God's "Good"ness

It's been quite a while since I've written last, but I've felt a pretty big pull to write some new stuffs here. I am constantly thinking of new analogies and ways of expressing my love for Jesus or something else. Here is just another way to look at God and his "Good"ness

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As defined on Dictionary.com:

"Good" - 32. Full.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/good

"Full" - 2. complete; entire; maximum.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/full

"Complete" - having all the required or customary characteristics, skills, or the like; consummate; perfect in kind or quality.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/complete

"Perfect" - 2. excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement.
3. exactly fitting the need in a certain situation or for a certain purpose.
4. entirely without any flaws, defects, or shortcomings.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/perfect

I don't want to offend anyone by saying "Typical Christians", but to say "everyone" or "only some" would be misleading, so I will stick with "Typical Christians".

Us, "Typical Christians," say things like: "God is Amazing," "He is Awesome," "His Love is Sufficient," "God is Good, all the time."

Well, I like the last one best, because the statement "God is Good," is stating so much more than what I think most of us realize. It is not stating, "Ya, God is alright, he could be better, but he's doing an okay job."

The English language has words such as "great," "awesome," and "fantastic." Now, don't get me wrong, these words are all amazing words for describing Jesus and all his awesome-ness. What I want to get across is how "Good" God really is. He doesn't need these other words to describe him. God is in every sense of the word, "Good." He is perfect in every situation, every event, reaction, motive, discipline, blessing, interaction, anything you can possibly think of.

Imagine yourself in this situation:

You are in a parking lot, driving down an isle, looking for a parking spot. Someone backs up without looking and smashes the rear end of their car into the front end of your car.

How would you react? Would your reaction be perfect to the given situation? Would you have the perfect amount of love, respect, sadness, frustration, etc? What if the other person reacts so irrationally that the police need to apprehend that person, how would you react then?

What I am trying to get at is this: God is perfect in every scenario ever thought of...ever.

One of my pastor's or bible study leaders (I can't remember right now) said something like this: "If God needed a solution to a problem, how many solution's would he need?"

The answer is One, Jesus.

God fixed a problem with one solution. The problem was a relationship with Humanity. Sin was corrupting the ability for humanity to have a relationship with God due to our inability to avoid it. There was only one possible way for humans to be "Worthy" enough to know God. On our own account, humans are not worthy, but only through Jesus we are able to have a relationship with God. God's only needed solution was his son.

God is Good, all the time, in every situation, no matter what. He can't be anything else, he won't be anything else, he doesn't need to be anything else because he is "Good," in every sense of the word. Think about it.

I love you and so does Jesus!

Cam

Key to life

So, it's been a while since I've blogged last, and I have at least one thousand +1 things to blog about. I would like feedback on what everyone believes for this blog and any others. So yes, let me know. Here we go!

At 23 years old, I believe I have found what people call the "purpose/key" to life. On one of my FaceBook status' a while back I put this

" The MOST IMPORTANT thing you will ever do with your life is your relationships. First, your relationship with God through Jesus. Second, your relationships with anyone that is in your path. EVERYTHING else is merely a tool at our disposal to strengthen those relationships."

I would like to break this down a little more.

The time we spend on earth is infinitesimal compared to eternity.

|--------------------------------Earth----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-Our Lives-|
|------------------------------------------------Eternity-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

When we die, we don't take anything with us. Our bodies are left in the ground, and our possessions are left to those in our will (when possible). Our spirits are "transported" to Heaven to live with "I AM".

What do we leave behind?

Our previous possessions, but most importantly, our impact on others, that is all.

What does this mean?

It means that our focuses in life shouldn't be on how many possessions we can collect, or to have the nicest looking car, etc etc. blah blah blah. Our focus shouldn't be on what we have, but who we are to others.

Now, does that mean we shouldn't have any cars, houses, toys?

No, we ARE aloud to have nice things to live comfortably by, we don't need to go into excess with them though. Think about how many families we could feed with the price of a BMW 7 series (Roughly $100,000).

Having these "nice" things shouldn't be our focus, but we can use these things to strengthen our relationships.

Do you have a stable car? Oh you say a friend needs a ride? Well, why not provide one for him?

