'"If you were blind, you wouldn't be guilty." Jesus replied, "But you remain guilty because you claim to see." John 9:41
'"A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he's working only for the money and doesn't really care about the sheep."' John 10:13
The world does not care about us. The world is flawed, possessed by sin and Godlessness, but it is not without it's own God's. It has it's drugs, money, sex and anything else that someone could devote their entire life to, just to come to the realization that in the end, it will abandon it's followers because we do not belong to this world, we belong to Jesus Christ. But if the world is not our shepherd, then why do we follow?
"After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won't follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don't know his voice."John 10:4
Who's voice are we listening to? We are easily tricked into believing that the world is our shepherd because it knows how to get to us, get in us because it is ruled by sin, and sin knows how to imitate God.
"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled on the world was convincing us he didn't exist."
- Keyser Soze as Verbal Kent as Kevin Spacey as Christopher McQuarrie as Charles Baudelaire
But there is hope.
'"All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them."'John 10:8
If we know the voice of our shepherd, then we will not be tricked by thieves, and robbers. Because we will know who's really trying to lead us, and know when to run away. We have to be true followers of Christ, sheep that follow their true creater and shepherd, not the world.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
getting God pt. 1
the other day, my friend Sam showed me a poem thing that he wrote. it was full of symbolism and metaphors, and it was definitely something he was proud of. i read it and immediately understood almost everything in the poem. he was kind of surprised, because some people didn't get it. they didn't understand what he had written.
i was thinking about this and realized that i understood all the things he wrote because i had known him for so long, and understood how he communicates and what he has been through. As i thought about this one little fact, something dawned on me so clearly that it felt like God smacked me in the face.
the more i know God, and have a real relationship with him, the more I'll comprehend what he is saying
when i start really knowing Him and his past, it will help me understand the bible more because i know how he communicates. what he has done helps translate what he says and does. how can you hear the voice of God if you don't know what his voice sounds like.
as i finished explaining my translation of the poem, i then began to realize that i learned something i didn't know about sam. this is what really caught me off guard. i knew what he had done but i didn't understand how he truly felt about it. which leads me back to this
the more i can understand the bible, the more i will learn about God
it's this cycle that creates an ever-growing relationship with our creator. and this relationship needs to be rooted in love and a passion to intentionally seek God.
it's through love we receive understanding
i was thinking about this and realized that i understood all the things he wrote because i had known him for so long, and understood how he communicates and what he has been through. As i thought about this one little fact, something dawned on me so clearly that it felt like God smacked me in the face.
the more i know God, and have a real relationship with him, the more I'll comprehend what he is saying
when i start really knowing Him and his past, it will help me understand the bible more because i know how he communicates. what he has done helps translate what he says and does. how can you hear the voice of God if you don't know what his voice sounds like.
as i finished explaining my translation of the poem, i then began to realize that i learned something i didn't know about sam. this is what really caught me off guard. i knew what he had done but i didn't understand how he truly felt about it. which leads me back to this
the more i can understand the bible, the more i will learn about God
it's this cycle that creates an ever-growing relationship with our creator. and this relationship needs to be rooted in love and a passion to intentionally seek God.
it's through love we receive understanding
Thursday, March 13, 2008
my letter
Dear family and friends,
On January 27th, 2008 I realized how tired I was of being a mediocre Christian. I was frustrated of not spreading the Gospel and living a life God could be proud of. Working all the time and coasting through life is not what God has planned for me. He wants me to be a reflection of His never-ending passionate love, opposed to a luke–warm apathetic life (no pun intended…but maybe just a little bit).
I need to intentionally pursue God and go where he wants me, not be held back by possessions and meaningless obligations. In the Bible, it clearly shows that David was a “man after God’s own heart,” and that he had incredible undeniable faith. God wants us to be so filled with the Holy Spirit that we would be an example to everyone around us by living a life of unshakable faith and dedication.
