Thoughts From A Torchbearer

Isolation Island

2011-12-31T09:24:00.000-05:00

'Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." - Genesis 2:18

Picture an island. It can be as beautiful and serene as your imagination can create. This island is called isolation island. In all its beauty, in all its pleasure you are completely and underly alone. There is no one else on the island, coming to visit the island, or rescuing you from the island.

We were not created to be alone, there is something inside all of us that desires to be part of something. We want to share life with a spouse, to have friends, and be part of a family and community. Recently over the Christmas season I have been visiting with many young men ages 18-25 who are in college, in the military, or just working an everyday job. The common theme during our conversations has been that it is so hard to live out your faith by yourself. Those living for Christ in the military find a constant battle of adapting the military language. Those in college face all kinds of peer pressure that compromise their beliefs. Most of these young men are trying to do this alone but they are realizing the need for strong Christians in their life.

In some situations we may have to fight for our faith alone for awhile but this should not be the norm. Wherever you are at in life are you looking for solid Biblical community or fellowship or are you waiting for it to fall in your lap? Many of these young men have found it but they had to seek it out. Join your brothers and sisters in Christ and spur one another on to love Christ.

te-na-cious

2011-12-27T10:34:00.000-05:00

te-na-cious
Adjective: Not easily dispelled or discouraged; persisting in existence or in a course of action.

"And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ." - Acts 5:41

Tenacious...isn't that just an awesome word? Are there tenacious followers of Christ out there? Those who are not easily discouraged, that persist, that stay the course no matter the opposition. Those who fight for the heart of their King Jesus.

Have you ever asked yourself, "What do I fight for?" It is easy to give up, it is easy to be "soft" followers of Christ. To be tenacious is hard, it takes effort, hard work, and underlying it all is commitment. We must believe the words of Paul when he says, "To live is Christ and to die is gain," if we are to be tenacious. This life will present many obstacles that will get us discouraged and many times we feel like giving up. Many times we like to sulk, mope, and stay in a state of self pity.

When can only be tenacious, to not easily be discourage, and to persist when its all about Christ and His Kingdom and not about us. Just as the apostles in Acts did not cease teaching and preaching no matter what obstacles they faced. They were committed, determined, and sure of the eternal future with Christ and that was their goal. There hope was in Christ, not their kids, not their job, not their financial security, and not their spouse.

Discouragement will come in all shapes and sizes. From many little things to one big thing our plans, our hopes, and our dreams can come crashing down. What will you do when these things happen? Will you fight for your King? Will you run and hide? Be tenacious, fight the good fight, and stay the course because Jesus is worthy.

Born To Die

2011-12-25T12:21:00.000-05:00

Why was Jesus born? During Christmas time I often try to reflect on this question. The answer I keep coming back to is that he was "born to die." While we celebrate the birth of Christ we must always remember the death of Christ. The cross doesn't happen without the birth but the birth without the cross is meaningless.

Death is the separation of spirit and soul from the body. Since God is spirit he had to be born and take on a body in order to die. The purpose of what we celebrate at Christmas is the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

What It Means To Be A Torchbearer

2011-12-20T09:58:00.004-05:00

The other morning I woke up and God really challenged me with a thought. Do I wake up each and every morning and aimlessly try to follow Jesus? Am I throwing darts at a target but don't know where the target is? I have been pondering and praying recently and after talking with Don we both know that we need to start writing and blogging more.

I went back to one of the first challenges Don ever gave me. To come up with a Biblical name. My name is "Torchbearer of Christ." This name should encompass a personal mission for the glory of God. I like the name but I never really put a lot of time or effort into daily living that out. So now it is time to start.

A Torchbearer is one who leads or inspires others in working hard toward a valued goal. In this case Christ is the goal, his glory, his kingdom, and deeper intimacy with our Savior is what we must work hard for. As a torchbearer I must lead by example, encourage others, and press on toward the goal in spite of opposition (which is sure to come!).

With that being said I would like to invite you along this journey with me. My goal is to blog a minimum of 3 days a week. In blogging I want to help inspire you toward Christ and his kingdom. I will be reading through the Bible this year so many of my thoughts may come from that. I pray that you would take some time to develop a personal mission statement, to create a Biblical name, and live that out daily for the glory of God.

Eat, Drink, & Be Merry

2011-12-04T06:29:00.002-05:00

Beliefs have consequences. For example, I could believe that the wall in front of me is not real and going running as fast as I can into it. Ouch would then be the proper response because my belief doesn’t change truth. Our beliefs have consequences in life but more importantly in eternity. What we choose to believe or not believe is more important than we think.

“I don’t like to think about that.” Have you ever heard that response from someone? This is because most people are trained not to think. They don’t want to wrestle with hard truth so they choose not to think about it. They begin to live in denial and convince themselves that life will be ok. These people tend to get angry when you try to push questions upon them because they cause feelings, fears, and hurts that they don’t want to deal with.

There is another school of thought that I would classify as “eat, drink, & be merry.” This group chooses to believe that they should “party like a rockstar” and enjoy the world as much as they can. Please know I am not condemning either one of these groups of people, I am just challenging their thinking and wanting them to understand their beliefs have consequences.

Think about your beliefs. Think about the consequences to your beliefs. What is your philosophy on life? religion? truth? God? Are you ok with that? Are you ok with the consequences to your belief? My prayer for you is that you will understand truth, that just because you want to believe a certain way it doesn’t change the truth of Scripture. God’s Word is proven true over and over again. Hell is a real consequence of beliefs outside of Jesus Christ. However, Heaven and more importantly eternity with Jesus is a consequence to belief in Christ.

“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” - Romans 10:9

Further Reading: Romans 10, John 3

The Off The Wall Race

2011-11-29T16:43:00.002-05:00

I am super excited about our fundraiser for 2012. If you are a fan of the TV show "Amazing Race" you will love "The Off The Wall Race." Starting in January we will be taking applications for teams of two to participate this summer in "The Off The Wall Race." The race will take place over two days and will have many prizes for those involved while raising money to support Off The Wall Ministry. Check back soon or contact me if you want to be kept in the loop for this exciting fundraiser.

Limitless Magnitude

2011-10-01T08:00:00.002-04:00

“Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” - John 21:25

We have all heard the phrase, “You can’t put God in a box.” We say this to reaffirm the power of God. The question is do we believe this? As humans, we often try to limit God which causes us to lose the fear of the LORD (Proverbs 1:7). How quickly we forget everything the LORD has done in our lives. In life things happen that breed lies into our minds that make us start to question God. This typically happens because we have unbiblical expectations of God. In our minds we start to create boundaries for God and begin to not believe that he is able to do far more abundantly than all we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

Are you a purposeful person? We are designed to crave fulfilling a purpose. Often times though, we search far and wide to find our purpose but end up empty. That is why when we find our purpose and meaning in Jesus Christ everything changes. As we see in John 21:25 Jesus was on a mission. Throughout the book of John he constantly states his purpose is to do the will of the Father. He didn’t waste time, everything he did had a purpose and everything he said was purposeful.

Have you ever thought about the limitless magnitude of Jesus Christ? The size or extent of the Jesus’s life is limitless and it continues to multiply today. You can’t contain Jesus, he reaches the unreachable, he touches the untouchable. That is our God, our King, our Savior. Jesus continues to do things. Each and every day you walk through this world our God is at work in the lives of people. Not everything may be written down in books but it is written on hearts.

Today I encourage you to taste and see that the LORD is good (Psalm 34:8). Remember your personal experiences with Christ and watch and see Jesus working in the lives of people. Write down what you see, try to record what you see Jesus doing and you will start to see the limitless magnitude of God.

Further Reading: John 21, Psalm 34, Ephesians 3:14-21, Proverbs 1:1-7

Character Counts

2011-06-02T11:45:00.001-04:00

“But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.” - Daniel 1:8

Is developing Biblical, Christ honoring character important to you? Not only is it just important, is it the primary goal in your life? Are you willing to allow the Holy Spirit to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ? As I see Christians in all facets of life I notice many times that our character is not of great concern, we tend to think selfishly and walking with Godly character doesn’t become all that import to us. This is a problem and is why many “Christians” are walking around acting like children.

We recently completed a two week tour to 5 different states exhorting our brothers and sisters in Christ to seize the summer, to allow Jesus to seize your heart so you can help others meet him. Having 16 people traveling together you quickly find out who is focused on God and who is focused on themselves. We were all guilty at times of taking our eyes off of Jesus and onto ourselves. We did a poor job of purposing in our hearts to walk with Godly character, to bring God glory through our character. Through it all we learned a lot, grew a lot, and God used the tour in a mighty way to impact people.

We must understand there is a high cost of bad character. People pay for the sins and bad character of those before them. As the people of God, living with the character and mind of Christ must be of utmost importance. Manipulation, bitterness, gossip, slander, jealousy, anger, conceit, and much more we read about in the Scriptures are evidences of bad character. My prayer for myself and for you is that we would search our hearts, that we would ask God to remove it, to purpose in our hearts to have Christ centered character at all costs. Hard choices are part of what it takes to develop good character. Daniel and his friends felt the pressure to conform, their names were changed to the names of cult gods against their will. Through all the difficult trials they were able to stand in the character of Christ.

“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation” 1 Peter 2:1-2

The Great Concern

2011-05-24T11:52:00.000-04:00

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” - Matthew 6:33

A concern for someone or something can occupy our minds but a great concern seems to consume the totally of our thinking and emotions. What occupies and consumes your mind? Are you filled with anxiety? worry? A great concern places utmost importance of someone or something, it consumes our heart and mind. Does the kingdom of God concern you?

The kingdom of God must be our primary concern. Our lives fall apart and fill with worry, anxiety, depression, and hopelessness when Jesus Christ, his glory, and his kingdom is not our Great Concern. Having a great concern for the kingdom of God and his righteousness doesn’t just happen. It is something we must seek, it must be a primary concern and of utmost importance. How much time, money, and energy do you put into the kingdom of God? Are you worrying about or seeking the details? If so realize the Bible gives us a perspective shift. No matter what situation or circumstance we must have the kingdom of God first, THEN all these things will be added to you.

When we place Jesus first, when he is our great concern it takes the focus off of ourselves. It allows us to walk in humility, to place others first, and it allows God to work out the details that often compete with Jesus to be our great concern.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” - Matthew 6:34

Primary Concern

2011-05-11T09:15:00.000-04:00

“Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul. So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people. And David had success in all his undertakings, for the LORD was with him. And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.” - 1 Samuel 18:12-16

What is your primary concern? What constantly occupies your mind? As you read through the book of 1 Samuel you see Saul become self focused. His primary concern becomes himself, his power, his authority, his welfare. This causes Saul to do some outrageous stuff. He destroys part of his own kingdom just to try to kill David. Saul’s primary concern was not the Lord’s honor or the people’s welfare but it was himself.

Saul clearly saw that the LORD was with David yet he still chose to fight a losing battle. He was destroying himself and his people and didn’t seem to care. He was blinded and miserable because it was all about him. He didn’t want to give up his kingship to David, he was holding onto it with all he had. I wonder if at this point in time he remembered how the LORD used Samuel to call Saul as king. How it was the LORD who made him king. Now the LORD was calling David to be king and Saul didn’t want to give it up so he took matters into his own hands.

We have a lot to learn from Saul. Let us not make the same mistake. What are you holding on so tightly that you need to “let go and let God?” Is your primary concern on God and his purposes and people? If not, ask him to help you. When we are so concerned about trivial worldly things our lives tend to be a mess. Today ask God to shift your focus to Jesus, to be reminded of the cross and to follow him wherever he leads.

Further Reading: 1 Samuel 18-24

The Ultimate Thing

2011-05-10T16:30:00.001-04:00

“It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you - for the LORD your God in your midst is a jealous God - lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from the face of the earth.” - Deuteronomy 6:13-15

What is your ultimate thing? Your ultimate thing can take many forms and can be know by many names. It is your source of joy, it is what you live your life striving to please or achieve. It in essence controls you and the scary part is sometimes you don’t even realize it does.

Sorrow and despair are similar but there is a big difference between them and that is hope. Hopelessness is deeply saddening. Have you ever seen hopeless people? There is no joy, there is no life in them. There whole world is crushed and they have no were to turn or to look. This is what life is like without Jesus Christ. Apart from Christ you will ultimately enter a state of hopelessness after trying to find the ultimate thing outside of Jesus. You will eventually reach a point of despair.

You see, when you lose what you have placed as the ultimate thing in your life which is the source of your meaning or hope there is no where to turn. What you have put your faith in (if it is outside of Jesus) will always eventually let you down and leave you hopeless. Are you building your entire life on an incomplete joy of this world? You have a choice, stop! Put your hope in Jesus Christ, make Him your ultimate source of meaning and hope. You will still have sorrow but you have the Holy Spirit of God to console you and there will always be hope in Christ Jesus.

“And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” - Exodus 20:1-4

Further Reading: Deuteronomy 6 & Exodus 20

Northern Ireland Update

2011-04-23T06:58:00.003-04:00

Greetings from Northern Ireland. This past week has been refreshing, encouraging, and a blessing for Don and I. We arrived on Sunday afternoon April 17th and then spoke to around 50-60 young adults that evening from 3 different churches. God allowed us to encourage and challenge them to make disciples and to make in difference in their churches and communities. The next morning we shared for a couple hours with local youth leaders, pastors, and young adults about Off The Wall Ministry. There were many questions and it was encouraging to see how God is giving many people a desire for authentic discipleship and community. We learned a lot from them and hope that we could share some wisdom with them.

Over the course of this past week we have been able to follow up with people, observe and be part of a street reach event with local churches, and share coffee and meals with local young adults. There are some great people here with a heart and desire to passionately follow Jesus Christ, to reproduce people who reproduce passionate followers of Jesus Christ, and challenge one another to be the church God has called us to be.

In the midst of all this we have been blessed with incredible sunshine and the ability to do some fun tourist things as well. Along with taking many walks and enjoying the beautiful scenery we got to tour a castle and take a coastal drive. The history is rich over here and I am reminded how our Christian history should be important and dear to us as believers. We are where we are today because someone before us has paved the way. We have salvation in the name of Jesus because he came and died and rose again as an all-sufficient sacrifice for us. My prayer is that this weekend you will remember, celebrate Easter in its fullness, express to your God and Savior how thankful you are for all he has done.

A Crazy Little Thing Called Love

2011-04-18T10:09:00.002-04:00

“Our fears and inner barrenness make love a narcotic, a way to medicate ourselves, and addicts always make foolish, destructive choices.” - Timothy Keller

We all do crazy things in the name of love. Jacob is a prime example. Not only did he want to make Rachel his wife but viewed her as his “savior.” When we reach this state we hear what we want to hear and see what we want to see. Our reality becomes jaded and we veer far from truth. In a sense we create our own reality and become governed by the idol of “love.”

Have you ever been here? Maybe its a romantic relationship, or parents and their children. The questions we must ask ourselves is where are we setting our hope? Are we putting are hope in Jesus Christ? In His plan, His purpose, His eternity or our wants, our desires, our fleshly needs? There is no person, not even the best one or thing outside of Jesus Christ that can give your soul all that it needs.

We must take our heart’s deepest hopes and place them in Christ. Living through your children, through a spouse, or just through a need to be validated will leave you empty, constantly searching but never finding. This path can be destructive, not only for you but those closest to you. The amazing and beautiful thing about the God of the Bible is that he came into this world to accomplish salvation for us and give us grace we could never attain ourselves. Today may you turn to Him, be amazed by His grace and allow him to be our heart’s deepest desire and hope.

“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world (something supernatural and eternal).”
- C.S. Lewis

In Him

2011-03-31T08:07:00.001-04:00

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,” - Ephesians 1:7

If you read Ephesians 1:1-14 you will find the following words used:
you (r) 4 times
our 4 times
we 5 times
us 6 times
in 16 times
God, Christ, etc. 37 times

Our union with Christ is the key theme and doctrine of Scripture in this passage. “In him” or “In Christ” is used repeatedly to remind us that we are united with Jesus Christ. Life is all because of God and everything is for him. This is a vertical unity with Jesus, however this provides us a horizontal unity with other believers. If we are “in him” we are family, we are on the same team.

In Christ we find our true identity. Anything outside of “in him” will eventually leave us wanting, hopeless, and wandering. Paul is encouraging the Ephesians, he is wanting them to know the blessing of unity with Jesus and with one another. This is why he repeats these words, they all have to do with union. I want to encourage you to read this passage today and as you do look for the words above. Take note and ask God to help you understand what all your union with Christ means.

