What's with Regret?

Regret is one of the biggest weapons Satan has against a Christian, but at the same time it's something we choose to do. There is a time for everything, including regret, but after you have been forgiven regret is doubting God really did forgive you. I think it's safe to say most of the times you have felt regret, it was is was in a sinful manner

God feels regret (Genesis 6:7; 1 Samuel 15:11), which means that there must be times when it's okay to feel regret, but these are in very emotional times such as before the great flood.

I'm not God and so I can't give a list of all the times its okay to feel regret, but through what the bible does say, we can understand why regret is such an issue and why we shouldn't do it. First of all, I guess would be examples of people who have felt regret in the bible

1. Adam and Eve (Genesis 3)
2. David (1 Chronicles 21:8)
3. Ahab (1 Kings 21:27)
4. Peter (Mathew 26:75)
5. Judas (Mathew 27:3-4)

Whenever any character in the bible is described as feeling regret, they have done something terrible. These are good times to regret, but lingering on regret is when it becomes a sin.

There is the initial regret, shame, guilt, whatever you want to call it after you sin, but asking for forgiveness should follow. There can be a state mourning, but it can't last forever. Just look at this verse from 2 Corinthians:

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
2 Corinthians 7:10

There is a time of sorrow, but after the mourning is up, regret needs to be gone.

I don't know how many times I've laid in bed thinking of things done and just thinking about how stupid that was. That's a sin. It's not godly.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.
Philippians 3:13-15

I have used this Philippians passage in many posts, but in the light of regret, it takes a whole new meaning.

Forgetting what is behind

Regret hinders us in our walk with God! In order to get to the goal, to get the prize we must forget what is behind us! Just like we ought to forgive and forget, we must also be forgiven and forget.

If you can forget the past, you'll miss out on a lot of life. God has wonderful things in store for you, but you have to look for them or you'll miss out.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 42:18-19

Sources:
http://www.openbible.info/topics/regret
http://www.gotquestions.org/shame-regret.html
http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Regret

Photo Credit:
http://alexrister1.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/

Without Excuse

I think pretty much everyone hates excuses. We can make excuse now, but when God judges us after our death, there are no excuses

Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Romans 1:32

A few posts ago, I wrote on what the bible says about homosexuality. When I read over that post a few days ago, this last verse stuck out to me. Particularly the first part, "Although they know God’s righteous decree..." 
Early in this chapter, Paul writes this famous verse:

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Roman 1:20

So pretty much, Romans one is telling us that God is not one for excuses. When we die, no one is going to get to heaven by excuse (Luke 14:16-20) because we all know. No one needs to read the bible to know who God is. And no one has to read the bible to know what sin, or that it's wrong.
Then there are excuses we might try to make after we've come to Christ, but there are tons of excuses that are mentioned all throughout the bible, including these:

1. I'm not good enough (Exodus 4:10-17)
2. I'm to good to do that (2 King 5:1-14)
3. They won't listen (Ezekiel 2:1-7)
4. It wasn't me, it was _____ (Genesis 3:9-13) (1 Samuel 15:17-21)
5. Maybe tomorrow... (Proverbs 27:1)

People all over the bible make excuses time and time again and God is always shown to despise them. I think it's safe to say we all struggle with making excuse. I know I do.
But excuses go against the bible. They allow us to think that we can get away with things when really, we can't. On day, all of us will stand before God and all the excuses we've made will be worthless. Only Jesus can excuse our sin.
So stop with the excuses. You are capable of anything God calls you to do! 

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13

Photo Credit:
http://simplechristianthoughts.com/without-excuse/

Will you be Sleeping?

The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger but great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither and the blossoms of Lebanon fade. The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him.
Nahum 1:2-6

These verses are pretty straightforward. God punishes the guilty. But how many times do we forget that? I've certainly been at point in my life were I wish I could be as well off as some of the successful, wicked people. Or I've wonder why that one person "got away with" a sin. Or why my sibling got away with something I didn't.

God controls storms and even clouds. They all do his bidding. He controls the sea, it dries up at his command. The mountains are afraid of God. The hills melt before him! So were does that leave us? Nature is afraid of God's wrath, so we definitely need to be.

I feel like we don't understand how scary God is when he is angry. His wrath shatters rocks! I feel horrible for everyone who goes to hell, were God's wrath will constantly be poured out on them.

I guess the take away is that God let's us sin...for now. Where will you be when God comes back?

This reminds me of Casting Crowns song "While we were sleeping"

Where will you be when Jesus comes back? Will you spend eternity with God, experiencing his love? Or will you spend eternity with Satan, where God's wrath is poured out on you?

It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.
Mark 13:34-36

Is Homosexuality wrong?

I'm writing this post about my views about homosexuality, which is has become a big issue around the world. A lot of people say it's ok to be gay, but I personally believe that it is wrong because of what I have found in studying the bible. The bible is a good place to start! What does it say about same sex marriages?

1. God tells Noah to bring two of each kind of animal, Male and Female. God wanted opposite sex partners. (Genesis 6:19)
2. Sodom was a wicked city that God destroyed. The men inside of it were homosexuals (Genesis 19:4-13)
3. Leviticus clearly states that Homosexuality is wrong (Leviticus 18:22-24; 20:13)
4. Wearing the clothing that's normally worn by other other gender is detestable. This would be acting gay. (Deuteronomy 22:5)
5. Like with the city of Sodom, the wicked men of the city in this story are also gay. (Judges 19:22-24)
6. Jesus talks about marriage being between a man and woman (Mathew 19:1-8)
7. Paul talks about how men gave over to their sinful desires for each other as well as woman (Romans 1:18-32)
8. Homosexuals are listed with other sinner that will not inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

Now that you know what the bible says, you'd have to totally ignore the bible to be ok with gay couple and gay marriage.

Another thing I found really interesting was that it has been proven that someone cannot be born gay. This really popular argument has been shown invalid by studying identical twins. Since they have the same DNA, if one twin is gay, the other has to be if there really is as gene that makes one homosexual. But this is far from true. There are many documented cases were one twin is gay and the other is not. Thus, this argument is invalid.

Read more:
http://americanvision.org/8136/new-twin-study-people-not-born-gay/#sthash.aPX1Ybkt.dpbs

We all have a choice. If you're gay, you chose to be because God does not force us to sin. He wants us to repent. This applies for any sin. If you stuck in a sin, God can help!

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done...Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Romans 1:18-28;32

Homosexuality is wrong, but God allows people to continue in their sin. It breaks his heart, but he allows it. But judgement is coming. No matter what your sin is, you will be judged and your a fool if you think get away with sin. Judgement is coming.

Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Sources:
http://americanvision.org/8136/new-twin-study-people-not-born-gay/#sthash.aPX1Ybkt.dpbs
http://www.wnd.com/2012/10/why-you-cant-be-born-gay/
http://www.citizenlink.com/2010/06/14/are-people-really-born-gay/
http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-pro-gay-marriage-arguments-fighting-with-crazy-people/
http://www.witnessfortheworld.org/homont.html