Running Blind

About 4 or 5 years ago, I kept hearing the words over and over again "Running Blind" when I thought of how we as humans seem to face life. We tend to run aimlessly with no clear direction, without looking for the Light and Truth that is right before us. We run towards nothing and expect something out of it.

Running blind
heading for nowhere.
You're running blind
and you don't seem to care.

What lies ahead in the darkness?
Is there a light
just down the road?

Running blind
heading for the unknown.
Running blind
heading down the wrong road.

Can you see beyond the darkness?
Can you see
if there's a light?
Can you see
the Truth ahead?

Something's got to give.
Something's got to take.
You must break free
of running blind.

The Truth is right there before you.
Stop running blind
and open your eyes.
___
CEC

The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. - John 14:17

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth, and the life. No one come to the Father except through me." - John 14:6

Revival!

If we as Christians want a revival, we need to get off of our behinds and do something about it!

The Gate

The other night I had a vision. And in this vision I saw a large, inviting gate. I'd say it was maybe 3 or four stories tall. As I found myself going through the opened gate, there was a path. I followed it straight ahead and was easy - grassy and tree-lined. Very pretty. Then suddenly, I wanted to turn back so I ran towards the open gate that I had come through. Only now the path was tangled with vines over grown trees and roots, etc. I found myself rushing at a high rate of speed trying to get out, and off of the path. But it seemed longer and windier than what it had been when I had first entered.

That being said, here's what I have interpreted about that vision...in essay form.

Walking through an open gate is easy. We see opportunity and freedom on the other side. A path full of wealth and power both in the flesh and spiritually.

But the pretty gate was a lure. Once you realise this and that the things hoped for is a lie, getting back through the gate the other way, may not be so easy. Sure, you went straight ahead, down the path, but when you turn around, suddenly the path is filled with vines and traps and snags and twists and turns… and lies that you fell for. Do you pray for help or do you trip over sin as you long to see the end of the path?

Getting through the gate that leads to sin is easy, but once you realise that you are deep in the sin, surrounded by it, turning around to get out of it might not be so easy. We all fall for the lure of the pretty gate. We see it as God’s open door. We “feel” that that’s where we are supposed to go. We open the gate and step through it, down a new path that God must have put there. We are enticed by the pretty flowers along the way. The temptations. Never realising that we should have never had opened the gate in the first place. We are blinded by the things that deceive us. We think that this must be what God wants us to do.

Did it ever occur to us that yes, maybe God allowed this gate to be put before us, but we were never meant to open it and walk through, down the path on the other side? Maybe He wants us to do a complete turn around and walk through the open gate and path on the other side of the garden? Are we so blinded by the pretty gate before us, that we don’t see the rusty one behind us? The one that squeaks and doesn’t seem as inviting? The one that you didn’t notice before because you were so dazzled by the shiny, sparkly one in front of you? How quickly we jump to judgment! How quickly we fall for anything!

Will you open the gate in front of you and walk through? Will you walk that path? Is it the right one? Does God really want you on it? Or do you “feel” He wants you on it? Do you see the light at the end of the path? Do you see an end? Are you rushing back towards the gate you just came through, suddenly realising that it was decoy from the truth? Do you see your way through the mire and the tangled deceit? Are you relying on yourself or are you relying on the One who will be your guide and your light along the way? Or did you go down the path with the rusty, squeaky gate instead?

Your path is before you. Start walking.

Cori-Beth
__________

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. - Psalm 119:105

The Pit

A man fell into a pit and couldn't get himself out.

A subjective person walked along and said, "I feel for you down there."

An objective person walked by and said, "It's logical that someone would fall down there."

A Pharisee said, "Only bad people fall into pits."

A mathematician calculated how he fell into the pit.

A news reporter wanted the exclusive story of the pit.

An IRS agent asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.

A self-pitying person said, "You haven't seen anything until you've see my pit!"

A fire-and-brimstone preacher said, "You deserve your pit."

A psychologist noted, "You mother and father are to blame for you being in that pit."

A self-esteem therapist said, "Believe in yourself and you can get out of that pit."

An optimist said, "Things could be worse."

A pessimist claimed, "Things will get worse."

Jesus, seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted the man out of the pit.

Unmask

Are you one who is wearing a mask?

Unmask

You are a mere player
on your own invisible stage;
you are the main character
in the spotlight.
You wear a mask -
you are a different person
playing a phony role
in your unreal life.