"But to answer your question, you know the commandments: 'You must not murder. You must not ……...' 'Teacher,' the man replied, 'I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young.' Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. 'There is still one thing you haven't done,' he told him. 'Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." - Mark 10:19-21
I love this passage, Jesus calls to those who have followed his commandments but haven't given up everything and trusted him. I relate to this man because I feel this is a reflection of my life. God can't show us how much he truly loves us, and how powerful he is unless we devote our whole life and have faith in Him and Him alone.
There is a program called Discipleship Training School, a division of YWAM (www.ywam.org) where students are trained in the Word, and receive cultural exposure and global awareness to prepare them to reach current and future generations. It's challenging – not just religiously, but personally. By doing this, I am praying I can recognize what He wants me to do with my life. I have taken dramatic steps to start the process of going to YWAM, all so that I can pursue the future that God has planned for me.
I leave April 10th, 2008 and return five months later. The overall cost for the trip is $7500.00. This includes school, airfares, food, and lodging. I realize this isn't much time to raise money, but I know if God wants me to go that He’ll provide. I am asking for your financial support, but please don't see this as an obligation. There's something much more important than finances, and that's prayer.
For this trip to happen it needs to be surrounded by prayer and support by my friends and family. Please pray for God's hand to bless this trip, and that God will provide all necessary finances before April 10th.
If you feel called to give, then I would be so thankful. Email me at Lukepvsh@yahoo.com. Also if you would like updates as I am on the trip just email me, and I will put you on the update list. I will also be posting additional weekly updates and things that I have learned on this blog. Thank you for taking an active role in my life and my walk with God. This trip will lay the foundation for the rest of my life, and I cannot do this without you.
Thanks,
Luke St.Hilaire
On January 27th, 2008 I realized how tired I was of being a mediocre Christian. I was frustrated of not spreading the Gospel and living a life God could be proud of. Working all the time and coasting through life is not what God has planned for me. He wants me to be a reflection of His never-ending passionate love, opposed to a luke–warm apathetic life (no pun intended…but maybe just a little bit).
I need to intentionally pursue God and go where he wants me, not be held back by possessions and meaningless obligations. In the Bible, it clearly shows that David was a “man after God’s own heart,” and that he had incredible undeniable faith. God wants us to be so filled with the Holy Spirit that we would be an example to everyone around us by living a life of unshakable faith and dedication.
"But to answer your question, you know the commandments: 'You must not murder. You must not ……...' 'Teacher,' the man replied, 'I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young.' Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. 'There is still one thing you haven't done,' he told him. 'Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." - Mark 10:19-21
I love this passage, Jesus calls to those who have followed his commandments but haven't given up everything and trusted him. I relate to this man because I feel this is a reflection of my life. God can't show us how much he truly loves us, and how powerful he is unless we devote our whole life and have faith in Him and Him alone.
There is a program called Discipleship Training School, a division of YWAM (www.ywam.org) where students are trained in the Word, and receive cultural exposure and global awareness to prepare them to reach current and future generations. It's challenging – not just religiously, but personally. By doing this, I am praying I can recognize what He wants me to do with my life. I have taken dramatic steps to start the process of going to YWAM, all so that I can pursue the future that God has planned for me.
I leave April 10th, 2008 and return five months later. The overall cost for the trip is $7500.00. This includes school, airfares, food, and lodging. I realize this isn't much time to raise money, but I know if God wants me to go that He’ll provide. I am asking for your financial support, but please don't see this as an obligation. There's something much more important than finances, and that's prayer.
For this trip to happen it needs to be surrounded by prayer and support by my friends and family. Please pray for God's hand to bless this trip, and that God will provide all necessary finances before April 10th.
If you feel called to give, then I would be so thankful. Email me at Lukepvsh@yahoo.com. Also if you would like updates as I am on the trip just email me, and I will put you on the update list. I will also be posting additional weekly updates and things that I have learned on this blog. Thank you for taking an active role in my life and my walk with God. This trip will lay the foundation for the rest of my life, and I cannot do this without you.
Thanks,
Luke St.Hilaire
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
