Reality's Frailty - Chapter One: My Introduction.

I received news today about something that's happening with my cousin overseas. Now, it's the second time this year that I've received this kind of news [different cousins of course] yet the reality of the situation is very much the same- to a common end yet providing an all new beginning with limited possibility and much less opportunities and ultimately to alternatives. which I will discuss further in following chapter(s)..

When this happened to me, I originally attempted to keep it on the down-low as deep as possible, however, more recently I've felt it to be exhilarating as well as alleviating to speak about it and share my past, share about my change, the process, the result, my testimony.

before you read on, i wish to warn you, my mind works a lil weird.. I have been known to be misinterpreted, misunderstood or overcomplicating and overanalyzing minor details. I ask that you bear with me, should you have any questions or queries- I may not have the answer. if there's something you fail to understand, i'll try to explain.

please keep in mind that what's coming up aren't topics i take lightly, my choices have lead me through experiences that i would not recommend or advise, all the same- what seems like a big deal in my eyes may not be as big a deal to you. discern for yourself.

DC

On a plane somewhere again, I take my place in line just like every other time, I slide into my window seat, She was sitting there, One seat over so I said "Hello, how are you today?"

With my smile I could see the hope within her eyes, And I knew that something's different today

Though everything's the same inside there's something real, A faith which causes me to change. (But what's different now), A spark is gleaming in my eye like diamond stars that fill the sky, I think a smile says it all, A smile says it all

The conversation presses on, As miles pass below, she said I have to let you know, You seem so different to me, There is a joy inside, The love of God is all I know from which this could originate

With one smile I could see, the faith we share inside, And I know that something's different today

I see what a smile can say about me, I know that words are not always what speak, Sometimes it's not what I say, That the world around me seems to understand

kutless-smile

new logo

In Accordance to the finishing statement of my last blog, I've come up with a 'logo' to represent me, my writing and also just to publicize what I believe to be my purpose, my prayer.



"my hope is that through my writing and understanding of God's Word I'll seek to discover the source of my fire, the source of my passion that I may be able to channel it in an accord to my calling, my ministry, my church, God's beautiful and divine will; that I may be able to harvest blessings that will bless others, that it may become infectious and explode in momentum, resulting in a rising of passionate individuals... ...on fire for God."

what went down is now what's up...what's up?

Straight up, there's so much words going around in my head, I've been thinking and thinking and thinking, although it may come as a surprise to some you, I've also been thinking. point is, it's giving me a headache and i gotta let it out, here it goes-
yesterday, i was at Hp, i had the very last music class performance...for this week. and one guitarist in particular made it very awful.. i don't even believe that she was playing to the right songs, it was just off, others were off beat and the singers didn't quite sing their best. however the [musically-illiterate] crowd didn't seem to mind and thought it was an awesome performance, ground floor was practically full, and the 2 levels up we're pretty crowded, all in all, it was good. ....OH, and the drummer forgot to pack the hi-hats.
but that's not what i want to talk about, while at Hp, i got the chance to catch up with an old friend, a youth pastor. we had lunch, and spoke about life, ministry, God- 'twas a very insightful conversation.
some of you closest to me will know that's I've been struggling in one of the ministries I'm involved in, and up until yesterday i was very dead-on against the change that's happening.
now I'm not so sure. in this conversation, when we got to this topic the first point that was made was in regards to language vs. tradition. allow me to elucidate- as the years go by, language and mentality and the general way of doing things 'evolves' (if you will) different generations are attracted to different things and so it becomes somewhat of a guessing game for those in leadership, however, in this, each generation, each age group each audience has to be approached/taught differently- you can't explain something to a kid and expect him/her to relate to you as an adult would (basic example) holds monumental truth that in this case is overlooked in the particular ministry that I'm involved in. the other side of the argument is tradition. 'this always worked, let's keep doing it like this.' 'let's put a cross on the roof top of our church building that it may be identified as a church building.' I'm not quite sure how clear what I'm trying to show is, I'm trying to keep it as neutral as possible, i really am trying not to put by opinion into this.