You have a super sweet nice house and an extra room? This ex-coworker just lost his job, well why not help him out?

Our possessions should be used as tools to help those around us. If you don't have much, I am sure you have a particular set of skills that come in handy at some point. Why not use them for the better good of human kind?

Now to understand our position within a loving relationship, we must first understand what a loving relationship is.

Our relationship with Jesus is nothing, but a loving relationship. For a lot of people in the world, it is a one-way love-relationship, Jesus loves them, yet they do not acknowledge his presence. For us others, it is a two way relationship, yet we fail at times and aren't able to give "all" of our love to Jesus because we don't understand how to.

Jesus died for us when we were still sinners. His love for us has been "ever-present" since the beginning of time. We know how to love others because of his love for us.

What is love?

Dictionary.com defines love as: 1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.

Those are nice and all, but I define love as:

Continually doing what is better for that person.

If you truly love someone, you will always try to do what is better for that person. It may hurt you, it may even hurt them at times, but if it is for the betterment of their life, you will do it.

With that in mind, Jesus loves us so that we know and understand how to love others. At the same time, if we love Jesus, we will do what is better for Jesus.

What is better for Jesus?

To help bring more people to love him.

19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Mathew 28

So again, The most important thing in our life is our relationships. First, the relationship with our personal Savior Jesus Christ. Second, our relationships with anyone in our path known as life. We must use the "tools" we have been given to help strengthen those relationships within our own lives and within the relationships between Jesus and humankind.


I would like some feedback please, from all 3.5 of you!

Jesus loves you and so do I,

Cam

Pencil HIM in.

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Hebrews 6:5

I've noticed and had a conviction of the heart lately, that I have not been spending much time with God. I have had A LOT of free time due to my lack of employment sort-of-speak and yet with all this free time, God has not been on my to-do list. God, I apologize for neglecting you, my relationship with you is the most important relationship I will ever have and my lack of commitment and diligence in this matter is both frightening and sad. I've been talking with you on a normal basis, but the sharpening of my knowledge from your word has been at most "unsatisfactory".

This verse above really hit me hard when I read it last night, and after realizing it from others speaking and giving messages around me, I understand that when we want/need something, i.e. a prayer request, miracle, healing. Whatever it is, we need to strengthen our relationship with God more than anything. Our want for something blinds us and puts us in a place where we are unable to see God for what he truly is, our goal.

Try this:

Take your hand as if you are holding something in it (an apple). Raise it up in front of your face so that it blocks a light on your ceiling. The object in your hand represents the thing you want. The light represents God. The whole motion represents how as people we put things so high in front of us that it blinds our view of God in all his glory. We make those "wants" idols, and focus more on them then we do anything else.

Do not waste your time with silly things, but be diligent in your search for the word of God. His love covers all sin, but it is our relationship with him that matters most.

Thanks for reading,

Peace out,

Love,
Cam

Leave your complaints at the door/cross...

Ok, by a show of hands, in the last couple of months who has:

1. Had a bad day?

2. Been yelled at by their boss?

3. Stuck in a job they don't really like?

4. Been insulted and put down over something they didn't do?

5. Been beaten with a whip?

6. Spit on by random people?

7. Had to wear a crown of thorns?

8. Been crucified?

Where am I going with this you ask? Well our complaints seem so futile when we compare them to what Jesus had to go through. When Jesus was crucified, he not only took our sins and everlasting pain, he took our ability to complain, away. He went through life, knowing he was going to die for something he didn't do. He was never wrong to anyone, never did a horrible job in the workplace, he never passed the blame to someone else. He took it all. His compassion and love for us is why we are still here today.

Dictionary.com defines "Complain" as to express dissatisfaction, pain, uneasiness, censure, resentment, or grief; find fault.

The part of that definition that sticks out with me is "to find fault". By finding fault in a situation, we are saying that we have found a fault with God's plan.

The reason I say God's plan is that through faith, we believe that God's plan will always prevail even though others may not follow it, or want it to prevail.

The Merrian Webster Dictionary defines Faith as (2) : complete trust.

By having Complete trust in God, we believe that through all situations, nothing will stop God from continuing his plans for our lives, even through the hardest of times.

