For Future Reference...

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. ~2 Corinthians 7:1 (NKJV)

Light exposes. God represents the light, He created the light, He is the light, and therefore His presence in our lives must expose the sin in us and do away with it before we can fully come to Him. If we think we are in communion with the almighty God and His moving Spirit, yet there is something that lies in the way, then we are deceived and have not been exposed to the hidden sins that must come to repentance. If we truly fear God, we should come to Him with prayer, asking to be made right in every way.

How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?

Cleanse me from these hidden faults. ~Psalms 19:12

There is an important note on the fact that we are indeed saved from our sins by grace and made perfect in the sight of God through His Son; it is this: we are saved in the future. What do I mean by that? I mean that we can never be perfect on this side of heaven and that in this life we will neither be seen as such. There are always those hidden faults of which do not know, and the only way we are saved from them is because God promises to keep Jesus before us on the day he judges the earth.

Sometimes we need to take a step back and examine where in our lives we could be growing, purifying, confronting God about, and making better. We don't always see or notice when our attitudes are less than ideal or our thoughts are sinful, but as long as we continually delve into God's magnificent instruction booklet for our lives and do so with prayer, asking that He will indeed reveal to us what He considers sin in our lives, He will honor it and show us how to become more Godly and God-fearing children.

He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. ~Micah 7:19 (ESV)

The Peace Paradox

“Enemy-occupied territory---that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.” ~C.S. Lewis

What do you say to the person who questions Jesus' deity? They conclude that, because this world is full of war, death, disease, conflict (and it's on the news every day), the acclaimed "Prince of Peace" is either a fraud or he's not strong enough to hold the peace he vowed to bring. While we sit around a warm cackling fire, a tree full of marvelous gifts, and tables full of wonderful food, there are riots going on against police, terrorists attacking elementary schools, and starvation raging across whole nations. Obviously this story of a savior being born to bring peace to a broken world holds no meaning or merit.

 

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ~Matthew 10:34 (NIV)

Sin will always wage war with peace on this earth. Jesus could force the world into order and sinners to repent, but he doesn't. What he did do was give us a way out. He brought "the sword" because his offer of true peace would split people apart. Jesus made followers, yes, but he also made enemies. The Word is a double-edged sword, and Jesus brought the truth of the Word to all peoples.

A Famous T-shirt logo, but very true when you think about it!

It is true that the peace Jesus brought was not one that would bring "world peace," but spiritual peace for those who choose to know him. It doesn't end there though, because simply knowing Jesus won't necessarily make your life nice and rosy. Sin makes life hard for us no matter where we stand, but Jesus promises that if we follow him, the Prince of Peace, we can find peace and comfort amidst hardships of many kinds.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. ~John 16:33 (ESV)

Teeter & Totter

It's easy to have a disgust for the sins of others because when we get the whole picture, we can easily see God's point of view and how the sin affects him. When WE sin, however, the lies of the devil blind us to God and only allow us to see the supposed or false benefit of the act. We generally only find a true disgust for our sin when it's done and we can approach the Lord about it.

Here's an easy way to see temptation; consider that you're going on a spy mission. On this mission you are being fed false information. You are told to relax your guard because you have really seen any enemies so far. You are told that even if you do skip out on the mission, it's not like they would fire you, because you are too valuable--it doesn't matter if you fail! You are told that there probably aren't many booby traps on this mission, so you don't have to worry as much. What they aren't telling you is that it will affect someone if you don't follow all the rules! The mission will fail unless you make sure that whoever is backing you is going to do so without fault and that you are physically and mentally prepared for the mission beforehand. Funny thing is, God always has reinforcements when you need them, so as long as you're not too proud or self-seeking, there's really no way the mission can fail with God's help.

Something to remember: A stumble is not a fall. This means that even during the mission, if we start heading in the wrong direction or we get lost, all we need to do is radio in for directions instead of giving up and continuing on toward failure. And if we don't know what it means to fail your mission, God gives a pretty good mission statement in the Bible--you should go check it out!

For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. ~Psalm 38:4 (ESV)

Final thought: if you are ever teetering on the edge and about to give up and fall forward, just face the other direction and allow God to take the totter. Your iniquities might feel too heavy for you, but consider this: you're probably not the strongest person in the galaxy. Just take it to the Maker.

I'm the Best at Not Bragging

"Anything you do for the sake of personal glory is sin." ~Trip Lee

"Bang--Bang! Look at these guns! You know where I got 'em? From bailing hay all summer! That's right, and I got paid too. Beat that," said my imaginary friend, Bruce. "Alright," I replied, "no problem. See these guns?" "No." "Then you're not looking hard enough, because I'm using them all the time; fighting off demons, that is. I got these from reading God's word all summer! Yup, and I got paid too, a whole bunch more than you did--I'm going to be getting a mansion in heaven some day! Only thing is that I don't really care about the mansion, I'm content with these guns. I'd recommend looking into some yourself!"