...every aspect of God's relationship to believers is in some way connected to our relationship with Christ. From God's counsels in eternity past before the world was created, to our fellowship with God in heaven in eternity future, and including every aspect of our relationship with God in this life—all has occurred in union with Christ. - Wayne Grudem

Further Reading: Ephesians 1:1-14

Fill In The Blanks

2011-03-28T22:15:00.001-04:00

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” - Philippains 1:21

These epic words of Paul jump off the page reading through Philippians. His short proclamation should echo in our hearts and mind. It should cause us to rethink our perspective, our outlook on life, and challenge our priorities. What does life mean to you? Is it really all about Christ?

I have often noticed that Jesus is very hard to bring up for most people in everyday conversation. I honestly believe most Christians like talking about Christ, they may want to discuss Biblical truths and stories but somehow have bought into the lie that it would be weird or awkward to talk about God outside of “church.”

Nothing can steal our joy if we have the right mind, a single mind focused on Christ and His Kingdom. Paul was excited about Jesus, he lived to tell others about him. Jesus Christ was in Paul’s everyday conversations in all places at all times. Does Christ or the things of God excite you? Do you seek to see the Kingdom of God and his power work in and through the lives of people? It is an exciting and encouraging to watch God work and hear what God is doing. Today I challenge you to fill in the blanks.

For to me to live is __________, and to die is ___________.

What would you honestly fill in? Money, leave it all behind; power, lose it all; or fame, to be forgotten. Matthew 6:21 talks about where our treasure is there our heart will be also. Is your treasure in money, power, fame? When your treasure is Christ, when He is the purpose for living you will experience joy despite circumstances, people, things, and worry.

Further Reading: Philippians 1:21, Matthew 6:21, Luke 12:22-59

Good Measure

2011-03-27T21:58:00.001-04:00

“give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” - Luke 6:38

If your checkbook register would be projected in front of the congregation on Sunday morning what would you do? Squirm? Run? Hide? Would you be embarrassed about where your finances are going or not going? What about your mercy and grace? If we played a video in front of the congregation of your life this past week would we see mercy, grace, and forgiveness extended to others? The idea of “good measure” in this verse implies an acceptable and inspiring act. Luke is giving us a picture of how God views the importance of having a heart full of the goodness of Christ. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

We see a similar passage in 2 Corinthians 9:8,

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

Paul in this passage is talking specifically about finances and giving to the work of God. In these Scriptures it always goes back to the heart. Are you a cheerful giver? Do you get excited about giving to the work of the Lord and watching the kingdom of God grow? I really want to encourage you to read the passages below today. Allow God to speak to you through them. Ask the Lord to fill your heart with good and take away the greed, selfishness, and dirt that is in there.

“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” - Luke 6:45

Further Reading: Luke 6:17-39, 2 Corinthians 9

Helping God Out

2011-03-25T12:51:00.000-04:00

“While regeneration breaks the tyranny of self-interest, the deliverance is not yet complete.”

- Dennis Kinlaw

Have you ever tried to help God out? Always beware when this happens. As individuals we are very biased and always enjoy telling God what to do instead of listening for his direction in our lives. The essence of sin in our lives is self-interest. We must be aware and guard against this. Self-interest will bring damage to the fellowship in relationships, especially with those closest to us.

Abram was a devout, righteous man who followed the law and was obedient to God. He could follow the rules but the LORD had to work on his trust. God made a promise to him to be the father of many nations through his own son. When Sarai continued to be barren Hagar enters the picture and they decide to take matters into their own hands instead of trusting in the promise of God. They were thinking that if God isn’t going to fulfill his promise we will have to fulfill it for him. They thought they needed to help God out.

“We have too many Christian people who ‘do right’ with the wrong motives. They ‘do right’ to advance themselves or obtain some recognition for themselves or to receive some kind of reward for themselves. That’s self-interest.... self-interest is diametrically opposed to the character of God.” - Dennis Kinlaw

Our lives are full of self-interest because sin so easily dominates our lives and typically we choose to be ignorant to it. This is a fight we must embrace, Philippians 2:4 tells us not to look to our own interests but to the interests of others. If we are honest with ourselves we would realize we have a lot of selfish junk inside of us. If God were to pick you up, hold you upside down and shake you, what dirt would come out? We constantly need “cleaned out” and replenished. Today ask God to show you what needs “cleaned out” and then ask him to fill you with the fruit of the Spirit, to live a life with the fullness of Christ in you.

Further Reading: Genesis 16 & 17, Philippians 2:4

Mind Your Manners

2011-03-22T09:16:00.000-04:00

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,” - Ephesians 4:1

Did your parents ever tell you to “mind your manners?” Maybe it was “Stop running all around the store!” They usually said this when you were embarrassing them, which typically occurred in a public setting or when other people were around. In their eyes you weren’t walking in the manner they wanted you to. Are you concerned about the manner in which you walk? Paul is urging the Ephesians to be who God called them to be. To not run out of control but to understand the high call the Lord Jesus has placed on you and to not defame the name of Christ but to exalt it.

“with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,”
- Ephesians 4:2

What does your walk look like? Americans are people who want things now. We don’t like to wait. Our fast food needs to be fast, traffic jams drive us nuts, and we lose our minds when the satellite or internet isn’t working. If we truly look at our culture and our lives we see that pride runs rampant, patience is nowhere to be found, and love for the most part is a selfish replacement for what real love should be.

We as kids hated when our parents told us to “mind your manners.” As believers we need to embrace a manner worthy of the calling which we have been called. We need people to tell us to “mind your manners” even if we don’t like it. Christ and His kingdom has to be of the utmost importance in our lives. It has to be greater than our self.

Further Reading: Ephesians 4

Telescopes & Microscopes

2011-03-21T15:09:00.001-04:00

telescope: an optical instrument for making distant objects appear larger and therefore nearer
microscope: an optical instrument that uses a lens or combination of lenses to produce a magnified image

Does Jesus Christ need to be magnified? Instantly we think how could an infinite, glorious God need or use a mere depraved human being to magnify the Son of God? God is so much bigger than us, but yet so are the stars. Telescopes were made so we could see these large stars that are so far away and bring them close and near to us. The telescope has helped us see what the stars really look like. Our body, our lives, our character, everything we do as a follower of Jesus Christ is to be a telescope to the world that brings Christ close and near to people.

The roof of a greenhouse does not attract the sun because it is bright, but becomes bright because the sun shines on it. - C.S. Lewis

This broken world has a small view of God. For the most part it is also a very distorted view of God. A microscope produces a magnified image and so must our lives. No matter what our circumstances or lot in life may be we can magnify Christ, we can be a microscope. Our lives are a lens which others look through to see Jesus. Just as you may need glasses or contacts to see clearly, a lost world needs Christians to be the lens to see who Jesus really is. Today will you be that lens? We can have immense impact on a lost world by living a life magnifying Christ. You may not think so, but a lost world is searching and they are watching you.

“...Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or death.” - Philippians 1:20a

A God's Eye Perspective

2011-03-21T15:08:00.001-04:00

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” - Matthew 13:44

Someone once asked me if I look at life through my own eyes or do I like the view looking over the shoulder of God? What perspective or presuppositions do we have when we read Scripture, grow relationships, think about the church, or minister to others? Do you view life from your own perspective or do you see it as God sees it?

In Luke 18 & 19 we see three stories about perspective. A rich young ruler who was trying to earn or do what was needed to enter the kingdom of God is the first one. All his self-righteousness meant nothing, what Jesus was offering was something he couldn’t see the value in because his eyes were fixed on earthly things. He held tightly to his wealth, possessions, and status which cost him eternal riches. Next week see the blind beggar and Jesus asks him, “What do you want me to do for you?” After asking for sight he was healed and God was glorified. The question still lingers though, did the blind beggar have the right perspective? His primary concern was his physical need of sight, although he recognized Jesus as God the greater spiritual need took a secondary position. In the third story we Jesus’s encounter with Zacchaeus. He had a God’s eye perspective, he recognized who Jesus was, what he represented, and was willing to give up everything and follow him. What ever Jesus wanted him to do he was willing to do it.

Is that true of you? Which one of these stories most represents your life? Are you holding on to the things of this world so tightly that it is keeping you from God? Maybe you are so focused on your physical needs (or wants) that you have become totally ignorant to your spiritual need. My prayer is that you would be like Zacchaeus. That you would realize Jesus Christ is worthy and deserves everything. When Zacchaeus encountered the love and grace of Jesus he responded with a God’s eye perspective. How are you responding?

“And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” - Luke 19:8

The Question of Love

2011-03-19T21:41:00.000-04:00

“I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” - Malachi 1:2

One of the most dangerous places to be is questioning the love of God. Throughout our spiritual walk we will have times of doubt, we will struggle with understanding some theological concepts, but we must believe the Word of God and His promises to be true. In the book of Malachi he exposes and answers the doubts of those who question God’s love. We all have agendas, dreams, and goals that focus on us and when it seems like God doesn’t bless what we want or do things the way we want him to we start to question whether or not he loves us.

We all at times can have this struggle, an attitude like this is immature and needs to be grown into maturity. The people in Malachi’s time were complaining and begrudgingly offering sacrifices to God. They did not respect God, honor Him, or fear Him.

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear?” - Malachi 1:6

What should be in question is not God’s love for us but our love for God. Sometimes I think we feel like we do a good job at loving God and he needs to do a better job of loving us. How further from the truth could we be? We often think way too highly of ourselves. We view God in our image. We have a tendency to give God our scraps and that is what Malachi had to confront the Israelites about. Is God getting your scraps? Where are your first fruits going?

God loves us, this is clearly shown in Scripture, you can’t miss it if you read the Bible. If you do not believe that He loves you I challenge you to pick up your Bible and start reading. God wants us to believe, to walk in faith, and to love Him.

Further Reading: Malachi 1 & 2

Burnt Coffee

2011-03-19T20:49:00.001-04:00

“O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice, in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” - Psalm 5:3

One of the few pleasures in life is to wake up before the sunrise, enjoy a fresh cup of coffee and spend time with Jesus. These type of mornings we can cherish, they are special and we are able to submit the first fruits of our day to our God. Before the burdens and cares of life start to overwhelm and frustrate us we can lay our lives before Him as a sacrifice and watch what he does with us.

If you are like me and enjoy the fresh cup of coffee then you may have experienced the time later in the day when you go back to the same pot of coffee for round 2 and it just isn’t near as good as the first cup. When coffee sits in the pot all day it starts to burn, it loses its freshness and the taste becomes very bland and bitter. This is the battle we fight, complacency can quickly overtake us. Our nature tends to keep us comfortable sitting in the pot.

“So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”
- Revelation 3:16

There is a big difference between hot and warm. We must fight the warm complacency of life. It is a very comfortable and “safe” place to be however very ineffective for the kingdom of God. We were not made to be warm, we were made to burn hot with passion for our God, to let our words be few and our actions be many. Do you want to be used or do you want to be safe? Be bold, live your faith out loud, and be a vessel for God to use in a mighty way today!

Further Reading: Psalm 5:3, Revelation 3:14-22

Discerning Love

2011-03-15T08:10:00.001-04:00

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” - Philippians 1:9-11

When you pray for others what do you ask for? We can learn a vital lesson from Paul in this passage in Philippians. We see his heart as he prays for the Philippians. Paul doesn’t want these people he loves to just be safe or comfortable, he prays for deep life changing heart issues that only come from a God who graciously gives good gifts to His children.

It is key to remember that it is not our love channeled through Christ, but Christ’s love channeled through us. Jesus Christ is the source of love, we need to ask for abounding and discerning love. The heart and mind need to work together so that we have discerning love and loving discernment. Christian love is not blind or ignorant.

This life is hard, it is difficult to love people at times. When we love without discerning love it can ultimately lead back to selfishness which really isn’t love at all. When we love without discerning love we often times get used, walked over, and ultimately think we are being loving but only putting a band aid on a deep wound. This can lead to bitterness, unforgiveness, and not feeling loved in return. We have to love with the end in mind.

My prayer today for you is that your love may abound, that you would have discerning love, mature character, and mature service.

Further Reading: Philippians 1, 1 Corinthians 13

The Antidote for Discouragement

2011-03-14T14:29:00.001-04:00

“...Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.” - 1 Samuel 1:7b

Do you know the only cure for hopelessness is hope? Often times our circumstances, people, or just the worries of this world can take us to this place of hopelessness if we are not careful. Discouragement is a dangerous thing that can very quickly take away our joy that is rightfully ours in Christ.

Hannah is truly an amazing story. Life was rough. Being mocked, barren, and not being able to have the one thing she desperately desired, a child took away most of her hope. When she hit bottom she went to the temple to find hope. We can always find hope in Yahweh and that is what happened for Hannah. You can read about it in Samuel 1.

Are you tired? weary? discouraged? Take a few notes from Hannah:
- She honestly prayed to God
- She was encouraged by others
- She put the matter in God’s hand (no more “woe is me”)

Many times the antidote for discouragement is telling God how you really feel and then leave your problems with Him. Then rely on the support of good friends and Godly counselors. We need people to help us walk through despair and discouragement. Be encouraged today, our God is greater than whatever you are facing today. Remember that discouragement changes to hope when you add God to the equation.

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;” - 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Further Reading: 1 Samuel 1, 2 Corinthians 4

Billboards

2011-03-13T21:31:00.001-04:00

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” - Matthew 5:14

If your life was a billboard what would it say?

A billboard on a hill cannot be hidden. Recently I was doing some traveling and noticed how many billboards are alongside the highway. For the most part they are all up on hills. As you travel along the road you begin notice the many messages being presented to you. I saw signs that promoted fast food joints, hotel hot spots, gentleman’s clubs, and the occasional sign spreading the message of Christ. Billboards are placed in high traffic areas. There is research and planning in what gets advertised where. In Christ we have a life transforming message given to us. Matthew 5:15 says,

“Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

We were not meant to hide. We were meant to shine. As Christians we need to be visible. The message of Jesus Christ, his redemptive work on the cross need not be hidden but spoken from the hill tops. Light is meant to shine into darkness and we are to be that light.

A billboard directs you to the destination. Many times it says the exit number, website, or general information where you can find the product advertised. Where do your words, actions, life direct people? Is your life a billboard for Christ? We have this incredible gift, this light burning bright inside of us, the question is will be allow it to shine. Remember your Father in heaven, how glorious and great he is and allow your life today to bring him glory.

“Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” - Philippians 2:14-15

Further Reading: Matthew 5, Philippians 2:14-18

Man In The Mirror

2011-03-13T08:23:00.001-04:00

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.” - James 1:22-24

When you look in the mirror what do you see? As you read James 1 you start to see how important it is not to rush through the Bible but to absorb the Word of God and let it penetrate into your life. James tells us that we should not only hear the word but to be a doer of the word. What good is it if we hear the words of life but never put them into practice?

Mirrors are interesting things, sometimes we like them and sometimes we don’t. It usually depends on if we have a good hair day, what our facial complexion is, if we think we look skinny or fat, etc. The one thing a mirror doesn’t do is lie. They show us what we look like no matter how good or bad it is. This is why it is crucial in our spiritual life to take a look in the mirror. It is important for us to do a spiritual inventory and evaluation. We need to ask ourselves, “In what areas have I been a hearer and not a doer?”

Michael Jackson had a hit song called “Man in the Mirror” and part of the lyrics say, “I’m starting with the man in the mirror, I’m asking him to change his ways...” It starts with us, we are the ones who need to stop living in hypocrisy. We can complain all we want about other people not changing but if we aren’t willing to start with ourselves who are we to talk? Look into the perfect law, be a doer, be a man or woman who takes an honest look in the spiritual mirror and makes a change.

“But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” - James 1:25

I Wanna Be Like Mike

2011-03-11T08:44:00.001-05:00

“Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” - Hebrews 13:7

Michael Jordan is in most basketball fan’s opinion the greatest player to ever play the game. Back in his prime Nike ran a marketing campaign with the slogan “be like Mike.” The whole idea was that by purchasing Nike clothes or shoes you were imitating Michael Jordan. Many young people during this time grew up wanting to be like Michael Jordan.

Do you have heroes? Do you have heroes of faith? Maybe it is the sweet old lady at church, or your parents, mentor, teacher, pastor, etc. In Hebrews it says to remember our leaders, our heroes, our Godly men and women who invest into our lives. We are to consider their lives, how they have lived and the outcome of their impact. Once we do this we should take good notice of their faith and imitate it.

What would it look like to have a generation grow up wanting to be like Jesus instead of Mike? What if men and women of God lived out radical passionate faith in Jesus Christ for this younger generation to see and imitate? This is the challenge we face, we are either watching or being watched. What impact do you want to have? Today remember your leaders, consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

Further Reading: Hebrews 11 & 13

Mountains & Valleys

2011-03-11T08:41:00.002-05:00

“I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” - Psalm 121:1-2

How are you letting your mountain top and valley experiences shape your life?

