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uselessthinking01
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Name: Andy
Country: United States
Birthday: 1/22/1982
Interests: My pride and passion and focus of my life right right now is trying to please my Savior and Redeemer, but I can tell you honestly that I fail misserbly every day...which is why the Lord's grace is so amazing...that He could save even a wretch like me.
Expertise: I play guitar and have for 5 years...I try to use my talents for the glory of God's kingdom and to give Him the praise and honor He rightly deserves, all blessings come from above. I write my own stuff with my brother and we are looking to start recording soon, if you want a small mediocre sound byte let me know
Im studdying to be a youth pastor/worship leader at college of Biblical Studies here in Houston.
Occupation: Other
Industry: Construction
Message: message meEmail: email me
AIM:  raggedyandy7
Yahoo:  uselessthinking
Member Since:
1/3/2004
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| Read if you want ... not required ... not for the faint of heart or if you are easily pissed off, haha ... questions or comments are MORE than welcome!!! You can argue or disagree with me as well, let's just keep it civil and godly JUST KNOW ... this is written in the context of those who claim to be Christians and live fowl, or those that use God as a vending machine ........ the world is the world and I am not surprised at how they live ... I AM however surprised by how *I* live and my fellow Christians in this country of freedom and an era of Christianity where there is NO excuse for spiritual maturity. There are more Bible and more commentaries and books written on the Bible than any other century! THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR OUR IMMATURITY AND IGNORANCE This is something I had to write for class back in July and thought I'd share. It may be a harsh but honest view of America and where stand in my opinion as a nation. So often we as Americans base our strength on fear of others, our power, but most of all our prosperity. Nations around us look at us in disgust at the morality of a so called "Christian nation." They scoff and look at us and look at our alledged "God" that is the foundation of our nation and wonder what kind of God could put up with such heinousness. The reality is seen in the way we live our lives and the creeds we qoute as a quarter in a vending machine hoping to gain a little favor from God the more times we acknowledge him in a song on a sunday, on a bumper sticker on our car that says "God bless America" or using His name to gain something from others. As the Christian rapper Lecrae says, "we are not a Christian nation, we are just practicing the ritual." We don't the first thing about Christianity as a nation, we try and remove God from society, culture, and even Church and then blame Him for the evil around us or the loss of a loved one, or any other reason we are pissed off. We are nothing but spiritual prostitutes who claim to be wed to the God of creation but then choose the comforts of society over a taste and glimpse of the Almighty God. So how long will America have left? Will God use nations around us to destroy us or to cause us to go into exile, fleeing to other nations like He did with Israel? (that not to say we are similar to Israel in God's eyes, we are not God's chosen people) ... or will God let us destroy us from the inside out like He did with Rome and other powerhouse nations over church history who through loss of morals and forgetting God tore down their walls from the inside. What will be the fate for America? No one really knows. But, in my opinion, if we remove our umbrella of protection from Israel our destruction will be soon. As God told Abraham in Genesis 12, "Those that bless you I will bless, and those that curse you I will curse." There is a reason Israel has withstood so much conflict and war, though small in size and number, still exists after thousdands of years. Because the blessing and covenent of God is with the people of Abraham! And those that protect Israel will receive protection and blessing from God. Once that hand of protection is removed from Israel I believe our time is coming, and at that time, I may just move to Canada. There may be a reason we are not in the Scriptures when it refers to endtimes, it may be because we are not that important to put in Scripture ........ or we don't exist The Christian soldiers need to stand up for truth and morality in this country of decadence, where morality is based upon the individual who determines their own truth, and where tolerance will only tolerate themselves. Where are the soldiers who stand up for truth? Where are the Christians who will die for what they believe in? Where are the ambassadors who despite persecution and hatred walk with a bible in hand? Where are the churches who could care less about prosperity and wealth and care more about the God who created them and the God who requires a righteousness that exceeds the Pharisees? We are Americans (and some Canadians), but most of all we are CHRISTIANS and our home is not this earth, we are in the far country and we are longing for home. LIVE FOR HOME! God blessed America!!! You may not think I am being very patriotic, but I do not serve a country or a government. I serve a King and a Kingdom Now America, get up and show the world who is King. Drag as many with you into glory as you possibly can. Show the world who and what you value most. Your freedom? Or your Christ? Above our nation stands our flag waving brilliant white blue and red Bleeding from our nations wounds of men who gave their life for freedom Creatures of God's own hand, given life and dominion created for God's glory Drunk from our cup of prosperity we have drunk so much we have no room for more Eating from the feasts of wars won and a trashed morality, what have we become