As Trip Lee said it, "the root of bragging is thinking something you have is so amazing that everyone needs to know about it." I know that bragging isn't a perfect way to look at this, because the root of the word implies selfishness, but I think if you start bragging to those around you and you don't include yourself doing anything to earn what you got, people will start to get the picture!

"Everything you have was given to you. So why would you brag when all you did was accept a gift?" ~1 Corinthians 4:7 Paraphrase

 "He’s too great to keep to ourselves...[we] were built to brag on Him." ~Trip Lee

There are those (especially at my workplace) who say they are Christians but still cuss and act anything but the part. And then there are those (I'm guilty of it) who act the part of a Christian but never say a thing. People will assume you're just a nice person.

"Every decision you make is an opportunity to be a mirror, reflecting the goodness of your Maker. Each second is an chance to be a monitor, showcasing snapshots of His glory.  And when those around us catch glimpses of that goodness, we get to tell them that our light is only a dim reflection of His. The truth is, bragging with our lives and our lips goes hand in hand. If we only brag with our lives, people may assume we’re just nice people. They won’t know who compels us to live such good lives. And if our words say God is amazing, but our lives say otherwise, our claims lose credibility. We must do both." ~Trip Lee

It's like saying, "Yeah I have this really cool new iPhone 5, but honestly you should be idolizing my friend, who has the iPhone 6--forget me man." Nobody does that, and yet we should. When somebody says that you're a nice person and never do or say anything wrong, are always on time for work, and always give your best effort, we should respond by saying, "Man, that's nothing! I wouldn't be able to do it if it wasn't for Christ changing my life for the better! Everything I'm doing is still just a step down from what he is, so you should check Him out, for sure!" So why not? Let's practice that kind of response in our own lives.

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. ~Matthew 5:16 (ESV)

Dying With Style

"School told me what to do for a living. Work helped me earn a living. But God gave me a reason to live." ~Lecrae

Most of us who are consistently around other people (i.e. the secular world) may begin to notice and/or participate in the way the majority of the world lives: "for the weekend." That's a generalization, but everyone lives for something because we all fear death and God--two of the things inherently found at the core of everyone's being. As we become more adept at hearing God's voice (and practicing His compassion for others) amidst the chaos of life and the roller coaster of changing emotions, we should also begin to see how zombie everyone is who doesn't know God like we do. As Solomon famously put, "all is meaningless" without our creator and savior. This means that anyone who does not live for God isn't living at all but dying with style.

In the same light, no one can be "thankful" unless it is directed toward someone else, otherwise it would probably just be called "glad to be in favorable circumstances." What I mean is that all those families across the country who celebrated Thanksgiving last Thursday were either in some way selfishly thankful (as apposed to selflessly praising God for what we are given) or falsely thanking someone/something from whom they could never have received the same blessings our Maker bestows upon us. So, as we all attempt to incorporate the attitude of thanksgiving into our lives, remember that it is one thing that truly sets us apart from the world. To God be all the glory forever and ever amen!

Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

~1 Chronicles 29:13 (NIV)

In memory of...oh wait, He's alive!

To start this off and bring up a past post: live like someone died for you! The reason we so often ignore this message in our lives is because we don't want to acknowledge the way He wants us to live for Him. There can be much mistreatment in this world for Christians who speak out, but that doesn't always imply persecution. Persecution means that there is attack/response/mistreatment/abuse for a righteous act when following Jesus rather than following the world. This does not include things like disrespecting/disputing/vehemently-defending-against/taking-action-over other beliefs/worldly things that don't line up with God's commandments--if you are reprimanded for that, it's not because you were following what Christ taught, but simply because you probably deserved it! In John 15, Jesus tells of how we are persecuted because we do not belong to this world.

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends....If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ~John 15:13, 19

Consider what your life would look like if you were living worthy of persecution. It wouldn't be easy. If, however, you are indeed living for the one who died for you, it all comes down to how much you love Jesus. Love obeys, and Jesus commanded us to go, to be lights in a broken world. That takes determination. I challenge us all to live so ardently for Christ that people take notice.

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. ~1 Peter 2:12

Doing hard things...or doing hardly anything...?

Doing hard things is an essential part of life. In the category of ridding all selfishness as an act of doing hard things for Christ, there is a point to be made. Self-denial is very different from the "denying of self" that Jesus preached. He said to take up your cross as a way of denying yourself. Self-denial on the other hand, could apply to any discipline: sports training, dieting, studying, even becoming something as awesome as a monk! However, all these things still involve or can involve selfishness. God doesn't want us to do hard things on humanity's standards, He wants us to do hard things on His standards, which usually involve doing things that both make you uncomfortable and don't seem to have any earthly or immediate reward.

