The War of Sight

2 Peter 4-10

"having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason,make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall".

Myopia and Hyperopia two words that I'm sure most of you that dont wear glasses have near heard before. Myopia is a word used to describe one's ability to see objects clearer close up rather than far away or in other words nearsightedness. Hyperopia is the complete opposite it describes the ability for one to see clearer far away rather than close up or in the more common form farsightedness. So which one are you? Are you able to see clearer close up or far away? Maybe you have perfect 20/20 vision, if that's you congradulations I'm color blind and I envy you! But what about spiritually? I ask the same question. Do you focus more on the troubles in front of you or on the one who has everything under control?

For me the answer to that question is quite simple. I catch myself so often becoming rapped up in my present struggles that I forget to focus on the one true King who has weathered this storm we call life. He has walked in our footsteps, felt the same pains we feel, been tempted with the same evils but yet stayed perfect and Holy. This is the God of the Heavens. Not a giant bank in the sky waiting to be called upon whenever we see fit but a loving and graceful God wanting to help bring us to our feet and establish us on paths of righteousness.

To often when it comes to God we as a society are so Myopia. We feel we must fight our own battles and struggle with our own problems ourselves which in turn makes us focus not on God but on ourselves. We spend so much time trying to rid ourselves of the evils so that we may come to God as a "better" person but it never works. As humans we are built to fail, Adam and Eve took care of that for us along time ago; but just because we were born into a sinful nature doesn't mean we must stay there. It's easy to forget than when you give your life to Christ all your sins are wiped away, cleared, they vanish in the sight of God but we hold onto them for some reason. We allow them to continue to torment us and bring us down but that's not the plans God has for any of our lives.

Psalm 40: 1-2 "I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure".

Are you one who sets their sights on the troubles in front of you? Is life's problems too much for God to handle? I think not. As we go on let us not stay dorment in the land of myopia but set your sights upward on the one who makes our steps secure.

1 Peter 4:10 "And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eterenal glory in Christ, will HIMSELF restore, confirm, stregthen, and establish you".

Vanishing Love.

1 Peter 1:25

"All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers,

and the flower falls,

but the word of the Lord remains forever."

Are you a flower? Sounds like a pretty dumb question doesn't it? But I couldn't be more serious. So often in today's society we walk around and try to be the best looking flowers that we possibly can be. Some may be daisy's, others roses, maybe your even a tulip but my point is we all have our attractions that make us like the flower of grass.

We pour our time and effort into being percieved as the best. The newest car= must have. The fastest phone= don't care how much it costs but I need it. Or maybe your not a technology or car person but whatever it may be we pour ourselves into things that will soon be outdated, overlooked, and forgotten. Luke 12:34 "For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also". Where does your treasure lie? Is it with the perishables here on earth or with the everlasting God of the universe?

The flower dies, the car will breakdown, the "new" phone will not be new in a few months but one thing that stays constant is Jesus Christ. The world offers a vanishing love. It's here one day and gone the next leaving you with more heartache and troubles than before. But Jesus Christ offers a different kind of love one that wont vanish, one that never leaves despite the trials you face but one that stands by your side and walks with you. An unconditional love.

Dear God,

Dear God,

It's been awhile. I wish I knew where to start or even how to apologize for my many shortcomings. I walked away from your truth for a mirage of a better life; a life of freedom, pleasure, and no limits which turned out to be a decision that I now know was made irrationally. My desire to bury my heartbreak, stress, and problems has created a whole new load of problems which has me seeking you because I know I could never overcome anything by myself but with you all things are possible. Mark 9:23 says "All things are possible for the one who believes" and I believe. I believe you are the creator of all, I believe you sent your Son to save us to break the chains of slavery from this wicked and false world and I believe that you are bigger than any problem I have and will ever have.Lord only you know the darkness and lonliness I felt and only you can bring me from this pit of destruction. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for walking away, I'm sorry for being shaken, sorry for believing there was something better than a life with you Jesus. The endless pursuit of something more has me broken and lost. I walked with you Jesus I believed in you what happened to me? My crys to you seemed like they never reached you, I pleaded for you, I prayed endlessly, my heart was crushed and I came to you and you never showed up. Everyone in my life seemed to up and walk away from me all in a short amount of time and I looked for you I waited for you to show me where to go, what to do, just for something to know you were with me but nothing came. I just spiralled fast after that. I couldn't feel you, hear you, I began to believe you never even existed. I just drowned out all the thoughts and pain and for ahwile It worked. But I began to notice that I was changing. Changing into someone that I wasn't. I chased the feelings, the rushes, the highs I lost my self in a life of lies and pain but continued despite the calling to come back. I was afraid of what people might think. Here's some guy who once walked with you, went on a mission trip to Africa, was seeking you than fell off fast and was than walking again with Christ I was afraid of judgement and having to come clean and get out all what I have been keeping in. But I know that a life with you is far more fulfilling than a life without you and I want to surrender and commit my life back to you. Help me. Help me shatter the barriers I have around my heart. Help me become who I am supposed to become. Shape me into the man of God that I am to be. Humble me. Love me. Help me love again. Help me let go. Bring me to a place where I soley rely on you. I want to know you. I want to feel joy, peace, and love and I know only you are the source of all those things. Father bring me back. Only you know my path so I am trusting in you to guide me and mold me into the man you intended me to be. I know now that despite my failure you will always love me, despite my contanst trangressions you still loved me, despite the hard road ahead you are with me. I thank you for what you did Jesus. Teach me to be selfless. Take my life and use it for your kingdom. I am at your knees.

