Actively Dormant

This will be the last post for this blog, as I am finally making a big life-change. I am grateful for the many topics God has inspired me to write about in the last few years, and I realize that they could go on forever, just as the awesomeness of God is never-ending! As a farewell, I would just like to encourage us all to continue dwelling on the goodness of God's character and applying his attributes and commands to our daily walk. That's right, not just once a week, but every day, because God is good and understanding His truth should never be limited to a Sunday gathering or blog post!

For all of you nature-lovers reading this, I have a question. Why is it so easy to feel a special peace and closeness to God when outside in His beautiful, wild creation? Perhaps because there is nothing in the way, nothing tainting the glory of His image in the things He has created! Think about it: we are His creation just as much as Yellowstone National Park is His creation! And more than that, we are His  very beautiful creation in our own way because everything God creates is made in His image! So why is it so tough to see the beauty in ugly, sinful, broken people? Why are we supposed to see it in all people?

For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.

~Hebrews 3:4 (ESV)

During my senior year of high school, God totally hit me with the realization of His love for all people. And it's not like there was anything that caused it, any big turn of events in my life that kickstarted my viewing of people in a different way. No. It just happened on the bus one day. I realized that even those (sometimes especially those) who don't yet believe in God can be amazing representations of His creativity and glory. God loves and beautifully creates all people as an equally amazing (if flawed) representation of Himself. To realize and strive to treat all people equally with that truth in mind is, I believe, a discipline and a gift. It is true that God wants us to see the potential in every person to become a beautiful work of grace, fully devoted to Christ, but it is also  true that He wants us to see where that potential lies actively dormant in every person. The creation glorifies its creator without even trying because it was created by Him, so how much more would the creation glorify its creator if it realized Him and openly confessed, giving praise and worship back to Him through every creative means possible!

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.

~Romans 12:6 (ESV)

So when we find ourselves in awe of God's creation, even at Yellowstone National Park, we must understand that the creation we see as beautiful is not, in itself, God. It is a glimpse of a greater beauty. It should be a motivation to give glory to God rather than a place to live forever. We must believe that God is more magnificent than anything we might experience down here, because when we do, we can live with that truth in mind. We can live in constant expectation for something greater. We can use the beauty we see now as an inspiration to push on to good works, fighting for the salvation of others that might open their eyes to the same beautiful realization. Let the fire never be kept hidden, but let it burn bright for all to see both its glory and it's source: Jesus Christ!

For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name! ~Amos 4:13 (ESV)

Growing the Family

"To know God deeply is to love God wholeheartedly" ~David Platt

Basically, the more we know about God, the more we know God. The more we know God, the more we love God. And the more we love God, the more we will do for God. In the end, God gets all the glory. Everything is done for Him. So as long as we have the attitude of doing whatever it is we do for Him by His strength, productivity will continue to peak. It's only when we forget the mission and our all-out devotion to Him that we become satisfied living with Him rather than living for Him. There is no room for self when you are living your life for Christ.

As one of our pastors put it this morning:

The typical Christian is like a child who receives a command from her father to clean her room. Instead of cleaning her room, she comes back to her father having memorized his command, made his words into a song, and invited her friends over to study and celebrate every bit of the command he gave, without ever really obeying it.

Being a disciple of Jesus means being a disciple-maker. If you aren't praying and looking for opportunities to grow the family of God, then you are no longer on fire for Him. You may be on fire for His good attributes and promises, but not for His ultimate glory and not for his desire and vision for your own potential in serving Him. When you love God with your words instead of your actions, you declare that there is something else that satisfies you more than Him. You declare that God's calling of service toward Him is not the highest calling there is.

It is important to remember that God does not want us to respond to his love simply by enjoying Him, but by seeking the even higher joy of serving Him and spreading His gospel to all nations. Without Christ in our lives, we were once on the road to death, and without Christ in others' lives, many are still on that road. So even though worship via music, reflection, fellowship, or memorization and study may be God glorifying and beneficial, let us never forget the urgency of the mission we have been called to on top of all that. Let us never forget that there are still billions of lives at stake and thus billions of opportunities to glorify God even more.

Following the Leader

Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house, and Peter was following at a distance. And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. ~Luke 22:54-55 (ESV)

Did you catch that? Peter was following Jesus even after He had been arrested. Only thing is, he got distracted and fearful and decided to blend in with the crowd by sitting with them around the fire. This is representative of how we can be following Jesus and suddenly find ourselves in a worldly mindset that promotes the denial of a personal savior. We might get up in the morning and commit the day to following Christ, but then allow it to slip from our grasp as we get involved in school, work, TV, hanging out with friends, etc. This is especially significant right now as we have so many things that we are surrounded with throughout the day that are made specifically for distraction and self-indulgence. What Jesus wants for us, however, is so much more. He understands that following Him will be a struggle, but that's why He offers a peace that passes all understanding and a passionate desire for His glory that, when practiced, far outweighs the temporary distractions of this world.

