The Thief on the Cross

 The Thief on the Cross

The Truth About Our Salvation By Chris Bunton

 

 

 

 

   The thief on the cross, spoken of in the Gospels of our Lord Jesus, stands as an extreme view of salvation in the eyes of some.  The man who did what appears to be absolutely nothing, yet Jesus himself saved him declaring, “Today you shall be with me in paradise”.  But,it is my belief that the thief is not an extreme example, but that he is the norm.  We are all thieves on the cross; we just refuse to see it as such. (Luke  23:26-43)

     
     Every one of us stands condemned before God.  We know this in our hearts.  Whether we understand it or not, we know that something is wrong and that we need help.  We desire to know the one who made us, yet we cannot.  It is because we are filled with the plague of Sin from birth, which causes us to live lives apart from God.  It causes us to do the things we do, that we know are wrong.  Like a plague, it works in us to bring about symptoms of evil.  It causes us to knowingly rebel against God, and to reject the helping hand He offers us. 
     
     Therefore, we stand condemned, whether we think it is fair or understand it or not.  We have been nailed to a cross to die like condemned criminals, dangling above the fiery pit of eternity. We are like the thief on the cross.   ( The Book Of Romans)                        
    
      When Jesus was crucified, he was executed along with two thieves; one on each side of  Him.  This event was prophesied hundreds of years before when Isaiah said “…because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered among the transgressors” (Isa.53:12b)
    
      So, how does this apply to us? We are all thieves on the cross.  God Almighty came to Earth in the form of Jesus Christ and was crucified with us in our sin and wretchedness.  He took it all upon His shoulders, and paid the price for us; so that we would not be eternally condemned.  We are to suffer death in this life, but not eternal damnation.
     
     We see our salvation experience in the crucifixion. Jesus Christ was made sin for us. (2 Cor.5: 19-21) This is symbolized when the soldiers put a scarlet (red) robe upon him and a crown of thorns upon His head. Both are symbols for Sin. (Matt. 27: 27-38) This shows that Sin itself was crucified. Sin was judged, while sinners were set free.
     
     He was crucified between two thieves; One on the right and one on the left. Both of the thieves mocked Him, at first. This is how all humans are. We reject God.  We reject His love and His Lordship of our lives. We choose Sin and the World system. We choose Satan, whether we know it or not. We make Lucifer our Lord, and reject the salvation that God freely offers.
      
     But, one of the thieves comes to the realization of who Jesus really is. The Holy Spirit spoke truth to his heart and he believed the Word given to him. The thief was mocking, but suddenly a change occurs. He saw the truth. He believed. That is faith. God called Him by His grace, and through faith the thief believed and was made righteous, at that instant. That is the same with us. We live our lives, and something happens that wakes us up. God comes to us and calls us and speaks to our hearts and we believe. We are saved at that instant.(Eph. 2:8-10)
       
     Next, we see the awakened thief witnessing to the unsaved thief.  He tells him that Jesus is not worthy of death but the thieves are. Just like when we witness of Jesus Christ we tell people that Jesus came to die for us, the innocent for the guilty. Jesus said “If you confess me before men, I will confess you before my father” ( Matt. 10:31-33 ) This thief was confessing Jesus before men.
       
     Next we see the thief speak to Jesus and he says “Lord”.  He confesses Jesus is The Lord. As it says in Romans 10:9-10.  “ that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”  He believed that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah and confessed Him as Lord. This is what each of us is called to do. (Acts 8:26-40)
      
     The thief said, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  The thief believed upon Jesus, and put his future hope in Him, for a better day. A hope for something greater beyond this life, and wicked world. This hope is the same hope the prophets, the great men of old, believed in. It is the same hope we have. (Heb. 11:8-16, 11:32-40)
     
     Jesus Himself, said “Verily I say unto you, that today, you shall be with me in paradise.” Many take this to mean that since they died that day, they went to paradise together. This is certainly true. But, it also means that on this day, in this instant, you are saved. You will be with me in paradise, or heaven, forever. This is the same with us. We are saved forever, the second we first believe, and confess Him as Lord.
      