Secondly, what leader's there are, are God appointed, and they are there because God allows it. and with that I'm sure there also comes God's instruction, with which i can't argue. i was humbled in that conversation yesterday, because i saw that in myself, i was leaning towards being traditional, and 'discerning' the type of leadership portrayed in this ministry, and to an extend, in honesty, i could even say that i was even a tad judgemental. who God has appointed to leadership is not my job to worry about or critique or divide, but in submission of higher authority, obey. be respectful; and honor.

Third point, is a goal. at the moment, for this ministry what's being aimed for i to 'keep momentum, help [them] learn and help [them] grow.' it's good, but i have yet to see it align with the church's [2020] vision. point is, there, there's a lack of unity. I'm only speaking of 2 ministries, both heading in similar directions.. The next part goes hand in hand with the third point and that is 'who am I?' what would seem an easy question to answer becomes difficult in context, the question proposed was 'are you a jack of trades or a master of 1?' meaning, like my resume, can i do a little bit of everything, good here and there, or am i outstanding in one area.
I'm spread.
I'm good to help out here and there, and the truth is I'm learning which is going to be my master 'trade' or ministry. and i truly wish i could answer that right now.
I'm working on finishing out, I've got dreams in my 'heart' that aren't mine, God gave them to me. there are doors opening for me in different areas that appeal to me, but i cannot yet be certain of my calling, see, i like all of these 'rooms' that the doors are opening to but i can't say there's 1 that I'm really passionate about. i haven't found a place that i want to make my focus, but i have an idea and I've made the choices that have allowed me to have mentors that have something, something that make me say 'I'm not sure quite sure what he's got, but he's got something and i want to have that too' (i don't mean that in coveting kinda way...) I've ended up with practically all of my closest friends, my peers, heading in a similar direction as i which i believe is a key importance for where I'm heading and also my feeding (preachings, teachings, sermons and stuff like resolved that i listen to and that other people get me to listen to. as well as books that I'm told to read, aside from my Bible, of course.)
the 'tips' my friend gave me were (a) write up a declaration, say it, proclaim it, confess it every day- because words have the power of life, power of change, words are powerful. as is (b) prayer. pray everyday, pray without ceasing, make life a prayer that constantly gets interrupted by sleeping, eating and other people. and finally, (c) a mentality shift. live out life as though it were (sensibly and reasonably) and live it for God, that you/i may be able to say "I've run the good race." and ran without regrets.

my friend told me a story to kinda finish what he was sharing with me, and i want to share it, but i won't. i leave it to you to ask me.

to end this blog i wish to state that although I've been enlightened to another perspective, i still hold fast my beliefs. I'm not as against the ideology of the leaders in this ministry as i was, however, i object and stand against many of their methods. there are so many things that could be done better and some things that just shouldn't be done at all for the the sake of the repercussion and outcome of whats going on now.

i don't see myself as passionate about any particular ministry, but i want to, i believe that when i do i will be able to align my passion with not only the goal of this ministry, or of the church but that I'll be aligned with what God wants. and that in turn will lead to harvest, and blessings that i will be able to revert and a bless others with- that it may become infectious, that it may expand and explode with mass momentum and raising passionate individuals on fire for God...

...The best is yet to come.

David E. C.

understanding my method of understanding

Recently more than ever it would seem that what i say (in the way i choose to say things) and the things i do (what i choose to do) have come about to have the power of making me confusing.
it happens in with my family, some college mates, church friends, and friends from study groups... i don't think I've left anyone out...
now, the reason I'm explaining this is because I've just simply become plagued with instances where I'm in a position where i have to explain. explain what? lemme explain...
eg:-
there's the initial question (or comment/statement, whatever)-just as 1 example.. and the person asking, I'm sure, is awaiting a reply to (a) try to understand me a little bit more, in regards to how i 'tick'. (b) incriminate me, like a loaded question or comment or statement or whatever. (c) an honest question, nothing implied but to receive an opinion. on top of other thoughts, these are just to name a few that go through my head... and in order for me to respond how i believe is appropriate i have to take into consideration the context of where the question is coming, why its being asked, why I'm being asked, who is the person asking me, in what tone was it asked and is there a 'tell' the the person is putting across (with facial expressions, nerves, nervous movement. once that's calculated comes the my thought, my answer.
and here's the first glitchy part-- i understand what I'm thinking. and there's certain times (...or most times) i don't want to simply just come out and say it, why? for reasons that relate to my past, operating on impulse never quite served me well. i can think of a myriad of moments where i may have said the first thing that came to mind and it just wasn't pretty, for me, others, my credibility. so i imply my answer in a choice of words that is open for misinterpretation, if what I've said has been taken out of context (from the conversation at hand).