It is truly amazing to be on a mountain top. To reach the peak or summit is a breathtaking experience. However, as we have all experienced life has many struggles which are going to take us right back to the valleys. The trials and testing that come at these times are when we struggle the most. How long does it take you to climb back up the side of the mountain?

The first few times we attempt to reach the peek it can be exhausting both physically and mentally. It can be a challenge to keep going, it may cause us to puff and pant just to get back to the top. If we take the time to train ourselves, our bodies become physically adapt to what we are putting them through and so the journey is a lot less exhausting. This is the same for our spiritual lives. We can find ourselves constantly in the valley fighting to get up to the mountain. This is largely in part to us trying to reach the top in our own strength. We need the power of God in our lives, to fight sin, to overcome adversity, and to live a joyful, effective life for Christ.

Instead of always running to the peek of the mountain glancing at the view and then turning around and ended up in the valley again why not seek to live life on the mountain top? At the top of the mountain you can see the beauty of life, you are ultimately closer to the creator of the outstanding view. Would you not much rather live life with your eyes fixed on that than stuck in the valley where all you can see is trees and the mundane things of life? Allow Christ to rule and reign in your life, rely on his power working in and through you and enjoy the view.

Further Reading: Psalm 23, 121

That You May Know

2011-03-09T22:22:00.002-05:00

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” - 1 John 5:13

How confident are you in your God? Is he trustworthy? Is he worthy of your affection? desire? love? We see in 1 John that he is writing “these things” that we may KNOW we have eternal life. Are you struggling with doubt? Is it hard for you to accept forgiveness? Do you think you have sinned so bad that God can’t forgive you? 1 John 1:7 says that is we walk in the light the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from ALL sin.

Many of us struggle with assurance of salvation, we constantly strive to be “good enough” for God. This is chasing after the wind because we will never be “good enough.” It is not possible, as much as we strive to be good it doesn’t change the fact that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

God deals with absolutes. When he says all he means all. Our lives should be lived in thanksgiving. When we truly realize that we don’t cut it, that we are not good enough for God, that we need help then transformation really starts to happen. This is why our need for Christ is essential, we needed his righteousness to save us. Jesus Christ came so that we may KNOW that we have eternal life in him.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9

Further Reading: 1 John 1, Romans 3:9-31

Where is Your Mind Looking?

2011-03-08T21:32:00.000-05:00

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
- Colossians 3:2

Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home. - C. S. Lewis

Do you ever feel like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde? There is this tension inside of you. Paul shows us the internal battle in Romans 7. There is this tension inside of us to make Godly choices but somehow we find ourselves making bad choices. He says it is because of the sin that dwells inside of us. This sin and our fallen flesh constantly lead us to focus on ourselves, to keep our eyes off of Jesus, and ultimately have our minds set on things of this earth.

“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.”
- C.S. Lewis

We need a mind that is set on things above, an eternal perspective. As we read in Colossians 3 we are to put to death what is earthly in us, to put on a mind that is set on things above. Do you realize the eternal impact you can have right now? Do you know that this life is not about you? It is about a an awesome God who is redeeming people and he wants to use you! Will you pray for an eternal perspective? Will you set your mind on things above? No matter what you’ve done will keep you from being ineffective for the kingdom of God if you surrender your will to him. We need a constant realignment, a mind, heart, and soul that is focused on an eternal kingdom instead of an earthly one. Can you imagine that? What if everyone in your Church had this mind? What impact would you have? It starts with you, God wants to use you, will you look to the eternal with your mind?

Further Reading: Colossians 3, Romans 7

Listen With The Heart

2011-03-07T21:18:00.001-05:00

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” - John 4:10

If you want to learn how to listen read the gospels. As we read about how Jesus interacted with people we constantly see him listening with his heart. Listening with the heart is to hear the hurt behind the words. Jesus not only was able to hear the heart behind the words but was able to offer water that will satisfy. The woman at the well was searching for something. She was trying to find meaning in promiscuous relationships. She was looking for hope and she found Jesus at a well.

There are millions of people in this world, just like the woman at the well who are walking around trying to fill a God-shaped whole inside of them. Their actions, desires, dreams, and words are all flowing out of the need to fill this hole. They live empty, desiring to be filled. Do you hear them? Does your heart break for these people? You cross paths with them everyday. Are you listening with your heart? What happens when you encounter these people?

Maybe the person I am describing is you. Maybe you have never drank the living water that satisfies as Jesus talks about in John 4. Will you put your faith and trust in Christ’s death and resurrection as the sacrifice for your sins? Will you surrender your heart to him and allow the healing to begin to take place?

We as followers of Christ have to learn how to listen with our heart. We need to see the hurt behind the words, actions, or body language. We possess the answer to the God-shaped hole which means we have the privilege and responsibility to share with others.

Further Reading: John 4:1-45

The BOSS

2011-03-06T15:10:00.001-05:00

“...Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’...” - Isaiah 45:9

Do you know that boss? The one who lets you know he or she is the boss all the time. They make sure you know what your position is, they are the boss and you are to submit to them. Doesn’t that person drive you crazy? They can be very frustrating to work for but there is still one truth, they ARE the boss. As much as it frustrates you, as much as you may not like it they have position and authority over you.

Often times we forget that God is the ultimate boss. The LORD is a jealous God, he is God alone and there is no other like him. Since God is the boss he holds position and authority over his. In fact, he created us. In Isaiah chapter 45 he warns us against challenging God’s right to do his will in his own way. In our lives there are times when we just don’t like the way God does things. We start to get frustrated with our boss and challenge his motives, character, and authority. Think about that for a second, do you see sin working in our sinful flesh. Who are we to even think of challenging the author of life? What gives us the right to even start to question the motives or character of God? We see in this chapter that as the created it is a serious offense to demand explanations from God. There are times to cry out to God and to lament before him but we have to been very careful to cross the line of questioning the character and nature of God that leads us embittered with God.

Have you ever been frustrated or upset in the midst of a situation and after you got through the storm it all made sense and the frustration was gone? As the created we can’t see with the same eyes the Creator can. No one knows us better than the one who created us, who knit us together in our mother’s womb. My prayer today is that no matter what you are going through you will not challenge God but embrace him. Know that as the Creator he knows what is best for the created. He cares about you and loves you in ways we can’t even fathom.

“Turn to me and be saved all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” - Isaiah 45:22

Lessons From Climbing a Mountain

2011-03-05T20:58:00.000-05:00

Last year I was blessed to go on a mission’s trip to Alaska. While I was there I was able to hike up a mountain. As I reflected on this experience there were three lessons that I felt transferred over to our spiritual life.

-The climb is hard but always worth it
-Be careful coming down the mountain, it is easy to get lost
-Don’t chase after rabbits

Let me explain these to you. First of all we need to understand and grasp spiritual perseverance. Living the Christian life, just like climbing that mountain is really hard. There are many obstacles in the way. The biggest obstacle climbing the mountain was gravity. As a passionate follower of Jesus Christ you are going against gravity so to speak. It is totally against the cultural and worldly norm. To be passionate for Christ, to stand on the truth of Scripture will cost you and will be difficult. However, just like getting to the top of the mountain and seeing God’s beautiful creation one day we will be in the glorious presence of our beautiful God. That my friends, is worth it!

If you have been following Christ for some time now you have probably experienced “mountain top” experiences with Jesus. The general observation is that right after the “mountain top” experience comes a desert experience. We must be careful coming down the mountain, it is very easy to get comfortable and lose our way. As I came down the mountain I jumped from rock to rock and if I would have lost focus for one second I would have been in trouble. We must stay focused on Christ in our lives, it is essential to our growth, our effectiveness, and our relationships that Jesus is the center.

The last lesson that I learned was not to chase after rabbits. We took a dog with us and coming down the mountain the dog decided to chase after a rabbit. She got lost and we had to leave without her. The dog was lost all night on that mountain until we drove back the next day and found her. The lust of the eyes can quickly distract us and take away our eternal focus. Don’t we know this to be true? How often does sin seem so good at the time and afterwards you realize how far away it has pulled you from God. It brings on feelings of guilt and shame, it makes us want to isolate ourselves and hide. It is a formula that drives us to stay in our sin instead of restoring our fellowship with God knowing that we are forgiven and that he is with us through it all.

I want to encourage you today to persevere, make sure Christ is the center, and keep your focus on the eternal.

Further Reading: Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13, Luke 9:28-36

God Has No Problems, Only Plans

2011-03-04T16:13:00.002-05:00

"Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see." — Corrie ten Boom

Do you ever look at your life and ask the question, “How in the world did I end up here?” Or maybe you are at the point in life and are saying, “God what in the world do you want me to do and where do you want me to go?” Often times when we look back on life we see the hand of God guiding and directing us to where we are now. God puts people in our lives for a reason and uses our circumstances to accomplish his purpose.

In 1 Samuel chapter 9 we see a man named Saul who one day goes out to look for his father’s lost donkeys. After searching far and wide they do not find the donkeys. As they were about to depart for home Saul’s servant suggests talking to the man of God in the town which was Samuel. God put Saul and Samuel in the right place at the right time. God is always at work changing lives and working out his plan for his glory. Are you at a crossroad in life? Are you wondering why you are in the situation you are in or why you “just happened” to cross paths with certain people? There is no "just happened" in God’s economy, there is only a sovereign plan by an Almighty God who is in control.

Many times God uses the simple to do the extraordinary. Everything does happen for a reason. Today allow God to guide you, direct you, and lead you. Pray to your Creator, give him your cares, worries, doubts, and allow the peace that passes all understanding to guard your heart and mind. When you surrender the steering wheel of your life to God that is when the real journey begins. Enjoy the ride.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” - Romans 8:28

Further Reading: 1 Samuel 9-11, Romans 8:28-29

The Significance of Insignificance

2011-03-03T07:25:00.000-05:00

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” - Philippians 2:3

Have you ever felt insignificant? The interesting thing about insignificance is that there is always a comparison. As human beings we have an innate nature to compare ourselves constantly to everyone and everything. For example, the majesty of nature many times can make us seem insignificant, or sometimes when we have negative self images we compare ourselves to others and the feelings of insignificance come. I don’t want to say it is wrong to feel this, I actually believe it is quite a good feeling when it is compared to the right person, and that person is Jesus Christ. The significance of insignificance is what we see in Biblical humility.

In the passage we see in Philippians 2:3 the word humility can be defined as an inside-out virtue produced by comparing ourselves to the Lord rather than others. This word humility also implies living on total dependence on the Lord with no reliance on self. A few verses later we see that Jesus humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Jesus came down to our level and lived a life of total dependence on his Father. In a culture that constantly bombards us with entitlement, the idea that we deserve to be served we often forget to count others more significant than ourselves.

A good friend of mine once told me, “Don’t take yourself too seriously.” We often times take ourselves way too seriously. We think God needs us, we don’t compare ourselves with an Almighty, Holy, Loving, Gracious, Merciful, Sacrificing, God. When we allow our minds to be transformed and our perspective to shift we then begin to understand the significance of insignificance. What or who are you comparing yourself to? The only standard of measure we have is Jesus Christ and we all fall short of the glory of God. Thanks be to God for the humility of Christ Jesus to be the sacrificial atonement for our sins that we may have the righteousness of Christ applied to our account. I pray that today we would walk in humility and count others more significant than yourself.

“The fear of the LORD is instruction and wisdom, and humility comes before honor.” - Proverbs 15:33

Further Reading: Philippians 2, Acts 20:17-38

Return to the Lord

2011-03-02T05:34:00.001-05:00

“...If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only...”
- 1 Samuel 7:3

To return is the act of repentance. Many of us have a misunderstanding of what true Biblical repentance is. There are two sides to it, first there is the emotional response, a feeling of regret or sorrow. This is not an overwhelming sense of guilt or shame which can lead us away from God but a sorrow that draws us closer to God. The second part of repentance has to do with changing one’s mind about sin. A repentant person will still sin at times but instead of reveling in that sin, one who is truly repentant will confess that sin and direct their heart to the LORD. It is very important to understand that when turn from sin you must turn toward God.

Israel had not heard anything from Samuel for 20 years and the first thing out of his mouth is call them to repentance. Their idolatry has led them away from God and Samuel gives them 3 commands:

1.) To turn away from idolatry
2.) To direct their heart to the LORD
3.) To serve him alone

What idols have crept into your life that you need to turn away from? What sin is gripping you with guilt or shame? Repentance is an amazing gift from God. Even though we mess up the grace of God is bigger than our sin. Take some time today to talk with God. Turn, Direct, & Serve. Confess your sin to God and ask him to change your mind about sin and to direct your heart wholly to him.

“As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” - 2 Corinthians 7:9-10

Further Reading: 1 Samuel 7, 2 Corinthians 7, Romans 2:4

The Battle is God's

2011-03-01T06:14:00.002-05:00

“...Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.” - 2 Chronicles 20:15b

Who is fighting your battles?

Battles seem to be a constant part of life, don’t they? It seems just when we get through the storm and have a glimpse of calm the clouds come rolling in again. This life is not easy, Peter urges us in 1 Peter 2:11 to “abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” There is a spiritual war going on that we cannot see with our eyes but it is very real. Many of the battles we are fighting are much deeper and more unseen than we realize. The enemy is real, he hates that Jesus is saving people, and wants to steal, kill, and destroy. One of his greatest tactics is to make us try to fight the battles in our own strength.

As a child of God, a new creation, bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ you have ammo. In fact you have the creator of the ammo. You even have the God who holds the universe in his hands on your side. In fact, your father is that God who holds the universe in his hand. He created, he is the beginning and the end and if you need reassurance of that read Revelation 21.

Jehoshaphat found himself faced with opposition, an intense battle that seemed to have no hope was coming his way. He sought the LORD and chose to exercise faith. He didn’t try to fight the battle in his own strength but trusted wholly on the LORD. He understood that his God, our God is greater than the battles we face. He understood what total dependence on God was and he went to battle with his faith and the land of Judah’s faith fully in the LORD his God.

Today I want to encourage you to know and hold your position in Christ.

“...Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.” - 2 Chronicles 20:17b

30 Days of Devotion

2011-02-28T21:25:00.004-05:00

One of my passions is to share what God is doing and speaking to me through writing. Devotional writing and encouragement is a favorite of mine and I have really lacked recently due to just the busyness of life and ministry. I feel that God has given me a desire to write and it is amazing to hear random people I have never met send me messages about what they read of my blog.

This has led me to realize that I need to be more committed to writing and place a higher priority on it. Over the next 30 days beginning on March 1st I am setting myself the goal to write 1 devotional a day on this blog. I pray that these devotionals will be an encouragement to you and draw you closer to Jesus Christ. I hope you join me on these 30 days of devotion. See you tomorrow :)

Paradise

2011-02-14T14:19:00.003-05:00

And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." - Luke 23:43

As I am studying for the upcoming Labels Retreat I am find myself having a deeper understanding of the grace of God. Try to picture yourself on the cross as Jesus would have been. There are robbers on each side of you. The crowd is mocking you, your body is broken, and your limbs are pierced. You know you must die for the sins of the world but the pain and agony is intense. Then one of the robbers gets it. He repents and puts his faith in a man almost dead on a cross. Can you imagine what joy that must have brought Jesus right before his death? He was able to restore life to a dead person right before he himself would die. Jesus took a man who was labeled a robber and a criminal and labeled him forgiven and free.

John Calvin says, "We ought not to enter into curious and subtle arguments about the place of paradise. Let us rest satisfied with knowing that those who are engrafted by faith into the body of Christ are partakers of that life, and thus enjoy after death a blessed and joyful rest, until the perfect glory of the heavenly life is fully manifested by the coming of Christ."

Today reflect on that Paradise. If you have put your faith and trust in Christ, if you have accepted his grace and forgiveness in your life know that you will be with him in Paradise. Just like the thief on the cross, no matter what we have done Christ has died to set us free.

Spiritual Inventory

2011-02-06T17:39:00.003-05:00

"And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not with a whole heart." - 2 Chronicles 25:2

Have you ever taken a "Spiritual Inventory?" Often times in life we get caught in the motions. We often times do things but don't even know why we do them. Have you ever taken a moment to think about your motives? You see, there is a difference between a right heart and a whole heart. God desires a whole heart. He wants all of us. He expects nothing less than wholehearted devotion. In 2 Chronicles 25 we find the story of King Amaziah who does what was right in the eyes of the LORD yet was halfhearted which led to steady degeneration rather than radical reversal.

