Tag Archive | Christian

He’s a Good God!

Jul13

Overdrew your account and bounced five checks before you got the funds to cover it and all those overdraft charges cost you a small fortune?

Your brother heisted an old jalopy, swiped some candy bars, stole a few cartons of smokes, drove off without paying for a tank of gas, ran a red light, was chased down by the cops and arrested? After all was said and done, young Billy is in prison, and you’re going to tell me that God did this to straighten him out?

Oh puhhhleeese! Your foolish little brother got busted for his stupid, careless and dishonest behavior; these are called natural consequences.

You steal – you go to jail.

You lie – you lose trust.

You cheat – you suffer consequences.

You stick your finger on a hot skillet, you get burned.

God does NOT do bad things!!

Repeat after me: “God. Does. Not. Do. Bad. Things”.

(You fill in the blank: God does not _________”).

How do I know this? I know this because He is a LOVING God. He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you. You may insist on YOUR own way and get into tons of trouble, but He is always there. He is with you always. He sent His Son to die for us so that we may have eternal life when we deserved to die.

Back in the day, God knew, even then, that some well meaning, self-righteous person would suggest that God put little brother Billy in jail, “to teach him a lesson”. Think about it: Today, if an earthy father put his child’s finger on the stove “to teach her a lesson”, that would be deemed CHILD ABUSE! Why then do we say that God is cruel like this? He addressed such foolishness in the book of James, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.” (James 1:13). Why is it so hard to believe we serve a LOVING God?

When little brother Billy was sent to prison, he began to see the error of his (foolish, stupid) ways and THEN, he turned to a loving God. This young man made some very bad choices, and he landed in the pokey. But God met him where he was. God’s goodness is attractive!

My former pastor taught that God meets us where we are. If life has beaten you to pulp, God is there in the midst; turn to Him. He has never left you, and He never will.

Abba Father,

As I go about my day, thank you that you are always here, always with me. Please guide me to                     make the right choices, but when I don’t, please remind me to come back home.

I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

All scripture is taken from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

© 2015 Cat Brennan

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FLOOD WALLS or FAITH WALLS?

Jun27

Many years ago, I lived in Huntington, West Virginia.  The Ohio River separates West Virginia and Ohio; normally that mass is calm, wending its way northward and staying within its banks.

However, one year we had an abundance of rain. As one who grew up in New Mexico where we measured our rainfall in drops, rather than inches, the idea of a flood was something new. There were flood walls here and there to contain the outrageous excess of water that accumulated from a flood.

I remember being in total awe of God in that man really thought he could contain billions of gallons of water with flood walls. And to this day, man thinks he knows better than God what can be controlled and legislated and ruled.

Along this same thought process of flood walls, I am reminded me that God had the foresight to set up a system of “flood walls” for His children.  He called it ASSEMBLING (gather together, fellowship, meeting, church).

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”  KJV Hebrews 10:25 and in The Message: “Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the bid Day approaching.”

Think about the enormous Ohio River! One lone brick (one Christian) will be swept away with a normal river flow (everyday life), not to mention FLOOD waters. But put a number of bricks (saints) together with good mortar (prayer) and the flood (adversity, pain, fear) will be pushed back or held at bay.

Jesus didn’t command us to get together on Sunday morning for His sake; He said if for ours.

Are your flood walls in place? Do you share your burdens with your brothers and sisters, or do you sit home alone with your problems and thoughts and let the flood of misery overtake you?

Are you denying someone the ability to share his or her gifts of faith or prayer or encouragement?  Or …

Do you want to find Peace that passes all understanding? Call a friend. Reach out. Ask for help. Give the family of God the opportunity to be the bricks and cement in your wall.

One or two bricks have no strength against a flood (of problems, concerns, fears, doubts), but a huge wall (your Christian friends) against this flood will help the one brick to stand strong, resist the flood and deflect the crash of waves of _______ (you fill in the blank).

© 2015 Cat Brennan (all rights reserved)