Ever have one of those days when you weren't sure what was going to happen next in your life? Well, that is where I am. In a life filled with failure, my graduation from Gardner-Webb University is a glaring success. So, my question to myself is now what?
In my life I have often felt snake bitten when it comes to success or even just good things happening. I am used to "settling" for what I can get rather than what I truly want or even need in life at times. As I look back at my life, do I see my own stupidity, poor, judgment, odd life circumstances which take away chances at success, or do I see God's hand at work to bring me to THIS point of success in my life?
I honestly do not know. My greatest fear is making it through school and then have no opportunities open up after I finish. That would make my time at GWU look like a big waste. I honestly do not fear failure, that seems to be normal for my life, but I do fear success. I truly do not know what that is or if I can handle it. If success came my way, I would always be waiting for the other shoe to drop and take it away. At times, this fear feels like a consuming fire eating away at my peace of mind. How do I face this fear and overcome it?
I have lived with this fear for much of the last two and a half years. And as I sit here at my computer at 3:46 a.m. writing this, I feel it now. Yet underneath this fear lies something also that I cannot shake: my faith in Jesus Christ. I believe it is he who led me to go to GWU in the first place. I believe it is he who has made a way for me to go to school even when there seemed to be no way. I believe it is he who has something for me to do with this education. I just have to find it.
So, as I sit here and wonder what will happen next in my life, I have to say that I believe it will be Jesus Christ who leads me to what I am to do next. His faithfulness to me has been beyond what words could express. In a life filled with emptiness and abandonment when it comes to direction, Christ has always been there to guide me. And he will guide me now. . . back to bed to wake up in a couple of hours to begin the final leg of this part of my Journey. Two exams today and one tomorrow and my collegiate career (for now) will be finished at the young age of 44.
And the question remains, now what?
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Key Ingredients of Discipleship
In my adult discipleship class, we had to write an essay on some research from George Barna. In it, Barna shares principles which have shown to be the best practices
for discipleship in local congregations. He lists nine: Leaders have a passion for making disciples, Depth, Maturity, Practice, Process, Interactive, Multifaceted, Lifelong, and Christ-like. I believe the three most
critical principles are Practice, Process, and Christ-like. I believe
these three fit the New Testament profile of what a discipleship process
should look like.
Barna defines Practice as, "The repeated acting of the will created habits and therefore, character." I believe the emphasis on belief in our churches has alleviated some (at least in their minds) of actually living out their faith. Let's examine Barna's definition. First he describes it as an act of the will. We must literally turn from our sin to a living God who can rescue us from those sins when we are tempted. The successes of being delivered create in us a reliance upon God to deliver us from temptations and sin. Even in our failure, the forgiveness given to us is a chance for growth. Next, it is a repeated act. When we struggle, we must keep trying to live out our faith. The forgiveness offered to us (1 John 1:9) should motivate us. The next is linked with Practice and it is Process.
Process is defined as being a lifelong journey of faith. Discipleship in itself is a means, not an end. Regardless of the amount of failures in our lives, I have personally learned that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. In other words, when God calls, He will never revoke that calling, nor the gifts He has given to carry out that calling. We must see the end goal and that is becoming like Christ. In Lifelong, Barna defines it as, "Every day of life for all of life. Don't think program, trust the process." We look to our programs in churches and consider them a success when we have many people show up. Rather than the process of submitting ourselves to God and allowing Him to change us (James 4:7). This leads us to our next principle and that is: Christ-like.
Barna defines Christ-like as, "The marker is Jesus, being formed into His image; all else is a waste of effort." Romans 8:29 says that those whom God foreknew, he predestined to be conformed to the image of His son. That is the goal of being a Christian. That is what being a Christian means in its entirety. That is what we are called to. That's it. All the things we push in our church programs should be designed to accomplish that goal. We should not strive to be like a preacher, Sunday school teacher, or any other church-related personality. If we do anything other than encourage people to be like Jesus Christ, we as a church have failed. In our culture, we tend to push our personalities in the church. Billy Graham, Rick Warren, or any other pastor or personality who has gained mainstream prominence are the ones who are held up as people to emulate. We need to push our savior, Jesus Christ. We need to lift Him up as the goal, standard-bearer, marker, and the only one worthy of emulating. Let us fall in love again with our savior.
I believe these three to be the most critical because I believe that they are closest to the heart of what all the New Testament writers taught. I believe as you read the gospels and epistles these three characteristics stand out as central to their faith, and should be central to ours as well.
Barna defines Practice as, "The repeated acting of the will created habits and therefore, character." I believe the emphasis on belief in our churches has alleviated some (at least in their minds) of actually living out their faith. Let's examine Barna's definition. First he describes it as an act of the will. We must literally turn from our sin to a living God who can rescue us from those sins when we are tempted. The successes of being delivered create in us a reliance upon God to deliver us from temptations and sin. Even in our failure, the forgiveness given to us is a chance for growth. Next, it is a repeated act. When we struggle, we must keep trying to live out our faith. The forgiveness offered to us (1 John 1:9) should motivate us. The next is linked with Practice and it is Process.
Process is defined as being a lifelong journey of faith. Discipleship in itself is a means, not an end. Regardless of the amount of failures in our lives, I have personally learned that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. In other words, when God calls, He will never revoke that calling, nor the gifts He has given to carry out that calling. We must see the end goal and that is becoming like Christ. In Lifelong, Barna defines it as, "Every day of life for all of life. Don't think program, trust the process." We look to our programs in churches and consider them a success when we have many people show up. Rather than the process of submitting ourselves to God and allowing Him to change us (James 4:7). This leads us to our next principle and that is: Christ-like.
Barna defines Christ-like as, "The marker is Jesus, being formed into His image; all else is a waste of effort." Romans 8:29 says that those whom God foreknew, he predestined to be conformed to the image of His son. That is the goal of being a Christian. That is what being a Christian means in its entirety. That is what we are called to. That's it. All the things we push in our church programs should be designed to accomplish that goal. We should not strive to be like a preacher, Sunday school teacher, or any other church-related personality. If we do anything other than encourage people to be like Jesus Christ, we as a church have failed. In our culture, we tend to push our personalities in the church. Billy Graham, Rick Warren, or any other pastor or personality who has gained mainstream prominence are the ones who are held up as people to emulate. We need to push our savior, Jesus Christ. We need to lift Him up as the goal, standard-bearer, marker, and the only one worthy of emulating. Let us fall in love again with our savior.
I believe these three to be the most critical because I believe that they are closest to the heart of what all the New Testament writers taught. I believe as you read the gospels and epistles these three characteristics stand out as central to their faith, and should be central to ours as well.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
My Wonderful Dog
My dog is funny. She reminds me of most Christians. She will not come in the house, but she will stand at the doorstep and bark. Even if I prop the screen door open and leave the main door ajar, she will not come in, even if I stand there and call her. Yet she wants me to feed her, love her, and be with her. All of those things I do, as long as I go outside to her.
We Christians can be a funny lot. We say we want God. We say we want to live godly lives and serve the Lord. Yet the very thing that makes us most effective as servants of Christ, spending time in His presence, we rarely do. I do not mean simply going to church, but that most blessed intimate time when it is simply you and the Lord. We need to enter into His presence and sit at His feet and learn about Christ. But what do we do? We stand at the threshold and bark.
We ask God to provide for us, yet our concern is mainly for our well being and prosperity here on this Earth. Matthew 6:33 says that we are to seek FIRST the kingdom of God AND His righteousness, not our prosperity here on Earth.