A few chapters later you see King Hezekiah, a man serving the LORD with a whole heart. My prayer for you is that you will take time for a "spiritual inventory." Change begins when we are honest with ourselves so the question is, "will you be honest with yourself?" Allow God to give you a heart fully devoted to him.

"Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God. And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered."
- 2 Chronicles 31:20-21

Where is God?

2011-02-06T07:09:00.002-05:00

"Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told." - Habakkuk 1:5

When the LORD spoke this to Habakkuk it wasn't good news. If you are like me I guarantee you have been in Habakkuk's shoes. When the circumstances looked hopeless, when violence and destruction was running rampant and God seemed to be nowhere in sight he cried out with the words,

"O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?
Or cry to you Violence! and you will not save?" - Habakkuk 1:2

Have you ever been disappointed when God doesn't seem to be answering prayers? Are you ever frustrated at God when it seems that sin is going unpunished and there is no justice for the oppressed? This is how Habakkuk felt and in the verses 2-4 of chapter 1 he lets God know how he feels. God's response comes in verse 5.

The LORD responds by saying I am working, actually I am going to use a more wicked nation to punish a less wicked one. Habakkuk cannot understand why God would do this and often times we can't understand why God works the way he does. In our lives circumstances and situations often leave us questioning God which is ok as long as we are ok with God's response to us. Habakkuk learned some very important lessons and truths that changed him and strengthened his faith. God is just and merciful and will punish all the wicked at the right time. His timing is perfect and no matter what the circumstances are he is working everything out for His glory and our betterment.

At the end of the book we see a radically changed Habakkuk. He began by informing God how to run his world and ended by trusting that God knows best and will bring about justice. Amid suffering and loss, Habakkuk has learned that he can trust God, and with that trust comes great joy, not in circumstances but in God himself.

"God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer's;
he makes me tread on high places."
Habakkuk 3:19

What To Do With Death

2011-01-12T04:43:00.002-05:00

There are only three things we can do about death: we can desire it, fear it, or ignore it. When you think about people in general often times the typical response to death is to ignore it. We don’t want to think about it and we feel if we just push it under the rug it makes our conscious feel better.

Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” The cold hard facts are that we all are going to die one day. Many people were brought to Christ because they didn’t want to go to hell. They had to take a serious look at death and decide for themselves what they believed was after that. In this world a large percentage of the population are without a Savior and find themselves trying to figure out that question. God determines our days, he decides when we begin and when we end. When we understand this fundamental truth it seems preposterous not to put our faith in trust in him.

I love what Paul says in Philippians 1:21-23, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.”

That is the confidence and hope we have in Christ Jesus. Once we understand that truth as odd is it may seem we can actually embrace the fact that we one day will die. This is not a sad or morbid thing but a glorious transformation as we enter into the presence of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Does the thought of death freak you out? Do know anyone that is fearful of death or choosing to ignore the thought of it? I would encourage you to dive into the Scriptures, to know the God who is in control, and to live in the peace and security that comes in Christ Jesus. My prayer today is that your desire would be to live in fruitful labor for Christ and that you would have a deep longing to be with Jesus.

At The Cross

2010-12-28T20:15:00.001-05:00

This is a devotional I wrote awhile back on the song "At The Cross" by Polen www.polenband.com and I wanted to share it with you.

AT THE CROSS
(words and music by Jeff Polen ©2005 Jeff Polen Music / ending words written by Eric Kaufman, Jeff Kaufman, and Maynard Miller ©2009)

You have asked me for everything
But You have given me more than I gave You
And I have found that when I’m nothing
I am everything in You

When I’m weak You make me strong
When I’m down You give me words to a song
And it picks me up again
And I lay my burdens down
At the cross again
And then it’s only You and me

I am a stranger in a strange land
You are still the same
And You are always right beside me
Every time I call Your name, Jesus

When I’m weak You make me strong
When I’m down You give me words to a song
And it picks me up again
And I lay my burdens down
At the cross again
And then it’s only You and me

Has music ever brought you to tears? What about the realty of truth? I was able to get a pre-release copy of the cd and I remember the first time I heard this song. It was one of those days when things aren’t going well and you just want to get in your car and drive. As I was driving along listening to “At The Cross” tears started to stream down my face. In that moment the reality of the cross hit me. The truth of scripture meant something to me. The sacrifice the Jesus made for me, the grace that I do not deserve, and the eternal life in Him that I have received brought tears of joy to my eyes. In this moment of weakness in my life the cross made me strong, it picked me up again, and I was able to lay my burdens down. What does the cross mean to you?

I love the term “weight of truth.” Have you ever felt the “weight of truth?” That’s what happened to me in that car ride. In the story of the crucifixion I love how the centurion finally felt the weight of truth.

“When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.”” – Matthew 27:54

He got it. The fact that Jesus was really the Son of God, that he was the Messiah resonated. The weight of that truth came crashing down. In fact in Luke’s account it says they were said to have “beaten their breasts” which refers to grief and repentance. What does the cross mean to you? When was the last time you ask God to help you believe? He desires to give you faith, he desires to help you believe, but he is looking to you to ask.

Someone once told me “you can’t out give God.” I constantly think about that truth. Not only do I think about that in terms of my finances but to get more to the core my selfishness. There are many times I have made excuses to God. Many times I have let God know just how much I have given up for him. Things like friends I love, a business career in professional sports, money, girls, lifestyle, etc. Usually right away God lets me know that he has given me more than I gave him. He lets me know that he has asked me for everything and rightfully deserves everything.

This begs the question, “why would God ask me for everything? Couldn’t he just ask for most of me and that way I can still enjoy some guilty pleasures?” The answer lies in the third and fourth line, “I have found that when I’m nothing I am everything in You.” How much do you rely on God? One of the reasons God asks us for everything is that it removes barriers that keep us from him. It reminds me of the passage in 2 Corinthians 8:9-10.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

God gave us more than we could ever give him at the cross. At the cross Jesus was crucified. At the cross our sins were paid for. The cross is where we need to be. We need to remember the sacrifice, the love, the pain, and the humility of Jesus coming to earth and taking on flesh to become a ransom for many. What emotions, feelings, and thoughts does the cross of Christ create in you? What goes through your head when you think about Jesus Christ as a spotless, blameless, perfect Lamb of God, who died for you. Think about it, we were broken, fallen, and worthless, yet he died, he died for us. I hope today that you remember the cross. That you would remember he has asked you for everything but has given you so much more. That you would let go of the temporal and hold on to the eternal.

“I was spotless, I was blameless, and I was the perfect Lamb of God. You were broken, fallen, worthless, yet I died. I DIED FOR YOU!”

WHAT DOES THE CROSS MEAN TO YOU?

Offense

2010-12-14T16:12:00.003-05:00

This week I started lifting more weights than normal and can real feel a difference. I am becoming more sore but feel stronger. My times at the gym this week were purposeful and I had others working out with me. I didn't just go through the motions but worked hard and I feel better and stronger because of it. I often wonder if this example transfers over to my spiritual life. Ephesians 6:10 says,

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might."

Paul continues to go to write about putting on the armor of God and reminded us that we are in a spiritual battle and we need to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Just think about an actual battle for a second. If you had to go fight a massive army who would you pick to go with you? Wouldn't you want the biggest, strongest, mightiest person you could find? If this is the case then why so often do we go into the spiritual battle without the biggest, strongest, mightiest person we know? We give up too quickly, we try to do it ourselves, and we often time end up defeated and weak.

I would encourage you to read Ephesians 6:10-20. Take a look at your spiritual walk and see if you are strong in the Lord. As children of God, co-heirs with Christ we have the Holy Spirit to help us. We have a God who has given us weapons and strength to fight this fight of faith. My prayer is that today you would understand that it is a spiritual battle, that you wouldn't just try to play defense but that you would fasten the belt of truth, that you would put on the breastplate of righteousness, take of the shield of faith, put on the helmet of salvation and play offense with the sword of the Spirit. Remember that the weapons for warfare are spiritual and should be rooted in prayer.

Believing Lies

2010-12-13T07:02:00.003-05:00

He(The Devil) was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. - John 8:44b

Were you the gullible little kid? Maybe you are that person that falls for every sales gimmick. If we all take an honest look at our lives we will find at some points in our everyday life we believe lies. The world and the prince of this world are experts at feeding us lies and we so often believe them as truth. Right now I want you to think about how you feel about yourself. What are you believing? Are you living defeated? depressed? constantly in despair? Are you believing lies or the truth of the Bible? Are you believing human words or God's Words?

When we are living defeated 9 times out of 10 we are believing lies.

So the question you may be asking is "how do I stop believing lies?" Well I don't claim to have all the answers but the key is knowing and believing the Word of God. Here are some suggestions or steps that can help.

Identify the lies you are believing
Find Scripture verses that deal with those lies
Know your identity in Christ (visit www.ficm.org/whoiam.htm)
Become a prayer warrior

I want to encourage you to check out the Off The Wall website (www.offthewallministry.com). We are having a retreat in February with the theme "Labels." The reason for the theme is this very idea of believing lies and then in turn labeling ourselves. These labels then in turn tend to run our lives. I hope you can make it out, we pray that it would be a powerful two days where God will reveal the lies you are believing and replace them with the truth of Scripture. I want to encourage you today to check out the Freedom in Christ Ministry link above and take some time to see what your Biblical identity is "In Christ."

Overwhelmed by Grace

2010-12-09T09:01:00.002-05:00

As I was working out this morning it hit me. I can't even come to fathom the grace of God. Really, think about it for a second. Do we realize how blessed we are? Do we understand that we were destined for eternal condemnation? We were objects of God's wrath (Ephesians 2:3).

"But God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved." - Ephesians 2:4-5

If you are like me then often times you forget the "great love with which he loved us." Our circumstances and situations in life leave us often times feeling unloved. The sense of loneliness may surround us when we take our eyes of the cross of Jesus Christ and forget about his love and grace.

Hillsong sings a song called "To Know Your Name" and the lyrics go like this:

The precious blood of Jesus Christ redeems
Forgiven I'm alive restored set free
Your majesty resides inside of me
Forever I believe
Forever I believe
Arrested by Your truth and righteousness
Your grace has overwhelmed my brokenness
Convicted by Your spirit led by Your word
Your love will never fail
Your love will never fail

The line that sticks out to me is "your grace has overwhelmed my brokenness." So my question is has it? Has the grace of God overwhelmed your brokenness? I want to encourage you today to reflect on the Scripture from Ephesians and the lyrics from the song. My prayer for you today is that the grace of God will overwhelm your brokenness.

A Life of Thankfulness

2010-11-24T11:59:00.003-05:00

Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude. Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road. - John Henry Jowett

Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving I thought it would be fitting to write a blog about Thanksgiving. The quote above is one of my favorites. I want to strive to be a man whose life is lived in thankful gratitude for all that God has done and is doing. It is essential that our salvation and sanctification is a gift from God and not something we are entitled to. When we look at a world that is falling apart and lives that sin destroys we should get on our knees thanking our Lord and Savior for all that he has done.

When we are not living a life in thankfulness towards God and one another our love and passion fade. We become cold, self focused, and prideful. We start to think God and people owe us. Our passion starts to fade while depression and discontentment enters into our lives. I pray that this Thanksgiving you will be reminded to, "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." - 1 Chronicles 16:34

The Mark of a Disciple

2010-11-24T06:20:00.002-05:00

The human race was created to be relational. In Genesis 2:18 God said, "It is not good that man should be alone." We were made to be in community, to have fellowship with others, to be built up and encouraged by the people of God. In order to do this we must first have fellowship with God. 1 Corinthians 1:9 says, "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." Our call is to an intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Fellowship with Jesus marks the heart of a disciple's life, and this fellowship includes trusting him, confessing him, taking note of his conduct, following his teaching, and being shaped by a relationship to him. Is that what is marking your life?

Lets define two terms, fellowship & relationship. First we must understand that once we are in Christ our relationship as Sons and Daughters of God never changes even despite our sin. Just like you can't not be your parents son or daughter. However, our fellowship can drastic change because of sin. When we sin our natural tendency is to run. The last thing we naturally want to do is confess our sin. It makes us feel like a failure and worthless. The problem is in not confessing our sin and accepting forgiveness the feelings of worthlessness continue to build and our fellowship with God diminishes. The mark of a disciple is one who maintains intimate fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to be a people who purge sin from our lives, who are quick to confess sin and accept forgiveness so that we are filled with love for our Creator. The weight of carrying sin is too much for us, that is why Christ Jesus died on the cross, he paid the penalty and God validated his sacrifice at the Resurrection. I want to leave you with a few verses from 1 John that I pray God will use to speak to you today.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:7-9

Training Camp

2010-10-24T18:56:00.003-04:00

"Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." - 1 Timothy 4:7-8

I love to workout. If I could I would work out, play basketball, football, volleyball, soccer, or some kind of sport everyday. I set my hope on being in good physical shape and living a healthy life and the drives many of my decisions and training (sometimes too much). The example in 1 Timothy 4 is essential for us to grasp as followers of Christ and relates to each one of our lives.

In verse 10 it says, "For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God..." Paul shows us how our relationship with Christ is just like many things we strive for in our lives. Did you set the goal of winning that state championship? Did that drive you to train? To push through the hard times? To keep going when you felt like giving up? You knew the end goal and weren't satisfied till you reached it. What about a relationship or job? Maybe a promotion or work goal. Do you train and focus on reaching it? Does it consume you?

Take a step back and look at 1 Timothy 4:6-10. If you say you are a follower of Jesus Christ your hope needs to be set on the living God. When our hope is set on the living God the things of this world fade. Our training shifts from selfish motives to selfless motives. Our focus shifts from the temporal to the eternal. We take every advantage to grow ourselves in the image of Christ and gain wisdom and understanding. Where is your hope set? We as believers must understand it takes blood, sweat, and tears to train ourselves for godliness. We must not run from it but embrace it.

Speak Life

2010-10-09T21:15:00.005-04:00

We often talk about three basic kinds of words. Good words, bad words, and God's words. Good words may encourage but last for a moment, bad words are destructive and tear down, and God's words bring life and are everlasting. If you had to do an inventory of the words you spoke on a daily basis how would the percentages play out? In Joshua chapter 1 verse 8 it says this:

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."

I love how this verse says, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your MOUTH..." God's words should always be flowing out of our mouths in conversation. Think about it for a second. When someone brings up the name Jesus, Scripture, or even just talks about what God is doing in their life or community what goes on inside of you? Do you get excited? Does passion start to burst forth? When we speak God's words we are speaking life into people.

How then do we speak God's words you may be asking. Well the answer is found in the next part of the verse, "you shall MEDITATE on it day and night..." 1st Timothy 4:7b-8 says this,

"train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."

If you thought following Jesus was easy I am here to inform you that you have been mistaken. Scripture lays out how hard it is to follow Christ and that it requires intense training, discipline, perseverance, endurance, and much more. Just as we train for sports, careers, hobbies, and other things in life that are temporal we must train even harder for the eternal. We must meditate constantly on the Word of God so that the Words of God will flow from our mouth. We must be people of God who speak life.

Alive to Shine

2010-09-23T20:56:00.002-04:00

"And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above, and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." - Daniel 12:3

In Daniel 12:3 he uses the phrase "those who are wise." He is referring to those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior. The ultimate outcome of "those who are wise" will be that they will shine brightly like stars forever and ever. God is not in the business of making bad people good but He is in the business of making dead people alive. God doesn't make us alive just to be alive...He makes us alive to shine! I want to you to know that once you place your faith in Christ he makes you alive to shine. Not only to shine in this present life but you will shine like stars forever and ever in eternity. What an amazing eternity that will be.

*On November 19, 20, & 21 our 2nd Fall High School Retreat will take place at Skyview Ranch. This year's theme is "Alive to Shine" and we will be taking a deeper look at this. For more information visit www.alivetoshine.com or feel free to email me at travis@offthewallministry.com.

The Lust for Security

2010-09-06T14:54:00.002-04:00

"Once we have set ourselves to be pilgrims and strangers on the earth, which is what Christians are meant to be, it is incongruous for us to continue to insist upon the sort of security the world tries to guarantee. Our security lies not in protecting ourselves from suffering, but in putting ourselves fully into the hands of God. The desire for physical and material security makes us sly and hard. No. We must be like little children. The child in its father's arms is not worried. It lies quietly at rest because it trusts its father. We disobey sometimes because we say it is impossible to do what God asks. Impossible? Perhaps what we mean is that it is impossible to do that and keep our security, impossible to obey without tremendous cost, or at least tremendous risk. Where, then, will we find safety? Is it likely that we will find it elsewhere than in the arms of the Father?"