Freedom rings but the neglect of the freedom stings deeper Groping our god of money between our fingers but the smell of pride lingers Here we stand upon this rock of Edom, pride is bringing our fall "In God we trust" our creedal mosaic on our fields of green Jesus name no longer lingering on the lips of the religious free
Kindling fire from God's wine press above Laying beside our mistress, the world, disguised as an innocent dove Making claims of a trust in one we do not know, a God to whom reverence we don't show Naked vows hidden within a veil of tightly woven lies checking knots in our withering fig leaves Oppressing nations in the bliss of our ignorant selfish eye and saying "peace peace" when there is none
Praising our riches while spitting on the cross we use to buy our cloak Questioning salvations sanctity feeding from the worlds dross by which we are soaked Raping the truth by those with no knowledge, saying truth is unknown and salvation is by many different roads Saying "God bless America" we cry from our lungs when we are falling from freedoms ledge Trash heaps of blessings we stack as our arch of victory bringing home nothing we can take once the clocks hit zero
Under God's foot we have taken our refuge Vindication from a white horse of justice on the horizon Weeping eyes won't drown our sorrow Exclamation from a period to a comma, our flight is falling ... listen for the cock crow Yearning for a knife to slit the throat of justice ... beware of the King Zion's Lamb will soon bring His recompense | | |
| What a great high priest I have who stands and intercedes for me
before the great Almighty God ... despite the evidence of me being
guilty ever before me Christ's blood STILL avails for me ... then and
only then, with this knowledge can we actually say, "so great a
salvation."
Knowing that Christ stands for me as my defense attorney gives me
confidence to go before the throne of God ... because of Christ I am
accepted and declared innocent ... NOT because of me ... but because of
HIM ... tis a beautiful thing to know the sweet sweet Jesus
check out the lyrics of this hymn ...let it soak in and remember
that God's wrath was satisfied because CHRIST took it on the cross
instead of you and me having to endure it ... and we are forever in Him
and kept in Him ... amen ... so great a salvation
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.
Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God! | | |
| One of the things about this Christian life and the reason we worship
that always brings me to my knees because I recognize my frailty and my
maggotness is just the fact that God would trade His infinitely perfect
Son for a piece of scum like me. Just the thought just makes me stand
in awe that God, would trade His co-creator and glorious Son for a
little piece of creation that ultimately rebels against Him, chooses
sin over fellowship, chooses darkness rather than light, and chooses
life on earth rather than life in heaven. The ultimate manifestation of
love is that God would do such a thing. Why? Just ask that question for
a little while and try and come up with a logical answer that makes
theological sense. Might hurt yourself trying. There really is no
reason except that God was merciful to me and to those He saved. God
chose me before the foundation of the world and predestined me to be
conformed into the image of His Son, while His Son was placed on the
cross in humiliation and disgrace for all to see and mock; so I can
taste a tiny piece of eternity and share in a little of His divine
nature. The worth of man is found in God alone, for He is our only
good. If He is our only good than why settle for something less
valuable than God? Nothing else satisfies like fellowship with the
Almighty, so why is it that I run away from unity with Christ because
of the fear of exposure of who I really am? Why is it that I would
rather flirt and be flirted with with some girl than be wooed by the
creator of the universe? So God traded His SON …… HIS SON ……
JESUS CHRIST, for me!!! Let us weigh the differences and see if it was
worth it. Jesus Christ: infinite, creator of the universe, sustainer of
all things, savior of the elect, the great high priest, mediator
between man and God, the coming King, and the Alpha and Omega … and now
Andy Tate: finite, creator of evil, disobedient
to parents, law breaker, sinner, dweller of earth, king of only myself,
and of course … can't forget the number one thing … GOD HATER FROM
BIRTH! YAY. Now why would God really trade His prized one for someone
who did not even desire Him? Sounds kind of ridiculous to me. Don't you
think MAYBE He deserves a little praise? A little worship? Maybe a
little more than just Sunday mornings between 9 and noon? Just MAYBE?! | | |
| Today in the modern church there is so much talk about all this "blessing" and "anointing" and what not. We always talk about wanting to be blessed by God, but I think we really miss the concept of blessing Biblically. We see "blessing" as something that is good for us, something that benefits us and causes us to prosper. Now, just thinking on this on the way home and running through some verses in my head I came to the conclusion that what possibly we may see as a blessing, God may have intended as a curse. FOR EXAMPLE: 1 Samuel 8:1-7
And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel.