Nothing can separate us from the love God has for us. That's a sure shot. A done deal. So how about the flip-side of that? What can separate us from the love we have for God? Can life or death? Angels or demons? Friends or co-workers? Social media or TV? Laziness or...even something good, like ministry? The answer is yes. Our lack of ability to remain true to God 24/7 shows more clearly the unchanging quality of God's steadfast love toward us. And that's why Romans 12:2 is so important:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.

Staying on track with God requires constant renewal. Whenever we dive back into God's truth throughout the day--whatever format that might encompass--there occurs in us a transformation that sets us apart from the ways of the world. God loves to grant us His strength and peace in order that we might live more like Him. All we have to do is remember to follow Christ and return to His path again and again by allowing Him to lead us back when we turn aside. Jesus is, after all, the only leader worth following!

Ocular Transplant

"If I could see you more, then I could love You more."

~Rivers & Robots (I did a video of this song here)

It seems a little blasphemous at first, when applied to God, but it's totally true that the less you see and interact with your friends (even your closest friends), the less you are able to love them. Now, there are times when you haven't seen a friend in forever and would die just to give them a big hug and hang out for a couple of hours, but the reason this kind of longing differs from the longing we feel for God can be explain in two ways:

1) When we long to "hang out" with and talk to God, we never have to go anywhere or sacrifice anything but time in order to do it. As for anyone else, being able to converse and interact with them can never be guaranteed, and certainly is not as instantaneous as our connection to God's perfect WiFi!

2) Our love for God should be so much more than friendly feelings and emotional conversations or worship sessions. If us loving God means we live and work and breathe and sacrifice everything for Him on a daily basis regardless of how well we can see or perceive Him, then being able to see Him more and know and understand His amazing attributes will only add to our ability to love Him by allowing us to absolutely enjoy whatever calling it is that He has placed on our lives.

So there is also an aspect of seeking God that is just as important. If we tried to do everything we could (e.g. placed ourselves in beautiful settings, trained our minds to "think only good thoughts," memorized a million Psalms, etc.) to find God more during the hard times, then it would definitely help, but it would also fail. It would help because God desires us to put effort into our faith, adding to it things like knowledge, godliness, and love, but it would fail because relying on our own ability to see God is futile. God wants us to seek Him and ask that He transplant our human eyes to give us heavenly eyes of wisdom and divine appreciation. Only then can we be assured of the hope of glory promised to those who believe.

"The more I seek you, the more I find you; the more I find you, the more I love you"

~Kari Jobe

Wholehearted Worship

Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly. Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you. Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made provision.” ~1 Chronicles 29:9-19 (ESV)

Live Long, Die Fast

"You can be saved by believing, but don't just stop there, allow God to use you to advance His Kingdom! Our time is short, so live long and die fast!" ~Jake Thornton

Live long and die fast? Talk about a walking oxymoron! There are actually two beneficial ways of dying fast, however, and most people don't realize how satisfying (at least in theory) these kinds of deaths can be. One way is to die to self and live for Christ. This is a daily denial that requires us to focus on a different kind of joy, whether it can be found in the present or in the promised and hoped-for future. The second kind of death is literal. John 15:13 says that dying for a friend is the greatest example of love. When we die for Christ--both literally and metaphorically--it proves to Him the extent of our love and devotion. It also guarantees a place for us in God's presence. Of course, one of those deaths guarantees that it a bit quicker than the other!

Longing for Heaven and the fullness of God's presence is a good thing. Longing to die in order to get there quicker, however, is a good thought, but somewhat contrary to the teachings of Jesus. We are called to be patient for that day, using our anticipation of it to the advantage of the Kingdom of God. Hope is a powerful attribute for the Christ-follower, and it doesn't support cutting the line or wasting time.

Ministry should never allow for the luxury of time when eternity is on the line.

As lovers of God, we are called to bring as many with us into the next life as we can, that He can be glorified that much more. And, of course, never should we forget that "bringing others" to Him is not something we can do alone. Only God's Spirit and grace can motivate dry bones to walk, and only by the strength of the un-tamable One can we continue on through the trials His calling will undoubtedly bring us!

Where You Going Bro?

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. ~Proverbs 13:20 (ESV)

Do you remember the phrase "You are the average of the friends you hang out with most?" Well, here is a new way to think about it.

You should choose to walk with who you want to walk like. In life, there are only two kinds of walkers: those who walk toward the light and those who walk toward the darkness. Each of those kinds of people will walk in a way that will get them to where they are going. They will also walk alongside those who have the same goal in mind, especially if they themselves don't want to admit their desired goal. So the logical choice would be 1) to acquire the most appropriate dress for getting yourself where you want to go and 2) to find none but the best tour guide to follow and mimic as you go there. So in the end, it comes down to whether or not you are scared of the next life and the consequences your time on earth might have when you get there. It also comes down to whether or not you trust Jesus enough. If you don't want to walk like Jesus in every way, then you probably don't trust that His way is the best and most enjoyable way. I am not saying that you can walk like Jesus in every way. In fact, it's impossible. What you should have, however, is a desire to be like Him because you realize that Jesus may well have been the happiest man on earth! And certainly, that does not mean the path of life in Christ is easy or fun. It means that satisfaction is found not in moment-to-moment comforts and pleasures but in eternal purpose and divine identity.