We ask God to love and forgive us, yet do not turn from the sin and turn to Him. This is repentance. We turn from the sin and turn to God. His love for us is eternal and extends to those who reject Him, but His forgiveness only extends to those who turn from their sin and begin to seek His will rather than their own.
We ask God to be with us, yet when He invites us to come to Him we do not come into His presence. We stay at the doorstep. We do not wish to fully commit to Him. We do not wish to come into His realm and be with Him. We want Him to come into ours and be like us. He has done that already in Christ. Now He invites us to come into His throne room. He invites us to come sit at His table and dine with Him. He asks us to come fellowship with Him. What do we do? We stand at the door and bark.
We Christians can be a funny lot. We say we want God. We say we want to live godly lives and serve the Lord. Yet the very thing that makes us most effective as servants of Christ, spending time in His presence, we rarely do. I do not mean simply going to church, but that most blessed intimate time when it is simply you and the Lord. We need to enter into His presence and sit at His feet and learn about Christ. But what do we do? We stand at the threshold and bark.
We ask God to provide for us, yet our concern is mainly for our well being and prosperity here on this Earth. Matthew 6:33 says that we are to seek FIRST the kingdom of God AND His righteousness, not our prosperity here on Earth.
We ask God to love and forgive us, yet do not turn from the sin and turn to Him. This is repentance. We turn from the sin and turn to God. His love for us is eternal and extends to those who reject Him, but His forgiveness only extends to those who turn from their sin and begin to seek His will rather than their own.
We ask God to be with us, yet when He invites us to come to Him we do not come into His presence. We stay at the doorstep. We do not wish to fully commit to Him. We do not wish to come into His realm and be with Him. We want Him to come into ours and be like us. He has done that already in Christ. Now He invites us to come into His throne room. He invites us to come sit at His table and dine with Him. He asks us to come fellowship with Him. What do we do? We stand at the door and bark.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Running the Race
Therefore
we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay
aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us
run with endurance the race that is set before us, Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)
Life is a highway is a song that I like, but it is a philosophy that many of us live by. What is the highway for? A highway is for traveling long distances at high speeds in hopes of getting to our destination sooner. Great for cross-country trips: bad for living life.
The writer of Hebrews may have had this in mind when he wrote this verse. He spent the previous chapter recalling many dead heroes of the faith and their impact on their times. These constitute the great cloud of witnesses he speaks of. He points to them as examples of perseverance and faithfulness in difficult times during this life of faith. They were people tempted and tried like we are, yet they stayed the course and finished their lives having been faithful to God. They weren't perfect. They weren't special. They just got it. They understood God and who He is. They fell in love with Him and would not trade anything for their relationship with Him.
Because of these witnesses, the writer exhorts his readers to unburden themselves with the weights of this life. Desires for wealth, fame, success, possessions, power, or sex are just many of the things that can deter us from this life that has been given to us. They detract from the focus of this life which is our relationship with Christ. We struggle and we worry and we strive for things that will one day soon fade away and rust and die and rot. Why? All for a brief moment of self-satisfaction. We spend our lives struggling for those things which can never truly fulfill us. That hole in our lives has a particular shape and size. Only God can fill it. If all the things listed can give us peace, why do the rich, wealthy, famous, and powerful still feel empty? Why do they go from marriage to marriage, or relationship to relationship, yet never seem satisfied? It is truly because those things can never give us what we need: forgiveness.
Forgiveness is a foreign concept in our post-Christian world. Why? Because the fact of our sinful nature which results in sinful actions is no longer thought to even exist. This teaching is why when we have horrific events like the recent massacre at a Colorado move theater, we spend all of our time searching for why it happened. The reason is simple: this man was consumed by a desire to sin and do these dreadful deeds. Yet the rest of us are the same. We are consumed by this same desire to sin. Jesus said that to be angry with someone without cause is the same as murder (Matthew 5:21-22). The writer of Hebrews again exhorts us to not only lay aside the weights of life, but also the sins of life which we fall prey to so easily. The Apostle Paul tells us to put on the new man made in the image of Christ. At it's core, Christianity is a simple thing: we turn from sin and turn to God. This is simply what the writer is telling us to do.
We need to do these things to thrive in life, because life is not a highway, but a race. It is not a sprint, but along distance race in which our only competition is that sinful nature which wants to slow us down in the race of life. It is a continual process turning from our sin. Some days are good, other days are not as good, and still others are horrid. But we must continue to run. We must never give up, never quit, and never surrender. The prize is already ours. Jesus has paid the price for our sins, so we do not have the weight of judgment hanging over our heads. He has removed the immovable weight of guilt and given us hope that we can run this race. One thing is for certain, that whether we continue to run, or we sit on the side of the road, this race continues. Life stops for no one or nothing. If you find yourself in a state of fear, panic, pain, agony, doubt, dread, loneliness, abandonment, betrayal, sickness, indebtedness, joblessness, whatever state you find yourself in, the sun will rise tomorrow and you must face that day with it's challenges and troubles. So, man-up! This race is tough! But you have to face it! Through it all, Jesus is there with you. If you trust in Him, He will guide you through it. It may not be pretty. You may not have all that you desire in this life, but you must remember that the goal is the finish line and not all the trophies we collect along the way. God bless.
Life is a highway is a song that I like, but it is a philosophy that many of us live by. What is the highway for? A highway is for traveling long distances at high speeds in hopes of getting to our destination sooner. Great for cross-country trips: bad for living life.
The writer of Hebrews may have had this in mind when he wrote this verse. He spent the previous chapter recalling many dead heroes of the faith and their impact on their times. These constitute the great cloud of witnesses he speaks of. He points to them as examples of perseverance and faithfulness in difficult times during this life of faith. They were people tempted and tried like we are, yet they stayed the course and finished their lives having been faithful to God. They weren't perfect. They weren't special. They just got it. They understood God and who He is. They fell in love with Him and would not trade anything for their relationship with Him.
Because of these witnesses, the writer exhorts his readers to unburden themselves with the weights of this life. Desires for wealth, fame, success, possessions, power, or sex are just many of the things that can deter us from this life that has been given to us. They detract from the focus of this life which is our relationship with Christ. We struggle and we worry and we strive for things that will one day soon fade away and rust and die and rot. Why? All for a brief moment of self-satisfaction. We spend our lives struggling for those things which can never truly fulfill us. That hole in our lives has a particular shape and size. Only God can fill it. If all the things listed can give us peace, why do the rich, wealthy, famous, and powerful still feel empty? Why do they go from marriage to marriage, or relationship to relationship, yet never seem satisfied? It is truly because those things can never give us what we need: forgiveness.
Forgiveness is a foreign concept in our post-Christian world. Why? Because the fact of our sinful nature which results in sinful actions is no longer thought to even exist. This teaching is why when we have horrific events like the recent massacre at a Colorado move theater, we spend all of our time searching for why it happened. The reason is simple: this man was consumed by a desire to sin and do these dreadful deeds. Yet the rest of us are the same. We are consumed by this same desire to sin. Jesus said that to be angry with someone without cause is the same as murder (Matthew 5:21-22). The writer of Hebrews again exhorts us to not only lay aside the weights of life, but also the sins of life which we fall prey to so easily. The Apostle Paul tells us to put on the new man made in the image of Christ. At it's core, Christianity is a simple thing: we turn from sin and turn to God. This is simply what the writer is telling us to do.