This is a great story that spoke to me, one that you might have heard, but it was also relayed well in this article. I know from experience (though nothing like this woman's example...yet) how awesome (in the true use of the word) it is when you find yourself doing scary things for Christ and he strengthens you for it. It doesn't even need to feel encouraging or un-akward once you're through enacting God's calling, but as long as you do what you know He is leading you to, that's enough.

"I prayed… ‘Lord! Tell me when!’ At that moment I saw a figure of Christ on the cross some distance away. I stood up." ~Christine Weick

>>CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE<<

Meek Me

What is pride? There are many different things you can say about it, but if I had to choose one description, it would be 'putting yourself first.' Dictionary definition:

"A high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc."

 

What most people don't consider to be prideful, including myself until now, is insecurity. Allow me to explain. When you keep to yourself in fear or doubt, not wanting to fail in front of others, then it is usually due to a different kind of selfishness. Sometimes doing things without the struggle would be that much more of a blessing to someone than when you have to duck your head and mumble your words or avoid the situation all together.

 

...but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. ~Matthew 20:26-28 (ESV)

 

As Christians, pride is something we should strive to overcome. Humility is the opposite of pride. Consider where in your life you could be more humble by sharing the truth with others without hesitation, because to do otherwise is the same as being selfish. Don't keep it the best kept secret--Jesus deserves more than that!

Consider meekness and check out this article here.

λυτρωτής

And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. ~Ruth 3:12 (ESV)

Back in those days, when a widow was to be remarried, she needed to first seek out anyone in the family line who would become her "redeemer" and take her and all her possessions as responsibility. Ruth needed a redeemer, and sought out Boaz, as he was a kind man who Naomi also recommended. Staying true though, Boaz made sure there was no one who should be the one to take her first, so he asked the nearer redeemer and received his permission before anything else.

There is a very obvious line we can draw here between Ruth's redeemer(s) and ours--Jesus Christ. What Ruth required of a redeemer was that he be within the family line. If there was no one left in that family, she would then be free to marry as she saw fit. With us, before we can accept Christ as our redeemer, we must first divorce the world. Next, we must know that there is no one on earth who qualifies as our spiritual redeemer, the only way is through Jesus. The best part about this however, is that God, when we choose to seek him, accepts us into his family, thus allowing Christ to redeem us and call us his own.

Here is a song I really enjoy and thought would go along with this post:

Point to the answer

"We're relying on the Holy Spirit when we're...in one on one conversations with people, relying on the Holy Spirit to guide us in those conversations as well. With whatever big problem that seems insurmountable that someone walks up with...we don't [want to] give them necessarily the answer to the problem, but that we point them to the One that does have the answers." ~Kevin Young (From the band "Disciple")

When our lives shine with the light of Christ and other people see that, we should be making sure that our words and actions aren't what they listen to and follow. The biggest reason behind lessening ourselves in this way is that we are just as foolish, emotionally driven & faulty with words as the next man, and Jesus is the only person who can give them the perfect answer to whatever they might ask.

"God is not nearly as scared of honesty as we are." ~John Mark

In fact, God is not at all scared of honesty. For us, it can be extremely difficult to do something as simple as admit we are sinners/hopeless/helpless/broken in front of others...or even in front of God. It is hard for us to completely open ourselves up to God, but it is very possible. God wants us to acknowledge our weaknesses so that we can fully trust in Him to make them better. God can not be dishonest with Himself or with us, so his word always prevails over ours, and it is something to be forever grateful for. After all...if our word prevailed, God would cease to exist, and the world would be a much lonelier place, to say the least!

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. ~John 17:17 (ESV)

Prayer for Peter and James

This is a re-posting of a daily article by Institute for Creation Research (ICR).

(I thought it was great way of observing the power of prayer in the early church)

 

Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. ~Acts 12:1-2

Verse 2 of our text rather casually records what may have been one of the lowest points of apostolic time. James was killed with the sword—James, one of the only three disciples in Christ’s inner circle. He was one of only three to witness the resurrection of the synagogue ruler’s daughter (Luke 8:51-55); one of three to catch a glimpse of Christ’s glory at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-2); and one of only four to sit with Christ on the Mount of Olives and learn of the future (Mark 13:3-4). In Gethsemane, after their last supper together, Christ allowed him, along with Peter and John, to witness His agony in a special way (Mark 14:32-34).

He was highly trained by Christ Himself, and the fledgling church could ill afford to lose his leadership. But suddenly he was arrested and slain! A tragedy it would seem to lose such a leader. Think what James might have accomplished had he lived longer, much as Peter and John did. Could it be, however, that his martyrdom was a blessing in disguise? Certainly God allowed this to happen, but for what purpose?