"Those who long to be with God long to be like God." ~Henry Morris III

So the gist of it all is that in searching out the most satisfactory way of getting through this life, you will never in all your days or ways of walking find a more comforting tour guide, mentor, friend, father, and God than Jesus Christ. And if you currently do not have the desire to walk like Him in every way possible, then it might be time to confront Him about it. God promises His peace to those who seek it, and He offers nothing but the best to those who long to find it: Himself!

Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. ~1 John 2:4-6 (ESV)

Just That Boss!

God is literally perfect. Isn't that just insane?! I mean, whenever we use the word "perfect," it actually means "pretty much as close to perfect as anything can get this side of Heaven." But when we use it to describe God, it's because we can't think of a single thing about Him that is not perfect! It's the same with love. God is literally the most loving consciousness in history. No one else compares. And isn't it impossibly complex how God can be forever? When we say that He was before time, it's only a way for us to try to wrap our minds around the unknowable, a way to describe the indescribable.

So God is impossible to describe, right? Still, He manages to use our own language when He speaks to us so that we can at least try to understand Him. He stoops to our level in order to point out that He is above us in every way. He shows us that we can be satisfied in Him while still being unsatisfied in our knowledge of Him because there is never an end of things to be learned and mimicked. God is infinite. He will never step down or get tired of His job. Even if He did, there would be no one who could fill his shoes because He is just that boss! And that is probably the most comforting thing in the world: to know that we serve a God that none other could ever compare to. There is nothing higher to reach for than God himself.

"i’m finally here at the edge of atonement. one step. one miraculous moment. i taste it. i sense it. i already own it. i have the right to remain god. but i could never fit in His crown. i took it off and i drowned in the thought that i’m only a man. and i don’t hold the world in my hands...

"my head’s high and i finally behold that Light that my faith always foretold. oh! words can’t describe how it feels to feel alive. today i’m coming clean. i’m coming home. i’m giving everything. You’re worth it all. You’re worth it all. Jesus You’re worth the offering."

~Attalus (Song title: "Breath Before the Plunge")

Isn't it sometimes just so obvious how small we are? I pray that our eyes are opened to this reality more often, because it is only in those moments that we notice how big we once thought ourselves to be compared to God. Whenever we fail to see God for who He really is, it's due to our own selves being in the way, and when we can't see God for the self, it's hard to accept any of the benefits God offers. God offers us His peace, not our peace. God offers us His Confidence, not our confidence. He gives us the assurance that He is and always will be able to handle whatever comes our way because He is the only rock solid enough for us to place our full and unwavering confidence in. God never fails. Let us always remember that we can and have trusted our lives with the most trustworthy being in existence!

"My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!" Psalm 108:1 (NLT)

Somebody Left the Faucet On...

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” ~Romans 1:16-17 (ESV)

So in the gospel of Christ, faith is, beginning and end, the only thing that allows for the righteousness of God to dwell in the hearts of believers. This is basically saying that God is our righteousness because 1) we believe He is and 2) it is the only saving truth--the gospel. Another way to translate it is "the one who by faith is righteous shall live." The application is that we can be confident in our salvation as we find ourselves on equal terms with God because of our faith in Him and the grace He has given us.

God is a God of grace. As we saw last week, His grace covers all our sin. His grace is something that we can trust in to never leave; it will always be there when we fail, and it will always be waiting for us to return to Him. It is something we can stand on, something we can take root in, and something we can always drink from. God's righteousness is like a fountain overflowing with water, and as long as the faucet is still running, we can still come and drink from the excess of His perfection. God's grace is such that the faucet never stops flowing, producing in the willing and submissive heart a life of joy lasting for eternity.

~Psalm 87:7~

As they make music they will sing, "All my fountains are in you." (NIV)

Singers and dancers alike will say," My whole source of joy is in you." (HCSB)

Then singers, as they play their instruments, will declare, "All my roots are in you." (ISV)

As for the singers, as well as the pipers--all of them sing within your walls. (NET)

Lastly, when we share the gospel with others, the beginning and ending of our testimony and proclamation of God's salvation should be the faith all must find in Him. When the goal is to glorify God, we can only accomplish it by being perfectly satisfied in Him. When the goal is to be satisfied in Him, we can only accomplish it by realizing His perfect righteousness and accepting it as our own. So when we declare God's truth, we should always come back to the fountain of grace found only in Christ Jesus. When we have faith enough to see God's fountain of life and abounding grace, we have the opportunity to come, confess, and be renewed, ready to worship God with a free and righteous spirit.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law,
although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood,
to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
~Romans 3:21-26 (ESV)

Our Awesome God

Your love is extravagant 

Your friendship it is intimate 

I feel like moving to the rhythm of Your grace 

Your fragrance is intoxicating in our secret place 

Your love is extravagant 

Spread wide in the arms of Christ is the love that covers sin 

No greater love have I ever known You considered me a friend 

Capture my heart again

~"Your Love is Extravagant" by Darrel Evans (Song by Casting Crowns)

God is awesome.