We need to do these things to thrive in life, because life is not a highway, but a race. It is not a sprint, but along distance race in which our only competition is that sinful nature which wants to slow us down in the race of life. It is a continual process turning from our sin. Some days are good, other days are not as good, and still others are horrid. But we must continue to run. We must never give up, never quit, and never surrender. The prize is already ours. Jesus has paid the price for our sins, so we do not have the weight of judgment hanging over our heads. He has removed the immovable weight of guilt and given us hope that we can run this race. One thing is for certain, that whether we continue to run, or we sit on the side of the road, this race continues. Life stops for no one or nothing. If you find yourself in a state of fear, panic, pain, agony, doubt, dread, loneliness, abandonment, betrayal, sickness, indebtedness, joblessness, whatever state you find yourself in, the sun will rise tomorrow and you must face that day with it's challenges and troubles. So, man-up! This race is tough! But you have to face it! Through it all, Jesus is there with you. If you trust in Him, He will guide you through it. It may not be pretty. You may not have all that you desire in this life, but you must remember that the goal is the finish line and not all the trophies we collect along the way. God bless.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Promises, Promises
For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."Hebrews 13:5 NKJV
As I was reading Our Daily Bread this morning, this was the central verse of the devotion. I have read this verse many times and know it very well. However, something struck me that I had never really noticed before. I have always focused on the promise and not the one giving the promise. I do not know which translation they were using, but it said "God himself" was making the promise. I think the use of God rather than "he" is what triggered it. The point being that a promise is only as good as the one making it.
I have been promised many things in this life and many have fallen through. I have promised many things in this life and failed to deliver. Yet, this promise is made by God himself. He made a promise to Abram in Genesis and carried it through. God promised to deliver Noah and He made good on His promise. He made a promise to David and has seen it to completion. Whatever He says, He does. Why do I, as a Christian, fail to see and realize and incorporate this into my life? Why do I worry and stress over things outside of my control?
Oh, what a marvelous Savior I have!! He cares so much for me and wants what is best for me! "A great high priest whose name is Love, who ever lives and pleads for me!" He has promised, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." I will not fear what man shall do unto me!! Praise God, not just for the promise for the one making it!!
As I was reading Our Daily Bread this morning, this was the central verse of the devotion. I have read this verse many times and know it very well. However, something struck me that I had never really noticed before. I have always focused on the promise and not the one giving the promise. I do not know which translation they were using, but it said "God himself" was making the promise. I think the use of God rather than "he" is what triggered it. The point being that a promise is only as good as the one making it.
I have been promised many things in this life and many have fallen through. I have promised many things in this life and failed to deliver. Yet, this promise is made by God himself. He made a promise to Abram in Genesis and carried it through. God promised to deliver Noah and He made good on His promise. He made a promise to David and has seen it to completion. Whatever He says, He does. Why do I, as a Christian, fail to see and realize and incorporate this into my life? Why do I worry and stress over things outside of my control?
Oh, what a marvelous Savior I have!! He cares so much for me and wants what is best for me! "A great high priest whose name is Love, who ever lives and pleads for me!" He has promised, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." I will not fear what man shall do unto me!! Praise God, not just for the promise for the one making it!!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Incarnation - Lori
Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth
I graduated Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute in 2004 and the following fall I began studying at North Greenville University. At 36 years of age, I was much older than the average student. One of my classes was Music Appreciation and in that class I met a woman who was just a year or two younger. Her name was Lori. She and I became friends and we had fun in class with an instructor who was probably 12 years younger than us. After that semester, I was forced to withdraw from NGU and Lori and I lost touch. A few years later I happened to run across Lori on Facebook and we re-connected.
What I learned is that in the summer following my departure from NGU, Lori had traveled to Israel on a mission trip and had contracted a bacterial virus known as Brucellosis. It causes muscle pain and fatigue. However this did not deter Lori from her studies even though she often had to use a cane to get to class. On top of this, in her former career as a police officer, she had suffered a traumatic head injury which required her to re-learn how to read and write. Despite all of this she finished her career at NGU a point or two shy of a 4.0 GPA. A rather remarkable achievement. In the last few years she has also began to deal with a rather crippling case of Rheumatoid Arthritis. All of this before the age of 40.
In the years since reconnecting with her, she and I have had many phone conversations. I do not believe I have ever heard her talk as though she is down and depressed. She always has a smile in her tone of voice and often times cheers me up with her wonderful sense of humor. Through all of this, I have never heard her complain about God's lack of response to her prayers to free her from this physical prison. Her endurance and perseverance under heavy trials is strong evidence of her deep faith. Her perseverance humbles me. I think I have been through some difficult times, but nothing like her struggles. Yet I often question God and act down and depressed. Through Lori, God has shown me what it means to truly trust God. To take what God has in store for us, whether we see it as good or bad, and trust him through all the difficulties with a Christ-like attitude is something I have seen in her. She truly epitomizes, to me at least, the strength of Christ during his suffering. In this way Christ becomes real to me as I see Him in her.
With all of these health difficulties, she is still active in her orchestra at her church and active with her church ministries. Through her I see the strength of Christ and His perseverance through trials and pain. Jesus is called the suffering servant and Lori captures that aspect of Jesus in her life, attitude, and strength.
I graduated Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute in 2004 and the following fall I began studying at North Greenville University. At 36 years of age, I was much older than the average student. One of my classes was Music Appreciation and in that class I met a woman who was just a year or two younger. Her name was Lori. She and I became friends and we had fun in class with an instructor who was probably 12 years younger than us. After that semester, I was forced to withdraw from NGU and Lori and I lost touch. A few years later I happened to run across Lori on Facebook and we re-connected.
What I learned is that in the summer following my departure from NGU, Lori had traveled to Israel on a mission trip and had contracted a bacterial virus known as Brucellosis. It causes muscle pain and fatigue. However this did not deter Lori from her studies even though she often had to use a cane to get to class. On top of this, in her former career as a police officer, she had suffered a traumatic head injury which required her to re-learn how to read and write. Despite all of this she finished her career at NGU a point or two shy of a 4.0 GPA. A rather remarkable achievement. In the last few years she has also began to deal with a rather crippling case of Rheumatoid Arthritis. All of this before the age of 40.
In the years since reconnecting with her, she and I have had many phone conversations. I do not believe I have ever heard her talk as though she is down and depressed. She always has a smile in her tone of voice and often times cheers me up with her wonderful sense of humor. Through all of this, I have never heard her complain about God's lack of response to her prayers to free her from this physical prison. Her endurance and perseverance under heavy trials is strong evidence of her deep faith. Her perseverance humbles me. I think I have been through some difficult times, but nothing like her struggles. Yet I often question God and act down and depressed. Through Lori, God has shown me what it means to truly trust God. To take what God has in store for us, whether we see it as good or bad, and trust him through all the difficulties with a Christ-like attitude is something I have seen in her. She truly epitomizes, to me at least, the strength of Christ during his suffering. In this way Christ becomes real to me as I see Him in her.
With all of these health difficulties, she is still active in her orchestra at her church and active with her church ministries. Through her I see the strength of Christ and His perseverance through trials and pain. Jesus is called the suffering servant and Lori captures that aspect of Jesus in her life, attitude, and strength.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Incarnation - Kristi
Galatians 6:2 (NASB77)
Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.
A little over two years ago, I was diagnosed with a blood clot in my right leg. It was a terribly excruciating ordeal. For weeks I barely got out of bed and had to use a walker to get from my room to the bathroom which is literally five feet away. There were several days I did not get out of bed. I slept much and ate little. I relied heavily on my dad to care for me during those days.
However, there was another person who cared for me during those days. Her name is Kristi Germack. Those of you who know Kristi know that she is a character and that is an understatement. She would call and check on me and make sure I had everything I needed. Not only that, she would listen to me complain a great deal about being unable to get around among other things. It wasn't that others did not check on me, but it was consistent and almost daily with her. This meant a great deal to me. I have been in difficult situations before where my church family rarely checked on us. To have someone do it consistently and readily was a great blessing.