The answer may be found in the verses following our text. Peter had been taken prisoner and was to be executed the next morning (Acts 12:6). However, the church had learned a lesson. No prayer for James is recorded, but for Peter, “prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him” (Acts 12:5), and Peter was miraculously freed by an angel and joined the prayer meeting.

What would have happened had the believers prayed for James as they did for Peter? Of course, that question has no definite answer, but prayer such as was offered for Peter followed the apostles and early church leaders in their work from that time on.

~John D. Morris

Dyin' to eat n' Eatin' to die

By the power of your hand, O Lord, destroy those who look to this world for their reward. But satisfy the hunger of your treasured ones. ~Psalm 17:14 (NLT)

One of the most powerful motivators for the human being is hunger and thirst. We will do most anything to appease our bodies, and not only with the bare necessities, but with the best garbage we can find! Paul basically foreshadows the culture we live in today in this passage:

For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. ~Philippians 3:18-19 (NIV)

Even the devil knows how influential hunger can be, as it was his first presented temptation to Jesus in the desert. Jesus was able to push aside the tendency of indulgence not because he wasn't hungry (and practically dying of it), but because he had another hunger that overpowered it. From his example, we should always remember where our true hunger is, and that the spiritual food we are provided (only by God) is the only kind of food that can truly satisfy us. It's a hard thing to see the value of spiritual food over that of our physical needs/desires, but it is always there, lying right behind the lies and temptations that come our way almost every day.

There is a song called "All Who Are Thirsty," and it speaks of coming to the fountain of the Lord to find our relief. It also calls out to the Lord to come (and fill us), which implies more of a dependency on God taking the action for our sake. The funny thing about that is, God has always kept his fountains flowing and all we have ever done is blinded ourselves to it. So really, our prayer should not be for God to come to a place he is already at, but to open our eyes to his gift of satisfaction and peace found in his mercy alone. Let's try to constantly remind ourselves that it is a spiritual hunger we should long for, and let us continually ask the Lord to renew that hunger in us each day.

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

~Philippians 3:20-21 (NIV)

Failure Isn't an Option.

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench. ~Matthew 12:20/Isaiah 42:3 (ESV)

I was introduced not long ago to this verse and concept, and it is a very foundational truth we should all remember. We are all like bruised reeds and smouldering wicks--things that are faded and worn, ready to give out at a moment's notice. Because of our sin, we often seem quite useless to God, especially those who have fallen away from the faith. It would make sense for God to let the reed snap or to put out the dying flame of our lives, but he doesn't. He didn't. Jesus came instead to reignite that flame and reinforce that reed. It doesn't matter how bruised and broken we are, Jesus can still use us.

"A spluttering wick can be made to burn more brightly. Sometimes all that is necessary is for the oil in the lamp to be replenished....A smouldering wick may give a little light in a hostile environment. It can be used by Jesus to light other lamps." ~John Reed

We should recognize our constant and recurring need for God's grace in our lives each morning, and we should have realistic expectations of others, a hope in the potential they have, no matter how lost they may be. No one is ever too far gone.

Whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ~John 6:37b (NIV)

 

Commitment to Contentment

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you. ~Psalm 9:10 (NLT)

Here is a thought to ponder in light of last week's post. Everyone has different sleep patterns, but for the majority of us, the day is often represented by how we feel in the morning after waking up. The night before usually greatly affects the day ahead, both in physical strength and mental stability. God wants to fill our minds for the expanse of the entire day, because whenever he is not filling us, our minds are being occupied with other, less important things. One of the most solid ways to reach that goal of preparing yourself for a day that is productive and can be endured, no matter what, is to kneel before the Lord prior to anything else during your day. In this way we can imprint a renewed awe onto our minds, acting as a picture of the strength and magnificence that God provides and as something that will last as long as it is held tightly to. God gives a persistent spirit to those who search him out on it, and he can and will be everything you need to get by, even during the hardest of times. The ONLY thing that ever keeps us back from such a 24-7 lifestyle is our complacent spirit and forgetful attitude--when we dedicate our early hours to things of lesser value than our true deliverer. God is ever consistent; and considering that we are not, he will always be the best option we have to look forward to.

"Those who kneel before God can stand before anyone." ~Lecrae

Desiring God--All Rights Reserved!

For the LORD Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth. ~Psalm 47:2 (NIV)

Here is a video sermon by Paul Tripp about restoring the awe of God, which he expands more in his recent book called Dangerous Calling. It's about 13 minutes if you want to check it out, or just glimpse the notes I took from it below (...or both!).