- Elisabeth Elliot

Do you ever view yourself as an alien? What about a sojourner or exile? If you are a follower of Jesus Christ Scripture is clear that we are aliens here on this earth. Our citizenship is in heaven and we are ambassadors while on earth. This mindset is vitally important to grasp, especially in our American culture. When we start to view earth as home and lose an eternal mindset we hold on to things as our security, we strive for comfort, and we stop trusting God. Do you desire physical and material security? Ask God to help you place your life totally in the hands of God. It is when we lose all control that we see God in total control.

"Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul." - 1 Peter 2:11

Catalyst for Community

2010-08-12T10:39:00.003-04:00

As I sit here this morning I am noticing the sleeve on my coffee cup. Written there are the words, "Kaladi Brother's Coffee, Catalyst for Community." After last night I am really seeing how a mission's trip like this one is such a catalyst for community. We all got together at Dennis & Celesta's house last night and just had some time of testimony and sharing. It was great to see how open and real everyone was about how God is working in them and what he is teaching them on this trip. We were also able to spend some time praying for the Richardson family and thank them for their 20+ years of service in Alaska. It is truly a remarkable and encouraging to be part of a group committed to serving the Lord and one another. I am blessed to have each and every person on this team here in Alaska with us.

Thanks for many of your continued prayers. We have had many close calls, PJ fell off a ladder, Dad almost cut a main power line, and many other minor situations God's hand has been over. We have had great opportunities to encourage and minister to many native people and kids. Today is our last day of work and ministry. Pray that we can wrap up all our projects at the house and church. We are also looking forward to handing out clothes to more people and will probably visit the homeless shelter again. We will also be wrapping up Kids For Christ Club tonight. We have built some great relationships with the kids and many of them have opened up to us. This has been such an awesome week and we are looking forward to a fun day tomorrow as we travel as a group to Whittier to do some sightseeing. I want to encourage you today to be a catalyst for community. We as brothers and sisters in Christ need each other to pray with, laugh with, cry with, minister with, share with, and just live life with.

Alaska 8/11

2010-08-11T10:52:00.002-04:00

What a week it has been. I am not even sure what day it is, I think it is Wednesday. We have been working hard and not sleeping much but God is so good and we are having a blast. We have knocked out a lot of work at Dennis and Celesta's house and also at the Church.

Yesterday was a jam packed day. We all started the day by serving at the Church with their Food Pantry ministry. We were able to provide food for 71 families. Some of us helped them pick out their food and others carried food to their cars and homes. Many of these people were homeless. It was great to see them smile and just to talk to them.

We spent yesterday afternoon working hard. We made a lot of progress on our work projects. Last night we started the first of three nights of Kids for Christ club. The girl's did an awesome job putting together the night and we had around 25 kids come out. We look forward to the next two nights working with the kids.

I had a little scare last night. I lost my wallet and for about an hour the whole team was searching the church, parking lot, and yard. I had my driver's license, cash, and credit card all in it so we were praying that it would turn up. When we were about to give up and call and cancel my credit card Elizabeth found my wallet in a garbage bag full of bats and balls that we used when we were playing with the kids. We were all praying that we would find my wallet and praise be to God that I don't have to go through the process. Continue to keep us in prayer. Today and tomorrow we will be handing out clothes to the poor and homeless and continuing on in many of the work projects we are doing. Pray for strength as many of us are tired, pray that God would use us to impact those who come to pick up clothes and for the kids that come out in the evenings.

Alaska 8/9

2010-08-08T18:10:00.003-04:00

"Before the mountains were brought forth,

or ever you had formed the earth and the world,

from everlasting to everlasting you are God."

- Psalm 90:2

Good morning from Anchorage, AK! It is currently 6:30am Monday morning. I have been up since 4am. Don, Dad, and I were up early and are spending the early morning at Kaladi Brothers Coffee shop. As I am looking out the window I am looking at the majesty of God, it is sometimes hard to drive because I find myself gazing at the mountains.

Yesterday was a great first day. Our team was able to serve at both Sunday services. Some of us led worship and sang, others helped prepare food, others were able to be greeters, and Don and I were able to preach. After church many of the people stuck around and I was able to hear many of their stories. It was amazing to hear the struggles and how God has worked in their lives. One truth that hit home was to never put your hope in what God has not promised.

After church when went back to Dennis & Celesta's to debrief with the team. In the afternoon we tried to recover from the jet lag. Many of us were able to see Moose and some of the team had a close encounter. Last night we all gathered at Wendell and Judy's house for the church's prayer meeting which was actually a surprise birthday party for Celesta. It was a great night of fellowship and we were able to continue to build relationships with the people from Mt. View Baptist Church.

Continue to keep us in your prayers this week. Today we have a lot of work to do. Part of the team will be working hard today at Dennis and Celesta's new house while others will be sorting clothes in preparation for the God's Closet ministry Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. Keep the food pantry, God's Closet, and Kids for Christ Club ministries in your prayers as we have the opportunity to share Christ with those who come. Keep the team in prayer as we are still adjusting to the time change and our schedule constantly changes. I have not slept much and have been running on some of the best coffee in the world (Kaladi Brothers). Flexibility is our key word this week as we are serving wherever we are needed.

"May God be gracious to us and bless us

and make his face to shine upon us,

that your way may be known on earth,

your saving power among all nations."

- Psalm 67:1-2

Charlotte Airport

2010-08-07T15:04:00.002-04:00

After a quick flight from Akron-Canton to Charlotte I am now sitting here waiting to catch a flight to Phoenix which will then take me to Anchorage. Charlotte has free wi-fi so I thought I would take a minute to share with you. On my first flight I really started diving into the book "Let the Nations be Glad! The Supremacy of God in Missions" by John Piper. I spent an hour just trying to digest the forward which is about 30 pages. I love the heart for God that you see come out in Piper's writing. This book is all about the worship and supremacy of our God. Here are a few highlights from the book, hope they inspire and encourage you today.

Methods change. But worship, prayer, suffering, unreached peoples, the gospel, faith, heaven, and hell remain.
Is there a distinct God-magnifying, Christ-exalting mindset in your life?

"All the earth-shaking awesome forces unleashed on the world are released by the Lord Jesus Christ. He reigns today. He is in the control room of the universe. He is the only Ultimate Cause; all the sins of man and machinations of Satan ultimately have to enhance the glory and kingdom of our Saviour. This is true of our world today - in wars, famines, earthquakes, or the evil that apparently has the ascendancy. All God's actions are just and loving. We have become too enemy-conscious, and can over-do the spiritual warfare aspect of intercession. We need to be more God conscious, so that we can laugh the laugh of faith knowing that we have power over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:9). He has already lost control because of Calvary where the Lamb was slain. What confidence and rest of heart this gives us as we face a world in turmoil and such spiritual need." - Patrick Johnstone

machinations: crafty schemes, plots, intrigues

ascendancy: governing or controlling influence

Worship has always been and will always be the ultimate purpose of God in the universe.
Suffering is the normal cost of godliness. (2 Tim. 3:12)
You can't commend what you don't cherish.
When the flame of worship burns with the heat of God's true worth, the light of missions will shine to the darkest peoples on earth.

I want to leave you with the opening paragraph from chapter 1. This statement is profound and is a truth that we must grasp and live out. May worship be your fuel and your goal!

"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever." - John Piper

ALASKA MISSIONS TRIP

2010-08-07T06:53:00.002-04:00

Today is the day. The team of 14 is on our way to Alaska. I am so excited to see what the Lord is going to do in us and through us. Most of us will be traveling all day to Alaska, spending about 12-15 hours in planes and airports. Alaska is 4 hrs. time difference from eastern standard time so when I land a little after midnight tonight it will feel like 4am.

I am looking forward to the long flights, it is a really good time for me to get some reading done. My goal is to read 3 books during my two weeks in Alaska. Those books are:

- The Bondage Breaker by Neil T. Anderson

- Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper

- Let's Start with Jesus, A New Way of Doing Theology by Dennis Kinlaw

Don and I will also be preaching at Mt. View Baptist Church tomorrow morning. Don is doing the first service and I am doing the second. I am really excited to share in the second service. It consists of many people who come in off the streets. Mt. View is a very poor urban community in Anchorage. It is extremely diverse and is full of hopelessness. What a privilege and blessing it is to bring the hope of Jesus Christ. Please pray for us as we all travel today. Pray as well for the church services tomorrow that God would be glorified and bring hope to the hopeless.

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" - Romans 10:14-15

Cultivating Closeness with God

2010-08-04T08:01:00.003-04:00

The past two evenings we have had about 15 people coming together at our house and have had some great "J-Time." The key component of what we have been talking about is this idea of cultivating closeness with God. This implies an individual and a community working hard and working together to draw closer to God. This process requires desire, direction, and determination. Most people would say they would want a deeper relationship with Jesus but the question we need to ask is if we are willing to do the work. If you really want to cultivate closeness with God in your life here are some things to think about.

1. Examine your circle of intimacy.

- Who are the 2-3 people that get closest to your heart and stay there? If you want to be close to God the people in your circle of intimacy must be close to God. You cannot effectively cultivate closeness with God by yourself. You need other people and you need to help each other.

2. Examine your busyness

- In the midst of your busyness where does God fit in? How does your busyness affect your time with God? Where does my time with God fit in my priorities? One of Satan's key tactics is to keep us so busy with meaningless things that we never make time to cultivate closeness with God. Just like any relationship it takes time to grow it and if you aren't making time for God you will never grow closer.

3. Write God's Word upon your heart

- How often do you think about God's truth throughout your day? We need to always be meditating on the truth of Scripture. Put it on your mirror, in your car, on your computer, or somewhere you will see it constantly. As human beings we forget really quickly, we need to constantly be reminded.

Cultivating closeness with God is a process, but it can start right now. What are you going to do today to begin this process? Are you going to be intentional about the people in your circle of intimacy? Are you going to examine your busyness? Will you write God's Word upon your heart today and carry it with you? I pray that you will and that the God of Creation would draw you closer to Himself and far away from sin.

Pray with Action

2010-07-27T09:15:00.003-04:00

"Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes;

and I will keep it to the end.

Give me understanding, that I may keep your law

and observe it with my whole heart.

Lead me in the path of your commandments,

for I delight in it.

Incline my heart to your testimonies,

and not to selfish gain!

Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;

and give me life in your ways.

Confirm to your servant your promise,

that you may be feared.

Turn away the reproach that I dread,

for your rules are good.

Behold, I long for your precepts;

in your righteousness give me life!"

- Psalm 119:33-40

As I was reading this passage this morning the words that are in bold type are the ones that stuck out to me. When you look at this prayer you see action words. It implies that we need God. We need Him to teach us, give us, lead us, direct us, encourage us, and protect us. How often do we ask for the Lord to do these things in our lives? This Psalm and prayer is a reminder of what our prayers should resemble. A humble spirit who seeks the Lord. So today pray with action words, pray with boldness and confidence, ask God specifically to teach, give, lead, incline, turn, and confirm. Allow God to work in and through you, let God be God today!

We Must Not Bypass the Cross

2010-07-15T09:49:00.003-04:00

"From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." - Matthew 16:21

"As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day." And they were greatly distressed." - Matthew 17:22-23

"And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day." - Matthew 20:17-19

"You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified." - Matthew 26:2

When Jesus was being tempted by the Devil in the wilderness he was provided an easy way out. Satan was offering him the world without the cross. Instead, the Lord Jesus resisted the Devil in perfect obedience and choose the way of the Cross. He knew the pain and agony he must face to provide eternal glory for all of his children. We see four times in Matthew were He mentioned His death. He could have taken the easy way out but chose to endure, persevere, and set an example for his children to follow. We must realize that there is a cross involved in our obedience to the will of God. As Dennis Kinlaw said in his devotional, "Before every step of obedience, we will find resistance that must be overcome, temptation that must be fought." We must not bypass the Cross.

Most of us will never have to endure what Christ did, but in our daily obedience to Christ we will face opposition and temptation. How many times have you been invited to church, a retreat, mission trip, or any God centered event that you knew was going to draw you closer to God but the voice in your head told you that you need rest and need to stay home. Or maybe something less important came up at the last minute and you chose to do that. We must understand that the enemy's number one goal for Christians is to make them ineffective and unproductive (2 Peter 1:8). He wants to keep us from the blessings that come from encouragement and growth in Christ. We must not bypass the cross and take the easy way.

"Iron sharpens Iron, and one man sharpens another." - Proverbs 27:17

I have never liked conflict. I don't like hard conversations. I want everyone to get along and just be happy. God has been teaching me the past couple years that I can't have effective ministry by avoiding hard conversations and taking the easy way out. It also hinders my growth in relationships not only with my brothers and sisters in Christ but with my relationship with God. I am beginning to learn that through hard times, through hard conversations, through conflict we can be made stronger through Christ. Jesus knew this, He knew the power over sin and death that would come by not bypassing the cross. If we choose not to bypass the cross in our lives we can experience victory and freedom. We can strengthen and deepen relationships with one another and most importantly our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." - Luke 9:23

Setting the Bar

2010-07-06T17:45:00.002-04:00

"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." - 1 Timothy 4:12

In Paul's letter to Timothy we find this verse that is encouraging Timothy to be an example and to set the "bar" so to speak. Various studies conclude that Timothy was anywhere between his late twenties to mid thirties at the time. I love the charge Paul gives to Timothy for two reasons.

First of all it brings conviction. Think about it. Can you think of a time when someone younger than you set a better example of Godliness in a certain situation? Maybe you lost your temper and someone else didn't. Maybe you had bitterness & unforgiveness in your heart and you saw someone younger forgive and reconcile a relationship. How did you feel? Did the Holy Spirit bring conviction in your heart? It doesn't matter how young you are or how old you are, the point is we need to set an example in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.

Secondly it challenges us to lead. Many of us are afraid to lead because we are afraid to fail. If you are afraid to fail I have news for you, you already have. That is the whole point of why Christ had to come and die. Through Him all things were made new and there is freedom and forgiveness in Christ. We can now rise every time we fall. We don't have to stay down. Through Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit we can get back up after our failures, we are forgiven and free and can move forward with what the Lord has for us.

Timothy needed to lead, I need to lead, you need to lead, we all need to lead. We need to set the bar in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. We must not be afraid to fail. We all have people that look up to us in our lives. I truly believe there are many Christians with this intense amount of love, passion, and purpose inside of them and Satan has them bound by fear. The moment you realize that Christ wants you to be alive to shine and you start setting the bar and leading in these areas that bound up passion and desire for Christ will come flowing out. Matthew 6:14-16 sums it up:

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

Banana Pudding

2010-07-01T22:13:00.002-04:00

"Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." - Romans 12:10

I was blessed to spend this week in southeast Oklahoma with 30 high school students ministering to a Native American community. We spent our days cleaning, putting up drywall, building a fire pit, and fixing a water line. In the evenings we put on a VBS for a local Native American church. One evening at VBS Don had the youth from Ohio meet one of the locals and find out something about them. One student met a man named Charles and found out that Charles's favorite desert was banana pudding. The young man continued to build a relationship with Charles throughout the night. Snack time eventually came and as the young man came to the desert line he saw banana pudding. There was only a spoonful left. As he put the last of the banana pudding in his bowl he then proceeded to find Charles. He asked him if he had a chance to have any of the pudding. Charles's said that he hadn't been through the line yet so he gave him the last of the banana pudding. It was neat to see Charles's reaction when he saw that the young man remembered he liked banana pudding and gave him the last of it.

How do you care for people? Are you listening to them? Are you encouraging them? One thing that God taught me this week is that God doesn't forget about anyone. He cares for everyone everywhere no matter how desolate the place. He also cares that we care. Would I have ate the banana pudding or would I have thought to give it to Charles? I guarantee that Charles's will remember the kindness and thoughtfulness of that young man sharing the banana pudding with him. My prayer for myself and for you today is that we would be children of God who outdo one another in love for each other. That we would encourage one another and care for people.

Just Smile

2010-06-20T17:04:00.003-04:00

Seriously, just smile. Right now, do it! A big cheesy smile. How does that make you feel? What emotions are associated with your smile?

I tend to be a driven person so when God really grabbed a hold of my heart I have had this intense desire to be God's boy. I also tend to be a mind person more than a heart person so I often have spiritual battles in my head. Recently Satan has been hammering me with feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, and confusion. Today I was getting frustrated with everything going on in my head and just had to get out of the house. I went to the track and decided sprints would help. With my Ipod on I began sprinting as fast as I could around the track. As I was running (and eventually walking) I was praying and just asking God to take this feelings and thoughts. I wanted to submit them to Him. After a few laps I just felt God say in a calm whisper, "just smile."