Through Kristi, I saw God's care and concern for others. She helped me bear that burden, and in doing so, Kristi became an incarnation of Jesus in my life. I am not sure if I have ever told her, but I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to a dear friend.
Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.
A little over two years ago, I was diagnosed with a blood clot in my right leg. It was a terribly excruciating ordeal. For weeks I barely got out of bed and had to use a walker to get from my room to the bathroom which is literally five feet away. There were several days I did not get out of bed. I slept much and ate little. I relied heavily on my dad to care for me during those days.
However, there was another person who cared for me during those days. Her name is Kristi Germack. Those of you who know Kristi know that she is a character and that is an understatement. She would call and check on me and make sure I had everything I needed. Not only that, she would listen to me complain a great deal about being unable to get around among other things. It wasn't that others did not check on me, but it was consistent and almost daily with her. This meant a great deal to me. I have been in difficult situations before where my church family rarely checked on us. To have someone do it consistently and readily was a great blessing.
Through Kristi, I saw God's care and concern for others. She helped me bear that burden, and in doing so, Kristi became an incarnation of Jesus in my life. I am not sure if I have ever told her, but I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to a dear friend.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Incarnation - Matthew
Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV)
24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
It is a rare thing in life to have a friend who is closer than family. Someone who loves you and cares for you no matter what. Someone who wants to spend time with you. God has been kind enough to place someone in my life like that. I met him a little over a year ago at work. His name is Matthew Hayes.
My relationship with Matthew started on a highly contentious note. We got loud and raucous at the Ruby C. Hunt YMCA while we were competing in a vigorous game of Wii bowling. There was lots of yelling and trash talking. Needless to say we have been buddies ever since. Matthew is a very special young man. He is confined to a wheelchair by cerebral palsy. He volunteers at the Y in Kidzone with me on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He is a great asset to the Y and a great help to myself. He is ready and eager to help me with whatever I need done. However the great thing about Matthew is that he loves me. He is my buddy and if I needed him he would do whatever he could to assist me. I went to his house a few weeks back to spend some time with him and I took my remote control truck and we had a blast driving it down his road and through his yard. It was nice to feel like a kid hanging out with is buddy. It's great to have someone who wants to be your friend and spend time with you just because they love you and not because of what you are doing. They are more interested in you than in the activity.
Through Matthew, I have seen the type of love that God has: unconditional. He loves people regardless of who they are. Even if they get on his nerves and he has conflict with them he still cares for them. For me, Matthew is a friend who is closer than a brother and I see the love God has for me through him. I thank God for sending Matthew into my life. When I am down he always brightens my day and brings a smile to my face. And he cheats at Wii bowling!!
24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
It is a rare thing in life to have a friend who is closer than family. Someone who loves you and cares for you no matter what. Someone who wants to spend time with you. God has been kind enough to place someone in my life like that. I met him a little over a year ago at work. His name is Matthew Hayes.
My relationship with Matthew started on a highly contentious note. We got loud and raucous at the Ruby C. Hunt YMCA while we were competing in a vigorous game of Wii bowling. There was lots of yelling and trash talking. Needless to say we have been buddies ever since. Matthew is a very special young man. He is confined to a wheelchair by cerebral palsy. He volunteers at the Y in Kidzone with me on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He is a great asset to the Y and a great help to myself. He is ready and eager to help me with whatever I need done. However the great thing about Matthew is that he loves me. He is my buddy and if I needed him he would do whatever he could to assist me. I went to his house a few weeks back to spend some time with him and I took my remote control truck and we had a blast driving it down his road and through his yard. It was nice to feel like a kid hanging out with is buddy. It's great to have someone who wants to be your friend and spend time with you just because they love you and not because of what you are doing. They are more interested in you than in the activity.
Through Matthew, I have seen the type of love that God has: unconditional. He loves people regardless of who they are. Even if they get on his nerves and he has conflict with them he still cares for them. For me, Matthew is a friend who is closer than a brother and I see the love God has for me through him. I thank God for sending Matthew into my life. When I am down he always brightens my day and brings a smile to my face. And he cheats at Wii bowling!!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Incarnation - Mack
A while back I got an idea for a book. Rather than writing it, I think I will just share some of the stories here. As a Christian, I believe I play a vital role in either leading someone to or away from Christ. I also believe that people have been sent into my life to be Jesus to me at various times in my life. This is the story of someone who has become a close friend and confidant in my life: Mack McKeithan.
A couple of years ago, I was beginning to recover from the events most of you know about already. I was looking for a church. I had been visiting Florence Baptist Church off and on for several months and wasn't sure if that's where God wanted me to go. So, one week I prayed and asked God to show me where he wanted me to go. As I sat in the pew the following Sunday night before service started, Mack walked up and introduced himself to me. He asked me about myself and then proceeded to invite me to come to his Sunday school class. He took me to where the class met and showed me the choir room and invited me to join the choir. I laughed at him and said, "I'm not even a member here." He responded, "That doesn't matter." He talked about the church and invited me to participate in various activities. Well, I would say that was a clear indication of God's answer to prayer.After I joined the church, a deacon came to my house to visit me. Yep, it was Mack. I am now in the rotation to teach the Sunday school Mack invited me to join, and have been involved in many ministry events with Mack since then.
For me, Mack is a significant person. He was available and open to be used by God and God used him in my life. In this way he became for me an incarnation of Jesus Christ. A living, breathing representative of God. God spoke to me through him, and I will be forever grateful. God used Mack to answer my prayer and give me guidance at a critical time in my life.
Is there a Mack in your life God has used to give you guidance at a critical time in your life? If so, post a comment on the blog page so that others may see.
A couple of years ago, I was beginning to recover from the events most of you know about already. I was looking for a church. I had been visiting Florence Baptist Church off and on for several months and wasn't sure if that's where God wanted me to go. So, one week I prayed and asked God to show me where he wanted me to go. As I sat in the pew the following Sunday night before service started, Mack walked up and introduced himself to me. He asked me about myself and then proceeded to invite me to come to his Sunday school class. He took me to where the class met and showed me the choir room and invited me to join the choir. I laughed at him and said, "I'm not even a member here." He responded, "That doesn't matter." He talked about the church and invited me to participate in various activities. Well, I would say that was a clear indication of God's answer to prayer.After I joined the church, a deacon came to my house to visit me. Yep, it was Mack. I am now in the rotation to teach the Sunday school Mack invited me to join, and have been involved in many ministry events with Mack since then.
For me, Mack is a significant person. He was available and open to be used by God and God used him in my life. In this way he became for me an incarnation of Jesus Christ. A living, breathing representative of God. God spoke to me through him, and I will be forever grateful. God used Mack to answer my prayer and give me guidance at a critical time in my life.
Is there a Mack in your life God has used to give you guidance at a critical time in your life? If so, post a comment on the blog page so that others may see.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Trusting God to Meet Our Needs
Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)
19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Notice it says "according to" and not "out of." His riches are boundless and unlimited and He is able to meet your every need.
2 Peter 1:2-4 (NKJV)
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
What more really needs to be said? If you are facing a need today, trust God to meet it whatever it is.
19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Notice it says "according to" and not "out of." His riches are boundless and unlimited and He is able to meet your every need.