     The thief was not baptized. He did not go to church. He did not give money to charity or churches. He did not behave himself perfectly for 80 years of his life. He did absolutely nothing, but believe in Him, Confess Him as His Lord, and witness to the lost. That’s it. That’s all that is needed for salvation.      After our salvation we seek to know God’s will for our lives by studying His Word. We are baptized, take communion, and gather with other believers. We give, and show love to others, as God works in our lives. We learn of the gifts He has given us, and we use them to build His kingdom. We struggle with our old nature, letting the new man come forth as God works. We deny the world system of Satan, and build God’s kingdom.
    
     We are all thieves on the cross. We are wretched sinners, just one step from death and destruction. The only thing saving us is Jesus Christ. Believe it, and Tell others.

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry Ebook called "Against The Man" and an Addiction Recovery Ebook called "Made Free: Overcoming Addiction"

Photo by the writer.  A memorial to Pere Marquette, along the highway in Pere Marquette State Park, Illinois.

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All Churches Are The Same

 All Churches Are The Same

 

I've been involved with Churches my whole life. And what I have found is that every church has about 5 to 10 people who think they own the church. They think it's their job to control and police the church. They use their power, money, influence and knowledge to bully people into doing what they want.

Now, when I said this I'm sure that a church person popped into your mind. If you attend church you probably know one of them. If you don't attend, then they are probably the reason you were driven away.

When I talk to church people about this they all say the same thing. "All churches are like that. You'll never find a perfect church" 

They say this like it's so profound and a solution to the problem. They seem to think we should just suck it up and let these people rule.

But, the scriptures speak of these people plainly.

It's these children of Satan who worked to kill Jesus.

It's these tares among the wheat who tried to destroy Paul's work, every where he went.

They are wolves in sheep's clothing who drive away people seeking God.

They are false brethren who do everything they can to distract from God's work.

They are a brood of vipers who seek followers, then make them 10 times the sons of hell.

They are scribes. Pharisees, and hypocrites, whose end is to be burned.

They are Lot's Wife. They are the Elder Brother.

They are the foolish virgins, shut out and driven into the apostate church, to beat the menservants and maidservants.

We know who these people are. Why do we let them rule? We are guilty for allowing it. We are guilty for letting them drive people from Christ.

The Lord will cleanse His temple in these latter days, and drive out the money changers and those who buy and sell, instead of knowing and serving  Christ.

They need to be saved. They do great damage to the cause. Satan uses them in these last days to disrupt the work of the believer.

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois

Photo by the writer.

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Spirit-Led Prayer

 Spirit-Led Prayer

A lesson on Spirit-Led Prayer and Spiritual Warfare by Chris Bunton

 

