David's Census

When you talk about David's sin in the bible,

the sin that comes to everyones mind first..

would obviously be the sin with Bathsheba,

and the murder of Uriah her husband.

An interesting sin that comes up in

2 Samuel/1 Chronicles is the census that David takes

of Israel. I say interesting because all

David does is he takes a census of the

Kingdom of Israel. Why then was taking

a census considered a sin?

Again the anger of the Lord was

aroused against Israel, and He moved

David against them to say "Go,

number Israel and Judah."

So the King said to Joab the commander

of the army who was with him,

"Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel,

from Dan to Beersheba, and count the people,

that I may know the number of the people."

And Joab said to the King

"Now may the Lord your God

add to the people a hundred times

more then they are, and may the eyes

of my lord the King see it. But

why does my lord the King desire this thing?"

Nevertheless the King's word prevailed

against Joab and against the captains of the

army. Therefore Joab and the captains

of the army went out from the presence

of the king to count the people of Israel.

2 Samuel 24:1-4

You may be asking yourself,

"Hey, wait a minute..didn't it just say the Lord

moved David to take the Census?"

I could see how that could be confusing,

but in Chronicles it says Satan moved David

to do the census. Of course like in the story of Job

It was God who allowed Satan to "move against" Job.

So technically it was God who allowed it to happen,

because Satan can't do jack without God letting

him. You can't leave out the first verse in 2 Samuel

24 where it states "The anger of the Lord was against Israel"

And truth-fully there was plenty of reason for God to be angry

with Israel, it's not like God was being unjust in allowing

satan to tempt David into doing the Census.

Now Satan stood up against Israel,

and moved David to number Israel.

So david said to Joab and to the leaders of the people,

"Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring

the number of them to me that I may know it."

And Joab answered, "May the LORD make His people

a hundred times more then they are.

BUT my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants?

Why then does my lord require this thing?

Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?"

Nevertheless the King's word prevailed against Joab.

Therefore Joab departed and went throughout all Israel

1 Chronicles 21:1-4

Chronicles as you can see gives a little more detail

to Joab's reply to the king. Joab wasn't particularly

a righteous person, he was pretty selfish

actually, and for him to question the reasons

for taking the census was pretty strange, if you think about it.

Joab was essentially saying;

"Why number the people? don't they all belong to the Lord?

The Lord fights our battles, it doesn't matter how many

men we have. Why sin against all of Israel

with your lack of faith?"

For you see, the only reason to do a census back then

was to know how many fighting men you had,

So then David could know how big his army was and

hence he could decide, in his mind, If he could win

in a certain battle or not depending on how many men he had.

FOR THIS REASON the census was a sin, because David

wasn't trusting in God, David was struggling with a lack of Faith..

The reason the 1 Chronicles 21 and 2 Samuel 24 verses

(which both explain David's taking of a census)

are somewhat confusing is because it doesn't

exactly explain why the census was considered a sin...

it just says

And God was displeased with this thing; therefore

He struck Israel. So David said to God,

"I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing;

but now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant,

for I have done very foolishly."

1 Chronicles 21:7/2 Samuel 24:10

We know however that God is Righteous, He is just,

and he wouldn't punish without reason.

Really all you need to do is look at the reasons

for taking a census back then, as it was a popular thing

to do for the kingdoms in those times. They wanted to know

how many men they had so they can either brag about it

and feel all proud and mighty, which obviously would also

be a sin for David, or they wanted to do a census to count

all their men who could fight so they could determine

if they could hold up in a fight against the enemy.

Either way there was a lack of trust, a lack of faith

in God. Which is why David realized what he had done

was a sin because he didn't put his trust in God.

Doing a census in itself isn't a sin BUT the reasons

behind it could be.

(Repenting)Out of The Wreck(Accepting)

Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ?

Romans 8:35

I've talked plenty of times about how we shouldn't

care what others think. How we should stand for Christ,

and not let anyone get in the way, always

putting Christ first. How when trouble comes

we should remain faithful, and we should praise God..

we shouldn't falter or waver when bad things happen.

I.e like it says in Romans

Shall tribulation, or distress,

or persecution separate us from the Love of Christ?

I've come to the realization that most of the time, for me...

It's not persecution, it's not tribulation per-say, that separates me

from Christ. I don't say this to sound holy or pure,

I've just come to the realization that it isn't trouble or

pain any more that separates me from the love of Christ,

IT'S MYSELF. Don't get it twisted either...I know Christ loves...

and I know NOTHING can separate his love from us,

there's nothing we can do that will make him hate us and

turn his back on us, he died for our sins...period end of story.

