hang out with the Father. Besides he IF he had any right to be angry it should have been over the fact that the Father had killed his fatted calf, and not told him about the party!
The older son owned all things. He even owned the calf his little brother was eating! He never took the time to be with his Father. He never learned what was his, and how good the Father is. So he never enjoyed the benefits of being a son. The prodigal always new the Goodness of the Father. I think that's why he asked for his inheritance in the first place. Think about it.
God Bless!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Love?
Ah, love. The very thought of it, brings a certain sence of euforia. But what is Love? How many songs are there dedicated to it, how many poems are writen concerning it, but aside from a feeling most people have no idea what it is! While researching the subject i looked for a deginition for love. What i found was 28 differnt definitions, on one reputable dictonary websit! the definitions ranged from discription of Lust to Idolitry, but not one of thoughs definitions linded up with what the Bible tells us love is.
I was perplexed, so i posted the question on Facebook, What is Love to You? I also asked that they leave the deep thology out of there answer because i am dealing with that. I just want to see if people have any idea as to what love is. I will come back to what was said on facebook.
Lets start with what love is NOT. Love is not an only emotion! There are powerful Emotions attached to Love, and Love its self can be felt. But love is not only an emotion. The reasons so many marrages fail is because they think Love is only an emotion. So in time when the emotions are gone and they do not "feel" love for the other person they think they no longer love that person and want out of the marriage. Now for the record, the love a parent feels towards a child is not the topic of discution here. The love a mother or father feels for there children, is in most parts an unconditonal love. The love a parent feels towards a child is the Love we know that can be compared to Gods Love for us. Now for the record a parents Love if not nurtured will grow cold. I will address this more latter on.
Love is not lust. The reason teen pregnance is on the rise is because teens and adults think that lust and love are synonyms. Even the dictionary results i found have disriptions of lust in the definition of Love. Lust gets cold quick reason 2 marrigaes and relationships fail. People meet and think they are in a Love. Love at first sight. But it is just Lust at first sight. They explode into a passionate relationship that burns out quick leaving both poeple empty and alone.
Love is your passion. For example, I have a passion for books. I like to read, If i could get payed to read i would! I like novels. I am passionate about books. Someone might say i love books. We hear it all the time. I love to hike, or I love coffee. No that is not love thats passion. There is also confusion to what passion is, but that is a differnt blog altogether.
So, what is Love? I posted the question, "what is Love to you?" on my Facebook page. I got some reall good answers. One talked about natural love between people, others talked about love between mother and child. But two people got surprisingly close. But the simple answer i was looking for was, Love is choice. I know many of you are feeling a great let down at this point. Jesus told us to love them that hate us. How do we Love people that hate us and spitfully use us, Jesus said. We choose to. Pastor John was right on when He said we Love people enough to change them, we Love people inspite of there flaws and short comings. Not because we have an over whelming emotional response, but because we choose to. Make the choice to Love becomes easier the more you do it. And by making the choice to Love we engadge the very emotions that we need to continue to Love. Before Love can ever turn into a true deep emotion it must first be a choice.
Many of you are probly questioning me at this point. Parents are probly ready to turn me off right now. After all the Love you have Little Johnny is the greatest force in your life right now. but give it a few years, your love will be tested by Little Johnny, himself. You see having a child does not mean that you auto maticely know how to Love. Many parents fail at showing there child the right kind of love. Sadder still are the countless cases where parents stop loving there children and leave them as they would leave a dog at the pound. This is a sad fact but it is one that any discution on Love must look at. How can a Father that Loves his children leave them for another family? How can a mother that Loves her children neglect them for the countless men in her life. Worse still how can a loving parent murder there own offspring?
The sad fact I am trying to illistate here is that if the Love a parent has for there child is not nurtured it will grow cold and die. You nurture that Love the same way you build love for others. By doing acts of Love. Looking at 1 Corinthians 13 we see the best discription of Love ever made.
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies,
they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it
will vanish away.
Do you see that! It always says Love does or Love does not! Love is acting Love does and Love does not. But here we go to the next level. How can you Love someone that hates you like this? The answer to that question is found in 1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We can Only Love others as much as we understand how much God loves us. I can never Love ANY person unconditionaly, untill I understand Gods Unconditional love for me. That goes for my Family, friends, and my enemies.
Choosing to recieve Gods Love for you is the first step in being able to make the choose to Love others. You can choose to Love others but it will never reach full potential till you receive Gods Love for you. Once you recieve His Love you have the emotional responce to beable to choose to Love others. As you continue to Choose to Love others you will find the desire will be there in the Chioce. I Love you all. God Bless.
I was perplexed, so i posted the question on Facebook, What is Love to You? I also asked that they leave the deep thology out of there answer because i am dealing with that. I just want to see if people have any idea as to what love is. I will come back to what was said on facebook.