We are to be Spirit led in our lives. Our will is to be surrendered to Jesus. We confess Him as our Lord, and the Holy Spirit resides in us, to teach us, guide us and work through us.Many times I have heard Christians talking about being distracted in prayer. That all kinds of random thoughts run through their minds. The same thing would happen to me; I was constantly being distracted or led away into other thoughts.
      I prayed to the Lord about this and it came to me one day that perhaps I was not distracted, and that the random thoughts were not so random. Maybe the thoughts were from the Holy Spirit, and I was to pray about and pray over these things. So, that is what I did. I set aside my prayer list. I set aside my will and my desires, and I just spent time with the Lord.
      I immediately started to see changes in my prayer life, and in the prayers being answered because I no longer prayed my will, but God’s will. I did this, not only in my prayer time, but also during the day or night, or anytime I felt a call to pray.
      Now do not get me wrong. I still pray for things that are on the prayer list. Often, while I’m praying there will be time to add these things in, God knows we need them. But, as we draw closer to the Lord, our personal list gets smaller. We trust His will.
      When discussing this with people I have often been told, “Well my thoughts sometimes are about what to feed the cat, or what to have for lunch.”  I believe that every thought is to be taken captive to Christ, and that we can look at these thoughts, and even pray for or about them. Perhaps pray that God will help you to lose weight, or find a proper diet for health, or to help you not to be a glutton, or help you to stay focused on Him, or maybe pray for your cat’s health. Ask Him. “Lord are you showing me something in these random thoughts that I need to pray for? If not, please help me to control them more.”
      Sometimes we might have thoughts that we know are demonic or sinful. Maybe we are under attack in our prayer life. For example, let us say you are fearful for some reason and you cannot shake it. Pray about it as the Spirit leads and then cast the Demon out in Jesus name.  Say “Spirit of Fear, Be gone in Jesus name.”  Then, believe it occurs. Believe in such things. This can be done with any sort of spirit. Spirits of lust, death, infirmity, pain, doubt, laziness, confusion, are all common.
      I have heard teachings on prayer where it is said that we must continue in prayer for things and keep praying. The example used is the parable of the unjust judge. ( Luke 18:1-8 ) Where the woman goes to the judge for justice for her son, and gets none. So, she keeps going back and going back until the judge finally relents.
      However, Jesus plainly states at the end of the parable that God is not like this judge. He will answer speedily. It is our job to have faith that He is answering. The perfect explanation of this occurs in the book of Daniel. Daniel is praying and has prayed for days with no response. But, when the angel arrives, he explains to Daniel that he started coming to answer the prayer the second Daniel began to pray, but was delayed by demonic forces. So, God hears our prayers and moves to answer the second we ask Him. We do not need to continue to badger Him about it.  Have faith.
      Now, that being said, if we are talking about being Spirit led, then there are no rules. There are no formulas. We are led in our prayers by God. I have prayed for things one time and seen an answer quickly, I have prayed for things a few times, and seen nothing. I have prayed for things for years, and again seen nothing, but at other times I have seen great answers.
      However, to be Spirit led is to give it to Him, and let Him do it. The when and how, should not matter. But, of course, it matters greatly to us. This shows us our level of growth. Do we really trust Him? I am not talking about salvation. You are not in trouble if you discover that you don’t trust Him as much as you would like to. Just pray that He will help you.

      To be Spirit led in prayer means that we trust Him. It means that we give it to Him. It also means that we do not follow rules that say “Pray Until Something Happens” or any other formula. We are given a burden by God. A burden is something we feel led to do or pray for. We should pray for it, every time God brings it to us, until He lifts the burden. It is not a matter of praying one time and having faith, or praying hundreds of times for something until it happens. It is about listening to God as He directs you in prayer. God has led me to pray for things one time and trust Him in it. While at the same time God has led me to pray for certain things daily. No rules. It’s just a relationship.

      I have heard teachings that speak of what positions you should take when praying. They try to make rules about it, using Daniel as an example. Daniel prayed 3 times a day, on his knees with his window open, facing Jerusalem. Or they will quote verses where someone prayed with their arms out stretched, or laying on their belly. These teachers will imply that we need to do the same.
      The fact is that if you go from Adam, all the way to the end of the Bible, you will find all kinds of ways that people prayed. Adam walked with God in the coolness of the day, David wrote his prayers down, Daniel knelt, Nehemiah prayed short prayers, Jesus rose up early, Peter was prostrate. The examples are many, and all of them are true. They tell us that there are no rules. You cannot follow all these methods of prayer every time you pray. You cannot. We are to be Spirit led. Trust me; God can put you on your knees anytime He chooses. Let Him guide you in what you should do.
      Think about rules for a second. Rules are religion. Now, let’s say you believe you should always pray, prostrate with your eyes closed. Are you going to do that at a restaurant? Some of you, who like to put on a show…I mean… be a good witness, might do it, but others won’t. You cannot close your eyes and fold your hands to pray, while driving. Driving in your car alone is a wonderful time to pray. Do not lose opportunities, to spend time with the Lord, because your rules won’t let you. Let God guide you.
      The same goes for locations of prayer. Does God only hear your prayers if you face Jerusalem? Does God not listen if you pray somewhere other than your prayer closet?
      He is everywhere. What about the altar at your church? Is that a special place of power? Does God live there? Do you need to go in front to pray, and be seen by men? Now, understand I’m not talking about going forward to pray to receive Christ. That is done, because Jesus said that “If you confess me before men, I will confess you before my father” So, your confession that Jesus is your Lord, must be public.  Again, all of this is to be submitted to the Lord, and led by the Spirit. If the Lord calls you to go to the woods and pray you must do it. I do. But, it is not a rule. If He calls you to pray at the altar, then do it. But, it is not a law for everyone, every time.
      Another thing about Spirit-led prayer is when you encounter a prayer need, or someone asks you to pray for them. You must realize that God had you there at that exact time, so you could hear this prayer need. There is nothing more Spirit-Led than that. Pray immediately.