so there's the question, my answer, my implication through the choice of words and then comes what the questioner hears, understands, and his/her reaction soon after.
and by all means, i do not limit this to just words and mind games but also in my actions. my writings, my own thoughts- i confuse myself sometimes. but then confusion contributes to helping me understand myself better...(imnotcrazyimnotcrazyimnotcrazy...)

now, I'm not always right- so that doesn't help the situation, other times i am right, by God's word, or truth of actual events (I'm speaking in regards to my personal life, personal experiences...really it all comes down to reality.. in this case my reality.)
and finally, something I'm not at liberty to make certain, that's the certainty of truth. is it black? is it white? (because most of what i say is gray.) do you question furthur, so that i take you deeper into the hole (be it of my own digging or an other's)? or do we leave it at that?

let my 'yes' be 'yes' and my 'no' be 'no'. judge not, but discern. learn me.

can you see what eye see?

yours truly,
David E. C.

BIG.

...THE EXPERIENCE.

Blog coming soon, stay tuned, and prepare to shift you mind.

Life- A Poem

"For we are His workmanship, Created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." - Ephesians 2:10
What you're about to read I heard many moons ago. It's been on my mind for a long time. I remember sharing this last during a period where I wasn't myself and I'd used it with good intentions but as a means to get to a self-destructive end. Reading it again, I see that the words are true, but living it out...that's something else altogether.

Workmanship: a creation, a work of art, a masterpiece.

Much like poetry. A poem can be seen and presented as thoughts, lyrics or deep expression. I remember back when I was a bit younger. I went through a stage where I loved poetry, I used it to expand my vocabulary, broaden my way of thinking and change my form of expression. In time I wrote my own, I'm sorry to say I haven't a clue of where they are, and I don't remember any of them., so I can't share them at this point in time.

A poet will think about every word, every sentence, every line and every paragraph on the page before writing too much, it has to be perfect.

I remember the truth of this as I wrote my own, in my mind I knew what the topic was, what I wanted to get across; I remember jotting little bits a pieces down at a time, over days if not months, I'd write something one day, come back in a few weeks and have a completely different perspective on it.

Poets of old in particular (computers make things so much easier these days), if so much as a misplaced comma, a full stop a capital letter, a misspelled word or inconsistent sentence; the poet would rip up the page and start again. And the poet would do that over, and over and over because it had to be perfect.

Many would agree that it's not that far of stretch to see that God is like a master artist, who has in mind a beautiful picture of our lives, He is committed to perfecting it, He wants to create a masterpiece. I believe God wants to perfect our lives in Christ Jesus and through the Holy Spirit shape us, mold us into the image of His Son.

"The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy O Lord endures forever; do not forsake the works of Your hands." - Psalms 138:8

"I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvelous are your works. and that my soul knows very well." - Psalms 139:14

Something I saw in my life, when I first cam across this was, God's the poet, God's writing the story, He knows the plans He has for my life (plans to prosper and not harm, of future and hope). What I noticed in my life was that I kept taking the pen off God, I kept trying to write my own story; God allowed me to become a prodigal son, God allowed me to make a myriad mistakes, there were times when the pen would run out of ink, and i was in tight spots, I broke, I literally hit rock bottom,; then He humbled me, God, my loving Father brought me back to reality.
I think the greatest thing is that, despite all my failings, all my imperfections, all the times I've let God down, all the times I've turned my back, He's always been there Just the same, He cannot love me more, and will never love me any less, this I know for sure.