• Basically, we shouldn't be looking at the Gospel as something we have believed in, put our trust in, and now restrict to giving out to others--the Gospel being renewed in us is a humbling need of ours every single morning.
• Don't be a Pharisee and think yourself more righteous than anyone else--more righteous than the sinner you are (myself included, not to sound too harsh). It's easy to look past our own faults when there is so much we can be pointing the finger at around us.
• "No one gives the law more perseverantly than a person who thinks they're keeping it, and no one offers grace more tenderly than a person who thinks they desperately need it."
• The prayer of humility:
1. "God, I'm a man in desperate need of help today."
2.  "I pray that in your grace, you would send your helpers my way."
3. "Please give me the humility to receive it when it comes."
• Our awe of God should support and define every aspect of our lives/decision-making.
• It doesn't have to look all "spiritual", the awe of God is placed in all creation.
• Ministry is about giving people back their awe of God.
• "I know it's very hard, in ministry, to give away what I don't have."
• A great personal mission statement, of sorts: "Every worship song, every Sunday school class, every meeting of mens'/womens'/youth group ministry, every time the Word is taught, every time a sermon is preached--should be designed to rescue people from all the other 'awes' that have gripped there heart and to reclaim them once again for the awe of God."
• "The more familiar things get, the less they command my awe."
• "It is easy to replace the awe of God with the awe of creation (and self).

How to get back on track with keeping God in his place is very simple, but not often seen.

1. Lower yourself (get on your knees). Pray and wait for the blessing of Godly inspiration again.
2. Regurgitate sound teaching and remind yourself of the various beauties of God's creation and awesome attributes.
3. Confess to others that you are desiring to admire God as when you first believed and have them support you in it.

The title of this post (if you were curious) just has to do with the last second or two of the video which entitles it to the organization called "desiringgod.org".

Righteous Faith, Dude!

Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. ~Romans 4:9-11a (ESV)

How is faith the same as righteousness? Well, if we can agree that we are all sinners and can never make ourselves good enough to be in God's presence, then we can also say that it's only by having faith in God's grace that we are able to be with him. We are not righteous people, but through our faith in Christ, God chooses to see us as righteous. Now, there are certain things God gives us in the Bible that act as signs or seals to show whether or not we truly have faith, (even if some of them are a bit out of date). But, as Paul explains in the passage above, let us not get these signs and "covenants" mixed up to be more important than they really are. Circumcision can't save you, only Jesus can.

THIS IS THE SECOND POST FOR THIS WEEK

I am attempting to catch up for a few missed posts a while back, so the post below this is new to this week as well. 

 

Go In Faith

Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” ~Exodus 3:1-4 (ESV)

 

In this passage, we find Moses going about his normal day when all of a sudden he sees something different. When he decides to turn aside from his normal path in order to give the bush a better look, that's when God calls to him. I am attempting to draw a parallel here to our lives. For "some reason", God usually doesn't just tell us where to go or what to do. I believe he waits for us to go first, then he gives us direction.

Maybe God's will is for you to make a right decision based off of his principles, not to wait for him to reveal exactly what he wants you to do before doing anything. Basically, don't just stand at the door waiting for a road map--as long as you start walking, God will provide you with direction and companionship. Another thing to remember: nobody who "go's" should ever be ready, and if you ask any missionary, they will usually say that they were scared to get started. God doesn't want us to be fit to go; instead he wants to be the one we can brag about when he gives us all the confidence we need once we are out the door. Here's a bit of a conviction: if you believe that God has called all his children to "go" in whatever way that may be, then consider, prayerfully, the way you can "go", and don't wait "for years" just expecting the opportunity to pop up--simply go!

Fear & Trembling

“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one...There is no fear of God before their eyes.” ~Romans 3:11-18

What is the fear of God? How is fearing God different than fearing the guy with a gun? Well, fearing God usually involves something awe-inspiring and far above us. We should obviously hold fear if we were ever to be on God's bad side, and we should fear for those who are on the path of separation from God and his vital, all-encompassing companionship. But there is something more to fearing God than just these things.

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” ~Mark 4:39-41 (ESV)

And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. ~Mark 5:31-33 (ESV)

And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. ~Mark 5:15 (ESV)

 In each of these situations, the power of God through Jesus was at work before the eyes of those around him. If I saw Jesus working something amazing right beside me, or, much less, through me, then I'm pretty sure it would be a scary thing realizing the divine power I would be standing before--in the presence of God. If I had no faith at that point, I'm sure my fear would be more selfish and I would want nothing to do with the man, but believing in God beforehand would likely only strengthen my awe of, fear toward, and respect for the God of the universe. 

Desiderium Divine

\des-i-DEER-ee-uhm\ noun
1. an ardent longing, as for something lost.