Oh, what a tangled web you weave
when you wear too many masks.
Your orchestra is playing
your symphony of life,
as friends, Romans, and country men
will watch and see you fight.
Remove your mask.

Are chandeliers
falling all around you?
Has your Romeo
gone and left?
Have you been lost
and miserable?
Or are you confused
where your "big break" is?

Unmask your true self.
Unmask your hell bound fate;
you must break free, remove your mask.
(Get off your stage)
Unmask your true feelings.
Unmask and confess your sins.
_________
CEC

If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for , "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." - Romans 10:9-13 (NIV)

Cori-Beth

The Rose, the Cactus, and the Sun

A Rose with petals so lovely,
stood...alone
in a vast Desert
somewhere...
unknown to
anyone
in the
world outside.

The Rose noticed a Cactus,
standing magnificently,
in a vast Desert,
somewhere...
unknown to
anyone
who
passed by.

The Cactus looked inviting to the
Rose
as She
touched it
with Her petals so lovely -
but the Cactus
hurt Her
and made
Her cry.

The Cactus only scoffed at the Rose,
which made her feel worse.
She began to wilt
in Her misery.

She
was
dying,
the Rose with petals so lovely.

The Sun saw her in Her pain -
so He
shone
upon
Her
as bright as bright can be.
She
began
to
grow,
and feel so much better!
She was no longer wilting,
but
blossoming
again!

The Sun never left Her, nor dimmed,
but seemed to remain the same.
The Cactus died and shriveled up, to
be nothing more than nothing
in the sand.

A Rose with petals so lovely
stood...not alone
in a vast Desert
somewhere...
unknown to anyone
in the world outside,
but known
to the Morning Star!
_____
CEC

Christian Con Artists

I wrote this over three years ago on another blog. I recently found it again and felt that I should post it again on this blog as it's now my main...well...blog.

Christian Con Artists

The great deception

Is it possible that we are Christian con artists? How is this possible? How is it possible that we fall under the same category as a felon? I hate to reiterate, but many of us Christians are just as bad as someone who has committed murder. We fool ourselves if we think everything is always alright in our lives. But, everything isn’t alright. If it were, we would have no reason for repentance and forgiveness, and therefore no reason for a Saviour. Without a Saviour, how can we feel love and acceptance? How will we know right from wrong? And how will we know true freedom? How about others around us? Are we all acting like cons?

The definition of “CON” is adj. involving abuse of confidence and to swindle. To pursue by deception.

According to the above definition, confidence can be abused. If we don’t have the boldness to tell others about Christ, we are in fact betraying their trust, and signing their death warrant. Don’t you think that someone would want to know that here on Earth, there is life with true freedom, and when they die that the same is so? Of course they would. In that respect, we are also abusing our own confidence by not showing it. We need to ask God to give us that boldness to lead others to Him. We need to share His love with others.

Notice I used the word “need”? We need to do what God asks. We need His approval, love, and acceptance. Those who don’t know Christ also need Him. Are we not only con’s, but greedy con’s as well? We hoard all of Christ’s love for ourselves, when clearly is says in Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” This was a direct command from Jesus Himself, telling us that we must tell everyone about Him and His love and forgiveness and what wonderful things that love and forgiveness brings. Do we or anyone else have to put up with the enemy’s (Satan’s) abuse anymore? Being abused is not fun! If you see a dog that has been beaten, it cowers if you go to even pet it. Think of it this way, we have been beaten for far too long by Satan and his nasty thing called lack of confidence. It’s time to take back our boldness and courage and take it to our unsaved loved ones, neighbours, and who ever else we come in contact with day to day, or not even day to day but once in a while. It’s time to take back what Satan stole and tell him to get lost!

Looking back to the definition of “CON”, it says that con can swindle. If we look at our lives, how many times have we stolen or swindled an opportunity to be bold for Jesus? How many opportunities have we ignored or brushed off? So many opportunities, so little time! Where’s our courage? We’re robbing ourselves and others of Christ’s love and forgiveness. How will we all fair on the Day of Judgment when we’re facing our Lord? The One Who we denied, time and time again. The One Who died for us. The One we claim we love.