Coz my God is an awesome God.

a little secret

honestly, i was really planning on blogging today, however, my father and I crashed into someone very meaningful to me today and i wanted to write about it, coz it sparked a memory that i really should never forget. and i want to share it.

(for privacy reasons il just mention her first name) Betty. we were at the post office earlier today, my dad was talking to me about the house and what was set in motion should he pass.

and so we just caught up, before she left, she managed to pull me aside and whisper that she "never forgets me" and that "it's our secret".

about 11 maybe 12 years ago there was this church outing to bacchus marsh, the name used to freak the heck out of me, the thought of that place would really torment me for years, till i went back.

it was a baptismal outing (people were going to be baptised, good on em) i can't remember who the people were.. next to this lake there was like a deep pit, i really dont know how else to explain it, and it had the downstream of water and it had like a very small waterfall or water flow, whaterver. and myself and a friend that i was with at the time, Danny G. same age as me, we were playing in this water pit, as most of the kids were, coz like the first meter of land was fairly shallow then it just drops.

anyways, we were playing and we someho ended up with a log in the middle, and we started sinking, we were getting tired and it became a struggle to stay afloat, and the whole survival of the fitest thing started to kick in, we lost the log somehow and began pushing each other down for what would seem like hours at a time (all of this in less than a minute), and Betty saw us, and immediately, she put her kid down, i think he wa sa toddler or somethin, i remember his name was James, and she just dived in, grabbed both of us and gave us a towel each. and nobody else saw. no one else heard us scream, no one else was watching.

i don't remember what happened to Danny after that. i went to the car and i stayed there in shock, till we left the place. i saw her again a few years ago, and was thrilled to see me, alive.

i remember that occassion so vivdly, and i remember thanking God so much for her, the times when i'd see her at church i remember thinking- what if she's like an angel, disguised as a human, for my sake. (irrational, but then i was a kid so it made sense.)

i remeber the pushes back and forth, i remember the lack of breath, i remember the how helpless i felt under the water, i remember what the sun looked like from under the water. i remember choking, and i remember seeing her jump in.

i told this memory to my dad today, i really can't describe the look he had on his face.

once again, a reminder- 'querido'.

-- David E. Ceballos.

Letter from Dad, God.

Some time last year whilst i was out of home, after a fight with one of my sisters; she found the time and patience and love enough to give me this letter, a letter from God. it broke my heart, it renewed my thinking and was a great factor in my turn-around and desire to seek God.

"My Child

You may not know Me, but I know everything about you (Psalm 139:1). I know when you sit down and when you rise up (Psalm 139:2). I am familiar with all your ways (Psalm 139:3). Even the very hairs on your head are numbered (Matthew 10:29-31). For you were made in My image (Genesis 1: 27). In Me you live and move and have being (Acts 17:28). For you are My offspring (Acts 17:28). I knew you even before you were conceived (Jeremiah 1:4-5). I chose you when I planned creation (Ephesians 1:11-12). You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in My book (Psalm 139:15-16). I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live (Acts 17:26). You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). I knit you together in your mother's womb (Psalm 139:13) And brought you forth on the day you were born (Psalm 71:6). I have been misrepresented by those who don't know Me (John 8:41-44). I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love (1 John 4:16) And it is my desire to lavish my love on you (1 John 3:1) Simlpy because you are my child and I am your Father (1 John 3:1) . I offer you more than your earthly father ever could (Matthew 7:11) For I am the perfect Father (Matthew 5:48). Every good gift that you receive comes from My hand (James 1:17) For I am your provider and I meet all your needs (Matthew 6:31-33). My plan for your future has always been filled with hope (Jeremiah 29:11) Because I love you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). My thoughts towards you are countless as the sand on the seashore (Psalm 139:17-18) And I rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). I will never stop doing good to you (Jeremiah 32:40) For you are My treasured possession (Exodus 19:5). I desire to establish you with all My heart and all My soul (Jeremiah 32:41) And I want to show you great and marvellous things (Jeremiah 33:3). If you seek Me with all your heart, you will find Me (Deuteronomy 4:29) Delight in Me and I will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4) For it is I that gave you those desires (Philippians 2:13) I am able to do more for you than you can possibly imagine (Ephesians 3:20) For I am your greatest encourager (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17) I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). When you are broken hearted, I am close to you (Psalm 34:18) As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to My heart (Isaiah 40:11) One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes (Revelations 21:3-4) I am your Father, even as I love My Son, Jesus (John 17:23) For in Jesus, My love for you is revealed (John 17:26) He is the exact representation of My Being (Hebrews 1:3). He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you (Romans 8:31) And to tell you that I am not counting your sins (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) His death was the ultimate expression of My love for you (1 John 4:10) I gave up everything I loved that I may gain your love (Romans 8:31-32). If you receive the gift of My Son Jesus, you receive Me (1 John 2:23) And nothing will ever separate you from My love again (Romans 8:38-39) Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen (Luke 15:7). I have always been Father, and will always be Father (Ephesians 3:14-15). My question is... Will you be My child? (John 1:12-13) I am waiting for you. (Luke 15:11-32)