²¹ You can make many plans,but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

Prov 19:21 (NLT)

This verse is simply stating that through our plans and tribulations, God's purpose will still come to fruition. That others can mess with our lives, with our job status, family situations and other little things, yet God's plan will always be the outcome.

Let's go to a boss reference. Not all people are Christian's, therefore we can't expect everyone to try and act in a fitting manner; we can't even really expect "Christian's" to act in a fitting manner. So if a boss yells at one of us over something that seemed trivial or unimportant, and then we go and complain on how he's not a good boss, his communication skills are lacking and yada yada yada. We are simple stating that God is not going to deliver us from this situation, whatever it may be. We are stating that there was a fault with this situation and that it is not part of God's plan.

Yet through faith we believe that God promises to deliver us from evil in every way possible.

⁹ “I will look favorably upon you, making you fertile and multiplying your people. And I will fulfill my covenant with you.¹⁰ You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest!¹¹ I will live among you, and I will not despise you.¹² I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people.¹³ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high.

Lev 26:9-13 (NLT)

For these people, God delivered them out of Egypt from slavery, something so big in comparison to our needs.

Even though the situation has already passed, God can still and always bring good from it. By complaining about the situation, we are stating that God's plans will not come through for us.

At the same time, when we complain, we are putting OUR needs at our highest priority, we are in fact, making our complaints a "Idol". We are saying that there is nothing more important at this moment than how I feel.

¹⁴ Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, “Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones¹⁵ to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” ¹⁶ These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want

Jude 1:14-16 (NLT)

Are our complaints so important, that we should put them before God? Are our worries and troubles above God's Powers? The answer is simply NO. God's plan and love for us is always going to be stronger and more important than any worldly complaint we have.

Then you guys ask, but cameron, if there is something going on in my life that I feel I should complain about, what should I do? And I'll ask you, what's the difference between a complaint, advice and a prayer request?

A complaint is stating that a situation has happened, there is nothing good that can come from it and it's over, there is nothing we can do about it. It is leaving NO room for spiritual intervention on God's behalf.

I feel that advice and a prayer request should go hand in hand. That the person we are asking advice from, should be asking God for guidance through the situation.

A prayer request is used to ask God for his will to prevail, at least it should. It should be formed in a way that is open to God's intervention. I know when I pray, I'll say, well here are my two options. When in reality there are sooo many options because I can only see what is in front of me. Instead of praying for the immediate situation. We should ask for guidance in how to pray for the situation. Instead of asking for an immediate answer, we should ask for wisdom in how to approach the situation.

¹⁴ Do everything without complaining and arguing,¹⁵ so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.¹⁶ Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.¹⁷ But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy.¹⁸ Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

Phil 2:14-18 (NLT)

We look at life as if our worries and struggles are too big for God. How do we know he didn't set up a situation, so that we are able to learn from it? God's purpose will prevail no matter what. So next time, instead of complaining, I urge to rejoice in the fact that you have a God and savior that has laid out a plan that will prevail even through all of the troubles we go through. Do not be dismayed by life's little worries but know that God is always and will always be in control.

So let me ask some more questions

1. Who has a job in this horrible current economic status?

2. Who has a healthy family?

3. Who has a bed to sleep in, and a shower to clean up in every day?

4. Who has a savior that continues to love us, no matter what we do?

Jesus Loves you and so do I!

Thanks for reading,

Cameron

The not so mad scientist...

There was a not so mad scientist. He had many different creatures and creations that he created to "give life" too. Each creature was unique in the gifts it had. Some were big, some were small, some were even shaped like a ball. Others were to tall to fit in the hall that was used as a room, and others were as skinny as a broom. Long rhyme short, each creature was unique in the song that it sings.

The scientist fabricated each creature with time and love. No creature was created without a use, the scientist was so ingeniously smart, he knew each creature so well that he knew how each one could be used for his lab. His creatures had the ability to do what they wanted, but the design the scientist had laid out for the creatures would lead them to the most happiness possible. His creatures were his life, and nothing else satisfied his curiosity, and time as his creatures did.

The scientist had an amazingsom idea, he wanted to create a creature never thought of before. This creature was going to be different from all of the other creatures. This creature stood tall on two legs, just as you and I do. This creature's capacity for knowledge and love was beyond any of the other creatures previously created. The scientist enjoyed and loved these creatures so much, he called them "lovings".

