Welcome to the Truth@Life Blog Site by Curtis Songer


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There are 5 threads of thought in this blog site:
1. Church Stuff - things pertaining to the evangelical Christian Church of today
2. Leadership Corner - concepts on management & leadership
3. Two Becoming One - principles of marriage enrichment
4. Train Up a Child - principles of parenting
5. Personal Thoughts - my mental ramblings on how God is growing me

I highly recommend you find an entry on one of these topics that interests you and click on that label at the end of that entry. It will bring up all the entries on that particular category. And be sure to check out the great web site links in the lower right corner of this page - Enjoy!

Sunday, May 17, 2020

What are you Missing (Part 1)

I’m going to see a victory - That is God’s promise to you!

With the crazy things going on in our society right now, our faith often turns to fear.

We worry: What if this happens, or that happens? What will we do then?

There is a better way to live life.....

What does it take to please God? Ritual, sacraments, going to church, reading the Bible, following the rules, etc...?

God is not interested in religion or in rules. He is interested in relationship. To have a relationship with God, we must first have faith in God.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭

Faith is believing even when we don’t see it.

We have to believe in God, they He exists, that He can protect us, & that He wants to have a relationship with you!

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭

God loves us and has a plan for our lives!

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:8‬ ‭

This is a firm foundation that you can build your life on!

Faith is believing even when I don’t understand it.

“By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:7‬ ‭

There is a direct correlation between faith and obedience! If we have faith, it will be evidenced by our obedience. We obey, we follow His direction, even when we don’t understand!

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:8-9‬ ‭

Could you do that? Launch out on a trip to a place where you have never been before?

Faith always involves risk. Will you follow God or will you play it safe?

Lots of times God’s ways don’t make sense.
For example: the Bible says when someone hurts us, we should forgive them. We are called to obey Him even when it does not make sense.

Faith is persevering even when you don’t feel like it! Don’t trust your feelings! Feelings follow your actions. So ACT the right way! Act is faith.

Successful people are ordinary people who do what average people don’t feel like doing!

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:23-27‬ ‭

Faith is trusting even when I don’t get what I want (or think I need)!

God is not a genie. He won’t give you stuff just because you think you need it! This is not prosperity Gospel. Your faith does not force God to do something.

“And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:39-40‬ ‭

All these great men and women of faith never saw what had been promised to them. Yet the still obeyed and acted and lived in faith!

God never promises us a rose garden. Living by faith does not exempt us from trial and tribulations (including viruses!). God’s desire for us is not happiness. It is joy, peace, and TRANSFORMATION! He wants us to become more Christ-like. This means He often leaves the trial in our life.

But if we live by faith, we can walk through this life singing’ “I’m going to see a victory!”

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Who Do You See in the Mirror?

Mirrors are everywhere!  Why are they such a big part of our lives? The help us see what everyone else sees.  God created us to be mirrors - to reflect his image to others.

Worship - we all worship something(s).  Proper worship is to reflect the image of God to others.  Most people wonder what this life is all about. They ask themselves, “Why am I here? What is my purpose?” I think it is all about mirrors. And they can’t see their purpose, because the mirror is fogged and unclear.

Let’s go back to creation. Why did Adam and Eve not wonder why they they were here? Because it was clear to them. They were her to reflect God’s image.

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned...”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:12‬ ‭

Because of our sin, we broke the mirror! We could no longer reflect God’s image as originally intended.

“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:8‬

While our mirror was still broken, God sent Jesus into our life to repair the mirror so that we could once again perfectly reflect God’s image. What does your mirror reflect: sin, greed, worry, materialism, lust?  Does your life reflect you or does it reflect God?

“The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."”
‭‭John‬ ‭4:19-24‬ ‭

True worshippers will recognize how to worship their God - in Spirit and in truth.
Spirit - my feelings, emotion, God moves me, I experienced God in church today. These churches (who does this only) end up becoming granola churches - fruit, flakes, and nuts. They place their personal experience over God’s Word.
Truth - these focus on Scripture, preaching, and often become legalistic. These (Truth only) churches, throw out emotion and become like funeral homes. No emotion, just dead people!
Our feelings should always be tethered to the truth of God’s Word.

“Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'”
‭‭John‬ ‭3:5-7‬ ‭

On my own, I do not have the capacity to worship God. But the Spirit gives birth to our spirit! This puts the responsibility of worship on God’s Holy Spirit. He will open my eyes and teach me and quicken my spirit and inspire me to RESPOND to God with worship.

Our feelings must be in submission to God’s Spirit of Truth!  We must NOT live life doing what feels good. Feelings should follow actions. The act of studying God’s truth, growing in knowledge and obedience, will lead us to feel the right way.

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:16‬ ‭

All things were created by Him and for Him! We were created by God and for God - to worship Him.

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."”
‭‭John‬ ‭4:23-24‬ ‭

The Father seeks those who will worship Him in Spirit and Truth. He seeks you. He seeks you to worship Him properly.

What does your mirror look like? What do you see? Who do you see? Is it all about you? Or is it all about God?!?

For more truth about life, see https://truthatlife.com/