...Love, Your Dad

Almighty God"

I pray that this may have been an encouragement to you as it was to me during my trying times.

PART I - sight of life - my theory

Because it's not a finished project, i havnt quite figured out how to start it, il be sure to re-post the finished product...once i finish it.

for now..

like being blind- in a sense. Or having countless blindfolds that with age, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, experience, responsibility and influence gradually begin to come undone and sight changes- from a narrow view to a widened perspective: around, below and above; the draw distance of my vision is lengthened allowing one to see furthur ahead and what is close in greater detail, significant minor differences that affect what is seen, how it is understood and how different people would interpret it.
Be it a poem, being able to understand certain words that before might have been meaningless- noticing capital letter, full stops, spaces and/or comas that affect the meaning of what is being told/shared, not to mention the choice of words and analogies.
Or perhaps a photograph; gone from a passport size photo of a ceiling with indistinct drawings on it to Davinci’s 16th Chapel. The difference is massive. …perhaps a better example: your task in life is to try to complete a 1 million piece jigsaw puzzle, you only 1 piece to start off with, where it goes, who knows? The point is: it’s there, and until you make sense of the next piece won’t come, let’s assume that you do make sense of it and the other piece comes, they fit together and yourealize that what you thought that other piece was, wasn’t at all, however, without that second piece the first idea makes sense but then you step back and look at it and becomes something else altogether that you couldn’t see from a close distance, and so you get close to see if you can still see it but you end up frinding something else, now there’s probably dozens more things that you can’t see, but you get a third piece anyways and it becomes a whole new something else altogether. It’s like moving forward by taking 5 steps back, more becomes visible, more makes sense.

Thinking about this topic reminded me of a Bible story that I hadn’t heard or read in a very, very long time. With Kez’s input I was lead to Mark chapter 8.

At first all I was looking for was in verses 22-26:
“Then they came to Bethsaida; and some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and begged Him to touch Him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on the man’s eyes and put His hands on him Jesus asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, “I see people that look like trees walking around.” Then He put His hands on him again. Then his eyes were opened as He made him look up, his sight was restored and saw everyone and everything clearly. Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.””

The first time I every heard this story I thought, ‘It’s just another miracle.’ I’d taken no notice of what happened where, why what was said was said or the time it took.

Thinking about it again, remembering about the story so suddenly especially with it’s relevance to my life at the moment I decided to (like my last rant) seek opinions. First 2 were Kez’s and Raph’s […]. Then comes the internet, haha. The first page I checked was a sermon a tad furthur in depth of what I was pondering, something I was getting around to, im sure. The message was basically Mark 8:27-9:13 briefed and summarized in the unique miracle of chapter 8 verses 22-26, analogizing the Apostle Peter to Homer Simpson- odd yet accurate (in some ways..). You, reader, will have to read the passage through to 9:13 to get the zist of what I’m tripping on.