Have you ever truly had a heart for the lost? The most raw prayer is that we will love people as God does, because we know he has a very ardent longing for those he created who don't know him, who are lost on the path of life. God came to earth as Jesus for the sole purpose of giving us a way back to his path, a flashlight when we're lost in the dark.

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. ~Luke 19:10 (ESV)

God our Savior....desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ~1 Timothy 2:4 (ESV)

We can never love completely as Jesus did, who had the love of the father toward all those he met (and didn't). Jesus was, in fact, so outward-focused and cared so much about his people that he forgave them to his very last breath, shouting out to God to forgive them, for they know not what they do. It is hard for us to look past the body of a person and see them for their potential as worshipers of God; it's hard to look past their sin and worldliness, but it is goal for us to strive toward. There was a certain parable where Jesus gave a representation of himself as being the good shepherd. He said that when the sheep drift away, he runs after them because he loves them. We can't save people, but seeing as we are all sheep and were all lost at some point, we can do our best to make others aware of the voice of the shepherd calling out.

Watch Out for Pine Needles!

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it. ~Genesis 4:7 (ESV)

This morning, I sat down (outside) somewhat close to a nice-looking spider web, aglow in the rising sun. Just out of curiosity, I picked up a pine needle and tossed it into the very intricately-woven web. Immediately, the warrior scrambled over to assess the damage done to his city wall. I thought at first that the little guy was confused at why the pine needle didn't have the right body shape or blood type of a normal victim, so he was attempting to tie it up for later, but as I watched, something else appeared to be going on. The spider realized that the needle was a hazard and a distraction that would lessen his chances of being productive later, so he expertly worked at unharnessing each part of the stuck needle until he was holding the thing (which was significantly larger than his own body) out from the web and gingerly dropping it to floor below. He then made his way back to the center of the web to resume duty.

I would offer a comparison for us to this spider. Even though we often have those high points in our spiritual walk, times when we are in the Word, in prayer, in fellowship with other believers and enjoying life as Christ did...when we allow even something small into our defenses, it can block our growth and hinder us from a full relationship with God. This blockage basically resembles our pine needles in life--they could look like tiredness, compromise, unnecessary daily distractions, indulgence, sin, busyness, "higher" priorities, etc. If there is anything that comes up to block our defenses, thus hindering our offensive, we need to get upfront about it and un-stick it from our lives. Only when we are completely free from distractions can God work miracles in and through us.

I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord. ~1 Corinthians 7:35 (ESV)

The Sound of Music

"People’s greatest need is for Christ, not another Christian band. Music is just a form of how we have been equipped to get the Gospel out to the lost who do not know [the] saving grace of God." ~Stephen Cobucci of “Wolves at the Gate” (Band)

What do you think music is? Should be? Was intended for? There are several ways music can be taken by the artist, (assuming we are talking about Christian musicians). They could 1) make their music into a career without feeling the need to incorporate anything "Christian" into their lyrics, 2) make music for themselves that is pleasurable to the human ear and may or may not include Christian values/messages within the lyrics, 3) make music that is intended to please God (worship) and not to make any profit on it except whatever they are blessed with by the works of their hands, or 4) make music that specifically reaches out to the listener by incorporating messages of hope and the gospel into the lyrics.

As a quick sidestep, let's look at how God views music. Some seem to think that God benefits from all music that is in someway uplifting, though I can't say I agree:

"I think the main problem is that people think you have to be all ” Glory, glory. Praise Jesus” in your music, or it isn’t christian. I believe, since we are all created in the image of God, that even non-Christians can glorify God, even if it is unknowingly. Take for example, a non-christian composing a beautiful piece of music. He does it for himself, but the only reason he can create it is because he was made in the image of God, and God knows that. God receives glory from it, even though it was done unknowingly by the composer." ~Unnamed band discussion contributor

In Romans 8:28, Paul says that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (NIV)." This means that God can use even music that does not relate directly to him, but it doesn't mean he takes glory from it directly. In Romans 11:36, he says "For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen (NIV)." This notes that there is nothing that God does not control, because if there was something that was not of him, that he did not make and own, then he might owe us something, and that isn't possible. These things being to his glory at the end of the verse shows how he takes glory in all that he has made, though it doesn't mean he is pleased with the choices we make or takes glory in all our decisions. I think that God is glorified by our intentionality toward worship, music or not, and that he doesn't benefit at all from those who don't acknowledge him.

As for the way Christian musicians should be approaching their music, I think that everything we do boils down to the convictions of our hearts. If we are in tune with God, then he will be constantly moving us to change the areas of our lives that could be improved to the betterment of his kingdom. Maybe that doesn't look like creating worship music and having to find a separate job for support, but money should never be an obstacle for us as we strive to go wherever God has called us. At the very least, we are called to, in all things, be a light to others, so whenever we see a musician who doesn't take their music (as just one aspect of their lives) seriously in promoting their faith, they really have no excuse and most likely aren't in a continual, growing relationship with God.