So why do we have to say "capture my heart again"? Shouldn't it be "You have already captured my heart and now it's yours for eternity"? Yes, in a certain sense, but the reality is more like "You have captured my heart, but I have forgotten just how much purpose your love brings to my once-filthy heart, so would You capture it again...and again...and again?" It sounds like a sad truth, but it is in fact one of the many things about us that makes God so awesome: the less capable we are of finding God's love extravagant, the more His grace opens our eyes to the truth of His sacrifice on our part. So as long as we are in search of His glory, God will continue to reveal Himself to us in new ways. As long as we seek to do His will with joy and utter satisfaction, He will honor it one way or another. It pleases God to satisfy us with Himself. And the comforting part about it is that He is the only one who can intimately know and have a friendship with each and every person that lives, has lived, and will live on this earth.

God's love covers our sin. What does that mean exactly? It means that our righteousness comes from Jesus alone. When we stand before the judgment seat of God someday, nothing we have ever done will get the slightest bit of merit. Only what is sinless will remain, and if Jesus is within us, he will remain as our first and only righteous identity. That is true grace, incredible love, and one simply awesome God for you!

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. ~2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)

Something < Eternal

Sin and truth have no place together and are in fact near opposites. All that sin is is false security, pleasure, indulgence, hope, and joy—all of which can never satisfy apart from God. So many people around us practice these false comforts all the time. Even Christians. Even ourselves! And these things often lead to sin and/or departure from God’s truth. When we get to the place where we recognize the areas in our lives that hold some sense of identity apart from Christ, even in the smallest way imaginable, and we seek out God’s wisdom and help in changing our desires to focus more on Him—only then can we truly thrive, and only then can we justifiably judge others for the purpose of discipling them, helping them, and pushing them on toward a renewed relationship with Christ. This is part of the reason why it is so important to be in constant fellowship with other Christians.

As long as we continue hoping in and trust God's truth, there will be no room for sin in us, but as soon as we give in to sin, we are declaring "a different gospel" by our actions and we are then suppressing God's truth. So it is good to be discerning in order that we might realize the areas of our life where false joy has the opportunity to lead to sin. Standing firm on God's truth makes us stand out because nobody realizes the difference between living for God and living for something non-eternal. Let us never turn from the true hope we have, and may our joy be always be found only in Christ. May we spur one another on and not allow our brothers and sisters to live and strive for anything less than eternal.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ~Romans 1:18-19 (ESV)

Anti-Anxiety Disorder

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. ~John 16:33 (ESV)

Not too many people are like this (and I have no intention of bragging here except on the name of Jesus), but I believe I have been gifted with something you might call anti-anxiety disorder. It means that I don't generally react to tragedies, sudden life-changes, financial crises, surprise trauma, etc., at least not the way most people would. I take it as it is. God's in control, right? Of course, the only reason I call it a disorder is because I'm in the minority (and of course I have my own ways of failing to trust God, if it looks a little different), but God offers everyone this selfsame disorder: His peace.

Nothing but encouragement can come to us as we dwell upon the faithful dealing of our Heavenly Father in centuries gone by. Faith in God has not saved people from hardships and trials, but it has enabled them to bear tribulations courageously and to emerge victoriously. ~Lee Roberson

Is it possible that living for Christ means more than giving your life (your career, your income, you successes and failures) to Him? What if the things life gives you only effects who you end up ministering to? If we are all called to bring God's kingdom to reality, then it shouldn't matter where we end up in life or where we are right now. God is in control, true, but that doesn't always mean he "orchestrated" things to happen in your life a certain way. Sometimes things just happen and God calls us to react rightly according to how Jesus would. If everything about us is to be an example to unbelievers, then there should be no surprise big enough in life that would allow us to break down and give up. Rather, let us stand strong and train ourselves to react to tragedies with love and peace, pointing to the greater cause and not focusing on our depression.