1Sa 8:2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba.
1Sa 8:3 His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice.
1Sa 8:4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah;
1Sa 8:5 and they said to him, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations."
1Sa 8:6 But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD.
1Sa 8:7 The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.
These verses talk about Israel’s request for an earthly king because they wanted to be like all the other nations. They wanted something visible and tangible they could see and touch. However, God was their King and declared this all through out the Law. God said He would be their deliverer and that He would fight their battles for them and not to be afraid. Unfortunately Israel wanted to be "blessed" with a king just like everyone else to fight their battles for them. We see in Hosea 13:11 that God gave them a king in His anger and took him away in His wrath.
Question for you. Have you been asking for something, a blessing from God, so that you look and be characterized as someone that looks like the world? We are not of this world; our citizenship is in heaven as Philippians 2 talks about. Why do we keep asking for things that pertain to our selfish needs and desires because we want to be like everyone else? Why do you want a girlfriend? Why do you want a boyfriend? Why do you want that car? Why do you wear those clothes?
Don't get me wrong and think that I'm saying if you have those that God gave them to you in His wrath and anger, BUT, maybe He brought you into something to chastise you. Like He put Israel into the 70 years captivity so they would not be arrogant and self righteous as Isaiah talks about. Our reliance and strength comes from Him.
My point is this. Our TRUE blessing is the presence of Yahweh, the presence of the Almighty God. He already PROMISED us in Ephesians 1 that He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing under the heavenlies in that He chose us in love from the foundations of the world. He has already blessed you so why seek blessings that are tangible? To be truly blessed is to remain in unity and communion with a Holy God. Only then will you be satisfied. Let me put it this way. His Word says to "delight in Him and He will give you the desires of your heart." Well, here's the string that's attached, if you're truly delighting in Him what are you going to want? MORE OF HIM! Our chief duty on earth is to glorify God and enjoy Him completely.
That means, if you are in a relationship with someone and it turns sour and you lose that person, if you or that person have bitter feelings towards the other because of the break up, your satisfaction was not in Christ alone. If your satisfaction is in Christ alone then NOTHING can cause you to lose that cool, or to act harshly towards another. If we are truly dieing to our self-dependency and selfish desires as we are supposed to, NOTHING will EVER cause us to lose that joy. The problem is, we all place our joy and our satisfaction in earthly treasures, in broken cisterns as Jeremiah talks about. We settle for broken cisterns of muddy and murky water instead of wading in the cisterns of His glorious presence.
So think to yourself about a relationship you may be in. If that person broke up with you, would you be satisfied in Christ? If not, then maybe you're in an idolatrous relationship. I've been there. Spiritual maturity comes from getting into His Word. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. You don't gain spiritual knowledge by placing a Bible on your night stand and hoping the words magically and supernaturally infest your brain. God's Word does not become your foundation when you throw it on the ground and place your two feet upon it. It becomes true to you when you apply it and live it out. Biblical knowledge doesn't stop at just knowing it. Knowledge based on Scripture becomes knowledge when applied. You can read the Bible 6 times, recite it from memory Genesis to Revelation, or know it in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic, and not know the God or the Jesus of Scripture. And you want to know what He'll say "Depart from me, for I never KNEW you." His knowing you is not just a knowledge of your name; it's an epignosis, a relational intimacy knowing. The same concept used in Matthew 7:23 of Jesus saying "depart from me for I never knew you" is the exact same concept in Matthew 1:25 where it says that Joseph kept Mary a virgin. The word for "kept" actually means "was not knowing her". I don't think it was that he didn’t have a knowledge of her existence. It's not like Adam when he "knew" eve, that they just sat at a table across from each other and said "hi, im adam" and "hi, im eve" and all of a sudden they got pregnant.
Question for you. Do you KNOW Jesus intimately or do you know of Him? Does He KNOW you? Or are you just in close proximity of Him, knowing of an existence, but not really know? I know George Bush exists, and if I saw him I would recognize him, but, if I shouted his name would I receive the same honor? No, because we do not have a friendship.
So, are you seeking a blessing or wanting blessings that are something other than what Christ desires for your life? Are you seeking knowledge of Him? Are you in a holy fear of His holiness and wrath? Can you HONESTLY say, "I know Jesus." Or are you like the Pharisee's and that if He came, though you know knowledge of Scripture, you miss Him completely and He tells you that hell was created for you.