What I'm trying to say is this, I get in the way of Christ's love.

When i've sinned whether it be in a judgmental spirit or

hateful speech or lusting/having my eyes wander where they shouldn't

or whatever sins i've committed acknowledged and asked for forgiveness

for, I would sometimes then fall to the point of saying:

"You can't forgive me for this..."

Not so much in those words mind you, but I don't fight...I don't

rise from the point of repenting. I repent...and I repent...

and I repent some more, but I don't allow myself

the acceptance of Gods forgiveness. I don't

allow forgiveness for myself because I do not

forgive myself for whatever it was that I did.

I would allow what I've done to overwhelm me with guilt and shame.

Sure I would confess to God what I've done, and I would ask

for His forgiveness, but In essence I would deny his love

and forgiveness.... because I would be so obsessed with

repenting over and over again, deep down I'm saying;

"You can't forgive me for what I've done"

I've denied Christ, I've denied the power, I've denied his love...

I'm essentially saying:

"You dying on the cross for me, wasn't enough"

That is blasphemous, and it's exactly where the enemy wants you.

It's like he has his foot on the back of your neck and your face in the

dirt saying

"Your worthless your God doesn't love or forgive you, and you

deserve to be in overwhelming guilt"

and all you are doing is saying "I agree.."

Listen we all deserve hell (I seem to say that every blog)

and it's good to realize that, because then you

realize just how much Christ did for us, just

how much GOD loves us, it is truly amazing.

You realize Christ died on that cross to save us from

damnation.

But to fall so far down and remain in the state

of... I deserve this guilt/shame, I deserve pain and suffering..

and to not accept that God loves you and forgives you, is just as

damaging as not repenting and turning from your sins.

OUT OF THE WRECK I RISE!

Lord SAVE us from your Followers..

What is Love?

Far to many have there own opinion on what Love is,

more specifically what God says Love is..

What am I talking about?

I watched "Lord Save us from your Followers"

it's a documentary about Christians and why

we are hated and how judgmental we come off

to non-believers

I've watched it twice, and after watching it

the first time I was thinking, well I can understand

what he is saying, and as Christians we should be

about love. At the same time though

it confused me, it seemed to embrace the non-

believers...

Don't get me wrong, I understand Jesus hung around

the downcast...the sinners...the non believers,

prostitutes,the sick, the thief, the lovers of "the world"

there's no denying that whatsoever.

The movie however seems to come across as if

we are just suppose to "Shut up" as Christians

about what the bible says and just embrace

the sinner(and yes I know we all are sinners)

We are suppose to just Love? show kindness,

don't say anything about what the bible says,

and just embrace gays?

Again, I'm all for showing love and not hate,

but isn't love about being honest and truthful?

we don't have to be hateful...we don't have to spew hate

out of our mouth, I'm not saying that at all...

but we should be honest and truthful.

I'm not sorry at all to state that Jesus is the way the truth

and the life and NOBODY gets to the father except through HIM!

I'm not ASHAMED of the Gospel of Christ,

and I don't care if the world hates me for it,

by the way thats another thing...

The world is going to hate us(The followers of Christ)

Jesus said it himself!

"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before [it hated] you.

If you were of the world, the world would love its own.

Yet because you are not of the world,

but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Remember the word that I said to you,

'A servant is not greater than his master.'

If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.

If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake,

because they do not know Him who sent Me.

If I had not come and spoken to them,

they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

He who hates Me hates My Father also.

John 15:18-23

It doesn't matter what you do, the world is going to hate you,

if you are a true follower of Christ, the fact is you will offend

even when you are not trying to offend.

This movie "Lord safe us from your followers"

try's to somehow find common ground,

it tries to find the reason Christians are hated,

when the fact is... the world hates Jesus, so the

world will hate us.

Now don't get me wrong, I know there are plenty

of Christian hypocrites, and Christians who point their

fingers at anything and everything, Christians who sit

in their little church's and condemn everyone who

doesn't go to their church or don't dress like them

and blah blah blah.."Legalistic" comes to mind..

I myself lean more towards not being "religious"

not being "legalistic" "non denominational"..

if you believe in Jesus Christ that he is

Lord and savior redeemer who died for our sins

and rose again, that he is returning a second time

and that there is only one GOD...Jesus and the holy spirit

as one...then we shouldn't have a problem.

