More of You

I hate money. I hate talking about it. I hate spending it. I hate how much it costs to maintain cars and apartments. Mostly I hate how much of it I spend on things that just won't last, food, vehicle, rent, etc. It's my least favorite thing to talk about, so needless to say when I hear it from the pulpit on Sunday morning, I think "here we go again." It was a troubling especially for me in college when I had a small income and I was attending a church that gave very willingly. It was the topic of many sermons and God always provided without my help. The idea of tithing never struck me so deeply as it has recently.

I attended my first congregational meeting at the church I am currently working at this past week and it was a real eye opener. The topic of discussion was the proposed budget for 2011 and the cost of the new building. Members of the church had differing opinions about how much we are spending and how well the church is being a steward of the money given.

Two things struck me at this meeting. The first was the comments from our head pastor. He told the congregation that it's not how much we're spending (as long as we are spending within the places God has placed on our heart and not flippantly), it's about our heart to give.  The second thing that struck me was a question raised by one of the members of the church. First, I have no beef with this question. It just made me think. This member probably gives more than ten percent and I have served beside this member and they have a strong heart for the Lord. The member asked something along the lines "How much will you ask us to give?" in reference to fund raisers and the building campaign, but at this moment, I thought about if we asked God that question?

As much as I complain about money and spending it. I keep an awful lot and spend an awful lot and give very little to causes other than myself. The first time I thought about tithing after entering this new position, I thought that it was a ludicrous amount to give when I am paying rent, insurance, student loans, groceries, etc. Then I looked at my spending over the last few months. I'll open up a bit with you. I gave about $70 to charity and spent more than double that at restaurants when I didn't feel like cooking. If I just didn't eat out and gave that money to God. I would be pretty close to ten percent.

My conviction wasn't just about money. When the church member asked how much more we should give, the answer that God dropped almost immediately in my heart was - more. Jesus asks for our lives. The money that we are given, the roof over our heads, the love that we receive from our friends and family, the very breath you just took in are all gifts from our Creator. Acts 17:24-25 (emphasis added) says:

 'The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else"

Nothing that we have is our own from the moment we are born. We have made the decision to try and take it from God's hands. Our culture tells us to look after ourselves. Make sure you have the best house and car and a lot of money so we can buy nice things and go on nice vacations, but Jesus lived radically different. Jesus says: 

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. ~ Luke 14:26-27

I don't believe he is saying to absolutely hate your family, but in order to follow me you must give up everything, wealth, family, fear, pride, independence, the world. He wants your life, not because he wants to take it away from you, but because it's already his. He wants you to have the fullness of the life you are given. Jesus knows how we are meant to live, but we are trying to run the show. It's like we are trying to drive down the road from the passenger seat without the keys to the car. We won't get anywhere.

Jesus wants our entire being. He wants us to give up everything to follow him. One of my favorite scriptures is Matthew 5:49 - "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Some translations say be holy. To be perfect means to be made complete in Christ, lacking nothing. This is only obtained through a relationship with Christ and it will never be reached while we remain in our earthly bodies. How much should you give? The answer will always be more. There will always be something that you haven't given fully to God. It might be letting go of a certain sin, of fear, of a desire to be a part of the crowd, of money, but ultimately he wants your entire life, because it belongs to Him. Our money belongs to Him. Our relationships belong to Him. Our sin he already carried on his back. Christ offers us the chance to be made complete and to live out the life he has created us for. Jesus says:

 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ~ Matt. 6:19-21

 God dwells within our hearts and provides a treasure that is eternal. Nothing on this earth will last. I challenge you this week to think about the areas in your life that you haven't given fully to God and pray for Him to take it away from so that you may more fully embrace the life he has for you. For me it's money and probably a bunch of other things, but I will start there. If your comfortable sharing, comment on the link on facebook or below about what you need to give up and we can encourage one another. I talked about a similar concept in The Cost if you want to check that out. Have a blessed day!

Living as a Temple

Normally I preface my thoughts with a story from the last few days or something that has always been on my mind but what I have to share today is a new revelation or maybe an old one that never came to the surface. This is something God placed on my heart last week and I shared it with the youth, but I think it could have meaning for all of us.

First I want you to consider what "church" means to you. I don't mean just the church building or what you do on Sunday mornings, but church as a whole, what does it mean to you? When I was growing up church often felt like school. There was a teacher and I was in a classroom listening to them lecture to me about something I would forget as soon as the test was over. Some people are great students in school and of the Word, but I wasn't in the category and still struggle a bit to engage in church. This had me wondering what the purpose of church (being a part of the body of Christ, attending church, reading the Bible, etc)  really was.

When I presented this question before God, He took me back to what I will call the "first church." The church today is a sacred structure built to be a place where we can glorify God with our praise and worship. The first structure built to honor God was the ark of the covenant and it was housed in a tent. Only leaders were allowed to enter the tent because the glory of the Lord was too much for anyone else to experience. They presented their sacrifices to the Lord and trusted their leaders to guide them. This is how the Lord dwelt among His people and this is the way things were until David and Solomon.

During David's reign it was customary for king's to live in temples. David has this revelation during of his reign as King: “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent” (2 Samuel 7:2). Nathan initially tells him to go ahead and why not. David wants to thank the Lord and glorify him for what he has done for David, but the Lord says:

 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’

“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.

“‘The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever’”(2 Samuel 7:5-16).