Lets start with what love is NOT. Love is not an only emotion! There are powerful Emotions attached to Love, and Love its self can be felt. But love is not only an emotion. The reasons so many marrages fail is because they think Love is only an emotion. So in time when the emotions are gone and they do not "feel" love for the other person they think they no longer love that person and want out of the marriage. Now for the record, the love a parent feels towards a child is not the topic of discution here. The love a mother or father feels for there children, is in most parts an unconditonal love. The love a parent feels towards a child is the Love we know that can be compared to Gods Love for us. Now for the record a parents Love if not nurtured will grow cold. I will address this more latter on.
Love is not lust. The reason teen pregnance is on the rise is because teens and adults think that lust and love are synonyms. Even the dictionary results i found have disriptions of lust in the definition of Love. Lust gets cold quick reason 2 marrigaes and relationships fail. People meet and think they are in a Love. Love at first sight. But it is just Lust at first sight. They explode into a passionate relationship that burns out quick leaving both poeple empty and alone.
Love is your passion. For example, I have a passion for books. I like to read, If i could get payed to read i would! I like novels. I am passionate about books. Someone might say i love books. We hear it all the time. I love to hike, or I love coffee. No that is not love thats passion. There is also confusion to what passion is, but that is a differnt blog altogether.
So, what is Love? I posted the question, "what is Love to you?" on my Facebook page. I got some reall good answers. One talked about natural love between people, others talked about love between mother and child. But two people got surprisingly close. But the simple answer i was looking for was, Love is choice. I know many of you are feeling a great let down at this point. Jesus told us to love them that hate us. How do we Love people that hate us and spitfully use us, Jesus said. We choose to. Pastor John was right on when He said we Love people enough to change them, we Love people inspite of there flaws and short comings. Not because we have an over whelming emotional response, but because we choose to. Make the choice to Love becomes easier the more you do it. And by making the choice to Love we engadge the very emotions that we need to continue to Love. Before Love can ever turn into a true deep emotion it must first be a choice.
Many of you are probly questioning me at this point. Parents are probly ready to turn me off right now. After all the Love you have Little Johnny is the greatest force in your life right now. but give it a few years, your love will be tested by Little Johnny, himself. You see having a child does not mean that you auto maticely know how to Love. Many parents fail at showing there child the right kind of love. Sadder still are the countless cases where parents stop loving there children and leave them as they would leave a dog at the pound. This is a sad fact but it is one that any discution on Love must look at. How can a Father that Loves his children leave them for another family? How can a mother that Loves her children neglect them for the countless men in her life. Worse still how can a loving parent murder there own offspring?
The sad fact I am trying to illistate here is that if the Love a parent has for there child is not nurtured it will grow cold and die. You nurture that Love the same way you build love for others. By doing acts of Love. Looking at 1 Corinthians 13 we see the best discription of Love ever made.
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies,
they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it
will vanish away.
Do you see that! It always says Love does or Love does not! Love is acting Love does and Love does not. But here we go to the next level. How can you Love someone that hates you like this? The answer to that question is found in 1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We can Only Love others as much as we understand how much God loves us. I can never Love ANY person unconditionaly, untill I understand Gods Unconditional love for me. That goes for my Family, friends, and my enemies.
Choosing to recieve Gods Love for you is the first step in being able to make the choose to Love others. You can choose to Love others but it will never reach full potential till you receive Gods Love for you. Once you recieve His Love you have the emotional responce to beable to choose to Love others. As you continue to Choose to Love others you will find the desire will be there in the Chioce. I Love you all. God Bless.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Truth?
Philosophy is the pursuit of truth. In order for one to be able to pursue truth they must start off going in the right direction. Most philosophy does not start in right direction, so naturally they end in the wrong place. If I want to go to Florida from my home in Kentucky, but i head north i will never reach Florida. It will be even more difficult for me to get to Florida if i deny that South is even a direction!
I know that some of this may sound a bit weird to you, But it is what modern philosophy has done since the 1700's. They have started out in a pursuit of Truth, but they deny that truth can even be known. So why would i pursue something that i can never have? I know that philosophy is out dated and has been replace in part by Natural Humanism, I am getting to that. the only reason i bring up philosophy from the 1700's is because they are still taught in schools and foundational works, and they have had new even more miss guided philosophies built on them.
Natural Humanism is the Philosophy that state, (in a nut shell for time purposes) Humans are the height and reason for thought, purpose, and morality. And all truth is subjective to human reasoning. Humanism completely reject the possibility of a power greater than ones self.