Not of this World

It shall even be as when a hungry man dreams, and look—he eats; but he awakes, and his soul is still empty; or as when a thirsty man dreams, and look—he drinks; but he awakes, and indeed he is faint, and his soul still craves: so the multitude of all the nations shall be, who fight against Mount Zion. ~Isaiah 29:8 (NKJV)

"It is significant that the sleeping men are dreaming only about eating and drinking. In the same manner, those whose interests and desires are centered in this world only will find all their objectives have turned to nothingness." (Quote by Henry Morris)

"The fact is that this world is not the real world, but only a temporary world which, like a dream, will soon fade away in the light of God’s eternal day when we awake in His presence to experience the world as God intended it." (Quote by Henry Morris)

So take a moment to consider what your dreams often consist of. What are they founded in? If they are not founded in the next life and don't necessarily have eternal value, why not? True satisfaction is guaranteed by God to be found in putting our hope and joy in the things of heaven. If it can be said of you that you are not of this world...except when you play too many video games or wear too much makeup or pursue school more than God, or a million other things...then maybe you should reconsider how you can find joy in things that will last--before they fail you!

For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. ~1 John 2:16-17 (ESV)

The Real Good

"I will stand firm, however, in the belief that although God can give me more, His goodness doesn’t depend on it, because He gave me everything when He gave me Him." ~Joey Svendsen (from a great blog post you can view here)

God is good. He delights in blessing us with earthly comfort, and we are not always suffering (in the physical sense) while we await his return. At the same time though, sometimes we can get caught up in the earthly comforts and forget that God doesn't always choose to bless us with them. When things go badly we might blame it on several different things: God, a lack of His blessing, our own disobedience/sin, the world, etc. What we forget is that this lack of physical comfort is just a part of life. So again, God does not always choose to bless us with earthly comforts, but what we can know for sure is that God always chooses to bless us with Himself.

People die every day, especially people of faith being martyred in second and third world countries--the types of deaths that have a better chance of catching our attention. We might look at the situations of other people in those third world places and understand that God has not necessarily blessed them physically. But that's why one little fact about God and man can be made so much more clear: it is simply awesome that God's kingdom is completely other, or separate, from this worldly kingdom and it has nothing to do with fleshly comfort. We have been given eternal life, and more than that, we have God's love and His wonderful attributes to comfort us until we get to the other side. The problem of dissatisfaction in the life of a Christian only comes around when we forget our priorities. True life doesn't revolve around God providing our next meal or getting us a new job or the multitude of other things we pray for daily (even healing for a sick family member)! True life revolves around us being satisfied in knowing, growing in, and sharing Christ; nothing else. So let's remember this week where our priorities lie and consider praying for peace, wisdom, strength, and faith before (not necessarily instead of) fleshly deliverance both for us and those around us.

God's Lawnmower

You are not God's lawnmower. Many people want to be just that however; let me explain.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ~Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

If you ever went up to your father as a kid and asked him what he thought you should be when you grow up, what should he have told you? Maybe he told you to be whoever you wanted to be and to follow your heart. We hear it all the time today: choose a career that you will enjoy doing for the rest of your life and the rest will fall into place! I think that this is a similar situation to the way God "calls" us. We often times want to wait for Him to tell us what to do with our lives, but I think God simply wants us to be ourselves. We want to invert Matthew 6:33 and say "give me this work to do and I'll do it" or "give me these things first and then I'll seek Your kingdom" but God tells us to find the work we enjoy and do it for Him. He tells us to go out there with His kingdom in mind and He will give us the strength to bring it into reality.

We want to say "give me a push in the right direction and I'll do the mowing" but God wants to do the mowing through us; it doesn't matter as much where we mow.

Matthew 16:19

You might have heard it before, but God calls us to the Great Commission, not the Great Suggestion. He gives us the keys to his kingdom so that we can share the future glory with others. We, as Christians, should have the greatest stories to tell by the end of our lives because our testimonies should be that we found the most joy in living by faith and following God's calling while living even the normalest of lives. God's calling is simple: Seek the kingdom I have already given you access to. Now let's stop over-complicating that calling!

Pre-Die Yourself

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. ~Romans 6:5 (NIV)

What you are obedient to most is what you are a slave to. We should be slaves to neither sin nor grace, but rather to Jesus Christ, meaning we must obey him as he once did what we must do--He died to self and saved us from our own sins; now we must shed our sin, die to self, and live for Him! Thus we shall be united with him in a death like his.

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation...indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." ~Luke 17:20-21 (NKJV)

What does it mean to be a people of the future? In 1 Thessalonians, Paul said of the church in Thessolanica that they had become a model to other believers. We too should model ourselves for others....but how? When we look at the Bible, the Gospel in particular, we see that it is a message about the past, but also a vision of the future. Because of this, we should be learning about God's Kingdom past and modeling our lives on the Kingdom future. The Kingdom of God is within us, and whenever we share the gospel with others, we are opening their eyes to an entirely new world--the Kingdom of God. So the question is: Where in your life are you living in line with the present and not with the future?

Just as we are to die (now) to self, we should live in a way that represents the lives we will have when our physical bodies fail. Thus we shall pre-die, because when someday we pass from this life to the next, sin will no longer be a problem, and it will be impossible to be slave to it.

Let us pre-die ourselves with the blood of Christ.