All those thoughts in my head disappeared and I had this big smile on my face as I kept running. I kept running for about 15 more minutes and the whole time I was smiling. As I continued on I was convicted about my lack of trust in God. All the thoughts and feelings in my head were flowing out of situations that I wanted to control. Since I didn't have the answers I wanted, Satan was using that to make a mess in my head. God had to bring me back to the simplicity of faith. I had to ask myself, "Do I trust God?" My answer out of my mouth was "yes" but the answer "yes" that I need is from my life. Am I living a life fearlessly? Is my trust in God evident in my decisions, choices and lifestyle? In those things I can't control can do I believe God is working it out for my good?

We are creatures of control. We want to control our circumstances, our future, and ourselves. If you are like me you want everything to be planned out. The enemy wants us to forget that God is in control and wants us to think that we are. The reason we need to "just smile" is understanding and knowing that we are not in control. Think about it. Doesn't that relieve a lot of pressure? YOU ARE NOT IN CONTROL! Is that scary for you think about? Logically think about it. If you could pick anyone in the world to be in control of your life who would it be? Would you pick yourself or God who created you? The problem is God has created us to be submissive to His control yet we fight Him for it everyday. You ARE in God's hands, not your own hands. Isn't that a refreshing and comforting thought? How can that not make you smile?

Today I had to seek God and ask for forgiveness. I needed to turn and repent from a Travis centered life to a God centered life. Today let God be God and just smile knowing that God is in control, that He loves you unconditionally, and you are His!

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28

The Service of Passionate Devotion

2010-06-19T12:28:00.002-04:00

Today I was reading from my favorite devotional, "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. I wanted to share some thoughts from that devotional from June 19th with you.

Jesus did not say to make converts to your way of thinking, but He said to look after His sheep, to see that they get nourished in the knowledge of Him.
Jesus Christ calls service to be what we are to Him, not what we do for Him.
Discipleship is based solely on devotion to Jesus Christ, not on following after a particular belief or doctrine.
So many people are devoted to causes and so few are devoted to Jesus Christ.
Our Lord's primary obedience was to the will of His Father, not to the needs of people - the saving of people was the natural outcome of His obedience to the Father.

Putting On Forgiveness

2010-06-14T08:55:00.002-04:00

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive." - Colossians 3:12-13

Do you realize that you are a chosen one of God? Did you know that you are holy and beloved by the God of all creation? Seems hard to believe doesn't it? The truth is we must believe this, we must know that we are chosen, holy, and beloved. The reason we must know this is so we can act in accordance to what we are. Everything that Paul lists in this passage are characteristics that flow out of us when we are believing the truth about who we already are in Christ. The problem is when we forget or start listening to the world's perception of who we are and not God's truth. Many times we create labels about ourselves that hide the truth about what God has already said about us. One thing that is hard for many of us to believe is that our mistakes can't label us forever, we are forgiven and free in Christ Jesus.

Of the list that Paul lays out Forgiveness in my experience seems to be the hardest for many people. We tend to have a hard time forgiving ourselves as well as forgiving others. Is it hard for you to forgive? If the answer is "yes" have you then asked yourself "why?" How often do you think about the cross? Are you constantly reminded or do you feel the weight of forgiveness that Jesus Christ gave to us? Or do you have a sense of entitlement? America has taught many of us that we deserve to be treated a certain way, that we have rights, and that we have the right to justice. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if we really want a right to justice that means we all deserve to go to Hell. If it would not be for the grace of God shown through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ we would still be dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2). When we truly feel the weight of the grace and mercy of God and that we are chosen, holy, and beloved already forgiveness becomes part of our nature. We actually look forward to suffering and showing grace to others because that is what Christ did for us. Many times we want mercy but don't want to give mercy.

My challenge for you today is to put on forgiveness. I learned a few years back to stop saying "I'm sorry." That is not a Biblical response to a sin you commit against someone. A Biblical response is to admit the sin, repent and ask for forgiveness. It is more difficult to ask for forgiveness than to say your sorry. Asking for forgiveness vs. saying your sorry may be more difficult for you but it will build Godly character and strengthen relationships. Today remember the one who forgave you and then put on forgiveness.

Where's your focus?

2010-06-10T09:00:00.003-04:00

The following is an excerpt from "This Day With the Master", a devotional written by Dennis Kinlaw.

"We often tell people that they should receive Christ. Yet we must remember the words of Jesus: "Follow Me." The two appeals have very different connotations. The first appeal implies a certain need in us, an emptiness, a guilt, a lostness. The center of concern is the human self and the fact that Christ can meet each person's need.

The connotation of "Follow me" is quite different. The central focus is on Christ, not on ourselves. It means refocusing our lives, not around ourselves and our lacks, but around him and his call. It speaks of our losing control and yielding to him. Suddenly our whole horizon changes, and it includes the Cross...

...Beware of any presentation of the gospel that stops with receiving and does not talk about following. Salvation is not in an experience. It is in Christ, and we must walk with him if we would experience that saving power. Salvation comes through his presence..."

Where is your central focus? Is Christ your center? It is so easy in life to allow ourselves to become the center and lose sight of the Cross of Christ. The command to "Follow me" is not an easy one, it requires constant refocusing of the center of our lives because of flesh fights to be the center. I want to encourage you today to take time with your Savior. Evaluate where the center of your focus has been and ask God to help you keep him at the center of everything you do.

Desperate

2010-05-30T14:03:00.002-04:00

Yesterday Lincoln and I were driving and we were both in the mood for some rap music. There is very little good rap music out there in my opinion. One guy I really enjoy is Lecrae. His lyrics are rich and real and it sounds awesome. As we were driving the song Desperate really hit home for both of us and I wanted to share the lyrics with you. Maybe you have felt like he is describing in this song, I know I have.

[Verse 1]
Woke up this morning too depressed and shamed to leave my bed
Cant stand to see my own reflection so I hang my head
feel like a disappointment like the scum of the earth
I'm so hurt I know you see I cant cover my dirt
my souls dying hearts weak and I cant even cry
I'm sposed to run to you but WHY I'm such an evil guy
The sun's shining but for me it's the darkest of days
Try to pretend it never happened but the guilt remains
I leave the house it feels like everybody knows I did it
Feel like they reading my mind and know the sin I committed
Through your blood I'm aquitted but my heart doesnt get it
Oh God I'm desperate for Help cause I'm grieving your Spirit
I couldn't sing in the sunday service, Lord I felt fake
and when they started communion I just made an escape
I'm in need of your grace/ feels like you hid your face
Lord Lead me back to cross and show me my sins erased

I'm so desperate, I can't believe I've sinned against you
Create in me a clean heart (I'm so sorry)
Your mercy is what I need

[Verse 2]
I'm waste deep in my pity Is Satan tryna trick me
and tell me you wont forgive me cause it's startin to get me
Jesus help me quickly I hate the wrong I've done
I know we all fall but I feel like the only one
Feels like I should be shunned should I punish myself
I know it's dumb cause by your death all my sin has been dealt
But my sin is been felt I didn't want to do it
but what I want to do I don't I swear I'm goin through it
I'm tryna open up my bible need to read your pages
need you Lord but my guilt has got me feeling so faithless
Help me see where grace is take me back to the basics
help me find my joy in you and not people and places
my sin is ever before me I turned my back on you
Oh father break and restore me to bring me back to you
my sin is ever before me I turned my back on you
God break and restore me to bring me back to you

[Verse 3]
have mercy on me God according to your steady love
wipe away my transgressions and wash me in your blood
Create in me a clean heart renew a right spirit
Don't hide your face from me God your Presence keep me near it
I'm waiting patience on you Lord I know you hear my cry
Restore your Joy in me for you alone I live and die
It's you I Glorify cause you don't want my sacrifice
you want me broken and contrite trusting in the Christ
I confess to you my sin and you show me mercy
I turn away from it demonstrating that you are worthy
over lust, over pride, over all sin
is my affection for Jesus who died for all them
I was lost now I'm found I was toss to the ground
My sin weighed on me heavy but I am no longer bound
As sure as Christ wear the crown I know that grace will abound
And even when I feel lost I know in You I am found

Under the Wings of God

2010-05-17T10:16:00.003-04:00

He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

- Psalm 91:4

Have you ever pictured yourself under the wings of God? Have you come to take refuge under them? I love the picture of God covering us with his feathers and us taking refuge under his wings. It lets us know that God is ultimately in control. That we have security in Christ, that we can trust in him. The word refuge means a shelter or protection from danger or distress. In the hard times or in our struggles often times we run away from the wings of God. This could be for a number of reasons but many times we just don't trust God. We don't believe that he will protect us from danger or distress. It is in these times we need to run under the wings of God. We need to ask him to help us believe and trust in him and to know he is in control. John Piper in his book "Sweet & Bitter Providence" writes,

"When you believe in the sovereignty of God and that he loves to work mightily for those who trust him, it gives a freedom and courage that isn't abandoned in hard times."

Today I challenge you to picture yourself under the wings of an Almighty, Loving, Powerful God. A God who forgives sin and remembers them no more (Jeremiah 31:34). My prayer is that you will find refuge under the wings of God!

The Patience of Faith

2010-05-08T17:24:00.002-04:00

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers is one of my favorite devotionals. If you don't have a copy of it you need to grab one. I want to share with you part of the devotional from May 8th.

"Faith is not a pathetic sentiment, but robust vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love. You cannot see Him just now, you cannot understand what He is doing, but you know Him. Shipwreck occurs where there is not that mental poise which comes from being established on eternal truth that God is holy love. Faith is the heroic effort of your life; you fling yourself in reckless confidence on God.

God has ventured all in Jesus Christ to save us, now He wants us to venture our all in abandoned confidence in Him. There are spots where that faith has not worked in us as yet, places untouched by the life of God. There were none of those spots in Jesus Christ's life, and there are to be none in ours. "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee." The real meaning of eternal life is a life that can face anything it has to face without wavering. If we take this view, life becomes one great romance, a glorious opportunity for seeing marvelous things all the time. God is disciplining us to get us into this central place of power."

Are you established on eternal truth?

Do you walk with reckless confidence on God?

This may seem like it describes a radical Christian. You may think I know only a few people with that type of radical trust and faith. The question is do you want that type of radical faith and trust in God? Are you willing to ask God for it because he wants to give it to you. It may be radical but it is also Biblical. Today ask God for a robust, vigorous confidence in Him!

Reflections from Prayer & Fasting

2010-05-04T19:29:00.003-04:00

Once a month the ministry has a prayer and fasting day. It is usually a Monday and we spend all morning and afternoon praying. We usually break the fast around 3:30 or 4:00pm. This past Monday we had an awesome time of seeking the Lord, praying for friends, community, the town of New Philadelphia, and just surrendering our lives and ministry to God. Here are some thoughts and verses that spoke to me this past Monday...

"For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things." - Psalm 107:9

"From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised." - Psalm 113:3

"The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us..." - Psalm 118:27a

"...Your restoration is what we pray for." - 2nd Corinthians 13:9b

Restoration implies a bringing back to a position or relationship. The important thing to remember is that when we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ we are redeemed. We are adopted as sons of God and have the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance (Eph. 1:13-14). At times our fellowship with God fades. We focus on ourselves and sin starts to creep in and distance our fellowship from Christ. It is a "Slow Fade" like the Casting Crowns song. As I was praying Monday God just reminded me to pray for restoration. To restore my fellowship with Him. To remove all the stuff I have placed in between us that is keeping me from Him. So today I pray for restoration in your life. I ask that you would draw near to God and you will enjoy the fullness of joy we have in Christ.

When Love Walks

2010-04-29T15:54:00.003-04:00

Walk - to move about in visible form

Have you ever thought about the idea of love walking before? Think about love for a second. What comes to mind? Is it an emotion? Is it a feeling? Is it an action? What is your definition of love? Where did you get this definition? Did the world, media, or culture shape or define love for you? Has God's Word had anything to do with your connotation of the word love? What is the source of love? If you agree with me and say God then do you define love the way He defines it?

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. - 1 John 4:10

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. - 2 John 1:6

Love cannot be stagnant. The love of Christ, the love he showered upon us must be walked out. It must move to become visible. You may be asking yourself what that looks like. Check out 1 Corinthians 13 and you will see a pretty clear picture. Today ask God to give you love that walks. Love that is visible for others to see. A love that we cannot create or manufacture but love that comes from God Almighty.

Power, Passion, & Purpose

2010-04-28T16:45:00.004-04:00

Do you walk with your head up or down? Do you walk around with power, passion, and purpose?

Often times I catch myself with my head down. Many times I forget.

I forget that if our God is for us who can be against us?

I forget that our God is stronger and higher than any other

I forget that our God is the healer and redeemer of the broken and the lost

I forget that he is the life changer

I forget that he is living water and the bread of life

I forget that our God is all powerful

I forget that our God loves us unconditionally

I forget that I am His.

Have you forgotten?

Over lunch today I was encouraged. I was listening to a guy who hasn't forgotten. He was walking in the power, passion, and purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was taking the attacks of Satan head on with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit. It wasn't easy but there was the power or Christ in his life. His passion and purpose proved it.

I don't usually write prayers but I want to leave you with one today. Don't let the enemy win the battles in your mind and in your life. Use the power and truth that God has given you.

"God, I am your child. You are my father. I thank you for that relationship. I pray that I realize this truth and embrace it. I pray that I would walk in your power today. That you would give me a passion for the name of Jesus Christ. As it talks about in Acts 4, I pray that people would take note that I have been with Jesus. That my life would reflect and lead people to you Lord. I thank you for the power over sin and death that the cross accomplished for me. Give me an eternal perspective and a passion to fulfill my purpose in Christ. May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Restrained

2010-04-22T10:47:00.004-04:00

Have you ever had to be restrained?

When it comes to living passionately for Jesus Christ one of the last words I think of is restraint. That is why it caught my eye as I was reading Exodus 36. As the people of God were constructing the Tabernacle, everyone whose hearts were stirred to do the work came. The people of Israel continued to bring contributions for the work of the Tabernacle. In verse 5 the workers approach Moses.

"and said to Moses, "The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do." So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, "Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary." So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more." - Exodus 36:5-7

I love the fact that they had to be restrained from giving. There is no way you would see that in today's culture. We are either holding on so tightly or when there is an abundance it is never enough. One of the prayers for the ministry is that God would provide all that we need to do what he has commanded us to do. Not more and not less, just enough. Every month God comes through. Every month we have enough to pay the bills. God continues to prove time and time again that we can trust him. I don't know where you are at but I do know God wants you to trust him.

I love to dream. I love to dream big. What if the people of God would desperately care for the work of the LORD? What if the people of God had an eternal perspective? Would their focus shift? Would the world look any different? What would it look like if pastors would have to tell their congregations to stop giving because of the abundance of their giving? What an awesome sight that would be!

The Sheep of Your Pasture

2010-04-05T08:42:00.002-04:00

"But we your people, the sheep of your pasture,

will give thanks to you forever,

from generation to generation we will recount your praise."

- Psalm 79:13

Have you ever thought of yourself as a sheep in the Lord's pasture? To me that is a reassuring. It is a picture of God's love and guidance for our lives. As much as my prideful self hates to admit it this means that I am not in control. This means that I have to surrender control of my life to the shepherd. But thanks be to God that when the Lions, Wolves and Bears come we have our shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ.

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me."

- John 10:10-14

Abide

2010-03-30T19:53:00.003-04:00

So recently I have not made time read. I have done my daily time in the Bible and have really studied it but my supplemental ready has really slacked the past month. In fact I haven't done any. Therefore this past week I made a commitment to pick up some good books. I began reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and What Jesus Demands from the World by John Piper. Let me just say that when you add to your Bible reading some great stuff by some great authors it grows you, strengthens you, and energizes you. If you are not a reader or have slacked recently I encourage you to pick up a good book and dive in. If you need some suggestions I have some on the side tab on my blog or feel free to ask me.

With that being said I wanted to share some thoughts I gleamed from a chapter from the Piper book...

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." John 15:9

Abide: to remain stable or in a fixed state

Did you know that Jesus demands that we abide in him? Did you know that he demands the engagement of our minds and hearts every day of our lives?

"Abiding in Jesus means staying vitally connected to the life-giving, power giving, fruit-producing branch, namely, Jesus." - Piper

Do you ever feel depleted? Spiritually tired? Exhausted?

Do you feel like you are in a desert wandering for water?

If you are feeling this way I hope you evaluate if you are abiding in Christ's love and in God's Word. Jesus Christ is the life giver, he is the source of everything good in us. Actually, apart from Christ we can do nothing of any value. When we try to operate on our own power we eventually dry up. We cannot sustain ourselves, that is why Christ demands that we abide in him. My heart for you today is that you would stay vitally connected to Jesus. That you would remain in his love, his truth, and his word. Take time today to savor the goodness of your savior.