     Why must we pray immediately? Because oftentimes we will say “I’ll pray for you”. Then, we walk away and forget about it. If we pray immediately, every time we encounter a need, the enemy cannot snatch it out of our minds and make us forget or get distracted.

      Now, when I say pray immediately, I do not mean that you must drop to your knees and make a show of it. What I am saying is that you can do like Nehemiah, and say a simple short prayer under your breath to the Lord. No one will see. No one will know. But, God and the enemy will know, and that’s all that matters.
      Now, if the Spirit leads you to lay hands on the person and to bow heads with them and pray, then do so. But, sometimes when you see people, it is in public, or you both are on the run. Again, be Spirit led. Some people are not able to handle having two or three smiling Christians laying hands on them and singing hymns over them in the checkout line at the store. So, the good thing you sought to do, actually hurt the person. Be Spirit-led.
      Many people are not as bold as others, and when we set down rules, that God never intended, we place our brothers and sisters in a position to fail God, fail themselves, and fail their families.
      For example, when I go to a restaurant, and pray for my meal. I simply say “Lord, thank you for this food, and thank you for everything you’ve done. For it’s in Jesus name I pray amen.” There is not a soul in the restaurant who knows I prayed. I did not bow my head, fold my hands or close my eyes. I don’t need to. God hears. I do not force my table mates to pray. I do not require them to cross themselves or hold hands for twenty minutes while I thank God for the weather and the Presidents health.
      I just pray as the Spirit leads. Jesus said to not pray to be seen by men. Christians will tell me. “I don’t pray at restaurants to be seen by men. I do it because it is a good witness” So, in other words, you do it to be witnessed. This means you do it to be seen by men. Here’s the fact. Jesus was speaking against the Pharisees of His day. The Pharisees were a group of Jewish believers who rose up, and obeyed the law publicly, and as best as they could privately. The whole purpose of this was to “Be a good witness”. They wanted to show the Jewish people that they could obey God’s Laws. By doing this, the Pharisees hoped that it would cause more Jews to obey God’s Laws as well. The Pharisees motivation was good. But, Jesus condemned it anyway. Often times, by doing public displays of holiness it led to earthly rewards, and those rewards became the whole motivation for many of the Pharisees. You might say, but that’s not my motivation. Okay, but what about the people watching? What do they think? What about the weaker brother? The one whose motivations are not as strong? Be Spirit led. No rules. Men do not follow rules well. By setting rules, you simply cause people to stumble, because they will find the rule hard and stop praying altogether. That is a bad thing.
      The Bible says we are to be praying always. That we are to pray unceasingly. ( 1 Thess. 5:17 ) This can only be done by being Spirit-led. Trying to follow rules and your own desires, will make things hard, and you will quit praying. You cannot pull your car over, just so you can kneel facing Jerusalem every time you feel led to pray. Remember, it says to pray unceasingly. When will you work? You cannot unroll your prayer rug, and anoint yourself with oil, while at your desk or the construction site. Be Spirit Led.

      Prayer is to be Spirit-led, and free. No rules. No restraints. Just talk to God, and let your requests be made known unto Him, with thanksgiving, and you will be kept in peace, in Jesus name

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois.

Photo by the writer, Bald Knob Cross. Alto Pass, Illinois.

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8 Ways to Stay Clean and Sober

 

As addicts we need to totally change our lives, in order to be free of addictions and the temptations to reuse.            

It is my belief that God created us, and that addiction is not a surprise to Him. Actually, He created everything associated with addiction, but the purpose was originally for good. It was to get us addicted to, and derive pleasure from the good things. It was to help us to be devoted to God, and the things that benefit our lives.   But, we are fallen and our love and devotion to good things, becomes used for evil and twisted.         