Deception is a big thing when it comes to being a con. You’ll do anything to get what you want and to make yourself feel good and/or better. When we don’t tell others about Christ, we are deceiving them to believe that everything will be okay if only they do good... or mostly good anyway. How foolish can we be? We’ve fallen for this same lie! The only difference is we know the Truth. We just refuse to not tell anyone. We’re deceiving others into believing that we are no different than anyone else, and at the same time, they don’t know that there is hope for them because we’re not living like there is. We are deceiving ourselves if we really believe we can get away with this.

I believe, and I know many other believe, that the biggest con job we as Christian’s have pulled is that we blend in with the world, it’s lies, deception, etc., rather than being apart from it (Romans 12:2). We look like everyone else, so what could be that harm, right? In actual fact, according to Matthew 5:13 we are to be the salt of the earth. Again, we are to be the salt, not the sugar. If we are just adding something like sugar to an already sugary recipe, someone’s going to get a cavity, and it might be us. With that in mind, we are not meant to sugar coat the gospel. We are to tell the truth. Remember this, adding salt to a cookie recipe makes the cookies sweater. In the same way, when we tell others about Christ, we are showing them how much better their lives can be with Him in it. Also remember though, too much salt will spoil the cookie dough. My meaning of this, we are not meant to “Bible bash” people into repentance, but to show Christ’s love. Be compassionate. Think of it this way, if we do “Bible bash” people, are we then in fact not being the salt, but perhaps pepper? Too much spice, and not enough TLC put into the recipe? We’re conning those we are trying to reach if we don’t reach them where they’re at. We’re not reaching them in the right way.

So what now? How do we reach people? In order to reach others in the right way, we need (there’s that word again) to quit being con artists and blending with the world. We need to search our hearts. Does it align with God’s? Or are we fooling ourselves into thinking it does? We need to draw near to God and ask Him to reveal to us what His heart is for us. Listen. What’s He saying? He knows us. He knows everything about us, scary as that may seem. Or can that be comforting for us? We need to ask God for boldness and courage to tell others about Him. We need to ask for forgiveness for not using that boldness or courage or possibly not asking for it before. We need to take back what Satan stole from us so we can show others how to do the same, and we need to do it now! Otherwise, how can we or others reform? We need to become reformed con’s now so others can see that we are indeed prisoners in Christ and not of this world. Others lives are at stake. Your family members and loved ones lives are at stake. Your neighbour’s lives are at stake. Those you see on the street, their lives are at stake. Stranger’s lives are at stake. Your enemy’s lives are at stake. Must we continue to be Christian con artists? Souls are a stake.

Cori-Beth

Ambush

It was an
ambush
only He knew
about
before time
began.
A betrayal
made by
one of His
own friends
who
had
been
deceived
by the Deceiver.

As simple as a
kiss would be
the kiss
of
death
unraveling
a plan.
(Who knew greed
was all it took?)

An innocent Man
arrested for being
the Truth,
dishonoured
by untruth.

He knew what was
next.

He was
treated like a
common
criminal
amoungst
those who
really
were
criminals.
Speaking of Life
to them as He was
dying-
hanging
on a cross.

He knew that His
own plan was
being unraveled-
not by
a kiss
of betrayal
or by deception,
but by
His
own
death.

He had an
ambush
of His own.
___
CEC

Have a blessed Easter celebrating Jesus resurrection!

Cori-Beth

Missing Person

When I think of a Christian who has fallen from grace, one who doesn't know why they believe what they believe or why they believed in the first place, I truly believe that they are starving. Starving for the Truth and starving for God to show that He really exists. They want Him to show Himself in a physical way and feel that if He doesn't reveal Himself in this way, that proves that He doesn't exist. They can't feel Him in a spiritual and/or a divine way either because they are trying so hard and over thinking so much to the point that they are pushing God right out of existence. If He doesn't answer immediately, or even in a month, a year or even five or ten years, well that's it, that proves that God doesn't exist.

When someone craves something, they search for something to fill their void. They can search an eternity. They can search until they believe that the thing that they are searching for didn't exist in the first place. The intangible is far beyond reach and therefore mustn't have been there to begin with.

I have been there, in fact, I don't know many Christian's who have not questioned the existence of God at one time or another - even those who have been Christian's for years! We begin to question if we believe what our parents believe or if we were going with the flow of things, singing the songs and saying the prayers that we felt was our "duty" while in church, Sunday School, and at home and gathered around the table at family get togethers.