Feel free to add any thoughts or corrections below!

Heart of Worship

O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways. 

~Proverbs 23:26 (NLT)

When our hearts are completely geared toward God, when our worship and motivations are right and solely focused on pleasing Him rather than others, then that is when God can really start changing us. Only then can we truly take delight in following Christ, only then will we find joy even in the trials, and only then can our desires for worldly things start to change.

It is a truly amazing thing whenever I am reminded that my longing is to do God's will--when all the temporary pleasures I used to enjoy spending time in suddenly fade away. There is such a contrast of joy between the joy of the world and the joy of knowing and being enveloped in the peace of the Lord. All of heaven seems to quiet and listen when we decide to stop for, pray to, and worship the Almighty with our everything......when we truly give Him our hearts.

Prescription

"When we have the eyes of faith, we see a certain divine glow shimmering within the ordinary, just as we see all that is ordinary against a horizon of the eternal. Plato called this 'contemplating the divine,' and traditional religion calls it 'the finger of God in our lives.'" ~Ronald Rolheiser

Having the "eyes of faith" is an interesting way to say that a light bulb has gone off in our minds, and that we are suddenly able to comprehend--in a very small way--the vastness of God's glory. It's like putting on a pair of goggles, or glasses, that reveals a golden evanescence around everything beautiful; without them, we are simply human, but with them God gives us a glimpse through his own eyes. In the story of David, we see how God looks differently at people too, showing that it is not only the beauty of the natural world God created that He sees.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” ~1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV)

In all ways we should strive to become more God-centered and focused. We were made in His image, meaning that through God's eyes we were shaped to (have the potential to) look like Him in nearly every way. In every way, we can strive to be like Him, and though that doesn't mean we will ever be as perfect, He tells us continually through His Word that we, as believers, need to find that passion within us.

Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. ~1 John 2:6 (ESV)

So Stoked!

Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down. ~Proverbs 26:20 (ESV)

One way to interpret and utilize the verse above is that whenever you find yourself trapped in a disagreement of some kind, a provocation by someone you know, the best way to save each of you from anything you might regret is to stopped encouraging it. Usually, when someone throws a remark your way that gets your blood rising, it is meant to elicit a comeback, a piece of wood to add to the rising fire.

Pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife. ~Proverbs 30:33 (ESV)

 Jesus is an amazing example of not picking up any extra pieces of firewood and trying to stoke the flames higher. He was constantly provoked and harassed simply because he was so different from everyone else in the way he acted, spoke and responded to others. Jesus loved others, even when it wasn't easy. And that is what we are called to do.

Have my cake...& take just a few bites

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers ~Psalm 1:1 (ESV)

It is the human nature for us to make life easier for ourselves in every way possible. Our second nature would be that we like to get what we want and have the power to do with it anything that fits our fancy. In today's culture, that means a lot of Christians resort to a two-faced sort of personality. The cake is being a Christian and getting to show that title off around other Christians, while the eating of the cake is doing and being whatever and whoever we want outside of, say, church.

O you who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come; the thread of your life is cut. ~Jeremiah 51:13 (ESV)

When we peel back the skin and bones, the heart of this very common matter is that there is no thread. In every Christian, there should be a thread of hope, grace, love and longing, a thread that has been woven with the blood of Christ by God the Father, one that sews and mends our broken and sinful hearts. Not only that, but God should have a piece of that thread still connecting him to us. The thing is, God handed the thread to us long ago that we might have the choice to either let it go or pull it tighter. Many "Christians" who don't really act like Christians in every setting either never allowed God to send that thread their way or they let go of it when it seemed convenient. Something we can commit to is telling others about this thread, this hope of a different life, and we can personally strive to ditch the cake, pull the thread tighter every chance we get, and love others in everything we do, acting and behaving as Christ did.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." ~Matthew 5:8 (ESV)

Squash us, Lord!

"Life would have been so perfect without you! I might as well squash you with my thumb and start over." That's what my response would be if somehow I was God and I saw all of my creation willingly sinning against me and doing everything I commanded them NOT TO DO. That's what makes it incredible though (actually He takes all the credit), how God can seemingly shrug it off when we ask for forgiveness, as if it never happened. Of course, in all truth sin is always a big deal to Him, and it's never shrugged off or forgotten completely as He is an everlasting God, but once we have accepted Jesus' sacrifice, God no longer looks at that sin. In that sense, His love is so massive that there is NO WAY we could escape it even if we wanted to (which many of us do at some point in our lives).