What is your desire? To know Christ and be in intimacy with Him, constantly persevering after His holiness, or, do you just want a platonic buddy buddy friendship with Him where you'd rather just know His name and not be invited to the big feast He has planned for His true friends that obey Him. You're not a friend of God unless you are obedient to His Word, but how can you be obedient to someone and something you don't know?
I have not grabbed hold of this myself yet. I am still just a man whose desires are constantly self-seeking. But, this I do know, Christ is coming again to vindicate His death and His reward will be with Him (Revelation 19). And I will be one of those in white linen because my righteousness is not my own, but I have a mediator and an intercessor that tells God, "Hey, this one is mine" and proves my innocence based solely on His death and His blood blotting out my sin. My DESIRE, though I toss it aside on occasion, is to "know Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him." (Philippians 3:7-8) For then, and ONLY then, am I truly blessed | | |
| After countless years of a life full of seeking love from idols that don't satisfy my inner innate need for a Redeemer's love I am finally getting to the point of hating my "love." I keep thinking and desiring for more than what I have, but how can I deal with more if I can't even deal with what exists in my life right now? Why lust and desire after a spouse and a mate that I can "love" when I can't even love my Savior in the way I am supposed to. I don't love God, God loved me first and placed inside me a desire for Him. He scandolously pursued me so that I might be a Child of His grace and now I abuse that grace by becoming a wayward sinner seeking a love that does not satisfy. In todays society we keep looking for the "one" and place that "one" on a petestal of idolatry and worshipping that "one" instead of the holy God that we are commanded with a mandate to worship. We are supposed to worship the Creator, not the creation, as Deuteronomy talks about, but every so often we lift up our prayers and have to confess "God, I forgot about you today."
After months of revelation that I can't love a wife until I can love Christ, I am now coming to the point of saying "God, take my love away". Praying that God would give me right feelings towards the girls that I have once felt a desire for. Those desires sometimes have spawned and have been birthed by a selfish desire of lust for compassion and lust for instant gratification. I'm tired of pleasing myself and unintentionally abusing people in my life that I cared for. I had to tell a friend the other day that through our friendship/relationship that if she did not grow closer to God in the period of our relationship/friendship then I have failed as a friend and companion. I don't want to be defined as a failure in others eyes and in my own eyes. As we all know we are own worst critics.
My love was not created to love this world. I was not commanded to stand before my God and tell Him how much I love him while I have the hoochie called "the world" sitting on me petting me. How dare I tell God how much I love Him when I am holding and carressing the world that's sitting on my lap. Gosh, haha, I make this seem so wrong and filthy and quite frankly I think it is. That is why God commanded Hosea to marry a wife of whoredom to illustrate both Israel's unfaithfulness in that they were like a newlywed couple in love when they began the exodus but then ended up chasing the world and commiting whoredom. All throughout the old testament they are referred to and illustrated by sexual immorality towards a God who they are wed too.
God bought us with a price and swam through the filth of society to trade His Son for a life that is ultimately prone to wander. I am here as an adulteror according to James 4:4 and according to 1 John 2:15-17 a potential enemy of God because of my love of the world and not His holiness. My life needs to be defined and characterized by a life of submission to His character and giving Him glory in the weightiness of my words and motives.
This song by Shane Barnard illustrates what I've been feeling lately and my prayer for my life. Maybe it should be the prayer for your life too. Maybe you're seeking a love that does not satisfy and ultimately will fade and shrivel up and die because your trust and faith is in God. If your relationship falled apart, would your life still be characterized by joy and love, or would it be bitterness and hatred because your joy and satisfaction was found in that PERSON, instead of God? If it is in God then you will ultimately be satisfied in knowing Him and knowing Him alone intimately. Are you placing a person on a higher standard and a higher throne than the God that you serve? Maybe this should be your prayer too, "Take my love away"
Take My Love Away ~ By Shane Barnard
CD = Rocks Won't Cry
Lord, i'm giving all i am with everything i am
holy and annointed one, to You i lift my hands
i surrender all i have
take my love away, take my love away, take my love away, oh Lord, i've given it my best to take my love away
if i could run around the world to fan the fire in me if only i could swim the ocean wide to take my love away from the world and me
take my love away, take my love away, take my love away, oh Lord, i've given it my best to take my love away
i think i read i cannot love the world and love You take my love and plant it deep where life is found in You plant it in the heart of Thee, i'm tired of trying to believe i've worn out all my strategy there's nothing i can do oh Lord to...
take my love away, take my love away, take my love away, oh Lord, i've given it my best to take my love away take my love away, take my love away, take my love away
oh Lord, You've given me Your best so take my love away
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