So, as addicts we must replace our bad addictions, with good things. We must devote ourselves to things that do not harm us. By doing this it will help us avoid temptations, controlling influences, and give us a stepping place to be free of everything, except for what we choose to be devoted to.    

Addiction is not always based on chemicals we consume. Gambling, Sex addictions, Food addictions, are not caused by chemicals you take. They are from chemicals produced in the brain, that bring pleasure in some way.   Even the drugs we take influence those chemicals already in our brain. That’s where the battle must occur.

I am in no way simplifying or belittling the struggle we as addicts face. I’m not saying that simply painting pictures, or going to church, or exercising will cure us. I’m saying these things are tools to a better life, and a distraction from the gnawing desire of what we crave. Then, over time the craving gets less and less. It has helped me.     

So, let’s begin. These are things we can become addicted or devoted to that will help us take the focus off of our current addictions and give us purpose, and hope. The first thing is;

     God– Become addicted to God, the things of God and serving Him as He calls you.  This goes along with any 12 step program, but what I’m saying is that we really let God have more of an influence in our life. He calls you to a relationship with Him. This has worked for millions, and is the real foundation of AA, and the 12 step programs. Ask God to save you and heal you through Jesus Christ. Then walk a spiritual path, with Him working in your life. Addict yourself to it. I have done it and God works in my life daily.

     Travel– I use travel as a form of healing. When I was a drunk, I had no money or real desire to see the world. When I was in prison I could not see the world. But, now I see it. I use travel to remain excited about life, and to not have a reason to use. Start traveling locally. Go to a new restaurant, museums, parks, and the next town over. Then start planning better trips. Start close, so you will not get discouraged with costs, or the inability to go. Become addicted to exploring and freedom. But, remember you are still an addict and need to avoid triggers.

     Health and Fitness– Become addicted to health and fitness. Eat right, try new diets and join a gym. Start running, walking, and cycling. Grow your own healthy food. Go to farmer’s markets and get fresh organic food. Study herbs, and alternative medicines to avoid the pharmaceuticals. Get addicted to it. Not steroids, but health and life. It’s a life style change that will help you decide to stay clean, because you’ve worked too hard to be healthy. I’ve come to a place in my life, where I try my best to take no meds that are not natural. You can do it.

     Athletics– Get addicted to sports. Not just watching them, but playing them. Pick a sport you can do, and go all in. Team sports will help you remain accountable. Individual sports will help you to be responsible for yourself and increase will power. Basketball, swimming, rock climbing, softball, tennis, marathons, there are tons of sports to choose from. I went with running. Study it, practice it, and get better and better. Addict yourself to it, and let it heal you. This can be done with other things mentioned here. You can travel to play your sport. You can be healthy for your sport. You can talk to God while performing your sport. Get addicted to it.

     Outdoors– Get addicted to the outdoors. Get in love with God’s creation. Go hiking, camping, mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking, or just go out there and sit and meditate.  I can tell you that many of the greatest breakthroughs I have had in my healing have come from being in the woods, alone with God.

     Serve others– Get addicted to helping others. Join groups that are making a difference. Help others with addiction or who have worse troubles than you. You have come through much, use it to help others. Save the planet, save animals. Give yourself to God and others. Watch what happens to you and your life. Often times when we try to heal others, we find ourselves healed in the process. But, remember that when you are dealing with people it can tempt you to use. You should avoid helping other addicts till you are strong enough. Just get away from that mess. Serve in other ways that is not a trigger.

     Start a Business– Get addicted to the excitement of entrepreneurship. Study, go to school, and get a job in the field you love or feel called to, then start your own business so you can provide for yourself and your family. The effort and success will benefit you in many ways, and give you reasons to stay clean. If school and jobs are not an option, then just go out and make it happen. Do not be tied down by fear and controlling influences. Get addicted to success and being financially free. Learn a trade.