'I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.' ~Isaiah 43:25 (ESV)

In the book More Than a Carpenter by Josh & Sean Mcdowell, they bring up the passage about Jesus healing a crippled man who was lowered into the room from the roof by his friends. Jesus claims to forgive the man's sins...and he says this before he even heals the man! The religious folk in the room are outraged, of course, because only God can forgive sins. Jesus was implying that the man had personally sinned against him, and was therefore claiming to be God. What I am trying to get at here, though, is that Jesus forgives the man before he even utters a word. This implies that Jesus knows the man to be a sinner and also knows that he was willing to do anything to seek forgiveness and be healed. Jesus had but to search the heart of the man in order to know his true intentions.

God is a powerful God, much more so than I could ever be were I in His position. My love is temporal, as loving as I can be, but God's love is forever. That moment when Jesus forgave him must have been a simply astounding one for the man. I can almost feel the shivers rushing up and down his body as he realized the implications of just those few simple words. Jesus could have been lying, and nobody would be any worse off, but somehow I think the man who was forgiven knew without a doubt that this was the son of God. He must have been overwhelmed to the point of tears, and probably would have been fine living the rest of his life a forgiven cripple, but still Jesus took the opportunity to heal him after all he had done and been through. The man was then free to go out and proclaim the wonders of the Maker's unending love, and I don't doubt he did just that! 

Here is a link to a great worship song called Search My Heart.

Foxes!

I was reading in Songs, and although there really isn't much "wisdom" to take from it (without digging really deep and finding analogies I guess), there was at least this line:

Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom. ~Song of Solomon 2:15 (NIV)

There is a band called mewithoutyou that brought this up in some of their music (which is how I recognized it), and there are also various sermons/writings about the verse, with different interpretations of the meaning. Here is my take:

Foxes are the things that steal our time and ruin our connection with God. If we are His temple and He dwells within us, then it is fair to say we are like his vineyard (of course, this messes with His "I am the vine, you are the branches" analogy, but it's also kind of a different subject. I like to think of "gardens" instead of "vineyards"). If we are God's vineyard though, then whenever we fail to keep it well groomed and kept--when we let things in like foxes that trample over it--then suddenly our priorities don't match up with God's, which is to keep our focus, time and worship on Him.

The foxes are basically the things that draw our attention away from God or keep our us far away from Him, like addictions to TV/other time-wasting things or neglecting to be in His Word and spending time in prayer to Him. So let's work together with God to help catch the foxes before they enter the garden, and thus we can put our focus on Him who deserves all our praise!

Rounded Walls

In Acts chapter 26, Paul is giving one of many testimonies in order to assure his innocence of any crime. In this circumstance, he stands before the judge Agrippa. He explains what exactly he believes and how his views of the resurrection of the dead align with those of the Pharisees, and then he tells of his conversion to Christianity.

"I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to [the power of] God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me."

~Acts 26:15-18

 Agrippa's initial reaction is to call Paul a lunatic, but here is Paul's response:

"I am speaking true and rational words. For the king [Agrippa] knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner." ~Acts 26:25-26

Paul basically says that everything he and the church has done in spreading the gospel should not be news, because they have not been preaching to themselves in a corner. On top of that, Paul knows that gossip flies fast wherever he goes, and since this new Jesus thing was a big deal to the traditional (angry) Jews, they would have helped spread the stories already.

This is a good example of how we should live. After a while of being in a new community of people (work, school, family, friends), our values and beliefs should not be a surprise to those around us, as long as we have not kept them in a corner. This also speaks to one of the many steps we have in house-building. Jesus' example shows us who is to be the foundation of the house: the Father. Paul's example shows us what the house should look like: rounded walls with lots of windows and open doors. As long as we strive to follow those two, then all that's left is for our example to be a decent enough blueprint for others to follow in building their own homes in faith!

P.S. Round walls means not so many hanging self-portraits!

Responsability:Priority

As Christians, we have a responsibility to stay awake and live life prepared for anything. I call this our response-ability.

Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
~Ephesians 5:7-21 (NIV)

So don't let yourself fall back asleep spiritually. When your life is becoming normal again, when you are no longer in a constant communicated relationship with God, give yourself a spiritual slap across the face. For me, this usually looks like getting myself into a setting with other believers, praying and/or worshiping; it usually is able to bring my focus right back to the creator.

Finally, how are we to spend this time, as we wait for the unknown day and hour of Christ's return? We are called to make disciples. It is a simple fact that we are all called to be missionaries in some way shape or form, no matter how well you are playing the part or how far you are going to enact it. If someone is a Christian, it means that they are also a missionary--they go hand in hand. Jesus never suggested otherwise, so why should we? It doesn't mean traveling from town to town as he did or journeying to other countries like Paul did, but however the Lord leads you to reach an untouched, unsaved soul: that's what we should be striving for.