Jesus Made My Life

"Only God can fully satisfy the hungry heart of man." ~ Hugh Black

Have you ever heard the term "That just made my day" being thrown around? If so, that's perfectly fine! I'm sure there are many things that could happen to us that would be worthy of the "made my day" title. Not much can beat the experience of something changing your perspective on life for the better, even if it only lasts about a day. Now, as you have probably noticed, the title of this blog is "Jesus Made My Life." I hope that this is true of all of us. Jesus "made my life" the day I truly came to realize how awesome He was and is. Simple. You don't need much more than a cool Bible story or a psalm to see how magnificent and awe-inspiring God can be. And the coolest part about Him is that His awesomeness doesn't just last for a day--it lasts for life! His glory doesn't slowly fade like the color of your baseball cap that was left in the sun too long--it can be found in every aspect of creation with just as much color as when God first spoke life into the world! His love for us doesn't just last until we sin again, it lasts until we are dead, and even then it just don't stop! God is amazing--it really shouldn't take much to realize that.

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. ~Psalm 37:4

So if Jesus made my life, and, say, getting a free milkshake from the local ice cream shop made my day, then what does sin make? As hard as it is to admit, sin does feel good, but only in the moment. If we are honest with ourselves, then every time we sin we would say "that just made my minute." The point is that sin doesn't last. That's one of the ways you can tell whether or not something is worthwhile--ask yourself if it's pleasures last longer than a couple minutes, a day, or even the year. Is it possible to find lasting joy in a habit of lying to your boss at work about why you were late again?  No. Is it possible to find lasting joy in simply being in God's presence and glory? Yes. Next time you are faced with sin, just remember to consider how long its pleasures will last and how lasting an impact it will leave on your life. Jesus is able to make your life, and if He already has, then stop taking Him off the throne for something of lesser value and potential for satisfaction. Jesus is the only one in life who can change your desires and have a lasting impact on your life for the better. All you have to do is let Him.

God Is A Penitentiary

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. ~1 Peter 3:18 (ESV)

Stop asking God to forgive your sins. What I mean by this is that often times when we sin (usually something reoccurring), we feel like we must be in a place of complete sorrow and lowliness before any spiritual restoration can occur. It's not a bad thing to do, but it is also good to remember that God promises forgiveness to those who are committed to follow Him and turn from sinful ways. Many people would call this act of remorseful returning to God repentance, but I'd like to give you an example of how repentance and forgiveness can swap places.

The day you became a Christ-follower was the day you were forgiven--past and future--for your sinful nature/deeds that would otherwise keep you from God. Jesus died once for sins, so we don't have to kill Him again and again every time we fail to follow God's law. One of several Dictionary.com definitions for the verb forgive is "to cease to feel resentment against." As long as our sin lives within us, God shows justifiable resentment, but because we have been born again, his resentment no longer admits an eternal consequence, just the painful smile of a hurt father. We don't need to kill Jesus again, we just need to accept his offer of forgiveness again.                Still, that's not all...

One of the Dictionary.com definitions for the verb repent is "to feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change one's life for the better; be penitent." Repentance should be a lifestyle. Although this kind of repentance is different from the day we offered up the sinner's prayer, it is still essential. Without striving to get rid of the sin that you committed, asking forgiveness can become more ritualistic than healing. Penance is the "voluntary self-punishment inflicted as an outward expression of repentance for having done wrong." Punishment is meant to be edifying, and God is the perfect person to help you edify yourself for the better. Simply being in God's presence should have a purifying effect on us that lingers throughout the day and helps us fight our daily battles against sin and temptation. So repentance is a lifestyle more than it is a request/answer/acceptance. Just like we are called to be living in a pool of grace, we are called to come to God having a repentant spirit before making any requests. God can't live in the same room with sin, so he calls us each day to repent and offer him a place in our hearts. God is a penitentiary in that he calls us to repentance and to a lifetime of service in his kingdom, so next time you are faced with sin, try remembering all that God is and wants to be in your life and try to hear his voice calling out to you for forgiveness, repentance, and change.

Living in a Pool of Grace

Sometimes we have to learn to put off our selfishness in order to be more loving people. Rejoicing is an attitude that is not all too common today, which is exactly what would set us apart as Christians.

If Christ becomes our focus, we won't be like the physician in Arkansas.

He misdiagnosed the patient. He declared the woman to be dead. The family was informed, and the husband was grief-stricken.

Imagine the surprise of the nurse when she discovered that the woman was alive?

'You better tell the family,' she urged the doctor.

The embarrassed physician phoned the husband and said,

'I need to talk to you about the condition of your wife."

'The condition of my wife?' he asked. 'She's dead.'

The doctor's pride only allowed him to concede, 'Well, she has seen a slight improvement.'

Slight improvement? Talk about an understatement! Lazarus is walking out of the tomb, and he calls that a 'slight improvement?'

He was so concerned about his image that he missed an opportunity to celebrate.

We laugh, but don't we do the same? We've gone from cremation to celebration. We deserve a lava bath, but we've been given a pool of grace.