     Art– Get addicted to creating art. Embrace your creative side and let it heal you. Travel to see art. Buy art. Make art. Go to school for art. Try all the various art forms, painting, music, writing, architecture, cooking, acting, or any other art form that speaks to you. The desire to create can help you avoid things that prevent you from creating.       

This is a list of things you can do to change your life and help give you a purpose and a focus that is not drug oriented. But, be aware that drugs and alcohol can easily be involved with all these things, and they can just as easily destroy them. I used alcohol with many of these things camping, writing, and travel or food. But, it destroyed me and kept me from them. I would drink while writing, but after a few drinks I could no longer write, and it eventually kept me from it.            

A person can be tempted while doing these things. Art often links to drug use. Sports, involves drinking. Business might cause you to be led into a business meeting where there is alcohol. But, if you use these things in conjunction with other methods of sobriety such as 12 step programs or rehab, they can benefit you. The key is to stay away from situations that will lead you to use, and destroy the life you are trying to build.            
I currently use all of these methods in my life. My life has become full of goodness and focused on so much that I simply cannot use. I would lose everything. I would not be able to focus. These things give me more reasons to say no. They give me more reasons to get up every day and stay sober. God has helped me and opened my eyes to these things.           

Remember, that these things must be a part of a lifestyle change. They cannot be like a diet, where you are just trying to lose a few pounds. You must decide to be new, and give yourself to God, and make changes for real. If you just want to get a little straight, you will be craving your old life, the whole time you are struggling to stay sober. You must decide that the new life is better for you, and be happy about it. You must decide to hate your old life. You must get addicted to the good things.            

You must wake up to God. You must wake up to life, and hate the death that once controlled you. You must realize that God is healing you, even if you can’t see it right now. That is faith. You must wake up to the child you once were before the poisons took over your life. Remember that free child who had hopes and dreams? Now, go find that little one. That’s the real you. Get addicted to the real you.        

This is the link to my addiction recovery book. It’s an Ebook. It tells my story of addiction and recovery, along with my views on how to stay clean.
Made Free: Overcoming Addiction

Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois.

Photo by the writer.

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Of Pearls and Swine

 Of Pearls and Swine

“ Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine. Lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”---Matt. 7:6

    
      Like an oyster, in the deepest darkest depths of the sea, where you cannot breathe and have no control over life. In the place where there are monsters dwelling in the chaos, lurking and seeking to devour. It is in this place; in these difficult trials of life, where we learn. We grow pearls of wisdom. God has us here for His purpose.

    
      Like gritty sand, in the oyster’s body, the trials of life come and you cannot remove them. They grind and rub, and irritate as you learn to deal with it. You deal by accepting layer upon layer of truth around the grit until it forms a pearl of wisdom. You learn. You grow. You are thankful for what you have received in the deep dark times. As the Lord said, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. “

     
      However, our lives are full of swine. Beings who consume anything and everything. Beings who wallow in their own filth, never realizing what they do. They will not hear your pearls of wisdom. They will ridicule you, and destroy your precious understanding. Like swine, they delight in destroying and rending anything of real value and beauty. They sling mud and filth on every precious thing. They snort their opinions to any who would hear them.

      
     If you let them, they will destroy the dreams you have been given. They will crush the Word, placed in your heart. They will drag you down to where they are. Whether it’s a subtle comment they spout at you. Or something they were “Just Joking” about. Or perhaps that rant they always spew. Do not let them drag you down.  The words they release into the air have power. They will settle into the dark places of your mind and do their work to derail you and destroy you. The negativity will start to grow.

     
      Speak against it! Tell yourself good positive things. Remind yourself of what’s important and what matters most. Turn to God and cast out those demons. Get away from those swine, and lessen the impact they have on you. Pray for them and love them, but refuse to be dragged into their hate. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. The enemy uses any tool, including the swine he has deceived, to steal, kill and destroy you. Fight the fight of faith.

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“ His newest book is called “The Future is Coming” and is a collection of dystopian short stories.