See originally, after analysing the miracle over and over (v.22-26) my initial view on this scripture was that it’s about knowledge and understanding as well as the way in which God works- Christ led the blind man out of the town (kinda like leading us out of the world, placing us in the midst of other godly people).
I found that despite all of these significant minor details there’s 3 aspects in this passage, could call it a list, the first step: Blind Sight the man could not see, it might seem like the obvious truth, but the truth is that most people over look it. he had no sight, no vision, he didn’t know what was around him, what the things around him looked like, or more to the point, he really didn’t know where he was going. Some are born blind, unfortunately and unwillingly ignorant, lost souls most probably heading the wrong direction .Others become blind. Verse 25 says that “…his sight was restored.” Giving the indication that once upon a time he could see, but lost his sight somehow, ‘how’ is irrelevant. The point is, it’s lose-able. Trying to imagine what it would be like to lose my sight, I think that I would be frustrated, I’d always be lonely, seen differently, I’d have to re-learn life with limitations. I praise God that I can see, that I am able, as well as, beg forgiveness for all the times when I sin because of what I see, what goes into the windows of my heart, my mind, and my soul, that which can pollute, separate and refresh, renew.

As I read on, and researched what others’ view(s) on the passage(s) and stories ahead in chapter 8 through to 9:13, my list grew and I will elaborate furthur on this in a moment.

The second phase is Blurry Sight. Think back to the first week, a new believer, hyped up in the newness of it all, on fire for God ‘ready to take on the world’ however, as you begin to get into this new life reality hits, and the truth is you’ve got so much to learn, and that takes time. Someone put this as “You’ve arrived, but in reality, you’re not quite there yet.”
The former blind man now had some sight, some vision. For the third time he’s having to adjust to learn life again. Going back to that jigsaw example, the first time around this man may have had 20 puzzle pieces that he spent a lot of time trying to make sense of and then BANG! he had to start again, this time he’s blind- the first piece was different, he doesn’t recognize this piece, so slowly and gradually he is having to learn again one by one. Let’s say he get’s to 5 and then JC comes along and BOOM! the 20 that he had the first time are restored and so now he has 25.

i know the explanation gets a bit laggy and boring... il fix it when i finish it.

my apologies for any inconveniences.

untitled - moving

time for a much delayed post
.
about a month or 2 ago i was in sydney on business, but thats not what i want to share..
on one of the nights we (myself and the team i went with) went for dinner at a japanse restaurant, i dont remember the name of the area.
at the restaurant i couldnt help but eavsdrop and see across from me, a table for 2, father and son. i was so sad, and at the same time greatful to God the He had kept my family in unity that i was never in that boys position.
it was a very awkward dinner that they have, very quiet, the father was stressed out, but putting on a face to 'man-up' in front of his son, im not sure if the son picked up on it.
the father occasionally attempted to make conversation, the boy would've been about 14 years old.
i noticed that what they were eating was the cheapest dish on the menu at a very overpriced restaurant. once they finished their food, the the man kinda looked at his son, close to tears, and kinda trying to hide his disturbed look, he took out his wallet, shaking, he gave his son $20. from where i was sitting- i could see that that was all he had and with a trembling voice he said 'here you go son, i guess i'll see you again in 2 weeks, hopefully i can get you some more money before then, look after yourself.'

from the way i was dressed i couldn't build up the courage to go up to them and share Christ with them. but i wish i had. i never saw either of them again.

Predestiny? or Free Will?

Predestiny? or Free Will?

Here’s a question that’s been bouncing around inside my mind for the last couple of weeks, today I finally got my answer. One of my youth leaders asked me this question as an introduction to the leaders’ level of discussion. My first instinctive response was free will, because I believed that God entitled me to my own choices, my own decisions and also the capability of making mistakes, not because I’m human – that excuse died when I gave my life to Christ and accepted Christ as my Lord and Saviour, but because I’m a Christian, born into sin and making choices every second of everyday, ‘am I going to think about God, or someone/something else?’, ‘am I going to love God, or something/someone else more?’, ‘am I doing this to please God, or to please myself?’, my next words, my next thoughts, my next feelings – are they going to glorify and reflect God? Or something else? Along with free will also comes consequence, what I have to live with as a result of my choices/actions.

