Monthly Archives: July 2012

July 23, 2012

Intolerance Will Not Be Tolerated

By Ryan Miller

Here is something that I can’t seem to wrap my head around….

Major companies like Google, Oreo, Starbucks, and Home Depot have come out in support of gay marriage. While I do not agree with gay marriage, I do believe that these companies have the right to exercise their support of certain groups or personal beliefs and are not necessarily “God-haters” (though some may be). I continue to shop at these places when I need certain products (who can resist an Oreo or Gmail) and will not protest them based on their actions.

So in comes Chick-Fil-A (article here). They decide to stand up in support of their own Biblical values. Now they are being protested by the LGBT community for their stance. One man makes a comment that their chicken nuggets are “filled with hate”. I mean really?? They are not posting signs on their doors rejecting homosexual clients. Why is it some want tolerance for all while being intolerant of some? If you call for tolerance of all, that includes sexuality AND religion even when you don’t agree.

And before you put me in the “hater box” (if you have read this far), I believe this is a wake up call for the Christian as well.

You shouldn’t be supporting companies like Chick-Fil-A because they are against homosexuality. You should be supporting them because they are speaking truth for Jesus Christ.

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July 20, 2012

Not Negotiable

By Ryan Miller

There are some things in life that just aren’t negotiable. If you live and work in the United States, you must pay taxes. It is not a negotiable thing. Taxes are based upon what the law says. Certain parts of the tax law pertain to everyone while other parts are left to interpretation. Now people will find ways around paying their taxes or just simply avoid paying their taxes but sooner or later it will catch up.

In many ways Christianity is the same. There are specific commands and references in the Bible, if you are to consider yourself a God-loving Christian, that are not negotiable. They include such statements like Mark 12:30-31 where Jesus says “And he said to him, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” or Romans 10:9 where Paul says “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved”. 

There are other things in the Bible which I believe God has left to our own interpretation. In doing so, God has said that those things are for our own personal exhortation and conviction and not to cause division. These include things like election versus free will, the time of the rapture, and even the consumption of alcohol.

So what’s my point? Two things.

  1. There are certain things that you have no option to lend your own opinion to. God has made it clear that when it comes to areas such as who He is as part of the trinity and how you inherit salvation, there are NO OPTIONS. Quit trying to tweak God’s word for your personal interests.
  2. There are certain things that you need to settle down about. It is great to constantly challenge our heart and intellect in studying scripture, but if it doesn’t keep someone from understanding who God is and how someone is saved think twice before challenging others. As Christians, we end up causing more damage to each other than the world could ever do.

Not sure what to think of certain areas of scripture?

  • Pray and ask God for wisdom
  • Read your Bible yourself instead of solely relying on others to tell you what it says
  • Seek advice from well leaders
  • Pray and ask God for wisdom
  • Pray and ask God for wisdom
  • Oh, and pray and ask God  for wisdom!

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July 13, 2012

Who Do You Want To Be?

By Ryan Miller

We all want to be somebody or something. Whether that is a successful business professional, a great spouse/parent or a ministry leader. But any time we strive for an identity in an area like that, we set ourselves up for more stress and frustration that it’s worth. The successful professional will have many bad deals, the spouse/parent will have numerous bad days and the ministry leader will not always be able to keep up with those they serve. Then what? Then we turn to less than desirable ways of coping. Unless we don’t strive for an identity in any of those things. 

Our identity should be in Jesus Christ and Him alone. When our identity is in Jesus, we don’t have to strive to “be better”. We don’t have to get down when we struggle or fail. We know that we aren’t expected to be anything other than who God made us to be (Genesis 1:27). We know that when we struggle or fail, Jesus is right there to pick us up (1 Corinthians 1:4-8). 

So who do you want to be?

As for me, I want to be a child of God, a follower of Jesus Christ.

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July 8, 2012

10,000 Ways to Die

By Ryan Miller

My pastor shared this morning that on a recent Barbara Walters special regarding heaven, she stated that there are now 10,000 religions in the world. 10,000 is a pretty insane number. Especially when you consider that 9,999 of them are wrong and their path to heaven is incorrect. Right now you are probably expecting that I am going to tell you why Christianity is the 1 right one. Well I am not. I am asking you to do a personal evaluation.

Are you 100% sure that your way is the right way? Is there are any doubt in your mind that you may not end up in heaven after following your religion’s doctrine? You should be positive. If you are not, you need to get with your church leader or a trusted friend and ask the hard questions. You should also be able to find some supporting historical documents to back up your beliefs and not be completely blind. Look into your literature and study it for yourself.

I read my Bible and study it for myself. I read other supporting literature including that of other religions. I can say that I am 100% positive my spot in heaven is secure and you can too!

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July 1, 2012

Who’s Direction Am I Taking

By Ryan Miller

I think every Christian has walked a path in which they started second guessing whether it was God leading or them pushing. We pray and seek God’s wisdom. We ask for advice from trusted people in our circles. We slowly step down the path. Then there comes a time when it isn’t going the way we thought it would. Now what?

I am there right now. Through much prayer and advice, I followed a path I felt God orchestrated. But as I am walking, I am doubting myself. Did I want it so bad that I thought I heard God’s direction and now I should stop? Or was it really God leading and I just need to keep going?

This blog post is just me thinking out loud. I actually hope to hear from readers. Share your experiences and offer any advice you believe to be sound.

As for me now, I sit and wait. I pray harder. I trust my initial decision was right and not only will God continue to lead me down this path, but He will rid me of my doubt. 

I am so thankful to know that God’s will for my life is perfect. Even when I don’t have it figured out, He already has!

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