Actions speak louder than words. Does your life reflect God?

I should be the last person to write this, but anyway here i am writing it anyway. Anyways if we wait till we are perfect before we say something whether it on a blog or verbally, no-one would say anything.

It came out in a book I was reading and after that in some sermons and bible studies about ... well to live a life not like the gentiles (non-believers) do. And the message started to burn on my heart, because I see it everywhere, and sadly not the good part of the message.

In the book I read (Walking in the dust of Rabbi Jesus - Lois Tverberg) it came out what it means to blaspheme. It has a lot more to do than to use God's name in a vain sentence, or a cuss word. It should be obvious. There is this very true saying : Actions speak louder than words.

Let me put it this way, and I'm using an example that Lois used in the book here. If a Muslim extreme terrorist shoots however many people dead, whilst shouting Allah Akbar "Allah is great". Is the rest of the world suddenly saying yes Allah is great? In fact our reaction is totally the opposite. We think that Allah is not great. nor is his actions. We don't want anything to do with him.

Our actions give glory to God or they detract glory from God.
How many times have you heard people say "I'm not going to church anymore because those people have hurt me/ they live just like the rest of the world - what's the point/ I don't trust Christians, they are just as crooked as the rest of the world; etc. Sadly I hear this all the time. It hurts me. It hurts God a lot more than we can imagine. Does that glorify God? No, in fact it turns people away from God.

I work in the insurance industry, and you know how many claims do we handle for "Christians" that want to claim for more than what was damaged or stolen, or revamp instead of merely fix etc etc. Churches that have had legit claims, for a small fire in the kitchen but instead of just claiming for the kitchen repairs want to rebuild the whole place??? and another church who had a legitimate claim for storm damage, but instead of only wanting to claim for the repairs to the ceiling and painting of the wall etc, want to replace the whole roof, when there was no damage to the roof??? And you know what, those actions made people to say I don't want to believe in your God, and I don't want anything to do with any church because you (all Christians) are just as crooked - if not more- then the world. "I thought this was an honest person". It hardens peoples' hearts toward God.

As another example, my dear brother in the Lord, Nathan Odede, gave in a message to the youth this example about sports teams. If you were playing for team B but then changed to go play for team A, but then at the match you show up in your old team's jersey what is going to happen? You could get fired from the team. Why then do we as Christians say we are on Team Christ, but live like we are really on Team World and walk around in our Team World jerseys?

Let us then consider how we live and what we do. Yes we all do sin, but we should try to stop our sinning. If you know what you are doing is wrong- don't do it; stop doing it. Ask God for forgiveness for the sin and stop doing it.

If we say God changed our lives but keep on living the same old ways, we are really saying He did not change my life.

No, I haven't referenced scriptures here, because the whole Bible is so full of it. But here is some, a little paraphrased.
"You'll be known by the fruit in your life."
"Do not live like the gentiles (unbelievers) live"
"Live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called"
"do not become conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds"
"consider your ways"
"be Holy (set-apart, different, not like them) as your Father in heaven is Holy"

Behold our God

This beautiful song is stuck in my head for the last couple of days.

Behold our God

As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

As I walk through the valley

And the shadows of death darkens my way

I know You are with me

You hold my hand and

take me through the dark valley

The green grass that You are weaving

Into my life, my character

Will only portray as bright green against black

 In the times when all is well

There is little gratitude for the beautiful green grass

It is in these dark times when we grow

ever so close to You Oh Lord

When you shape us

and deepen our faith in You

Your goodness, kindness, grace, love

And the knowing that You are always with us

The Emotion of Love in Christ

There is not a circumstance of our Lord's history 
which is not another form or manifestation of love. 
His incarnation is love stooping. 
His sympathy is love weeping. 
His compassion is love supporting. 
His grace is love acting.
His teaching is the voice of love.
His silence is the repose of love.
His patience is the restraint of love.
His obedience is the labor of love.
His suffering is the travail of love.
His cross is the altar of love.
His death is the burnt offering of love.
His resurrection is the triumph of love.
His ascension into heaven is the enthronement of love.
His sitting down at the right hand of God is the intercession of love.

Such is the deep, the vast, the boundless ocean
of Christ's love!

~ Octavius Winslow "The Emotion of Love in Christ"