These "lovings" were to be care takers of the other creatures in the lab. The lovings were to love and admire all of the other creatures as the scientist loved them. To follow, feed, and defend the other creatures as if they were children.

Sadly, one day, a creature became jealous. He became so jealous he wanted to destroy the lovings, he wanted to turn them against each other. His only focus in being was dependent on the lovings listening to him. He did not let the lovings know his uncanny hate for them. He couldn't, as the old saying goes "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer". While keeping the trust of the lovings, he was able to lie, deceive and lead them down paths to their own destruction.

Thankally, the scientist was a genius. He saw the evil creatures plans for the lovings; he caged what he now named the "beastrosity". The beastrosity was left on a shelf in the lab, with a label over him stating "danger, his ways will in no way lead you to a happier life than the one already planned by the scientist".

The scientist warned the lovings and other creatures about the beastrosity. He told them to never listen to the beastrosity, to ignore everything it said. If they were able to do this, he would give them a special present. A present so fantalastically great, it was too hard to pass up. The lovings had to be patient to receive this gift though, their faithfulness to the scientist was what mattered most.

The scientist continued creating lovings and creatures, his love endures forever.

More to come?

Thanks for reading,

Jesus loves you and so do I!

Peace out,

Cam

a.w. I did not proof read/edit this so it might be a little "choppy"

It will be known as...

So, when I decided I wanted to start writing a blog, I thought to myself "self, what should it be called" then I thought about my biggest influences in life. Legos were a close third but Jesus and Ninjas are definitely the two biggest contributers to my life as we know it.

Then I remembered, Jesus IS a Ninja. I know, I know, you were not aware of this, well, let me drop some knowledge on you. Jesus did a multitude of Ninja-like maneuvers while he was traversing Earth. The probably most well known Ninja skill he possessed and used would be his ability to walk on water.

Yo tengo la prueba aqui!

45 Then he [Jesus] at once compelled the disciples to embark in the boat and go before him to Bethsaida on the other side, while he sent the people away. 46 After he had taken leave of them, he went away into the mountain to pray. 47 And when evening came, the boat was half-way across the sea, while he was on shore alone; 48 but when he saw them distressed in rowing (for the wind was against them), about the fourth watch of the night he went to them, walking upon the sea, 49 they thought it was an apparition and shrieked aloud, for they all saw him and were terrified. 50 But he at once spoke with them, saying. "Courage! It is I. Do not be afraid!" 51 Then he got into the boat beside them, and the wind ceased, and they were utterly astounded, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; on the contrary their heart was hardened.

Mark 6:45-52 (MontgomeryNT)

Now, I know what your thinking. Cameron, Jesus most likely didn't wear a mask, and he definitely didn't kill or assassinate anyone. He most likely didn't perform any acts of espionage or have a Ninja Sword for that matter, how can he possibly be a Ninja? Again, let me enlighten you.

There are MANY different types of Ninjas. There are Ninjas in everyday life. There are Ninjas in cars and Ninjas from afar, there are Ninjas at the beach and Ninjas that like to teach. There are Ninjas with long hair and Ninjas that don't play fair. Long rhyme short, they are everywhere.

So back to the original topic, Jesus = A Ninja. So ya, throw some sort of time frame in there and you have the title of my newly developed blog.

Thanks for reading,

Jesus loves you and so do I!

Peace Out,

Cam

a.w. Ninja was used 15 times in this post

The first in the lineage

Okay so, this blog is meant to be just another creative outlet for me. There will not be any structure to it, most likely. No requirements to be followed, just pure "me".

It may be something about my day, or week, or how someone touched my heart this week. It may even be about a dream where I was a transformer and I rode a t-rex (true story). Truthfully, I am excited to see where this blog will go. Maybe,.... hopefully it will be a place where God can speak through me to get a message to people. I have had a pretty big drive within the past 6 months to start writing more, even if it is just to get my thoughts down on paper....er keyboard. Either way, I have high standards for how this blog will turn out and look forward to reading comments from whomever reads it...even if it is no one.

The first topic will be the inspiration for the name of this blog. Thanks for reading.

Jesus loves you, peace out!

Cam