Love,

A surrendered soul

Always a way back.

Despite my failures I have a way back. Despite my doubts and questions He will take me back. Despite the drug and alcohol problem He is there with open arms. Despite the fact that I am the biggest hypocrite He welcomes me back. Despite all my past, present, and future shortcomings He will always love me!

The past couple of months have been nothing short of a rollercoaster that had me falling faster than I ever expected. I traded in truth for the world's lie and found out first hand that the emptiness and lonliness that comes with it is far truer than anyone could imagine. The constant search for more was overwhelming and never ending. What once was a weekend thing became very quickly something we did everyday.

My life went from being a strong believer to one who gave it all up to see what the world offered. However, despite my doubts and fears I know there Is a God who loves me. Despite my struggles I know He is always there. And most of all despite my constant rebellion He will always love me!

-Charlie Alvarez

Slaves in America!

Galatians 4:8-9

"Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?"

Slavery ended awhile ago correct? The Civil War and Abraham Lincoln put that all to rest right?Wrong! Our world holds more slaves today than any other time in human history and we are all both responsible and enslaved. Without you realizing you have become enslaved to the world, your possessions, your future, your boyfriend/girlfriend, your knowledge, etc.

The Greek translation of slave in Galatians 4:9 is translated as "douleuo" which literally means to give one's self up to. So what is it that you have you given yourself up too? Paul writes in verse 9 that the ways of the world are "weak and worthless", and this is what we want to be slaves too? The principles of the world teaches us that money buys happiness, sex before marriage is acceptable, the bigger the house you have the more respect you recieve, and the car you drive shows how awesome you are. But is life more than becoming rich and famous?

Mark 8:36, "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfiet his soul?". We as a generation are responsible for the enslavement of millions to technology, pornography, money, possessions, ungodliness, and much more. It is our culture that has glorified the "rich and famous", our generation that makes viewing porn at age 11 ok "because it is a guy thing", and our nation that has become enslaved to the excess.

There is a choice we must all come to make which is to either go with or go against. Is a "weak and worthless" life on earth worth forfieting the riches in Heaven?

Socially acceptable to Reminisce.

Easter season is such an amazing and powerful time each and every year! We reflect and reminisce on what was done and what was accomplished through Jesus Christ on the cross. While I was at service last night it got me thinking as I looked around and saw the auditorium packed with people, Is this the only time we truly take the time and reminisce?

The cross to some is just a religious symbol, to some it was a horrible form of torture, to some it is the thing they wear around their neck, but to us as Christians it is hope, love, and freedom. We take time to look back at what Jesus went through on Easter weekend but what about on Monday when Easter has passed? Do we even dare say the name of Jesus at school, at our workplace, around our friends?

We are so passionate about Jesus on Sunday and it is gone by Monday. Let us change this. Let this year Be Different! Jesus Christ is more than someone we hear about Easter and Christmas. He is the almighty King who came and gave Himself as a ransom for many so that we may live a life abundantly filled with joy, hope, and love! Take the time today to give thanks. Give thanks Monday-Saturday and begin to live a life that is Different from this world.

-Charlie Alvarez

One or the Other.

What path are you on? Today I was reading C.S. Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters" and I came across an interesting line in the middle of a conversation between two demons in Satan's army. It reads, "Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts". Are you on the gentle slope?

How do you view God? Is he an old man in the sky? Is he a mystical being that has caused many wars and deaths?Is he a big vending machine in the sky? Or is he the guy you hear about but have never taken the time to get to know?

Many people never take the time to get to know God until it is to late. There is a God, a God that I know personally; that wants to be with you.He is a God that sent His only Son to be nailed to a cross for our transgressions.He is a God who can pull you up from the pit of destruction and make your steps secure.He is a God who can turn your fear and doubt into peace and love. He is a God who broke the chains of death.He is a God who hears our cries. He is a God who is a shield and refuge. And He is a God who is waiting for you to respond.

There is one place that God has allowed himself not to be and that is your heart. You must let Him in. Revelation 3:20 "Behold I stand at the door and knock". The choice is yours.

-Charlie Alvarez