2 Peter 1:2-4 (NKJV)
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
What more really needs to be said? If you are facing a need today, trust God to meet it whatever it is.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Let It Out
Let's just be honest. I'm a whiner. I complain a lot. I have discovered recently that I am full of frustration and bitterness and anger. Well, I say discovered, but I already knew it. Maybe I just did not like to acknowledge it and move forward. Yet for me, I am a venter. I have to vent my anger and frustrations to clear the emotions (hopefully) and see clearer how to handle a problem. This can be difficult when you do not have many people close enough to you to listen and understand that you are just venting. I need a person to be a sounding board and possibly to give feedback on if what I am thinking makes any sense. I believe that when we get full of emotions, either good or bad, we lose perception and good judgment. This often leads to bad decisions. These are some of the things that ran through my mind as I read Psalms 32:3 (NKJV) "When I
kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long."
I find it amazing how keeping pent up emotions eat at your health physically. We can eat all sorts of "bad" foods, yet I believe that stress is more of a health concern than hamburgers. I have been heavy most of my life. I started gaining weight after I had my tonsils removed when I was six. Besides the weight, I am just a big guy. I was bigger then my dad by the 7th grade. Despite my size, I do not have high cholesterol or high blood pressure. However, when my body undergoes stressful situations, such as a semester at school where I am consumed by schoolwork, I can feel the stress vacate my body at the end of the semester through fatigue, not feeling well, and aches and pains. It is like my body undergoes a decompression of sorts.
In the verses that follow verse three, David talks about his sin. The weight of unconfessed sin can cause your body to undergo some serious stress. This is what David was talking about. he kept silent. He did not want to confess his sin. Yet when he confessed he felt the relief of forgiveness. Psalms 32:5 (NKJV) "I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD, ' And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah." Sometimes just being able to talk to someone and getting things off your chest can be the best medicine for you. I was angry and frustrated and I asked God why and He showed me. Am I better than I was before? In my situation, no. But I understand what I am going through and am better able to cope with it. This is where faith comes into play. I must trust God to handle my problems in his time. When I truly learn to do that, I hope to be stress free.
I find it amazing how keeping pent up emotions eat at your health physically. We can eat all sorts of "bad" foods, yet I believe that stress is more of a health concern than hamburgers. I have been heavy most of my life. I started gaining weight after I had my tonsils removed when I was six. Besides the weight, I am just a big guy. I was bigger then my dad by the 7th grade. Despite my size, I do not have high cholesterol or high blood pressure. However, when my body undergoes stressful situations, such as a semester at school where I am consumed by schoolwork, I can feel the stress vacate my body at the end of the semester through fatigue, not feeling well, and aches and pains. It is like my body undergoes a decompression of sorts.
In the verses that follow verse three, David talks about his sin. The weight of unconfessed sin can cause your body to undergo some serious stress. This is what David was talking about. he kept silent. He did not want to confess his sin. Yet when he confessed he felt the relief of forgiveness. Psalms 32:5 (NKJV) "I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD, ' And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah." Sometimes just being able to talk to someone and getting things off your chest can be the best medicine for you. I was angry and frustrated and I asked God why and He showed me. Am I better than I was before? In my situation, no. But I understand what I am going through and am better able to cope with it. This is where faith comes into play. I must trust God to handle my problems in his time. When I truly learn to do that, I hope to be stress free.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Thankful
Psalms 28:7 (NKJV)
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.
What is it about music that causes our emotions to pour through us as we sing? I have no clue, but it seems to be a natural response when we experience extreme emotions. In pain, pleasure, sorrow, joy, gain, or loss, we tend (or at least I do) to express those feelings in song. I generally wake up with some song on my mind. Music isn't what I want to talk about, but if you notice in the above verse David's reaction to God's help is to sing.
What was the source of his singing? His joy! What gave him joy? The Lord's faithfulness! David says that he trusted in God, and God helped. This help brought to David great joy and peace, and David responded with a song of praise. How many times have I been helped by God without so much as a thank you in response to His work? Too many times.
But I want to take this opportunity now to say to my Lord, thank you! The last couple of weeks have been somewhat difficult as I remember the passing of my mother. Along with this memory is attached the memory of my wife leaving on the same day basically (see http://mdarrinh.blogspot.com/2010/08/journey-begins.html if interested). To say that this was the most devastating time in my life would be an understatement! It has taken me a very long time to recover from the losses of that day, and I still have much more recovering to do. The amount of pain and anger I still feel during this time always catches me by surprise. In addition to this memory, I have been having difficulties in some relationships with friends that have confused, hurt, and perplexed me. But God is showing me that He is still working it all out for my good and benefit that I may become more like my Lord Jesus Christ.
But let me say as David did. The Lord is my strength and my shield. He has carried me through these times with His strong arm. He has protected me from so much that could have destroyed my life during these times. He has lent me strength when I felt as though I could not carry on. Indeed I often wonder what is the point of the path I am taking. I know my life and my past and how I always seem to end up in failure. Yet God gives me strength to continue this journey. He gives me hope that this time His plan will come to fruition where my plans have failed. I see the mistakes and sins of my current life and wonder at the mighty hand of God to protect me from myself. Through it all, I just want to say thanks to my God and King. Let me lift up a song of praise to Him today and everyday.
Now I know you are waiting for me to sing, but this is a blog. So to suffice I will post the lyrics of one of my favorite old songs and a video you can listen to someone sing it much better than I could. May God bless those who read this today that they may be strengthened in their faith and protected from all harm. Amen.
Verse 1:I've Had Many Tears And Sorrows,
I've Had Questions For Tomorrow,
there's Been Times I Didn't Know Right From Wrong.
but In Every Situation,
god Gave Me Blessed Consolation,
that My Trials Come To Only Make Me Strong.
chorus:
through It All,
through It All,
I've Learned To Trust In Jesus,
I've Learned To Trust In God.
through It All,
through It All,
I've Learned To Depend Upon His Word.
verse 2:
I've Been To Lots Of Places,
I've Seen A Lot Of Faces,
there's Been Times I Felt So All Alone.
but In My Lonely Hours,
yes, Those Precious Lonely Hours,Jesus Lets Me Know That I Was His Own
chorus
verse 3:
I Thank God For The Mountains,
and I Thank Him For The Valleys,
I Thank Him For The Storms He Brought Me Through.
for If I'd Never Had A Problem,
I Wouldn't Know God Could Solve Them,I'd Never Know What Faith In God Could Do http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFzdFzzBqTc
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.
What is it about music that causes our emotions to pour through us as we sing? I have no clue, but it seems to be a natural response when we experience extreme emotions. In pain, pleasure, sorrow, joy, gain, or loss, we tend (or at least I do) to express those feelings in song. I generally wake up with some song on my mind. Music isn't what I want to talk about, but if you notice in the above verse David's reaction to God's help is to sing.
What was the source of his singing? His joy! What gave him joy? The Lord's faithfulness! David says that he trusted in God, and God helped. This help brought to David great joy and peace, and David responded with a song of praise. How many times have I been helped by God without so much as a thank you in response to His work? Too many times.
But I want to take this opportunity now to say to my Lord, thank you! The last couple of weeks have been somewhat difficult as I remember the passing of my mother. Along with this memory is attached the memory of my wife leaving on the same day basically (see http://mdarrinh.blogspot.com/2010/08/journey-begins.html if interested). To say that this was the most devastating time in my life would be an understatement! It has taken me a very long time to recover from the losses of that day, and I still have much more recovering to do. The amount of pain and anger I still feel during this time always catches me by surprise. In addition to this memory, I have been having difficulties in some relationships with friends that have confused, hurt, and perplexed me. But God is showing me that He is still working it all out for my good and benefit that I may become more like my Lord Jesus Christ.