Let me break down this line of thought for just a moment. Us humans are the final authority on what is right, what is wrong, we have the final say on purpose for life and morality. But none of it matters because since we are the final authority of it all it is all subjective to what is culturally acceptable. You might be seeing the problem with this kind of thinking, but if not let me illuminate. Humanism says murder is wrong, not because it is wrong, but because we as a culture says it is wrong. In fact a murderer is only wrong because we say he is wrong, not because murder is wrong. This is the major problem with Humanism.
So can Truth be known. If humanism is right, then i can not argue that it is right because i can not know it is right. Now we have reached the pointless circle dance of humanism. I can not argue that it is wrong because, i will be arguing with someone that is saying that i can not know that because it is subjective. They can not argue with me (even though they do) because they believe that all truth is subjective. The point is, how can a philosophy (the pursuit of truth) say all truth is subjective, because suddenly i have no reason to pursue truth. It can not.
Truth can be known. I know what color my shirt i am wearing. I know how to type. Many Humanist will argue that these are facts and not truth. I can quickly end the debate by asking them how they know that. If they even try to answer they will be, by omission, be admitting there own lack of faith in there philosophy. The truth is that truth can be known because humanist admit to knowing that humanism is truth.
Jesus said, "I am the way. the TRUTH, and life..." Pilot when questioning Jesus ask Jesus, "What is truth?'' Pilot lived in a society filled with philosophy. We see this clearly with Paul in the book of Acts, when he is preaching on Mars Hill, in Athens. The bible records that the Athenians liked to hear what ever new philosophy (It was actually recorded is teaching, but the English word philosophy comes from the same word we get doctrine from) they could hear. At lest the Athenians knew that truth could be known. The problem with Philosophy today is simple. The possibility of there being a God is dismissed before they can even get started. So what if they are wrong. What if the truth is out there but they dismiss it before they get started, would it lead them to the conclusion that Truth can not be known? Remember my example from the beginning? Going to Florida from Kentucky. denyng that South excited, and never going in that direction. Would i end up saying there is no Florida? Not because it is not there but because i never went the right way to find it. Sad to say Modern Philosophy has ended in much the same way.
I know that some of this may sound a bit weird to you, But it is what modern philosophy has done since the 1700's. They have started out in a pursuit of Truth, but they deny that truth can even be known. So why would i pursue something that i can never have? I know that philosophy is out dated and has been replace in part by Natural Humanism, I am getting to that. the only reason i bring up philosophy from the 1700's is because they are still taught in schools and foundational works, and they have had new even more miss guided philosophies built on them.
Natural Humanism is the Philosophy that state, (in a nut shell for time purposes) Humans are the height and reason for thought, purpose, and morality. And all truth is subjective to human reasoning. Humanism completely reject the possibility of a power greater than ones self.
Let me break down this line of thought for just a moment. Us humans are the final authority on what is right, what is wrong, we have the final say on purpose for life and morality. But none of it matters because since we are the final authority of it all it is all subjective to what is culturally acceptable. You might be seeing the problem with this kind of thinking, but if not let me illuminate. Humanism says murder is wrong, not because it is wrong, but because we as a culture says it is wrong. In fact a murderer is only wrong because we say he is wrong, not because murder is wrong. This is the major problem with Humanism.
So can Truth be known. If humanism is right, then i can not argue that it is right because i can not know it is right. Now we have reached the pointless circle dance of humanism. I can not argue that it is wrong because, i will be arguing with someone that is saying that i can not know that because it is subjective. They can not argue with me (even though they do) because they believe that all truth is subjective. The point is, how can a philosophy (the pursuit of truth) say all truth is subjective, because suddenly i have no reason to pursue truth. It can not.
Truth can be known. I know what color my shirt i am wearing. I know how to type. Many Humanist will argue that these are facts and not truth. I can quickly end the debate by asking them how they know that. If they even try to answer they will be, by omission, be admitting there own lack of faith in there philosophy. The truth is that truth can be known because humanist admit to knowing that humanism is truth.
Jesus said, "I am the way. the TRUTH, and life..." Pilot when questioning Jesus ask Jesus, "What is truth?'' Pilot lived in a society filled with philosophy. We see this clearly with Paul in the book of Acts, when he is preaching on Mars Hill, in Athens. The bible records that the Athenians liked to hear what ever new philosophy (It was actually recorded is teaching, but the English word philosophy comes from the same word we get doctrine from) they could hear. At lest the Athenians knew that truth could be known. The problem with Philosophy today is simple. The possibility of there being a God is dismissed before they can even get started. So what if they are wrong. What if the truth is out there but they dismiss it before they get started, would it lead them to the conclusion that Truth can not be known? Remember my example from the beginning? Going to Florida from Kentucky. denyng that South excited, and never going in that direction. Would i end up saying there is no Florida? Not because it is not there but because i never went the right way to find it. Sad to say Modern Philosophy has ended in much the same way.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Abide in The Vine.