"Believing in Jesus as our living water means drinking the water - savoring it and being satisfied with it." - Piper

At The Cross

2010-03-25T18:27:00.003-04:00

We had an amazing weekend working with Polen Band to share Gospel of Jesus Christ and celebrate the release of their new cd, "Face to Face." My favorite song (right now, it seems to always change) is called "At the Cross." I just wanted to share it with you and let it minister to your hearts today.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" - Mark 15:37-39
AT THE CROSS
(words and music by Jeff Polen ©2005 Jeff Polen Music / ending words written by Eric Kaufman, Jeff Kaufman, and Maynard Miller ©2009)

You have asked me for everything
But You have given me more than I gave You
And I have found that when I’m nothing
I am everything in You

When I’m weak You make me strong
When I’m down You give me words to a song
And it picks me up again
And I lay my burdens down
At the cross again
And then it’s only You and me

I am a stranger in a strange land
You are still the same
And You are always right beside me
Every time I call Your name, Jesus

When I’m weak You make me strong
When I’m down You give me words to a song
And it picks me up again
And I lay my burdens down
At the cross again
And then it’s only You and me
credits

www.polenband.com

His Grace is Sufficient

2010-03-22T16:53:00.003-04:00

So it has been awhile since my last blog. Life, ministry, and living with 7 other people can tend to make life a little crazy. So in the midst of taking on the weight of others, the burdens of those you care deeply about, and wrestling through extremely tough decisions I found myself a little stressed out today. Have you ever tried to be "Superman?" Usually I don't struggle with this and tend to give my cares and burdens over to the Lord but today for some reason they seemed to pile up on my shoulders. They started to block out my faith and trust in God and started to pour thoughts of worry, doubt, and inadequacy into my life. As we arrived at New Grounds Cafe to prepare for our weekly outreach called "RE-connect" I found myself starring blankly at my computer. Then in the background I heard "Your Grace is Enough" by Chris Tomlin. Immediately 2 Corinthians 12:9 came to me,

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

That truth resonated with me and assured me that I don't have to be "Superman." That in all actuality I can do nothing apart from the power of Christ. That I need to stop relying on Travis and start relying on Jesus Christ and the truth of His word. So today my prayer for you is that you would know that God's grace is sufficient and you would see his power made perfect in weakness.

Pray

2010-03-03T04:41:00.003-05:00

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14

It is 4:45 in the morning. I have been up since 3:00am. Recently the Lord has been convicting me that I don't pray enough and I have been asking him to give me a heart that constantly seeks him and brings me to my knees in prayer. Well he seems to be answering my prayer by waking me up at 3am and feeling the overwhelming need to pray. I have spent the past hour and 45 minutes reading scripture and praying. It has been an awesome time of asking God for forgiveness, asking him to transform me, and petitioning for friends, family, and the ministry.

I truly believe if God's people humble themselves and pray and seek his face the Lord our God will move in ways we never thought possible. Men and Women of God we need to be a people of prayer. We need to stop praying safe prayers, our prayers need to be Biblical. My prayers have shifted from "God give me a good day" to "God do whatever it takes today to conform me to the image of Jesus Christ." God has been teaching me to stop praying for my own comfort and start praying for His kingdom to come and His will to be done. We need to take a look at scripture and see how our Biblical heroes prayed. We need to look at Jesus's prayer in John 17. We need to pray the Lord's prayer and mean it. So today, ask God to give you a heart of prayer, an attitude of prayer, and a constant knowledge that God is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. Billy Graham once stated that in the morning he picks up the phone to God and doesn't put it down till he goes to bed. He lived in constant prayer. What happens when the people of God truly grasp 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 where it says, "pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

"Our Father in heaven

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil."

- Matthew 6:9-13

The Road of Reflection

2010-02-23T22:37:00.003-05:00

One thing that I love is long reflective car rides. I tend to do my best thinking while I am driving by myself for long periods of time or in the shower. Those long drives by yourself gives you plenty of time to spend just talking with God and listening to Him. This past weekend I was driving to Indiana Wesleyan to spend some time with some college students. The drive takes about 4.5 hours and I was enjoying the ride by praying, listening to some Allistair Begg sermons, and worshiping. At one point I was listening to my advanced copy of the new Polen CD. I got to the song called "At The Cross" and almost broke down in tears. Do you ever have those moments when God's truth becomes so real to you and hits home? Have you ever had those moments when you realize how messed up your life would be without Jesus Christ? That is what happened at this moment. These words began repeating...

"I was spotless, I was blameless, I was the perfect Lamb of God,

You were broken, fallen, worthless, yet I died, I died for you."

As I was driving the weight of the truth in those words overwhelmed me. I was reminded of how wretched I am and how perfect Christ is. How I don't deserve anything and he deserves everything. How God would take a messed up sinner like me and save me is beyond my comprehension. At this point God's love became very real to me. I began to understand how wide, how deep God's love is for us. We are broken, fallen, worthless people yet He died, He died for us. Do you believe that? Really, does that truth effect your life? Does it do anything in your heart? Because I know for me it brings me to my knees.

The rest of the drive all I could do was thank God. Thank Him for His love, His goodness, His kindness, His faithfulness, His patience, His sacrifice... the list goes on and on. It made Romans 12:1 very real to me. When we realize how broken we are and how perfect God is our only response should be to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to Him. I pray today that you would take time to feel the weight of the words from that song. That God would bring you to your knees and you would cry out with thankfulness to your heavenly Father. That you would know its not about you and it is about God. That He is ultimately in control and that you can fully trust in Him.

*Please join us in supporting an awesome band (Polen) that is truly seeking after God and leading people into worship. They will be releasing their new CD at 3 consecutive concerts March 19th, 20th, & 21st. Cost is $10 and you receive their new CD free ($12 value). Don and I will also be speaking at the events. For tickets & more info visit www.polenband.com or let me know, I am selling pre-sale tickets as well.

Icicles

2010-02-14T19:52:00.002-05:00

With the recent snow storms I have had to do a lot of snow shoveling. In the midst of shoveling I began to notice many icicles forming on our gutters above our driveway. Some of these icicles were very large and must have weighed 20-30 pounds. Underneath the icicles were cars and also a walkway where most of us walk. As I fixated on the icicles with fascination I began to think about sin. You see, just like an icicle it starts out small and builds. The more snow that melts and re-freezes the bigger and heavier the icicle gets. The same is true in our lives, as we let more and more unrepentant sin build up in our lives it becomes a large heavy icicle that hangs over our heads ready to crush us.

These icicles presented a dangerous situation for the guys at the house and visitors who would come by. Something must be done about the icicles and something must be done about sin. The other day we moved the cars and worked together to safely knock down the icicles and pick up the pieces of broken ice. The danger of the icicles was then removed. In our own lives something must be done about sin. Jesus came not only to save us from the sin but to pick up the broken pieces in our lives. So in your life are their icicles? Is there sin that hasn't been dealt with that is turning into an icicle? I would encourage you to get on your knees and surrender to Jesus Christ. You might need some friends to help you break down your own icicles and to help you pick up the pieces.

The funny thing is two days later I walked outside and the icicles were back. Know that we are in a battle, know it is not us that sins but the sin nature that is in our flesh. May you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus Christ and may he bring freedom, healing, and victory over the sin that so easily entangles us!

So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. - Romans 7:17-19

Union

2010-02-10T07:12:00.003-05:00

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me." - John 15:4

Love by its nature seeks union.

Union: the state of being joined or united or linked

We are seekers of union. We want to love and be loved. There is something inside each one of us that wants to be united with something. When God calls you into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ it isn't just something you "add on" to you current life. You are now in union with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of you. You are joined, united, and linked with the God of creation. You are now always together, you cannot be separated, nothing can break your union. Many times we lose sight of our union with Christ. Though it is an essential
part of our Theology it is many times forgotten. Our union with Christ is an amazing thing, it radically changes our perspective once we truly start to understand it. As the author Brennan Manning puts it,

"Until the love of God that knows no boundary, limit, or breaking point is internalized through personal decision; until the furious longing of God seizes the imagination; until the heart is conjoined to the mind through sheer grace, nothing happens. ...The revolutionary thinking that God loves me as I am and not as I should be requires radical rethinking and profound emotional readjustment."

Jesus, human words cannot bear the weight of Your mercy and compassion. My union with You is like being so attached that life seems impossible without You. Detached from You during my days of sour wine and withered roses was a shadow life. I have no sense of myself apart from You. My bones say thank You for this now moment. Amen.

When Everything Falls Apart

2010-01-25T22:08:00.003-05:00

This past week I have been listening to Fee's cd Hope Rising. The song Everything Falls has been an encouragement to me and I just wanted to share the lyrics with you.

you said
you'd never leave or forsake me
when you said,
this life is gonna shake me
you said
this world is gonna bring trouble on my soul
this i know

when everything falls apart
your arms hold me together
when everything falls apart
your the only hope for this heart
when everything falls apart
and my strength is gone
i find you mighty and strong
you keep holding on
you keep holding on

when i see
the darkness all around me
when i see
the tragedy has found me
i still believe
your faithful arms will never let me go
and still i know

when everything falls apart
your arms hold me together
when everything falls apart
your the only hope for this heart
when everything falls apart
and my strength is gone
i find you mighty and strong
you keep holding on
you keep holding on

?shallow? i last for the night
but hope is rising with the sun
(its rising with the sun)
there will be storms in this light
but i know you will overcome

when everything falls apart
your arms hold me together
when everything falls apart
your the only hope for this heart
when everything falls apart
and my strength is gone
i find you mighty and strong
you keep holding on

when everything falls apart
your arms hold me together
when everything falls apart
your the only hope for this heart
when everything falls apart
and my strength is gone
i find you mighty and strong
you keep holding on

you keep holding on

"No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:5-9

The Body of Christ

2010-01-17T14:50:00.002-05:00

"Just as each one of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts according to the grace given to us..." Romans 12:4-6a

Do you believe you are a vital member of the Body of Christ? Because you are. Do you believe the church needs you like a body needs a mouth? Because it does.

You have a role. God has given you God-ordained gifts, talents, and passions to use for His glory. The Lord has placed you in a local church body to play a role in that particular body of Christ. God has prepared people for you to minister to, pray for, and serve. He just wants His children to be obedient and fulfill their purpose in Christ. My prayer for you today is that you will understand that you are valued in the kingdom of God, you have a vital role in the body of Christ.

Heart of Expectation

2010-01-12T21:05:00.002-05:00

Expectations define our experience

What are your expectations of God?

What are you expectations of Church?

What are your expectations of Prayer?

What are your expectations of Scripture?

Are you expecting to hear from God and be moved by the Holy Spirit?

I want to challenge you to seriously consider and evaluate your expectations. Do you expect other people to manufacture a "God Emotional High" experience or do you prepare your heart and mind to hear and be moved by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Do you expect to hear from God each and every day when you get out of bed? Do you expect the Holy Spirit to speak to you through Scripture? Prayer? My heart is that you would evaluate your expectations and compare them to what Scripture says.

New Year's Resolutions Part 2

2010-01-06T14:05:00.002-05:00

So, after my blog yesterday I came across a quote that confirmed my convictions about reading through the Bible this year. It is by J.I. Packer and says, "Any Christian worth his salt ought to read the Bible from cover-to-cover every year."

13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

- Matthew 5:13-14

Packer poses a great question we all need to answer, are we worth are salt? Or you could go on to ask, How bright is your light? Recently God has just been teaching me the power and importance of Scripture. We need to read, know, and understand God's Word. I will leave you with this passage from the book "Primal":

"One of the common complaints people make when leaving a church is this: "I'm not being fed." As a preacher, I make it my goal to nourish our congregation via a well-rounded diet of sermons. And I try to preach every sermon like it's my last. But let me push back a little. My kids learned to feed themselves when they were toddlers. If you're not being fed, that's your fault. I'm afraid we've unintentionally fostered a subtle form of spiritual codependency in our churches. It is easy to let others take responsibility for what should be our responsibility. So we let our pastors study the Bible for us."

New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-05T11:56:00.004-05:00

I have never been a big fan of New Year's Resolutions. I guess my thought would be, "why wait till January 1st to start doing something, do it now!" However, I always think a new year allows us to reflect on the past year and more forward to a new one. This year I felt compelled to make some "resolutions" or goals spiritually for 2010. I wanted to share them with you not only to challenge you to make some goals spiritually for yourself but also to keep myself accountable.

Goal #1: Read through the Bible in 2010. I have never committed to do this and completed it yet so this year I felt this is something I really need to do. The more of God's word I can implant on my heart the more ammunition I have to battle Satan. This year I want to challenge you to know the Word of God.

Goal #2: Read 15 books this year. I really am growing to love to read. I think Christian books are great in addition to the Bible. They help me understand people, culture, and share stories of others in ministry. I will probably be blogging a lot over this next year about the books I am reading and the truths God shows me through His Word.

The first book I am diving into for 2010 is called "Primal" by Mark Batterson. Mark is the pastor of National Community Church on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. I have really enjoyed one of his previous books "Wild Goose Chase." Here are some highlights so far:

Many Christians know what they believe, but they don't know why they believe what they believe. Their faith is fragile because it has never been tested intellectually or experientially. When they encounter questions they cannot answer or experiences they cannot explain, it causes a crisis of faith.
If Jesus said that loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength is the most important commandment, then doesn't it logically follow that we ought to spend an inordinate amount of our time and energy trying to understand it and obey it.?
Minds often remain closed to the truth until hearts have been opened by compassion.

Bonded

2010-01-03T14:52:00.003-05:00

I want you to think about a really rough point in your life, some obstacle, some hardship, some bump in the road that you had to overcome. Were you alone? Did you have anyone to walk with you through those times?

As I have been studying the book of 1 Thessalonians I am understanding that we are not meant to suffer alone. Shared suffering and hardships are much easier to bear than when you are on your own. So many people give up on God, relationships, people, and life because no one pleads with them not to give up. So today if that is you I want to challenge you not to give up. Read and understand the context of 1 Thessalonians. Paul not only shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them but he was willing to share his own life and share in their suffering as well (2:8).

When we share our lives with one another and walk "through the fire" we are refined and grow stronger. Think about the Holocaust for example. In the midst of extreme suffering people were brought close together. Christians all over Germany and Europe bonded together to help people. Many people shared in the suffering of the Jews to help them.

We even see that in many areas in our own lives. Look at sports teams. When teams overcome the team grows stronger and their is unity among the group. As Christians we are a team. Living for Christ in a world that is totally opposed to the things of God is really hard. We have many failures and have many obstacles to overcome. We need to share our lives with one another and walk through the hardships and sufferings with people so that we may be strengthened and God may be glorified.

Left in a Manger

2009-12-26T22:07:00.003-05:00

On Christmas Eve our church (Countryside Chapel) has a communion service. This year my dad who is an elder was asked to share 5-10 minutes before we took communion. My dad and I are very different when it comes to getting in front of people and talking. I love it and he gets very nervous. After getting the initial nerves out of the way he did an awesome job. It was actually one of the best 5 minute sermons I have ever heard (and I am not just saying that because it was my dad). I left convicted and challenged. Here are some thoughts that have been going on in my head the past few days.

You see, everyone knows "The reason for the season." Most people can tell you about Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, Wise Men, Shepherds, and I could go on and on. The problem lies in the fact that many of us leave baby Jesus in the manger. And that is the question I guess I would pose to you. "Is Jesus still in the manger or have you made Him Lord of your life?" Don't get me wrong, the Christmas story is an incredible true story but it is only the beginning of an even bigger story. Jesus had to grow up, he had to die. He had to humble himself and come as a baby, grow up to be mocked, beaten, and hung on a cross to be exalted.

¹⁸I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, ²⁰which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. - Ephesians 1:18-21

⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. - Philippians 2:9-11

The birth of Christ was the start of a plan that God chose to show his unconditional love for us. When we live life for ourselves and not for the God of the universe we leave Jesus in the manger. We can recite the story, it is in our head but it is not in our heart. I want you to really think about this question, "What do I believe about Jesus Christ?" Really, what does your head AND your heart agree upon about the person of Jesus Christ? Do I believe he was born of a virgin? That he grew up being fully man and fully God? That he was put to death of a cross and three days later rose from the dead and paid the penalty of sin that we deserve?

As you read in the verses above Jesus has been given the name above every name. He doesn't need us, we need him. If we didn't need Jesus, God wouldn't have sent Him. My prayer is that your heart and mind would agree that Jesus is Lord. That you would examine your life and surrender yourself to Him and His will for you. Once you do, things will never be the same.