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God's Heart

 

God's Heart

“This people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me...”--- (Matt. 15:8)

     Do we follow God’s Heart? Or do we waste time singing songs that He’s not even listening to?  (Amos 5:22-24) This is a very important question. Are we real? Or are we playing church? Are we welcoming? Or are we doing another church program? God plainly says that He will not listen to our worship. He wants us to do Justice and Mercy. (Matt.25)

      

    So, where is God’s heart? Does God’s heart want us to worry about obeying the Law? Does He want us in bondage to making sure we follow every ordinance of man and God, and making sure everyone else does to? Is that God’s heart? Is it in rules and regulations? Even though His law is good, like all things from God, I think we can see from scripture that His heart is not all about Laws.

      

     God’s Heart at this time, toward us, seems to be the salvation of mankind. From the moment Adam fell, God has been working to restore man to a right relationship with Himself. He has worked to save us, individually, and collectively. The entire Bible speaks of it, and it doesn’t matter what language you read it in. If you remove Jesus Christ, as the redeemer of Humanity, you lose the whole thing.

      

     Wouldn’t it seem true that God’s Heart would lie, where His Son is? Wouldn’t it be true that since He sent His Son to die a terrible death for us that His heart might lay there? That He left glory, and came to Earth Himself, and mingled with us, and healed us, and ate with us that His heart might be toward us? But, we think it’s all about Law.

      

     He raised up a people for Himself, in order to have a beachhead, whereby He could invade this Satan controlled world. He worked to get those people to turn to Him and serve Him, in the desire of His heart; which is saving Humans, waging the war, and showing the world that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Then, He turned to the rest of mankind, not as an afterthought, but as part of the original plan. Could His heart lie here?

      

     We could speak of David, who was a man after God’s own heart. But, why was He called that? He was called that because of Faith, because He was quick to turn to God, and because He was diligent in growing the Kingdom. We see Solomon who built the Temple of God, Which is a house of prayer for ALL nations. And that house of prayer is Jesus Christ, who rose for our justification. He died and rose for us. Wouldn’t you think God’s heart would lie here? And then He rose into heaven, alive, and gave His last commandment, to go forth into all nations. Why? To get them saved!  That’s the whole point.

      

     So, when believers think that they honor or serve God, by sitting in the four walls of a church singing songs, and condemning people who do not want to come and sit with them, their heart is far from Him. That was not why he came. When we condemn people for not obeying the rules, He is far from us. That is not why He came. He came to save us. And that is the work that ALL believers should be doing. Our gifts are for that purpose. We are to be preaching the Gospel, and telling people about Him; leading people to be saved. We do this as a church body, and as individuals.

      

     He doesn’t listen to our words of worship, if we are not doing justice and mercy. If we are not spreading the Gospel, and helping people, then He is not listening to our worship. Our hearts are far from Him. If we rise up, and help people, waging the war, and spreading the Gospel. God will move in our lives. He will grow us, and feed us and teach us. Through this we will begin to truly obey Him, and we will be following His law, and then finally, we will be worshipping Him. Because it will be a true worship for who He is and for what he has done for us. It will be Him worshipping Himself through us, just as He works through us when we let Him. It won’t be about standing in a big room singing the same songs, week after week, in order for our friends to see that we showed up.

      

     He’s not listening, if we do not do justice and mercy. Our hearts are not with Him, and our lips are false if we are not chasing after the things of His heart. Do we believe or not? Is He not able to lead us, and teach us? Do we need the next great Bible study?  Don’t we know enough to go do the work yet? Or do we need a sharper sword to kill other believers with?

      

     Go do the work. Go fight the fight. He is with us, as we give ourselves to Him and do the work. He works through us, because when we give ourselves to Him, He makes us a pure vessel. Not by our works, not because we “act’ like Christians, but because He has saved us, and is working in and through us. Quit acting, like a Christian, you are a Christian because you have turned to Him, and confessed Jesus as your Lord and believe He rose from the dead (Romans 10:9-10) 

       

     Now, follow after the things of His heart, and watch what He does.

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois.

Photo by the writer.

