Quilt of Holes

Quilt of Holes

As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with all the other souls.

Before each of us laid our lives like the squares of a quilt in many piles; an angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life.

But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was. They were filled with giant holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in every day life. I saw hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all.

I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened.

My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air.

Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the scrutiny of truth. The others rose; each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been. My angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to rise.

My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn’t had all the earthly fortunes. I had love in my life, and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness, and wealth, and false accusations that took from me my world, as I knew it. I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to som ehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully, each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who unfairly judged me.

And now, I had to face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it was.

I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light.

An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with wide eyes.

Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image, the face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, ‘Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles.

Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you.’

May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Christ to shine through!

God determines who walks into your life….it’s up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go.’

Killing in the Name of God

a friend of mine and I were talking to an atheist. The convo started about people being gay, but then it took a twist. Barry, the athiest, tried to “box us in” by using the “killing in the name of God”  attack. This is how i handled the situtation. Also this post is up for debate and discussion. What do you think about what i wrote back with or about “Killing in the name of God”?

Barry first wrote: why is being gay a sin?

my friend’s response:

The reason that its a sin is because God has forbidden it, The Bible clearly points out that it is a sin to be gay. Homosexuals are one of the main reasons we have wide spread aids. Do you really think thats natural for men to do that to each other? or women?

Barry’s Reply : God said it was a sin to murder but you don’t mind murdering in the name of religion?

My response : actually i know that i haven’t murdered anyone and i think i can speak for my firend and say he hasnt either, so barry, when you say “you dont mind murdering in the name of religion” i am thinking you are talking about christians as a whole and more-likely the Catholic Church’s bloody past. Maybe even more likely you are talking about the “holy” crusades?

Well, if you murder in the name of religion, then u have done just that. However, the Bible and God commands “Thou shall not kill (murder)” (Exodus 20). If you kill in the name of religion, then you have done just that, but you have not killed in the name of God. God is against sin and murder is sin. For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), however, some people do kill in the “name of God” or will sometimes say that God told them to kill people. Well lets look at both at these things one at a time.

Killing in the name of God : God said thou shall not kill….yet they do. Hum, well that is easily seen then that they know not what the Bible says, nor do they obey what it says. Barry, we have already talked about what the bible calls these kinds of people before, when we were talking about the “priests” you mentioned. These people are called Hypocrities. They claim to be something they are not. Christ, himself, says you shall know them by their fruits. Fruits in this stood for “their actions/what they do”.  So lets write what Christ said in plain english. You shall know them by (their acts) what they do. If i told you i wrote for the New York times, and you call the newspaper company and they tell you that they dont know of me and that i have never written for them before, you would see that i was lieing and being a hypocrite. Same thing here with christianity and people claiming to be it. If someone claims to be something, hold them up to the standard of what they are claiming to be. If they fail at it, then they airnt what they claim to be and you found yourself a false convert, hypocrite.

So if anyone kills in the “name of God”, then they are either very decieved, a false convert, or a hypocrite.   So lets not blaim the real ones for something a fake one did… Lets keep it respectful and not try to mix the two together….

Lets call the hypocrites for what they are and not add them to what christians really are.

“God told me to kill them” : The Bible is very clear that God said Thou shall not kill. However, people do and say God told them to do so. Well the bible says to test the spirits or voices you hear. (Many to claim to hear from God to kill people, say they heard voices in their heads.)

1 John 4:1-6 says this : Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Here we see that the voices/spirits must be in agreement with the Bible, or it isnt of God. That those who listen to the voices and do the spirit(s) will is a worldly person. So those who kill people and murder them because “God” told them too are not christian but hypocrites and worldly men and women.

So this would point that christians dont do these things, and that those who do, airnt christian but mislead and/or are hypocrites.

Hope i have shown you the diffence so that you will never confuse the two in your mind ever again,

— Joe

I AM — no angel

I AM — No Angel

Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels… Colossians 2:1a

False Doctrines

Most of us are keenly aware that there are religions that erroneously teach Jesus is not God. But did you know that there are some who instruct that Jesus is a created being; an angel, the brother of Michael the Arch angel? And yet another that espouses Jesus is the brother of the fallen angel Lucifer? And that these religions consider themselves to be Christian?

If Jesus Were an Angel

Jesus is not a created being, nor is He an angel, but if He were, how could these false religions justify worshiping Him when we see in the Colossians text (above) we are not to worship angels? That verse alone should send a clear signal that their doctrine is severely flawed, but if it does not, then the first chapter of Hebrews should.

God Says…

All we need do is examine closely what God says about His Son Jesus and what He says about angels. God refers to Jesus as the heir of all things, the maker of all things, and the upholder of all things. Oh yes, and let us not dismiss this little gem:

And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.” But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. Hebrews 1:7-8

God calls Jesus God. Is that not incredible? To those false religions who would say Jesus is not Lord, I fail to see how you can get around this passage. God the Father, says of His Son Jesus, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.”
In the previous verse, God the Father declares, “Let all the angels of God worship Him.”
Again, in the context of our opening verse from Colossians, we are not to worship angels; however, they (the angels) are to worship Jesus. Therefore, Jesus is no angel.

Putting the Argument to Bed

Do you not know that we shall judge angels? 1 Corinthians 6:3

I do not understand the fullness of this verse–it boggles my mind sometimes, but nevertheless, we (the saints) will be in a position to judge the angels. If Jesus were (and again, He is not) the angelic brother of Michael (or Lucifer), this means we would be judging Him as well. Hopefully we all see the outrageousness and absurdity of that notion.

Who Being the Brightness of His Glory

Hebrews also reminds us that Jesus is the light. In heaven, there is no sun that illuminates, only the eternal brightness of His glory. Furthermore we are to be reflectors of His light. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, we are to reflect the light of His Son, Jesus. Of what worth is a timid mirror?

Hebrews 1-2:1

God’s Final Word: His Son

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

The Son Superior to Angels

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son; today I have become your Father”[a]?

Or again,

“I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”[b]?

6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”[c]

7 In speaking of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.”[d]

8 But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”[e]

10 He also says,

“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 11 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. 12 You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.”[f]

13 To which of the angels did God ever say,

“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”[g]?

14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

Chapter 2

Warning to Pay Attention

1 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.