~Max Lucado

Below is an article by Henry Morris of ICR.

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. ~Psalm 5:11 (NDSB)

It may seem strange to think of rejoicing as a Christian duty, but the Scriptures do contain many commands to rejoice, and many of these are given in circumstances of grief or danger, as is the case of our beautiful text verse.

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4), Paul wrote from a Roman dungeon. In the upper room the night before He was to die on a cross, the Lord Jesus said to His disciples: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11). And then He said: “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:2). But then He said again: “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).

If David could rejoice while fleeing from murderous enemies, if Paul could rejoice while chained unjustly in a Roman prison, if the disciples could experience fullness of joy while facing martyrdom, and if the Lord Himself “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2), then our Christian duty of rejoicing in all circumstances may not be such an unseemly command after all.

We can rejoice, as our text reminds us, “because thou defendest them.” Furthermore, He Himself provides the joy, for “the fruit of the Spirit is . . . joy” (Galatians 5:22). It is not that the Christian will never know sorrow, for Christ Himself was “a man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3). But He also was a man of joy and, in Him, we can be like Him—“as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10).

Impossible Hope

For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. ~1 Timothy 4:10 (ESV)

Not too long ago, I asked my friend a question that had been on my mind. I asked if it is possible for God to have hope if He already knows the future? My friend gave me some good insight on this.

Hope is a tricky thing. In our culture, it means an uncertain desire for something in the future. Biblically however, hope is mentioned (especially in Paul's writings) quite frequently and interchangeably with faith. God is outside of time though, so can He hope like we do? One reason is that although God is both in and out of time (omnipresent), he does not decide the future for us but allows us to decide. Now, He does know what our choice will be, but as long as we are stuck in time, whenever He speaks to us, even through scripture, it is for our benefit. I would say that the same is true for hope. God hopes that all will be saved as it says in 2 Peter 3:9. In fact, it is His will that all should come to Him. That's why we can choose to submit to His will.

God hopes, in part, for our benefit, that we might understand His desire for us. John Piper describes biblical hope (as opposed to the normal worldly definition of hope) as "A confident expectation and desire for something good in the future." You can read the rest of his sermon here. The way my friend put it was that putting our hope in God doesn't mean we "hope God is real," but rather that we have faith that He is who He says He is.

Hope is the way we live our lives in the knowledge of the future we are promised in Christ.

Instead of saying that hope shouldn't be used in Christian terminology because we actually know God is real, we should talk about our hope every chance we get, explaining to people how this kind of hope is so different from the hope the world knows. Let our hope in the things unseen be a testimony to those who have no hope in the future.

“Hope is a verb with its shirtsleeves rolled up.” ~ David Orr

Glad for the Scads

It's crazy how easy it is for God to bear our burdens. Now, I don't mean to devalue Christ's sacrifice for us, but just consider this command, "Cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you." So many thousands of believers across the map and throughout history have approached Christ with these burdens in order to cast them off and submit their worries to Him. Jesus has taken scads of burdens from all these people and yet He is not buried, He is not weighed down. In fact, not only does Christ carry our burdens without complaint, but He manages to walk alongside us and sustain us. Christ loves us in a way nobody else can, and that is why he is a King so worth having in control of our lives. He's the real deal.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. ~Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)

In Philippians, Paul speaks of a peace the surpasses all understanding. Have you ever experienced this? Have you ever felt a peace inside you during a time in life when you would least expect it to be there? Did it feel surreal? I believe that this kind of peace is one of the main ways God reaches out to those who start to believe in Him, and it is the way He proves Himself to us. You can know all there is to know about God, but if you have never experienced His peace, then you only know of God and you truly know not His presence in your life.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)

God Cares When You Don't

God cares more about what we are doing every moment of the day than we do ourselves.

You know how when you watch a movie, the world and life is forgotten for a time? It is so easy these days to set aside a couple of hours to something in expectation of those hours to be ignored by everyone else in the world and wasted when you do nothing productive during that time. Well, God is always watching us, which can sound unnerving, but maybe it's time we consider how we spend our time. Over half of our lives are spent sleeping and/or living life while not caring to live it more productively. We lack motivation and instead want to self indulge. God, however, waits patiently while we sleep, watch a movie, browse YouTube for hours, etc, and He cares about what we spend our time doing. God takes pleasure in His creation living out what He made it to be, and He is worshiped when we go about our day with Him and His Word in mind. He gave us a command to live for Him, so if you believe in Jesus and if you believe Jesus and what He said, you should also be able to hear what He is saying, which isn't much different now than it was 2K years ago. God promises that if we come to Him with our concerns, and it lines up with His will, He will honor it (John 15:7). The question is, do you want to live for Him?

“We have a guarantee: Apathy is a season. God will not let us not care forever.” ~Paul Maxwell

 

Contraversy-cloacked Compromise

Is it true of us that no matter what happens, we know Jesus is worth following and would be willing to deny ourselves anything in order to follow Him? Do we really love Him that much?