I began to do some research. I asked many well-knowledged friends (people whom I consider smarter than I) and checked out internet blogs, forums and articles that distinguished knowledgeable/wise people with a status of a scholastic accreditation, with an exclusive right to state/share their opinion and have it accepted as truth. After reading several and getting to know different ideas, thoughts and opinions regarding this topic coming from different people with different level’s of statuses, I realized that every single one of these posts were basically outbursts of knowledge that these people had gathered from other sources. And I realized that what I was doing is a mistake that is made by many pastors, ministers, leaders and just generally people with influence, there’s just so many people gathering information and opinions from the internet, books, other people and the Bible; all trying to find answers to mind boggling questions that are consuming their life.

I stepped back for a minute, had a really good look and think about what I was doing, what my friends were doing when I asked them about this question and what others claimed to have done in search for answers. So I took a look at my own life, my past, all my actions, my choices, all the good things I’ve done and all of the countless mistakes I’ve made, everything has been by own doing. My own understanding. My own free will. My actions may have been influenced by God, by friends/family, by experiences, by things I’ve been taught/advice, by caution, by sin and my fleshful lust for it. No one (God included) has ever ‘twisted my arm’, compelled me to make decisions, my life as proof – I believe in God’s graceful gift of free will, but also in predestine, to an extent…

God gave us free will. He gave Adam and Eve free will; He even gave Jesus free will. None of us have to choose to ask for forgiveness, and there isn’t anyone who is beyond redemption. If anyone is predestined, then forgiveness for the Lost goes out the window, because then not everyone can be forgiven, which contradicts the purpose of Jesus being crucified. It means that the only ones that can be forgiven are the ones that God picked out from among us a long time ago; for that matter why preach? Why have missionaries? Or why support them? I believe that that idea turns God into a sick power-hungry tyrant who only uses human beings as a form of entertainment. And I can tell you right now that that is NOT what my Heavenly Father is.
We are ALL God’s children, and we are ALL eligible for forgiveness and redemption.
I don’t believe that God would choose some and exclude others, because at the end of the day, none of us are worthy.

In regards to predestination I do believe, however that God knows who is and who is not going to be saved. And the reason is because God created time, therefore he is not bound to it. God can step out of time and see into our future (as well as our past), and He has, and he knows what we’re going to do, but that doesn’t mean that He makes us choose to do it.



Then I did some more research… according to the Bible, and I’ll let you decide…

“Pastor charged with raping a girl”, “Tourist Drowns on Great Barrier Reef”, “Husband Charged with Wife’s murder”, “Airplane pilot dies at control”, “Scuba Diver killed by shark” all tragic stories, all happened today. Tragedy that brings shame to the human race, and questions ‘control’. Questions God’s ‘existence’.

There is a verses in the book of Romans chapter 8 (in the Bible) that have come to be known as the most indirectly quoted scripture of the Bible it explains God’s existence, our predestination, God’s promise, God’s purpose and how he goes on about fulfilling his promise in our lives.

Romans 8:28, “in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

There’s a lot of people, a lot of influential people who paraphrase this verse to mean ‘everything will work out in the end’ and that’s wrong, these headlines are proof, take a look at your life right now, take a look at the lives of the people around you, what about the girl who was raped? Is that good? Or the tourist who drowned? Is that good? The pilot who died? Is that good? The diver killed by a shark, is that good? What about the total of all these things, is that a good result? Some things just appear good, like ‘at least you only got run over by a car - not a truck’That’s not what the scripture implies.

First of all, we need to acknowledge God’s supreme PROMISE

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

It says that “in all things God works for the good” — not that all things are good, but that God uses them to work together for good. In fact, God is at work in all things, whether they are good or evil, to bring about His good purpose in our lives. God is at work in our lives. God is not causing, but using these events to shape our lives for His purpose as we turn to Him in the midst of them.