I questioned my belief and if I was just hanging on to the "cocktails" of my parents belief. I asked for God to show His existence to me. I know that I had heard God's voice clear as day in the past, and that should have been evidence enough for me. I had even been healed by the hand of God. (I'll get in to that later) But, I was questioning it. I was questioning the voice of God! One that was comforting, One that scolded at times, One that was wonderful, One that was sarcastic and had a sense of humour, One that was loving and correcting, One that I had come to know as wonderful and beautiful.

It's okay to question. It's okay to have doubts and question something that you aren't sure of. It's okay to question why you believe what you believe or don't believe. The belief in the existence of something isn't tied up in a neat little bow. Question it and question why you are questioning in the first place. Starve for the questions and crave the answers. Hunger for the truth. Don't simply live off of the "cocktails" of your parents belief system. Seek the answers to the questions you have running through your head and your heart.

The voice of God may not come to you in a booming voice as so many people tend to believe. The hand of God may not touch you directly in a way that you are hoping and praying. The voice of God may come in a whisper, but are you listening? Are you really listening? I don't mean with human ears, I mean with your heart. Yes, sometimes God does answer in a loud booming voice. He has even struck people deaf and dumb! But, more often then not, He doesn't work that way. It's the whispers that we need to be listening for. The subtle ways that God tends to operate. That can be frustrating, can't it?! You don't hear a voice or the evidence that you were seeking or even not seeking, so God doesn't exist. You throw away your beliefs because, well, God didn't show Himself to you. Or maybe you didn't want Him to show the proof of His existence in the first place??? Or you didn't care.

This happens with so many Christians. Maybe they became a believer when they were a child. Maybe a sibling lead them to the Lord in the quiet of their bedroom. A simple prayer of asking Jesus into their hearts. A prayer that so many adults don't believe, yet a child believes without question. When that child becomes an adult, do they still believe? Do they carry on that simple belief, that yes, God does exist, Jesus does forgive, the Lord came into their life and forgave them of their sins? Do they crave the answers to the questions that they so believed without a doubt? Are they starving for the truth to be revealed to them? Or do they over analyze everything? One of the things that I can say to that is seek the answers and seek the truth that you believed so trustingly. Yes, trustingly, not blindly! That trusting faith won't leave you in the dark and bumping into disbelief.

I would question if we are the ones, Christian's as a whole who allow, yes I said allow, fellow believers to fall. Are we a bunch of hypocrites who do exactly what the world is doing? Does the non-believer "lifestyle" seem more appealing? Sure it does! But is it? Many would say yes. Non-believers seem just as happy as believers. The truth is, whether those non-believers know it or not, they are craving something else. But how are we to help fill that hunger when we are starving ourselves?! Are we the cause of our own disbelief? Are we the cause of others disbelief? Everyone has to seek out the truth on their own. That's the bottom line.

Something as simple as a yellow bird landing on your windowsill may proof enough of God's existence for you, but it may not be for someone else. Maybe that someone else will have to be struck deaf and dumb by God. At any rate, that fallen Christian or non-believer has to find the truth on their own. They have to crave it and starve for it. That void can only be filled on God's terms not theirs or even ours. Stubbornness on our part certainly gets in the way, but in the end, God will make His existence known...whether you believe in Him or not! Chew on that!

Another question in me
One for the powers that be
It's got me thrown and so
I put on my poker face
And try to figure it out
This undeniable doubt
A common occurrence
Feeling so out of place

Guarded and cynical now
Cant help but wondering how
My heart evolved into a
Rock beating inside of me
So I reel, such a stoic ordeal
Where's that feeling that I don't feel?

There was a boy who had the faith to move a mountain
And like a child he would believe without a reason
Without a trace he disappeared into the void and
I've been searching for that missing person

Under a lavender moon
So many thoughts consume me
Who dimmed that glowing light
That once burned so bright in me
Is this a radical phase
A problematical age
That keeps me running
From all that I used to be

Is there a way to return
Is there a way to unlearn
That carnal knowledge
Thats chipping away at my soul
I've been gone too long
Will I ever find my way home?

There was a boy who had the faith to move a mountain
And like a child he would believe without a reason
Without a trace he disappeared into the void and
I've been searching for that missing person
He used to want to try to walk the straight and narrow
He had a fire and he could feel it in the marrow
Its been a long time and I haven't seen him lately but
I've been searching for that missing person
-----
Michael W. Smith
Missing Person (I'll Lead You Home Album - 1995)

Blind or Trusting

I just wanted to point out a few things that I think we are all guilty of at times, whether we are Christians or not and regardless of our walk in life:

Do we really have the faith to overcome? Or are we just hoping our problems will go away? Is our faith so blind that we only rely on chance? Do we have so little faith that we can't trust in God? Are we in a comfort zone that we can't escape, or don't want to?

