How God blessed me today - July 16, 2006

I am going to talk about how God blessed me today, but before I do, I must address the 1 person who actually reads this blog besides me (anonymous Chris).

I write here because I am too lazy to use a pen and write in my prayer journal. Plus, perhaps in some small way, if CHrist does come soon, those who are not taken up with the Lord will see this and have some idea of who He is and what He has done.

God blessed me today because he allowed me to attend a church service where the Pastor preached about the benefits of Christ. The Roman church calls these things the "merits" of Christ, but they do not understand how to achieve them. The only way, is to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on a cross and that God raised Him from the dead. Other than that, you are wasting oxygen.

God blessed me today because he allowed me to eat a nice, healthy lunch.

God blessed me today because even though the world is in an almost global state of war, I and my family have no fear. I don't own a gun or even a bow and arrow. You know, if I may digress, when I think back on my earlier life, how disobedient I was, it's amazing that God can be so merciful. When I was much younger, serving in the military and afterwards, I participated in military shooting competition and self-defense courses. I followed Jim Cirillo who as a NYC cop survived more than 200 gunfights. In fact, I even had custom-made bullets, mimicking his, which would kill a horse instantly. I carried a H&K USP 45 custom in a custom-designed invisible holster that I even wore with gym shorts and no one could ever tell I had a gun. I used to practise until within 1.5 seconds, I could draw this pistol and hit a bullseye at 40 feet. I would practise, telling myself that one day I may be in a store or restaurant when some freak entered and tried to rob me - and I would kill him.

This is what Jesus meant when He said, "Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,And seeing you will see and not perceive;" (Matthew 13:14). I heard the bible and saw what was written in it but I didn't understand what it literally said.

I wasn't a law-enforcement officer, nor a soldier, just a foolish man. But God didn't strike me down or turn me into a porcupine. Instead, He waited and brought others into my life to tell me the truth of His Son and how I should live. I'm not saying that no one should defend themselves who is a Christian. C.S. Lewis wrote an excellent book entitled, "Why I am not a pacifist" on this subject. But no Christian should live as I lived, hoping and training for violence. You can't turn the other cheek to someone while you are carrying a weapon that would instantly kill them.

God blessed me today because I am a Gentile and I was born during the "time of the Gentiles". This means that God could have had me born in first-century Israel as a Jew, where most likely I would have rejected His Messiah, like most other Jews did and have. Instead, He has allowed me to become "grafted in" so to speak into His original human family - the Jewish nation, because they rejected His Son. One day, they won't reject Him anymore, but we have no idea when that will be.

God blessed me today because He has given me faith. I really don't have any idea how I am gong to pay for upcoming school costs, medical school registration, courses, etc. I only know that I am a child of the King of the Universe and He has made a way for me too many times to even count.

God blessed me today because at church we had a baby dedication.

God blessed me today because we took my 92 year old grandmother to church with us.

God blessed me today because He has given us refrigerant to recharge the A/C in our car.

God blessed me today because He has allowed me to pray for my friends in Pakistan.

This morning's sermon was on the benefits of being a child of God. There are many, among them, peace, kindness, gentleness, patience, love, meekness, etc. People who are not followers of Jesus Christ cannot have these benefits. Of course, there are non-Christians who say, "I want peace", but they either follow a religion which does not or they do not understand what peace actually is. Peace is not the absence of violence. Peace is an all-encompassing love for others flowing from the fountain of God. Sure, Buddhists and Hindu's pray for peace, but step on their toes and they will seek revenge just as would any other "normal" person. But Jesus said, this is not to be so for His followers. Peace is asking yourself, "will I offer my only blanket to that cold person even though I am cold?" and then acting upon it.

You can have this kind of peace, but only by following Jesus Christ. I didn't make up this rule - He did. If you disagree, you'll have to take it up with Him. But, if you are willing to endure a bit of advice - take it up with Him BEFORE you die. Afterward, you will be out of options.