But let me say as David did. The Lord is my strength and my shield. He has carried me through these times with His strong arm. He has protected me from so much that could have destroyed my life during these times. He has lent me strength when I felt as though I could not carry on. Indeed I often wonder what is the point of the path I am taking. I know my life and my past and how I always seem to end up in failure. Yet God gives me strength to continue this journey. He gives me hope that this time His plan will come to fruition where my plans have failed. I see the mistakes and sins of my current life and wonder at the mighty hand of God to protect me from myself. Through it all, I just want to say thanks to my God and King. Let me lift up a song of praise to Him today and everyday.
Now I know you are waiting for me to sing, but this is a blog. So to suffice I will post the lyrics of one of my favorite old songs and a video you can listen to someone sing it much better than I could. May God bless those who read this today that they may be strengthened in their faith and protected from all harm. Amen.
Verse 1:I've Had Many Tears And Sorrows,
I've Had Questions For Tomorrow,
there's Been Times I Didn't Know Right From Wrong.
but In Every Situation,
god Gave Me Blessed Consolation,
that My Trials Come To Only Make Me Strong.
chorus:
through It All,
through It All,
I've Learned To Trust In Jesus,
I've Learned To Trust In God.
through It All,
through It All,
I've Learned To Depend Upon His Word.
verse 2:
I've Been To Lots Of Places,
I've Seen A Lot Of Faces,
there's Been Times I Felt So All Alone.
but In My Lonely Hours,
yes, Those Precious Lonely Hours,Jesus Lets Me Know That I Was His Own
chorus
verse 3:
I Thank God For The Mountains,
and I Thank Him For The Valleys,
I Thank Him For The Storms He Brought Me Through.
for If I'd Never Had A Problem,
I Wouldn't Know God Could Solve Them,I'd Never Know What Faith In God Could Do http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFzdFzzBqTc
Monday, May 28, 2012
Fear? Yeah Right!
Psalms 27:1 (NASB77)
The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?
What a great truth in the Bible. Yet it is not so easily lived out in our lives. It begins with trust. How do we know that the Lord will defend us? How do we know that He is our light and salvation? Experience.
As Christians we bemoan and whine when difficulties come to our life. Whether they be of our own making, or of the hand of the Lord, or of the hand of Satan, we do not like troubles when they come. However, it is because of these times and the faithfulness that the Lord shows to us during these times that we can learn to say that the Lord is our defense, light, and salvation.
Romans 5:3-4 (HCSB)
And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.
This New Testament passage gives us a clear lineage of events that foster our trust in God. When troubles come and we endure it, we gain a certain amount of endurance for discomfort. In addition to this endurance, our proper conduct through these afflictions (proper conduct being trusting in God) proves to ourselves and others that we are people of character in our Christian practice. This character gives us hope: Hope that we can endure difficult times. Hope that God will bring us through them, whether the outcome is good for us or not. Christ never promises that we will have all we want or that we will be prosperous, but that He will be with us in every event of our life. This is the hope that He gives to us when we endure trials and troubles. This is when we can look at life and proclaim loudly that the Lord is my defense! The Lord is my light! The Lord is my salvation! When we get to this place we can have no fear and no dread.
The greatest example of this I can think of is Lazarus. Jesus delayed going to him when he was told that Lazarus was sick. Lazarus had been in the grave for three days when Jesus arrived. Yet with a word, Jesus raised him from the dead. And we complain about our difficulties!! The Bible says that the Chief Priests also wanted to kill Lazarus because many people were believing in Jesus because of him. Can you imagine Lazarus response? Been there, done that. This was a man who had tasted death and was no alive again. Is there anything they could actually threaten him with?
As Christians, we have this same testimony. We were once dead in our sins and trespasses before God. Yet Jesus has made us alive before God through His work on the cross. Christians above all people should say, "I will not fear what man will do to me!"
The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?
What a great truth in the Bible. Yet it is not so easily lived out in our lives. It begins with trust. How do we know that the Lord will defend us? How do we know that He is our light and salvation? Experience.
As Christians we bemoan and whine when difficulties come to our life. Whether they be of our own making, or of the hand of the Lord, or of the hand of Satan, we do not like troubles when they come. However, it is because of these times and the faithfulness that the Lord shows to us during these times that we can learn to say that the Lord is our defense, light, and salvation.
Romans 5:3-4 (HCSB)
And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.
This New Testament passage gives us a clear lineage of events that foster our trust in God. When troubles come and we endure it, we gain a certain amount of endurance for discomfort. In addition to this endurance, our proper conduct through these afflictions (proper conduct being trusting in God) proves to ourselves and others that we are people of character in our Christian practice. This character gives us hope: Hope that we can endure difficult times. Hope that God will bring us through them, whether the outcome is good for us or not. Christ never promises that we will have all we want or that we will be prosperous, but that He will be with us in every event of our life. This is the hope that He gives to us when we endure trials and troubles. This is when we can look at life and proclaim loudly that the Lord is my defense! The Lord is my light! The Lord is my salvation! When we get to this place we can have no fear and no dread.
The greatest example of this I can think of is Lazarus. Jesus delayed going to him when he was told that Lazarus was sick. Lazarus had been in the grave for three days when Jesus arrived. Yet with a word, Jesus raised him from the dead. And we complain about our difficulties!! The Bible says that the Chief Priests also wanted to kill Lazarus because many people were believing in Jesus because of him. Can you imagine Lazarus response? Been there, done that. This was a man who had tasted death and was no alive again. Is there anything they could actually threaten him with?
As Christians, we have this same testimony. We were once dead in our sins and trespasses before God. Yet Jesus has made us alive before God through His work on the cross. Christians above all people should say, "I will not fear what man will do to me!"
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Rest for your Soul
Psalm 23:2 says, "He makes
me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters."
This sounds so appealing to me. This is an image of rest and peace. To be honest, my soul could use some right now. Yet that is what the Lord provides for me daily: rest. When life gets complicated or difficult, I turn to Him and I can find rest. Even in the midst if turmoil, He provides a safe haven of rest for me. He makes me lie down. He leads me beside the calm water. He is the one who realizes I need the rest, because He is the one initiating and leading.
There have been times however where He did not lead to rest nor provide it. His concern for me then was to strengthen me and develop my endurance for difficult times. Yet even then, the Psalm says that He provides for me in the presence of my enemies. What an image! There is a complete lack of concern for the danger the enemy represents. That is because the enemy is no trouble for my Lord. He surrounds His people so that they need not fear what life may bring to them: even when life seems overwhelming. Even when He is letting us be surrounded by the troubles and cares of life, He has a way of bringing peace and provision.
Take heart my friends. Whatever situation in life you find yourself, the Great Shepherd has given you rest, protection, and peace, assuming you are a Christian of course. Are you?
This sounds so appealing to me. This is an image of rest and peace. To be honest, my soul could use some right now. Yet that is what the Lord provides for me daily: rest. When life gets complicated or difficult, I turn to Him and I can find rest. Even in the midst if turmoil, He provides a safe haven of rest for me. He makes me lie down. He leads me beside the calm water. He is the one who realizes I need the rest, because He is the one initiating and leading.
There have been times however where He did not lead to rest nor provide it. His concern for me then was to strengthen me and develop my endurance for difficult times. Yet even then, the Psalm says that He provides for me in the presence of my enemies. What an image! There is a complete lack of concern for the danger the enemy represents. That is because the enemy is no trouble for my Lord. He surrounds His people so that they need not fear what life may bring to them: even when life seems overwhelming. Even when He is letting us be surrounded by the troubles and cares of life, He has a way of bringing peace and provision.
