Is God better than sex?

If you had a choice between one day with Jesus and one day with the man or woman of your sexual dreams, whom would you choose?


Of course, the logical, theological answer would and should be Jesus.  But is that how you really feel? 


It's easy to see the beauty and attraction of a gorgeous woman or handsome man.  The desire he or she arouses is tangible.  But what about God?  Even He said it wasn't good for the first man to be alone. Is there a pleasure men and women bring each other that even God can't bring?


It is written,
"In Your Presence, there is fullness of joy.  At Your right hand are pleasures evermore."


Complete Joy.
Eternal Pleasure.


Can any man or woman make and keep that promise?
That's what the adulterer and the adulteress suggest. 
The adulteress says, "In MY body there is fullness of joy, under the authority of my sexuality there are pleasures ever more."
But can she make good on her promise?


It is also written,
"Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart."


But will He?  And when He does, will it be better than sex?


Ask the Seraphim, the fiery angels before God's throne in the book of Revelation.


They never stop bowing, worshipping, and praising God, crying "Holy, Holy, Holy, LORD God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. The whole earth is filled with Your Glory."


From the beginning of time, the Seraphim have been ceaselessly worshipping God.


Think of the most sexually attractive man or woman you can imagine.  Do you believe he or she would be so arousing that you would bow down and ceaselessly worship him or her?  All the Seraphim are doing is SEEING God.  Just the sight of Him inspires constant worship.  We aren't talking about actual contact with God. They aren't touching Him.  They are simply seeing Him as He is.  They never stop worshipping.


No man or woman, no matter how arousing, inspires this kind of worship.


God is infinitely better than sex.

God, Satan, and You

You have encountered God. 
You have also encountered Satan.


When you submit to God's will, and you find a powerful will opposing you, you are encountering Satan.


When you resist the will of God, and you find a powerful will helping you, you are encountering Satan.


When you resist the will of Satan, and you find an All Powerful Will helping you, you are encountering God.


When you submit to the will of Satan, and you find an All Powerful Will opposing you, you are encountering God.


You know how all of this feels.
You know that it feels personal when you are trying your best to do good and all hell breaks loose.
You know that it feels personal when you're hell bent on being selfish and all heaven breaks loose.


You choose sides everyday, as C.S. Lewis said,

There is no neutral ground in the universe. 

Every square inch

and every split second

is claimed by God

and counter claimed by Satan.

What is God's will for you? (Part 2)

Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.
1 Corinthians 7:20 NIV


What if you're out of God's will?  It depends on how this happened.  If you're in out right rebellion, you should confess your sin, ask forgiveness, and repent.  Start over.


If you are in reckless rebellion, meaning you simply didn't care whether you were following God's Spirit or not, do the same.  Confess.  Ask forgiveness. Repent.


If you thought you were doing God's will, but found that you weren't, seek God's wisdom where you are, and do God's will where you are right now.  For example, say you took a job that you now know isn't God's will for you.  What do you do?  If the job involves sinning or breaking the law, you should quit as soon as you finish reading this blog, no matter the consequences.  If it's illegal, it's not God's will.  (Unless where you live there is a law against preaching the gospel or following Jesus.  Then you must respectfully disobey any and every command that goes against what God commands.)


If your job is not illegal or immoral, but you know it's not ultimately God's will for you, pray for a way out, and until God makes a way out, stay where you are.  Remember, God's will isn't "out there."  It's in God Himself, and all you have to do is agree to do whatever He wants, wherever you are.  You don't have to leave your job (unless it's illegal or immoral.)  God is where you are right now.  Agree to follow His Spirit right there, and you will know and do God's will for you.


Simply agree to do whatever God wants you to do right now, where you are. 
This is God's will for you.
Jesus is Lord.
Amen.

What is God's will for you? (Part 1)

The will of God isn't a mystery.  It isn't out there in a mystical cloud waiting to be deciphered like a puzzle with a million pieces.  Is your will a mystery?  It is to me at this moment because I don't know what you want to do.  But the fact that you have a will isn't a mystery.  You have the ability to choose or refuse.  So does God.  His will is simply what He wants or doesn't want at any given moment.  It isn't a mystery in the sense of being an enigma, but it is a mystery in the same way your will is a mystery, as the Apostle Paul said,


"No one knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man in him.  In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God."


I can't know your will, or God's for that matter, unless you or God choose to reveal it.  But again, this isn't mysterious.  It's the way things work in a relationship, as the Prophet Amos said,


"How can two walk together unless they agree?"


Agreements happen when two wills unite. For example, if you and I decide to take a walk together, I can "submit" to your will, or you could "submit" to mine, or we both could already agree on where we wanted to go. In other words, I could say, "I'll go wherever you want to go.  It's up to you." Or you could say the same with me.


The same is true with God.


What is God's will for you? 
It's for you to agree unconditionally to go wherever He wants to go. 

A message from God to you

To the one reading:

I ask God to reveal Himself to you through my words.

Receive His revelation, and the answer to this prayer.

"You are made to know and be like Me," says the Lord.

"You have no other purpose or reason to live,

and your life means nothing without pursuing My Presence. 

I am The One who through your conscience approves or disapproves what you say and what you do.  Listen to Me.  Listen to your conscience.  I am with you."

This is a message from God to you, whoever you are.  Wherever you are.

Jesus is Lord.

The truth about God's will for your life

You can't find God's will for your life.
It's not out there.
It's not a mystery.


God is a person, the person, the supreme ultimate person.
He has a will, the will, the supreme ultimate will.
You don't find God's will.
You submit to God's will.
You can do it right now.
You should do it right now.


What is God's will for your life?
His will is for you to exchange your will for His.
No longer seek your will; seek God's will alone, no matter the consequences.
You can do that now, right now.
You should do that now, right now.


Don't wait any longer.
Pray this prayer with me:


"God, I exchange my will for yours from now on.  Please help me to do this.  Amen."


From this moment forward, do what you know God wants you to do:
Love God supremely.
Love people impartially.


Live only for God, no matter what.
Treat people like you want to be treated, no matter what.


Now you know the truth about God's will for your life.


Jesus is Lord.
Amen.

Finding my calling (and finding yours)

How can I know I'm called to write you this blog?  If you need to hear what I'm writing, then your need is my calling.  I have something to say, and you need to hear it.  Maybe it's not that mysterious.  Or maybe it is.  Because your need and my ability, meeting at just the right time, is miraculous.  You're reading right now.  Not long after I'm writing. Out of all the blogs or things you could be reading, I'm it.  How did that happen?  God alone is the explanation.  I'm called by God, and perhaps by you, to write to you.  Now what about you?  What are you called to do?


Today, somebody needed you.  Somebody.  Maybe your boss, or your parents, or your siblings.  Let's start from the beginning of your life...


You were born.  Out of all the sperm and eggs that could've connected, yours did.  And now you're here.  I know as a parent that once each of my children were born, it was as if they could never not exist for me.  My life and theirs became inextricably connected.  And God forbid I should ever lose one of them, I would never be the same me.  The same is true for you...to someone...even if you think your parents wished you were never born.  Let's talk about what we know...let's talk about the real evidence of the significance of your existence...


I'm the evidence.


Your significance is why I'm writing.


Without you, I'd have no one to write to.


You.


The one reading.


Right now.


Are significant...to me.


That is your calling.