Our molehills turn into mountains when we don't have faith in God. He wants us to trust Him...to take His hand and believe. He wants to us to hand our troubles over to Him.

The faith the size of a mustard seed is all it takes. But, how many of us have moved a mountain lately???

The Steps of the Father

This post was originally posted on one of my previous blogs on August 20, 2006. I feel that it still very much applies to today and needed to post it again.

One night just last week, God gave me a vision of a group of people, mainly youth, running out of a small cabin out in the wilderness at a high rate of speed. I saw Jesus walking behind them. I wasn't sure what all this meant until God spoke to my heart and told me that there are those, especially youth and young adults who lead themselves, instead of allowing Jesus to lead them. They follow their own path, running aimlessly and think that they can do it on their own. They are out in the wilderness wandering and running towards nowhere. I am myself guilty of this as many of us are from Generation X. We tend to give into the cliche label that we are all lazy and don't have any work ethic, we lack a sense of direction and tend to lead ourselves to nowhereville in the wilderness.

But Jesus doesn't want us to be that way. We need to stop living up to the cliche and start living for God. We need stop running aimlessly to nowhere and have Him lead us and guide us and show us direction.

The Steps of the Father

Following a path
of destruction.
Surrounded by
the wilderness
of your own making.
Following your own way.
Lead by yourself.
Aimlessly plotting
a course unknown.

Walk in the Way.
Walk in the Truth.
Walk in the steps of the Father.
Step our of despair
and into His arms.
Walk in the steps of the Father.

Following your
own beliefs
Surrounded by
the comforts of home.
Following yourself
and your selfish ways.
Lead by yourself.
Aimlessly wandering
a course unknown.

Walk in the Way.
Walk in the Truth.
Walk in the steps of the Father.
Step out of despair
and into His arms.
Walk in the steps of the Father.
Let Him lead you.
Wander no more.
Walk in the steps of the Father.
Let Him take your hand.
He'll be your guide.
Walk in the steps of the Father.
The steps of the Father.
-CEC

To add to the original post: I will not be a cliche! I will not follow myself, but follow Jesus. And as I am writing, the old hymn "I have decided to follow Jesus" is running around in my head. This song just doesn't apply to non-believers when they first accept Jesus, but those of who have been Christian's for many years as well.

It's a daily thing of taking up your cross and following Him just like it says in Mark 8:34. Deny that apathetic selfishness in your heart. Deny everything about yourself and hand it over to Jesus. Stop living a cliche! Stop being Generation X and Generation Y! Be a generation after God's own heart. Stop running in the wilderness of your own making and come to civilization with Jesus. It's the best reality you could ever have! The highest high you could ever have! Freedom beyond belief! Peace that passes all understanding! ...that's only some of the idea...trust me!

Be a freedom fighter, and again, don't be a cliche! Walk in the Steps of the Father.

The Right Ingredient

One thing that I learned when I was a teenager, when baking, add more salt to the recipe to make it sweeter. That being said, too much salt can spoil the whole recipe.

The same goes when witnessing to others about Christ. As Christians we are to be the salt of the Earth, spreading the good news to others. We are to show that salt to others and be an example to them showing just how the love of Jesus can change their lives. But too much salt, and that could turn someone away from the Gospel pertinently. We could give them a bitter taste in their mouth and harden their heart about Jesus all together.

How would you like it if someone flung a Bible at you??!! That's how some people perceive pushy Christians. We don't want to come across like that. We are to be aggressive with the love of Christ, not pushy Bible thumpers...or throwers in this case. Approach as Jesus would approach. WWJD right? What Would Jesus Do?

Also think about how much salt you have in your life to sprinkle on others. Do you have enough of it? Are you being the salt of the Earth? Or are you just a little pinch that only you can barely taste yourself? Then wake up and start asking for the sweetness of Jesus.

Come on everyone, fill up on your salt and spread it around! It will be sweet! Sprinkle it around! The right ingredient can go a long way!

If you can't taste
the sweetness of
Jesus,
then maybe you need a little more
salt.
-CEC