About Me

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Saginaw, Michigan, United States
A sinner who may come before God because of Christ

Monday, May 05, 2008

The Change Christ Brings.

When you become a child of God...
You will want to change some habits.
You will want to change some friends.
You will want to change some attitudes.
You will want to change the way you've been.

You will want to change obedience.
You will want to change your life.
You will want to change to go His way,
You will want to change to no longer strife.

The reality is we cannot change
Just because we want
Our old self resists to conform
And our sins in us do haunt.

Instead of striving with your own flesh
That way to change is absurd
Rather seek to know Him deep and more,
Through prayer and through His Word.

Come towards the place where self is gone.
Where our past no longer defines.
Our self is now changed by our Lord,
By Him in His own time.


Thursday, May 01, 2008

Who Is Under Attack?

I get a number of newsletters and email alerts about censorship of various kinds and from various perspectives.

The almost universal element in all of these citings is that "we" are under attack from those who oppose us. Whether it is left, right, liberal, conservative...the theme is the same - "they" have censored what "we" have said.

As a Christian, I should expect persecution. I should not be surprised when people oppose me or disagree or are even hostile (don't have to like it, just remember it is reality). From the get-go, the message of Christ is offensive - you are a sinner (i.e. a bad person) and need a savior.

In this age when "offense" is anything you disagree with, then being accused of wrong-doing should be our norm.

How we respond, though, should not be as the world - which is to either attack in kind or wimper in pacificity - but to speak the truth in love. To stand firmly but not obnoxiously. To speak straightforwardly but not coarsely. To defend but not be defensive.

We should expect our words to be misconstrued, mistaken or even purposely distorted.

It does not matter. As Christians, we are called to do what is right in the eyes of God, as He has commanded, not as we desire.

To do this, though, takes a power greater than our own, and that is where Christ comes in for us. He has not left us alone in this battle, but gives us the Holy Spirit who will give us our words, control our emotions, strengthen our resolve, and comfort our wounds.

Let us remember that and respond to this world in a way that brings the Glory to God and not embraces the world.

For His Glory,
Tom