Writing this journal is sometimes difficult. The time it takes, the commitment to seeking God first, the worry that I may be doing it for man's acceptance instead of God's are all concerns that cause hesitation on my part. But God's plans are never wrong and he doesn't view us as we view ourselves.

We don't like being corrected nor do we like being disciplined. In Hebrews 12, we are clearly instructed to see God's discipline in the light of the love he has for us as his children. That is encouraging because I think of why my children are disciplined at home. I often get angry over an action of sin that they may commit but I don't love them less. I will discipline them because I don't want them to grow into adults committing the same sinful actions which will have even greater consequences if repeated as an adult. If they learn to adjust their choices now, before they become too grave or too habitual, they will not live in the pain of their own misdeeds. I do this because I truly love them and because I have vision into areas of life that they can't see yet.

If any person, who is sinful in nature (although saved by grace) can love his children so much, how much more would a perfect God who is the definition of love, do for his children? (Matthew 7:9-11) Now I look upon my own condition and think of the pain I am experiencing. I realize that, like my children, some of my pain is caused by self-inflicted errors; decisions that I made which are now, consequently, the result of my own poor choices.

Now we have a redeemer who stands at the right hand of God (the position of authority) on our behalf continually providing forgiveness and acceptance for us. When God looks upon us, he sees his promised commitment to love us through the blood of his very own son, Jesus Christ. That gives us the freedom to accept correction in faith, knowing that God loves us. He loves us enough and cares enough to take the trouble to discipline us. If a father didn't care, he would allow his children to run rampant doing whatever they wanted and accepting the resulting punishment of their own misdeeds.

Then I think of my friends and acquaintances who don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Especially, those who have chosen to disregard the faith because they don't believe that the word of God, the bible, is true. They believe what this world tells them is truth but it is only a man's mathematical description of what he can understand. What happens when that man learns that his physical limitations restricted his spiritual capacity to accept what was beyond his understanding? How can a lost person comprehend the massive composition of God if they are not willing to accept the possibility that His word, as historical as it has been seen to be, is true.

A person's rejection of the word is the equivalent to rejection of the son of God because Jesus is the word of God brought into living flesh (John 1:1-5). Acceptance of that may come hard to some because many people don't want to believe that God would be that restrictive or that He even exists but it is by grace that we are saved, not by our own works. It is by the grace of God that we are given the opportunity to accept or deny his gift. By grace, God loved us so much that he refused to take away our free will which included our ability to choose him or to choose ourselves as lord over our lives.

We know we didn't create ourselves. We know we don't know everything. We can't be everywhere so, logically, why would we choose the lessor being as lord? The answer is in Sin... Sin is the lie that was told to us from the early existence of mankind. Satan, when he was still, an arch angel of Heaven, wanted to be like God instead of being under God's authority even though, as Lucipher, he had one of the greatest rankings among the angels (Isaiah 14:12-15). That was the same message of envy which Satan fed to Adam and Eve. They believed that they were worthy of more than God had given them so they chose to disobey God (Genesis 3).

Until a person comes to accept that God knows what is best and that through the bible, God has shown us a better way of living, he or she won't have the protection that Jesus provides. This isn't just a safety net for after death, this is about living out our current human life in the power of the Holy Spirit, a relationship received only after acceptance of the gift (Ephesians 2-3).

To my friends, I urge you to avoid the deception that comes from the flesh of human wisdom (Proverbs 3:5-7). I realize that in the past, the sins of men have attempted to tarnish the name and the true message of Jesus. As far back as the Crusades and before them, there have been those who would misuse and misapply the message of Jesus Christ but all is not lost to us who know our savior lives. Our faith lies in the one who created the church. If we search and meditate upon God's word, we are given insight and wisdom to see the truth (James 1:5-8).

Accept the truth today. Give over the control of your thoughts, emotions and will to The Lord Jesus for a better life and one for eternity.

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twh