Titles

2009-12-22T16:55:00.004-05:00

Do you like titles? I like titles. Titles always try to encapsulate a movie, person, book, etc. in a few short words. Do you have a title? What would be the few short words that encapsulates who you are? I think you can find out a lot about someone by there title. I also think titles help us remember our purpose and who we are. I have thought about this awhile and for me personally, I like the title "Torchbearer of Jesus Christ." I want to always be a light for Jesus everywhere I go.

So hopefully you are thinking about what your title may be or what you want it to be. I think this leads to deeper questions or more important questions to wrestle with like, "what is your legacy?" or "What do people associate with your name?" You see, everywhere we go, whether we like it or not, every person that knows your name associates character with it. Think for second about a few people you may know. When you think of their name you can probably instantly identify with their character. You can think about what you like about them or not like. In your head you can say they are nice, mean, rude, polite, caring, selfish, and the list could go on and on. I think this is important to realize because we have an opportunity as Christians to be light to a dark world each and everyday and our title is very important. If I want my title (Legacy) to be a torchbearer of Jesus Christ I need to make sure I am living up to that.

I love the story in Acts 17 where Paul and Silas are out preaching the gospel and doing amazing things for the kingdom of God. When they came to Thessalonica Paul preached for three Sabbath days about Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. The Jews became jealous and were trying to have Paul and Silas killed. It is very interesting though that in verse 6 in the English Standard Version they referred to Paul and Silas as "men who have turned the world upside down." How awesome is that, to be know as the people who turned the world upside down for Jesus Christ. I think many times in life we forget our purpose, we constantly try to find purpose in drugs, alcohol, jobs, money, careers, relationships, etc. and we live defeated lives. I know the days that I wake up and remember I am a child of God whom he has set apart to be a "torchbearer for Jesus Christ" I find it easier to walk in the fullness of my purpose.

I pray that you would take time today and reflect, spend some quality and quantity time with God and in His word. When we make God a priority with our lives he becomes a priority in our lives and we can't wait to spend time with him.

Watching the World Wake Up

2009-12-14T08:04:00.003-05:00

Recently we were visiting some friends from Church and as we were talking deer hunting naturally came up. Besides all the male macho hunting talk was the idea of watching the world wake up. Sitting in a deer stand early in the morning you hear the calm and quiet of a sleeping world. Slowly you see the sun start to rise, light begins to shine, and living things are alive. It is in moments like this when I feel like I have God all to myself (in reality God finally has all my attention). When the world is sleeping my God is awake and desiring to spend time with me. In times like this my faith is strengthened, my heart is encouraged, and my desire for the things of God grows. The world throws many distractions our way to keep us from God, to make us ineffective and unproductive. I believe the still and quiet of the morning provide us an amazing opportunity to have time with God. As it says in Psalm 5:3,

"In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation."

You don't have to be a deer hunter (I am not one) to enjoy time with God in the morning. Living in a house with 8 people it is very hard to have quiet time so I usually need to get up an hour before everyone else. Sometimes I go on early morning walks with my ipod and listen to worship music. When it is warm outside I may just go sit on the porch and pray. It will look different for everyone. Watching the world wake up is an interesting thing. It tends to calm you down, it helps you start you day off right, and for me it draws me closer to my Savior Jesus Christ.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

2009-12-07T18:30:00.003-05:00

Do you enjoy the old hymns? Most of them are simple and powerful. Many artists today are adding musically to the hymns but keeping the timeless words and truths. My favorite hymn of all time is"Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus." Every Sunday growing up we ended almost every service singing "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus." This could be one of the simplest songs but has so much truth and meaning. Think about the words for a second....

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace."

We just got home at 4:30 this morning from taking a group of young men to serve in Chicago. We finished up our time in Chicago spending time with some homeless guys that live underneath the streets in Chicago. We were planning on giving them socks because that is what their biggest need is. Once we arrived the homeless ended up with coats, blankets, and some sleeping bags. Our plan was not to give away the coats, blankets, and sleeping bags, in fact some of them were quite expensive. Many of the guys saw the things of earth grow strangely dim through this trip. The tight grip that was held onto stuff started to loosen. Turning your eyes upon Jesus is a daily challenge. Every morning I have to get on my knees and ask God to help me focus on him.

My prayer for you today is that you will turn your eyes upon Jesus because when you do the things of the world truly grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.

I AM

2009-11-25T08:35:00.003-05:00

This past weekend we were blessed to see God work in the lives of over 75 high school students. Our theme for the weekend was I AM. One verse continued to be brought up throughout the weekend and that was Romans 12:1 which says, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." In some versions it reads "reasonable act of service" or "rational service." As I marinate on that it seems simple but makes sense. Jesus Christ has paid for my sin through his death and resurrection at the cross. It would only seem reasonable or rational that I would give him all I have. It's like in movies or in life when someone saves your life or does something for you then you in turn feel like you owe them something. If we truly grasp what Christ has done for us it would only be reasonable to give him our time, money, selfishness, pride, worries, etc. Instead many times we become self focused, self seeking, and our world revolves around ourselves instead of our God. The deeper my relationship with Christ grows the more the focus of my life shifts from me to Him. I am still growing and will continue to do so but my prayer is that my life would revolve around Him and not me.

A Barbarian Call

2009-11-13T21:39:00.003-05:00

I am currently reading the book "Barbarian Way" by Erwin McManus. Often times our expectations of following Jesus is that life will be easy and everything will be smooth sailing. In my experience life becomes more challenging, spiritual warfare becomes more intense, and you separate yourself from the world. In the book McManus talks about how this call to follow Jesus has become caged and domesticated here in America. Here is an excerpt from the book.

"This is the sticky part of the barbarian call. It's not fair or equitable. When you hear the call, when you follow the call, you must recognize that is is a life and death proposition. When you understand what Jesus means when He says that you must follow Him, you finally realize that this is not a cattle call. He is not calling you to the same life that everyone else will live. He's not even calling you to the same path that every follower of Christ will walk. Your life is unique before God, and your path is yours and yours alone. Where God will choose to lead you and how God chooses to use your life cannot be predicted by how God has worked in the lives of others before you."

Have you gotten too comfortable? Do you find yourself constantly comparing your life and hardships with other people's lives? Are you focused on what God wants you to do for him? No matter what the cost?

Jesus says "...If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." - Mark 8:34b

Living a life as one of God's Beloved is not something to take lightly. It is a call to sacrifice, love, and humility. God is constantly teaching and showing me more crosses to carry, areas where I need humility, and sacrifices I need to make. I want to challenge you today to break up routine, escape from complacency, and play offense against an enemy that is constantly trying to make us retreat.

Promises

2009-11-06T22:01:00.003-05:00

Do you ever forget about God?

If you're like me you can have a tendency to get caught up with the details of life and we tend to forget that God is in control and running the whole picture. So in the midst of our life if we tend to lose sight of God we will then often lose sight of God's promises.

Living in a house with 5 young men is sometimes challenging, encouraging, and entertaining. We get into many talks and recently it seems they guys have been really struggling with losing sight of God's truths and his promises. So this past week I decided we were going to do a project. They each had 5 days to search the scriptures and come up with promises that spoke to them. This morning we all got together and shared those promises. Here are a few that I would like to share with you.

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:28-31

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" Joshua 1:9

"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us." 1 John 5:14

"for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

These are just a few of what we discussed this morning. If you have a moment I would also encourage you to read Revelation 21. It is an amazing picture of what God promises us.

God vs. Science

2009-10-24T11:06:00.001-04:00

Check out this story I came across, I hope it encourages you today!

Let me explain the problem science has with religion.’ The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.
‘You’re a Christian, aren’t you, son?’
‘Yes sir,’ the student says.
‘So you believe in God?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘Is God good?’
‘Sure! God’s good.’
‘Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?’
‘Yes’
‘Are you good or evil?’
‘The Bible says I’m evil.’
The professor grins knowingly. ‘Aha! The Bible!’ He considers for a moment. ‘Here’s one for you. Let’s say there’s a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?’
‘Yes sir, I would.’
‘So you’re good…!’
‘I wouldn’t say that.’
‘But why not say that? You’d help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn’t.’
The student does not answer, so the professor continues. ‘He doesn’t, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?’
The student remains silent.
‘No, you can’t, can you?’ the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.
‘Let’s start again, young fella. Is God good?’
Er … yes,’ the student says.
‘Is Satan good?’
The student doesn’t hesitate on this one. ‘No.’
‘Then where does Satan come from?’
The student falters. ‘From God’
‘That’s right. God made Satan, didn’t he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Evil’s everywhere, isn’t it? And God did make everything, correct?’
‘Yes’
‘So who created evil?’ The professor continued, ‘If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.’
Again, the student has no answer. ‘Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?’
The student squirms on his feet. ‘Yes.’
‘So who created them?’
The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. ‘Who created them?’ There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. ‘Tell me,’ he continues onto another student. ‘Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?’
The student’s voice betrays him and cracks. ‘Yes, professor, I do.’
The old man stops pacing. ‘Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?’
‘No sir. I’ve never seen Him.’
‘Then tell us if you’ve ever heard your Jesus?’
‘No, sir, I have not.’
‘Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?’
‘No, sir, I’m afraid I haven’t.’
‘Yet you still believe in him?’
‘Yes’
‘According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son?’
‘Nothing,’ the student replies. ‘I only have my faith.’
‘Yes, faith,’ the professor repeats. ‘And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.’
The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. ‘Professor, is there such thing as heat?’
‘ yes.
‘And is there such a thing as cold?’
‘Yes, son, there’s cold too.’
‘No sir, there isn’t.’
The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. ‘You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don’t have anything called ‘cold’. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees.’
‘Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.’
Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.
‘What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?’
‘Yes,’ the professor replies without hesitation. ‘What is night if it isn’t darkness?’
‘You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it’s called darkness, isn’t it? That’s the meaning we use to define the word.’
‘In reality, darkness isn’t. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?’
The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. ‘So what point are you making, young man?’
‘Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.’
The professor’s face cannot hide his surprise this time. ‘Fl awed? Can you explain how?’
‘You are working on the premise of duality,’ the student explains. ‘You argue that there is life and then there’s death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can’t even explain a thought.’
‘It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.’
‘Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?’
‘If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.’
‘Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?’
The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.
‘Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?’
The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided.
‘To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.’
The student looks around the room. ‘Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor’s brain?’ The class breaks out into laughter.
‘Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor’s brain, felt the professor’s brain, touched or smelt the professor’s brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir.’
‘So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lecture s, sir?’
Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable.
Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. ‘I guess you’ll have to take them on faith.’
‘Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,’ the student continues. ‘Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?’
Now uncertain, the professor responds, ‘Of course, there is. We see it everyday It is in the daily example of man’s inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.’
To this the student replied, ‘Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God’s love present in his heart. It’s like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.’

The professor sat down.
If you read it all the way through and had a smile on your face when you finished, mail to your friends and family with the title ‘God vs Science’

PS: the student was Albert Einstein

Are you Dangerous?

2009-10-13T16:12:00.003-04:00

Today I was thinking, "I wonder if Satan is fearful of me?" Now we could dive into a deep theological discussion but lets just think about it simply for a second. "Am I dangerous to Satan?" You see, I am a guy and those of you who know guys know that they like fighting, battles, and doing dangerous things for the most part. So obviously as I was thinking about this I really started to get excited. I want to be dangerous or a threat to the enemy's plans. I want to wake up each morning empowered by the Holy Spirit of God and take on the world. I am not talking about doing these monumental things that "the world" would say is great but I want to be dangerous in the little things. For instance, when I walk into the coffee shop in the morning I want to make sad people smile. I want to bring back the joy that Satan has robbed many people of. Imagine people have a joy meter that goes from -10 to +10. When you encounter someone do they shift to the negative or move toward the positive? Everyone we encounter is affected by what we say or how we act. How does that make you feel? That you have the opportunity to take someone from a -10 day to a +10 day. Are you asking God for opportunities to be dangerous to the enemy? Are you looking for ways to encourage one another? Do you want to be dangerous? I know I do, I want to cause as much damage to the enemy and share the abundance of love that Jesus Christ has shown me by his shed blood on the cross. So I want to encourage you to live dangerously today!

But, Jesus...

2009-10-11T13:05:00.002-04:00

I have been reading and thinking about Mark 6 recently. There is a lot in that chapter but what interests me is when the disciples present a problem to Jesus. The disciples are trying to get the crowds to leave and they come to Jesus and tell him to send them away so they can go to town to get some food. Well Jesus responds by saying, "You give them something to eat." Can you picture this scene? BUT JESUS! You want us to go buy the food? That would be 8 months wages! BUT JESUS, don't you understand how much work this will take? BUT JESUS, what you are asking us to do is impossible. I wonder if Jesus was thinking, BUT DISCIPLES, don't you trust me? BUT DISCIPLES, don't you believe I am big enough to provide?

Many times God calls us to do things. Sometimes they are little things and other times they are bigger. How many times do we say BUT JESUS and start coming up with excuses of why we can't do something for God. The great thing about God is that he is constantly giving us opportunities to trust him. Everyday we have an opportunity to test our faith. I want to encourage you to step out in faith and let God amaze you today!

Alaska - Summary

2009-09-29T23:39:00.003-04:00

Well, we have finally arrived home. Our trip to Alaska was truly an adventure. When we left our prayer was that God would use us while we were there and bring things together for the mission's trip this summer. God opened doors for us to share with high school students at different schools, encourage families, pastors, and communities by sharing the word of God, ministering to broken people through providing food and praying with them, and he grew our faith as well.

Our trip home was a long adventure. Don can sleep on planes and I can't. I went about 40 hours without sleeping and I still experiencing jet lag as I have trouble going to bed before 1am and I usually have to get up around 6:00am. I will just have to start getting some afternoon naps in.

I figured I will give you some of the basic details for next summer. We will be having meetings at Countryside Chapel in the near future for those wanting to get involved. The trip we be from August 7th -14th or 15th. There may be an option for some to stay longer but we still need to work out those details. As of right now we don't have a limit on how many people can go and depending on plane tickets the cost per person looks to be around $1,000 to $1,200. There will be a lot of work projects to do at Dennis and Celesta's church including painting, trim work, landscaping, chopping down trees, drywall, and much more. They also need help with their food ministry and we might be able to put on a VBS at their church. Marlin is also interested in putting on a youth outreach event in the Sutton area. These are a few of the details and please let me know if you want to be kept in the loop as we plan for next summer and get the team together.

Alaska - Day 10

2009-09-25T12:48:00.005-04:00

Every Thursday morning Dennis has breakfast with some local pastors and missionaries in the community. Some of the them minister in Anchorage and others to the native Alaskan villages. Don and I were able to come along and it was very informative to hear about the ministry to the native villagers. The guys educated us on the native culture, history, and the most effective ways to minister to them. I was overwhelmed with how much ministry there is to the villages. Alaska is so big (like 3 or 4 times bigger than Texas) with tons of native villages that you have to fly to get there. It was an eye opening experience and also encouraging to hear what these guys are doing to reach the native Alaskan villagers.

After doing some office work and preparing for ministry next week most of the day about 20 high school and college kids came over for our "Jesus Night." We spent about 2-3 hours wrestling with questions they had, challenging them to live boldly for Christ, and then spent some time singing songs and worshipping. We met a lot of awesome kids today and I hope that God does some amazing things with them. I am going to try to catch up on some sleep tonight because tomorrow night it is time to fly back to Ohio.

Alaska - Day 9

2009-09-24T03:20:00.004-04:00

Our Alaskan adventure is beginning to wind down. We will fly back to Ohio late Friday night and dive right into a jam packed fall full of ministry. We had to wake up and hit the road by 5am this morning. It was a really dark 2 and half hour drive to Cook Inlet Academy in Soldotna. We arrived a little early and joined the staff and administration for devotions and prayer. Mary (the principal) gave us a tour of the school and gave us some insight to the student body. Don and I had a great time sharing with the students and encouraging them to passionately live out their faith in Jesus. Afterwards we grabbed some coffee with Pastor Larry, his wife, and his daughter-in-law. It was a good time of brainstorming and recapping the trip with each other. We had a long drive back to Anchorage so Don and I made a lot of phone calls to catch up with people, work on ministry for next week, and raise support.

We got back to the Richardsons in time for dinner. They cooked up some Salmon and Moose Burgers. To our surprise Don actually tasted part of a moose burger and he survived! He actually said it wasn't that bad. After dinner a few of Seth and Sarah's friends came over and we spent hours having Theological discussions. There were some pretty intense times with Dennis and Don going back and forth but it was great conversation. Tomorrow we will go with Dennis to breakfast with a few local pastors and then tomorrow night we will have a Jesus night at their house. I guess they made an announcement at the high school so we might have a lot of kids over at Dennis and Celesta's house for pizza and Jesus time.