"Truth with self-denial is a better pennyworth, than error with all its flesh-pleasing." ~William Gurnall

A friend and I recently had a good conversation with someone who had left the church and his position as a worship leader because he had finally come out about his gay/homosexual tendencies. He came to the decision to toss the faith because he would rather not have to give up "himself." He seemed to think that following Jesus would mean he wouldn't be able to be himself and find his identity in society. Because he thought that way, he concluded that the Bible is a good "life book" to live by, but Jesus must not have actually been God and He was confused about a few things.

Regardless of the arguments we could go into about Jesus being God and how it relates, I believe our gay friend came to his conclusion only because he didn't want to have to deny himself, not because Jesus had changed in any way. This is part of the reason why so many churches are struggling with the "controversial" gay marriage topic: it's not actually any more controversial than any other sin discussed in the Bible, it's just an easier way to compromise our walk with Jesus by conforming to the world and our sinful desires. The focus shouldn't be on why we are born with certain "tendencies," but whether Jesus is worth following regardless of our tendencies.

 

"'God hasn't taken it from me yet.' May it never be heard coming from the mouth of a Christian. These are words of rebellion! We are called to lay down our lives and give all for Messiah. He never said He would wrestle from us, that which we refuse to relinquish."

 ~Dennis E. Green

I have had to question myself recently about whether or not I would be willing to do anything for Jesus. What if tomorrow I had a personality shift and was convinced that I was gay and would not find satisfaction in life without "finding the right person?" Would I still want to deny myself and follow Jesus? No. But would I be able to? My hope and prayer is that I would, and not only for myself, but for all those who are Christians and are caught up in the gay controversy that is so big today.

"The authentic Christian is characterized by devotion to truth and love as revealed by Christ, not mushy sentimentality swayed by today’s worldly trends. While Christ is often merciful even to those who have sinned, He never excuses sin or calls it less than what it is." ~Mission America

Fail to Worship

This is a depressing picture, isn't it? For one of my friends who saw this the other day, it's simply hysterical that someone would hang this up as a poster on their wall. There seems to be no meaning to it because we all know that nobody would ever actually say "your best isn't good enough" to you unless they hated you. Well, that's true of most people, but not necessarily of Jesus and His disciples. Failure in God's eyes can be encouraging when it means more of Him who never fails. God, and those born of Him, are the only ones who can lovingly tell us that we will never be good enough on our own.

"Every man, I don't care who he is--even the strongest--every man that hasn't Christ in him, is a failure." ~D.L. Moody

So it's obvious that we will never be good enough because of our works, even if we are working zealously for God--check out Romans 3:23 if you need to be reminded. When we stop living by works, it means that we are shifting our focus from ourselves to God, which is also the way that we worship Him. The idea is not supposed to be a discouraging one; it's supposed to be a refocusing on who is more important. We fail in order to worship better. Failure, in that sense, produces hope, and it means that no matter what, even if you are feeling like the worst of scum, God is always good enough when you can't be.

“Beware of any work for God that causes or allows you to avoid concentrating on Him. A great number of Christian workers worship their work. The only concern of Christian workers should be their concentration on God. This will mean that all the other boundaries of life, whether they are mental, moral, or spiritual limits, are completely free with the freedom God gives His child; that is, a worshiping child, not a wayward one. A worker who lacks this serious controlling emphasis of concentration on God is apt to become overly burdened by his work. He is a slave to his own limits, having no freedom of his body, mind, or spirit. Consequently, he becomes burned out and defeated. There is no freedom and no delight in life at all. His nerves, mind, and heart are so overwhelmed that God’s blessing cannot rest on him.” ~Oswald Chambers

The Satisfaction of the Temporal Self

Sometimes I wonder just how long people would have to live before they realized how meaningless life and material things are without God. Some people don't even come to the realization that the next life, if there is any, might be important, even as they lay on their death bed!

"Our lives have been brief, and we've only seen so much. It's hard to imagine the whole puzzle when you've only seen three pieces." ~Trip Lee

Many people think that fame or fortune will satisfy, and they never go back on that assumption because there always seems to be something more to strive for in this world. Sometimes we will have no way of truly knowing the whole picture, so we have to trust. One good example we have to lean on is a person who did experience it all, even during his fairly short amount of time on earth, and who eventually gave up living for himself: Solomon.

On the other end of the spectrum, there is a bunch of people who don't even need 20 years to come to the same conclusion; have you checked the suicide rate lately? What they don't realize is that living selfishly doesn't have to feel good. Escaping from life and from God is also selfish and pointless. So as a take-away for this post, let's look at our own selfishness and pray about how we can change ourselves to be wholly submitted to God and not be working for him out of any other motivation. Let's also be careful to remember how anything we spend time, money, or social status on is ultimately pointless and gains us nothing in God's kingdom unless it is done in love.