God Takes Care Of Us

 

God Takes Care of Us

 

 

     God has protected and taken care of me in so many ways in my life. I could write a book telling of all the things. Not only has He provided, but He has assured me of the promise of His provision. Often times, when I have encountered trouble in my life, I have been concerned about what was going to happen to me. In those times I turned to Him and asked Him, and He answered. I can tell you that His assurance is often more valuable than the actual provision. His assurance is His Word, which we believe by faith, and it is spirit. The provision is of this world. The assurance is eternal.
      
     One time I was facing a very large bill, that would take years to pay off; and at the same time I was facing the loss of a job. I was confused and had no idea what I was going to do. I did not know what the future held.
    
      I went to a local wooded area, which is what I do when I want to be alone with God.  I lay down on the ground in the leaves. Then, I looked up at the sky through the canopy above; and prayed to the Lord, pouring out my concerns to Him.
      
     After I finished praying, I noticed a squirrel sitting on a branch looking down at me. Then, the squirrel came right down out of the tree, and walked over to me with a purpose. He stopped and sat looking at me. I did not move or breathe. He sat so close I could have grabbed him if I wanted to. He just sat there chewing and looking at me. Then, he turned and walked away.
      
     At that moment, it was impressed upon my spirit from the Lord, as if to say, “I take care of this squirrel, I feed the birds, I fed Elijah with the birds of the air, and the people with manna. I can take care of you.”
      
     When these types of events occur, they break my heart wondering why I ever doubted God. He provides, and takes care of me in every way. He took care of me during this time as well. You must also realize that my life at this time was not perfect. I was not living well for God. Of course, I was trying to live right, and letting Him work. But, I was not a Mr. Goody Two Shoes, by any stretch of the imagination.
     
      But, that’s the thing. It is Gods goodness that brings people to Him. The evil in our lives hurts us, and He wants us to turn to Him, to be cleansed, and saved and healed, and taken care of, so we can grow in Him. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly.”  God accepts you where you are, cleans you, saves you and works in your life to change you into what He created you to be. Do not let anything keep you from turning to God. Just do it. No matter how bad you are. Let Him remove what He wants to remove; when He wants to remove it. He is the Great Physician. He is the Carpenter. He is the Shepherd. He knows what He is doing. We don’t.
      
     I remember another time, when I was facing trouble. It was one of many major problems in my life; and once again I was devastated and facing destruction. But, I turned and prayed to the Lord.
      
     I was sitting in my truck. It was raining. It was one of those gloomy days that always seem to pop up when your life is a wreck. I started praying. And you must understand, when I pray alone, I just talk to God. It’s not some formal prayer. I just talk to Him. He wants us to have a relationship, and to be real with Him.
      
     I was smoking, so I had the window cracked to let the smoke out. I was asking God, “What am I going to do?” When at that moment a rain drop landed right on the edge of the lowered window, and splashed me right in the eye.
      
     It shocked me for a moment and an impression came upon me from the Lord. “As I control this rain drop, and guide it as I will. I can guide these problems toward or away. I can curse or bless, with the troubles or the rain.”
     
      I was broken hearted again, and asked Him to forgive me for all my sins during my life. In these times when He is near He brings me such peace and joy, and He fulfills what He speaks to me. I praised God; which is real praise and real worship. A spontaneous response to God, because you know Him, and He worships Himself through you, to give Himself Glory for His mighty deeds.
      
     As I said, I have not always lived for God, and even today I sin. But, when I turned to Him and asked Him to save me He did, and He has been faithful. I no longer smoke, and many of the things that I did, such as drinking, sexual immorality, and violence; God has worked to remove those things from my life, and to heal me, and bless me, and guide me, as he sees fit.
      
     We cannot cleanse ourselves. We must turn to Him, and let Him cleanse us and do the work in us. He will guide and help. First, turn to him and ask Him to save you, confessing Jesus as your Lord. Understand that if you feel led to ask to be saved, it is because God is calling you. He wants you. Normal people in normal life do not seek God for real. They only do it because God is calling them. Have faith and trust Him. Always turn to Him and let no one or nothing drive you away, or push you down or make you feel like God doesn’t want you. He is always ready. Just ask Him in Jesus name and watch Him work.

 

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois.

 

Photo by the writer,  sunset over Gulf Shores, Alabama