Take heart my friends. Whatever situation in life you find yourself, the Great Shepherd has given you rest, protection, and peace, assuming you are a Christian of course. Are you?
Monday, May 21, 2012
Shaken No More
Hebrews 12:25-28 (NASB77)
25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less shall we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. 26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN." 27 And this expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;
Moses led the people of Israel to Mt. Sinai. It was there that they first heard God speak and the ground trembled and they were greatly afraid.
The book of Hebrews starts with God speaking yet once again. But this time, He spoke through Jesus Christ. Now, here near the end of Hebrews, the writer warns us not to refuse the one who is speaking: Jesus Christ. And the writer gives us a warning that those who heard God speak in the mountain did not escape punishment, and neither shall we if we refuse Him. However the phrase I want to focus on is the one which speaks of that which cannot be shaken. That which cannot be shaken is God Himself. In fact He is the shaker and mover of things, whether they be men or the universe.
Theses words give me great delight. The writer explains that we have a kingdom, an inheritance, a home, and a God who cannot be shaken. He is steadfast and sure. He is unshakeable, immovable, and strong. THIS is the foundation upon which my salvation is built. A God who is always reliable and trustworthy. What should my response be to this fact? Service to that God. We have no need of fear or worry. We can carry out what He wants us to do with full assurance that He will always provide what we need when we need it. We can be certain that, as His children, we will never have to fear losing our place in His kingdom. Our inheritance is as sure and steady as He is, for He is our inheritance. 1st Peter says that our inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, and does not fade.
Where does this lead us? It leads us to the truth of the Christian life: Freedom!! We have been freed from the bondage of slavery to sin! Beforehand we could not follow Christ. Now, He has given us the power to become His children and the Spirit to help us learn to act like it. Christians are not made perfect and sinless, but through the work of the Spirit of God, we can begin to act more like our Savior and our God. Because our God is unshakeable, we have the freedom to follow Him without fear. Romans 8:15 says, "For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!'"
Let us live in freedom today as we have an unmovable God.
25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less shall we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. 26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN." 27 And this expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;
Moses led the people of Israel to Mt. Sinai. It was there that they first heard God speak and the ground trembled and they were greatly afraid.
The book of Hebrews starts with God speaking yet once again. But this time, He spoke through Jesus Christ. Now, here near the end of Hebrews, the writer warns us not to refuse the one who is speaking: Jesus Christ. And the writer gives us a warning that those who heard God speak in the mountain did not escape punishment, and neither shall we if we refuse Him. However the phrase I want to focus on is the one which speaks of that which cannot be shaken. That which cannot be shaken is God Himself. In fact He is the shaker and mover of things, whether they be men or the universe.
Theses words give me great delight. The writer explains that we have a kingdom, an inheritance, a home, and a God who cannot be shaken. He is steadfast and sure. He is unshakeable, immovable, and strong. THIS is the foundation upon which my salvation is built. A God who is always reliable and trustworthy. What should my response be to this fact? Service to that God. We have no need of fear or worry. We can carry out what He wants us to do with full assurance that He will always provide what we need when we need it. We can be certain that, as His children, we will never have to fear losing our place in His kingdom. Our inheritance is as sure and steady as He is, for He is our inheritance. 1st Peter says that our inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, and does not fade.
Where does this lead us? It leads us to the truth of the Christian life: Freedom!! We have been freed from the bondage of slavery to sin! Beforehand we could not follow Christ. Now, He has given us the power to become His children and the Spirit to help us learn to act like it. Christians are not made perfect and sinless, but through the work of the Spirit of God, we can begin to act more like our Savior and our God. Because our God is unshakeable, we have the freedom to follow Him without fear. Romans 8:15 says, "For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!'"
Let us live in freedom today as we have an unmovable God.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Who Goes to Heaven?
Psalms 19:1
The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Last week in Sunday school, I brought up a question a middle-schooler asked me at work. Basically what happens to those people who have never heard of Jesus, what happens to them? This is a question many people, especially Christians probably wonder about.
In Sunday school, I did a poor job of answering the question. Today as I was reading the 19th Psalm, I was reminded me of part of the conversation I had with someone after Sunday school asking me about it.
Romans chapter 1 talks about God and His creation also and how creation reveals God and His nature. Romans 1:20 says, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." I believe that what can be seen of God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ can be seen in God's creation. In the seasons, we see death, life, and rebirth (or resurrection if you wish). In our very own nature we see a moral law present from birth. We have a sense of what is right or wrong (whether it actually is or not is a different topic). If you disagree, I want to ask if you ave ever heard proclaim that something was not fair? They are showing that they have been wronged and thus have a sense of morality or right and wrong. In this we can also see consequences for doing wrong. When we are wronged we believe that we have the right to exact a bit of justice because we have been wronged.
So, having said that, I believe that a person who has never heard of Jesus Christ has enough light of God's nature in creation to be held accountable to God. I also believe that if they see and recognize these truths; that there is a right and wrong and that there is a consequence to breaking this law of morality, and if they throw themselves on the mercy of this creator whose name they do not know, I believe they will be saved. I also believe that this rarely, if ever, happens. I also believe that if it does happen, that God will send a witness to them to testify of the work of Jesus Christ on their behalf.
You may disagree with this and that is fine. I would just like to point out that Abraham never heard of Jesus and he was chosen of God. The issue here is that of faith. Abraham did not receive the promises of God based on what he did, but based on his faith in what God told him. Romans 4:13 says, "For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith." It is faith that saves us, and if someone has enough faith to submit themselves to the mercy of the Creator based simply on what he sees in creation, I believe that God will justify this man.
Whatever light we have been given, let us place our faith in the mercy of the One who made all that we see.
The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Last week in Sunday school, I brought up a question a middle-schooler asked me at work. Basically what happens to those people who have never heard of Jesus, what happens to them? This is a question many people, especially Christians probably wonder about.
In Sunday school, I did a poor job of answering the question. Today as I was reading the 19th Psalm, I was reminded me of part of the conversation I had with someone after Sunday school asking me about it.
Romans chapter 1 talks about God and His creation also and how creation reveals God and His nature. Romans 1:20 says, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." I believe that what can be seen of God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ can be seen in God's creation. In the seasons, we see death, life, and rebirth (or resurrection if you wish). In our very own nature we see a moral law present from birth. We have a sense of what is right or wrong (whether it actually is or not is a different topic). If you disagree, I want to ask if you ave ever heard proclaim that something was not fair? They are showing that they have been wronged and thus have a sense of morality or right and wrong. In this we can also see consequences for doing wrong. When we are wronged we believe that we have the right to exact a bit of justice because we have been wronged.
So, having said that, I believe that a person who has never heard of Jesus Christ has enough light of God's nature in creation to be held accountable to God. I also believe that if they see and recognize these truths; that there is a right and wrong and that there is a consequence to breaking this law of morality, and if they throw themselves on the mercy of this creator whose name they do not know, I believe they will be saved. I also believe that this rarely, if ever, happens. I also believe that if it does happen, that God will send a witness to them to testify of the work of Jesus Christ on their behalf.
You may disagree with this and that is fine. I would just like to point out that Abraham never heard of Jesus and he was chosen of God. The issue here is that of faith. Abraham did not receive the promises of God based on what he did, but based on his faith in what God told him. Romans 4:13 says, "For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith." It is faith that saves us, and if someone has enough faith to submit themselves to the mercy of the Creator based simply on what he sees in creation, I believe that God will justify this man.