If I believe in Jesus and you believe in Jesus(sorry mormons

you don't count)

then what are we arguing about? stop being so

freakin legalistic..

However now I'm getting off subject somewhat.

The point I'm trying to make is this,

"Lord save us from your followers"

I totally have no problem with the title, in fact

I looked at that and thought "Right on.."

but the movie itself is flawed, or maybe I should say

could be flawed depending on how you take it.

For we are called to be Christ-like for sure...

and we are called to LOVE..

Love suffers long [and] is kind;

love does not envy; love does not parade itself,

is not puffed up;

does not behave rudely,

does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love rejoices in Truth? and what is truth?

what I think? no... Truth is in the word of God,

do I rejoice in someone elses faults?

do I rejoice that gay people are going to hell?

No..absolutely not

Do I think it's ok to laugh and make fun of gay people?

Do I think it's ok to attack them and yell at them and

curse them.. no not at all, I feel guilty for

making fun of them with gay jokes and what not,

and I can totally understand him apologizing

to the gay people like he did in the movie.

However, the fact still remains that they are

slapping God in the face, the fact still remains

that they will go to hell if they continue

living like they do, and it's not because I said so...

it's because GOD SAID SO! I feel sorry for them..

I want them to know the TRUTH, and I would remain honest

about what God says. That my friends would be TRUE LOVE,

because I don't want to see them burn! that should always

be the reason for speaking out, not because you want to be

right or because you want to force your opinion on someone,

you should speak up for Gods word out of LOVE, because you

want that person to be overwhelmed with Christ, and

to realize there is so much more to this world...to life,

then what we see with our eyes.

How is it love to embrace their sin to tolerate it as if God would?

how is it love to ignore the fact that they can't

have a relationship with God if they don't

ask for forgiveness of their sin and turn from their sins?

TELL ME, How is it love not to warn them?

I'm not saying to shun away from them...I'm not saying

to hate them, I'm not saying don't help them...

but you must stand by the word of GOD...

You must stand for what's RIGHT and what's WRONG..

or what is the point of calling yourself a Christian?

If you won't stand up for Christ, don't expect

him to stand up for you when you are in the judgment seat.

You can't be afraid of telling the truth,

you can't be afraid of standing up for Christ.

You can't keep your mouth shut in hopes that the world

wont hate you, that's not of Christ at all!

Did Jesus hang around sinners? once again YES he did!

what did he say to the adulterous woman?

Did he help her? did he condemn her?

Jesus saved her from being stoned but at the same time

he said "Go and SIN NO MORE!"

SIN NO MORE! did he say it's ok that you did what you did,

I still love you and you may go and continue what you are

doing? NO! he essentially said

"Listen...I love you, and I forgive you for what you have done,

now go and turn from your ways"

From my perspective, to be honest, I can appreciate

the movie. There is a lot to like about the movie

and the overall premise of it... is pretty much right on,

all I'm saying is I think people can become confused.

I want to make it perfectly clear also, that I'm not

for going up to gays or anyone else for that matter and

just out of nowhere be like "Your a sinner and your going to hell"

or "God hates fags"..because we are called to show LOVE.

I absolutely think we should be there

for someone who hates us and Christ,

that we should be kind and speak up for those that

are kicked around. The thing is I can love you,

and disagree with your life style at the same time,

and again I'm not talking about keeping quiet about what's

right and wrong. Because if a gay person were to ask me

"what do I think about my life style" or "Am I going to hell"

guess what? I'm going to tell them exactly what God and the bible

says.

Am I going to say "Gay marriage" is right? no..its wrong..

Am I going to say abortion is right? no...it''s wrong..

I'll stand by that till I stop breathing. BUT am I

going to look down on someone who is gay or someone

who had an abortion and say "I'm better then you"

absolutely not...sin is sin either way you look at it,

and again we all are nothing but wretched people...

and I'm going to stand for what's right but I won't

condemn you, I refuse to hate you..

and just like Christ, i'll protect you

from the mud slinging and judgmental rock throwing

and the abuse and the hate and I'll tell you

you are walking into a place of self indulgence

into shame guilt and unhappiness. Overall though

I'll just show love, not because I want something from you,

not because I'm afraid of confrontation, but because I'm

called to be like Christ...who told it like it is and didn't

dance around the truth but at the same time he LOVED.

As long as you take "Save us from your followers" the right way,

and not the wrong way in the sense that it means "We

keep our mouths shut" then I think it's a pretty good movie,

and worth a watch.