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." John 15:5.
Last night as i was getting ready for bed my phone rang. It was my Mother. When i answered the phone i knew something was weighing heavy on her. So i asked her what was up. She then proceeded to to tell me what was troubling her thoughts. (This blog is NOT a pity party its about victory!)
I live in Frankfort, my family lives in my home town of Bardstown. There is a lot going on with my family in Bardstown. My sister has a broken leg, brother has breathing problems, dad has 2 tumors, and what i spoke with my Mom about last night! It is a lot.
Last night while talking to Mom i wanted to plan a trip to Bardstown, this week end, or next week, to be with my family and pray for them. But that would end in failure. Because I must abide in the vine! If i leave the vine i can do nothing. I am not hear to whine about what the devil is TRYING to do my family. I am here to tell him to get off my family! As i abide in Jesus and stay rooted and grounded in Him i can NOT loose, i can NOT be defeated! But if i go running off to my home town trying to help others with out considering my own spiritual well being, then i can do nothing. If Jesus tells me to back to Bardstown, and help them then I am abiding in the vine. Jesus did not tell me to do that. The attack on my family is design by satan to get me off course. I am intensely working on my person spiritual growth, I am can not leave that and go running off to help others when i my self needs help! Jesus asked, "can the blind lead the blind?"
I love my family and many of you may think that I am being cold and cruel by not comforting my family during there hardships. But the truth is i am more affective in comforting my family by being strong and not bowing to the attack of the devil. My ability to comfort them is only as good as my connection to the vine. If i disconnect my self from the vine and go off I will wither and die. (Not physical death, but spiritual, check genesis 2 and 3) My Faith is strong and effective to help my family, as i seek first the Kingdom of God.
I would encourage anyone who is having problems in life, not to let thous problems dictate what they are going to do. Rather stay focused on what God has called you to do. Many times the devil will bate the hook of destruction with something or someone dear to us. The devil can not kill this person as long as you pray and stand on the promises of God, and stay focused on the call. If the devil can get you to act out of fear then he has won. The moment you act in fear and not in Faith, the devil has disconnected you from the vine. You are now connected to him by fear. If I would have ran off to Bardstown i would have been acting in fear and not in Faith, i would have been disconnected from the vine. Jesus said "...without Me you can do nothing." Stay connected to the vine. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Act in Faith not in fear.
Last night as i was getting ready for bed my phone rang. It was my Mother. When i answered the phone i knew something was weighing heavy on her. So i asked her what was up. She then proceeded to to tell me what was troubling her thoughts. (This blog is NOT a pity party its about victory!)
I live in Frankfort, my family lives in my home town of Bardstown. There is a lot going on with my family in Bardstown. My sister has a broken leg, brother has breathing problems, dad has 2 tumors, and what i spoke with my Mom about last night! It is a lot.
Last night while talking to Mom i wanted to plan a trip to Bardstown, this week end, or next week, to be with my family and pray for them. But that would end in failure. Because I must abide in the vine! If i leave the vine i can do nothing. I am not hear to whine about what the devil is TRYING to do my family. I am here to tell him to get off my family! As i abide in Jesus and stay rooted and grounded in Him i can NOT loose, i can NOT be defeated! But if i go running off to my home town trying to help others with out considering my own spiritual well being, then i can do nothing. If Jesus tells me to back to Bardstown, and help them then I am abiding in the vine. Jesus did not tell me to do that. The attack on my family is design by satan to get me off course. I am intensely working on my person spiritual growth, I am can not leave that and go running off to help others when i my self needs help! Jesus asked, "can the blind lead the blind?"
I love my family and many of you may think that I am being cold and cruel by not comforting my family during there hardships. But the truth is i am more affective in comforting my family by being strong and not bowing to the attack of the devil. My ability to comfort them is only as good as my connection to the vine. If i disconnect my self from the vine and go off I will wither and die. (Not physical death, but spiritual, check genesis 2 and 3) My Faith is strong and effective to help my family, as i seek first the Kingdom of God.
I would encourage anyone who is having problems in life, not to let thous problems dictate what they are going to do. Rather stay focused on what God has called you to do. Many times the devil will bate the hook of destruction with something or someone dear to us. The devil can not kill this person as long as you pray and stand on the promises of God, and stay focused on the call. If the devil can get you to act out of fear then he has won. The moment you act in fear and not in Faith, the devil has disconnected you from the vine. You are now connected to him by fear. If I would have ran off to Bardstown i would have been acting in fear and not in Faith, i would have been disconnected from the vine. Jesus said "...without Me you can do nothing." Stay connected to the vine. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Act in Faith not in fear.
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