People who do not know Jesus Christ, who do not know God, who have not entered into a personal relationship with Him, are in a downward spiral of despair. They have no hope. They have no one to turn to. Life seems futile at times, simply not worth living. Especially, if all they see themselves as is a pawn in some great chess game that they don’t even understand? They don’t understand why things are happening to them. They don’t understand what is going on. They feel helpless.

Christians, however, do not have to despair, because there is hope. We are not helpless. We have someone on whom we can unload our problems. We have someone who cares for us. God is there. God is at work to bring about His purpose in our lives. The hope for us is not that we will escape all evil. The hope for us is that we have a God who is able, even in the midst of the most challenging circumstances we encounter, to show us the way through, to help us to live victoriously and to mature us and to bring us to a place of ministry.

The condition is, firstly, that we love God. I am thankful that the condition is not that we have to attain a certain intellectual status or a certain theological understanding or a certain level of holiness and perfection in our lives.I am very imperfect. And so are you. We are all imperfect. I thank God that the condition is not a certain level of sinless ness in our lives, for we would all fail. We must simply love God.

That is what I am trying to develop among believers — people who love Jesus Christ with all their hearts; not people who are right and know that they are right. Vance Havner once said, “You can be straight as a gun-barrel theologically and as empty as a gun-barrel spiritually.” What I am after is not simply theological intellect, though it is important. What I am after are people who love the Lord Jesus with all their hearts.Because if you love God passionately, then God can work in your life. If you love God more than you love your life, if you love God more than you love your possessions, if you love God more than you love any other thing, then when God speaks to your heart, you will obey.That is precisely where God wants us. If we love God with all of our hearts, then in the midst of the difficult situation we will turn to Him, and He will lead us through that situation. That is His ultimate promise to us.

In the second part of verse 28 it says that we have been “called according to His purpose.” What is that eternal PURPOSE He is working out?

“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” – Romans 8:29

God has a plan and a purpose for our lives, there is a ministry for every one of us. God has called His Church into existence. You are a valuable part of it.
Not only does God have an individual plan for each of us, He has an ultimate plan which is the same for all of us. God's calling for every Christian is that they would become conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ.

"And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." – Romans 8:30

There is a providential PROCESS that He is taking us through as believers. Five undeniable affirmations are made in these verses

The first is that God foreknew us. This does not have so much to do with predestination as it has to do with God knowing about our existence in the universe, and knowing us individually by name. Before the foundation of this world, God knew that you were to be. Before time began, God had you in His heart.

God predestined us. To become conformed to the likeness of His Son, that our natures might be changed, and that we might become spiritual men and women.

And then God called us. To commit your lives to Jesus Christ

God justified us. We are now free from the guilt of sin, the penalty of sin, and even the power of sin in our lives, through the great work of Christ, His death and Resurrection.

God glorified us. He speaks of it as a past occurrence, when, in fact, it is yet to be. That is exciting to me because I know if God sees it already done, He is going to be faithful to make sure it happens in my life.

What this passage means is that if we are struggling in the hard times, God knows our struggle and He is working in those hard times to bring us to maturity in Christ. All we need to do is yield to His working, trust in His sovereign hand, and He will see to it that we are brought into that perfect plan He has for us.

You haven't caught God by surprise in any of your circumstances in life. God knows where you are, and He knows what you need. You might be surprised by just how precisely you are where He wants you to be in this process of becoming like Christ. Yield to Him. Trust in His sovereign hand. Trust that He, who created all that we see, knows how to deal with your life. Let Him do it. He is in charge. Who better?

No matter what the news say, no matter what the circumstances are, He is in charge. God is at His best when things are at their worst. You can trust in Him.





I’ve answered the question twice, once by my own understanding, and a second time according to the Bible. I’m sure that there are many other views that I have not mentioned but feel free to let me know if you can think of something else. Feel free to do your own information regarding this topic, don’t just take my word for it. Seek God’s help in understanding life’s questions.

Hope this has been mind boggling and beneficial to you.
God Bless.

[Rant by Deivi]