Whatever light we have been given, let us place our faith in the mercy of the One who made all that we see.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Words From the Heart
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress (Psalm 17:3)
I need to make this statement my own. How many times have I transgressed the Law of God with my words? Too many to count. This is an epidemic in our society. We too easily transgress the Law with our wicked discussions, our biting words, or our lack of speaking up when it is needed.
James talks about the tongue being a great fire starter. It causes so many problems. From things that may have been misunderstood, to things said that were meant to harm. James says that no one can tame the tongue but that if any one does not offend in word he is a perfect: unfortunately we have no one like that. With the same tongue we bless God and curse our neighbor whom God has commanded us to love! My friends this should not be! Where does the unruliness come from? Why can no one tame this tiny member of the body?
Jesus gives us the answer in Matthew 12:34, "You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart." The problem is not the tongue, but that from which it pulls its resources of topics: the heart. Jeremiah 17:9 says that we all suffer from a heart disease: "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?" Another translation calls it wicked instead of sick. Here is the way I see this verse. Our heart deceives us into thinking that our way is right. Proverbs 14:2 says, "There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.." Our way only seems right and only to us at times. We deceive ourselves many times to get what we want. How wicked and rebellious must our heart be to deceive even its owners? From this deceitful heart, the tongue has a cesspool of topics to choose from. Even when we try and tame the tongue, often it leads us into those topics which we should not broach. We fall far too easily to the sway of our sinful heart. How can escape even the tiniest bit from this wickedness which lies at the core of our being?
Romans 10:9-10 says, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." God's wonderful gift of salvation starts our heart on the path to righteous living. He cleans out the heart and takes that dead heart f stone out and gives to us a heart that is alive! Our next struggle lies in getting the contents of that new heart to our head!
Romans 12:1-2 says, "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." By submitting to the authority of God in our lives, the new heart He gives us finally starts to overtake all those old sinful habits our mind has latched on to and does not wish to let go.
Let us purpose today to not offend with our words and do so by submitting our life to Christ today, this second, the next moment, and the rest of the day.
I need to make this statement my own. How many times have I transgressed the Law of God with my words? Too many to count. This is an epidemic in our society. We too easily transgress the Law with our wicked discussions, our biting words, or our lack of speaking up when it is needed.
James talks about the tongue being a great fire starter. It causes so many problems. From things that may have been misunderstood, to things said that were meant to harm. James says that no one can tame the tongue but that if any one does not offend in word he is a perfect: unfortunately we have no one like that. With the same tongue we bless God and curse our neighbor whom God has commanded us to love! My friends this should not be! Where does the unruliness come from? Why can no one tame this tiny member of the body?
Jesus gives us the answer in Matthew 12:34, "You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart." The problem is not the tongue, but that from which it pulls its resources of topics: the heart. Jeremiah 17:9 says that we all suffer from a heart disease: "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?" Another translation calls it wicked instead of sick. Here is the way I see this verse. Our heart deceives us into thinking that our way is right. Proverbs 14:2 says, "There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.." Our way only seems right and only to us at times. We deceive ourselves many times to get what we want. How wicked and rebellious must our heart be to deceive even its owners? From this deceitful heart, the tongue has a cesspool of topics to choose from. Even when we try and tame the tongue, often it leads us into those topics which we should not broach. We fall far too easily to the sway of our sinful heart. How can escape even the tiniest bit from this wickedness which lies at the core of our being?
Romans 10:9-10 says, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." God's wonderful gift of salvation starts our heart on the path to righteous living. He cleans out the heart and takes that dead heart f stone out and gives to us a heart that is alive! Our next struggle lies in getting the contents of that new heart to our head!
Romans 12:1-2 says, "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." By submitting to the authority of God in our lives, the new heart He gives us finally starts to overtake all those old sinful habits our mind has latched on to and does not wish to let go.
Let us purpose today to not offend with our words and do so by submitting our life to Christ today, this second, the next moment, and the rest of the day.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Practicing His Presence
In Thy presence is fulness of joy Psalm 16:11
Don't we all want joyous lives? Aren't our lives filled with sorrow and pain? Now Joy is not the absence of sorrow and pain, but an underlying peace that endures through them.
In this Psalm, we find the key to having joy and having it fully. In the presence of God dwells everlasting joy. Have you ever felt that joy that comes from knowing Him? I must say that I have felt it many times. When the presence of God fills my soul, and I feel as though my body cannot take much more of the overwhelming sensation of knowing that my sins are forgiven and I have an eternal place beside the One who loved me; then I know what fulness of joy means. So, I had to ask myself, why do I not seek His presence all the time?
Such is the Human existence. We run from God, the One who truly gives us joy, peace, and comfort; yet seek those same things in a bottle, needle, lover's arms, or a thrill at a risk we take from gambling to bungy jumping. Getting to know God and spending time in His presence is boring to us. Not only that, it requires some effort on our part. It takes time in prayer and study of God's Word. But we are an impatient people, especially in the microwave generation in which we live. There is a reason we talk about people's "fifteen minutes of fame." Because that is as long as it lasts. We, the viewing public, are then ready for the next new thing to come along giving us a new thrill and new sensation. Our society has no clue to the things which matter and which last. Because of this Human condition, we seek immediate thrills in anything but God. God is on His time table and we want Him to be on ours. Why can't God thrill me now so I can move on the next new thrill? Maybe that's why He doesn't. You are not seeking Him, but the thrill that comes from knowing Him.
God came to Earth in the form of a Man: that man's name was Jesus Christ. He came seeking us. he came to die in our place. He came to give us life: new life in Him that reaches far beyond this earthly existence. It seats us in the Heavenly places with Him. But we do not know Him, nor do we seek to know Him. But He came so that we might know Him. If He did all this so that we might know Him, why not take the time to find out what He is all about? We have the record of who He is and what He did, read it!! It's better than Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, or Twilight put together.
Don't we all want joyous lives? Aren't our lives filled with sorrow and pain? Now Joy is not the absence of sorrow and pain, but an underlying peace that endures through them.
In this Psalm, we find the key to having joy and having it fully. In the presence of God dwells everlasting joy. Have you ever felt that joy that comes from knowing Him? I must say that I have felt it many times. When the presence of God fills my soul, and I feel as though my body cannot take much more of the overwhelming sensation of knowing that my sins are forgiven and I have an eternal place beside the One who loved me; then I know what fulness of joy means. So, I had to ask myself, why do I not seek His presence all the time?
Such is the Human existence. We run from God, the One who truly gives us joy, peace, and comfort; yet seek those same things in a bottle, needle, lover's arms, or a thrill at a risk we take from gambling to bungy jumping. Getting to know God and spending time in His presence is boring to us. Not only that, it requires some effort on our part. It takes time in prayer and study of God's Word. But we are an impatient people, especially in the microwave generation in which we live. There is a reason we talk about people's "fifteen minutes of fame." Because that is as long as it lasts. We, the viewing public, are then ready for the next new thing to come along giving us a new thrill and new sensation. Our society has no clue to the things which matter and which last. Because of this Human condition, we seek immediate thrills in anything but God. God is on His time table and we want Him to be on ours. Why can't God thrill me now so I can move on the next new thrill? Maybe that's why He doesn't. You are not seeking Him, but the thrill that comes from knowing Him.
God came to Earth in the form of a Man: that man's name was Jesus Christ. He came seeking us. he came to die in our place. He came to give us life: new life in Him that reaches far beyond this earthly existence. It seats us in the Heavenly places with Him. But we do not know Him, nor do we seek to know Him. But He came so that we might know Him. If He did all this so that we might know Him, why not take the time to find out what He is all about? We have the record of who He is and what He did, read it!! It's better than Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, or Twilight put together.
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