David accepted this and scripture goes on to tell us that Solomon builds a temple for the Lord, but I believe God is talking about the eternal in this passage. It is Jesus Christ who establishes "the throne of his kingdom forever." He was from the bloodline of David and he was punished for our sin by the hands of men because God loved us enough to send his son. The Lord desired to always be among his people. He wasn't meant to dwell in a tent forever, but he also didn't intend to be harnessed in a temple either. The temple of the living God was to be sent down in human form.

Jesus came to the earth as a living temple sent to Glorify his Father in heaven, but God didn't intend to stay forever in human form either. Jesus came to establish the throne of God's Kingdom on earth and to free us from our sin and to offer us eternal life, but his time on earth in the flesh was limited. He had to die, but he left something behind.

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you." (John 14:16-20)

When Christ death and resurrection are complete, he leaves his disciples with the Holy Spirit of God to dwell in them forever. When we are born again and are baptized by the spirit, we become temples of the Holy Spirit built to glorify God with our entire being. We have been given life everlasting. We are the body of Christ; we are the church built to Glorify the Lord in the sanctuaries and out in the world.  Let's do it.

"Take my life and let it be all for you and for your glory, Take my life and let it be yours" - Glory to God Forever by Steve Fee

"It's not called talking to God, It's just crazy...crazy"

"It's not called talking to God. It's just crazy...crazy. And if you are hearing voices, you need help." ~ library patron

As I was sitting at the library this morning I heard these words from one of the patrons after expressing here frustration about someone who asked a friend if they had prayed about a rough situation they were going through. I do believe it is talking to God, but I agree that it is often the craziest thing to do.

Admittedly, prayer was and still is one of the biggest struggles I have in my spiritual walk. When God met me on an island in the Adirondacks about six years ago, I wasn't even a lukewarm Christian. I went to church and was even a part of the praise team, but for me it was an opportunity to be a part of the show. I could say that I went to church and I participated, but my faith was non-existent. I didn't read scripture or pray except before meals (sometimes), and hardly paid attention in church. I wasn't experiencing God in any way. After Christ grabbed hold of me I had no support structure or mentor to nurture my faith. Although my life started to turn around, I still fell short often. It was prayer that saved me.

After I shared my story at camp during that trip, I was prayed for by my counselor and other campers. My life was rocked and spun around. When one of my best friends died in a car accident it was prayer that got me through. When I was able to share my story fully with the people I trusted, it was prayer that gave me the confidence to live in the light. Since then, I've been able to pray with and encourage others and watch God shape His ministry at the college I attended and in my current ministry as a youth director. God has guided me through His spirit towards people to pray for or talk to. Prayer is the opportunity to be in constant communion with God, but it's just crazy.

It's hard for us, especially without "proof", to believe that our prayers can change things, to believe that God can reshape our entire world through a conversation with Him. This conversation can feel like we are talking to ourselves and we may even hear a voice in our head and yes, that means we need help. We lift our hearts to God in prayer and worship because we can't do this on our own. He desires our hearts and our lives. He wants to be in communion with us. Prayer is our opportunity. Through communion with God there is healing and restoration and true joy.

Prayer is crazy because our world tells us we need to do something tangible to fix things. Prayer is not a passive form of action. If we listen, God will direct our actions and make His will known to us. Prayer takes a lot of patience and a lot of listening. It's a crazy thing to do when the world tries to keep us in motion. My hope and prayer for you today is that you would believe in the power of prayer and that God would bless you through your communion with Him. If you have any prayer requests, post them here, in a facebook message, or the phone is always a good option. I would love to pray with you.

Your Love Never Fails

A few weeks back a friend posted this video to his facebook. If you have never heard the song, it's worth a quick listen - Your Love Never Fails. Chris McClarney also shares the message behind the song here: Interview with Chris McClarney

I went for a run around the neighborhood yesterday and the live version of this song from Jesus Culture (about 7 min) was playing on my iPod and I was filled with a pure joy. You may have just listened to the song and though "it was ok," and that's alright because right now I probably wouldn't be filled with the same joy. God speaks to us where we are, but there is a timeless truth that I was reminded of after listening to this song: Christ has truly set us free.

Chris McClarney wrote this song mostly from Paul's message in Romans 8, that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ and that in all things God is working for the good of those who love him. There is no circumstance that God has not seen coming or that he has not prepared our hearts to get through. His love will never fail us. There is a glorious freedom that comes with the knowledge that Christ loves us regardless of our circumstance and that when we accept Him in our hearts, there is nothing that can take that away from us.

Chris sings in the second verse: "The chasm is far too wide. I never thought I'd reach the other side. But Your love never fails." On our own strength we could never close the gap between our brokenness and God's holiness, but God reached down through His son and took hold of our lives. This song reminded me that God is never letting go. We don't have to be afraid of ever being alone or overcome by the world around us because our God is with us. He has set us free.

We know these truths and it takes time for us to internalize them and react. It's easy to talk about the love that God has and to be full of joy from time spent in His presence, but it's not always easy to see in our day to day or to remember this as we walk through the storms in our lives. I pray that God would lead you to the altar today and that you would be reminded of the freedom that he offers through His son. No matter where you are in your walk with Him, Christ has set you free and given you a love that will never fail. Go and live in this freedom.

Why be a Christian?

I have been pondering this question the last few days as I have been thinking about what it means to follow Christ and what the gift of eternal life really means for us. I believe that scripture answers this question clearly, but our own answers may differ.

Many of us who grew up in the church may not know anything else but to be in church on Sunday morning and the share the good news of who Christ is. Some of us can point to an instance in our lives and say "that's where God captured my heart." Some of us are going through the motions of prayer and Bible study or show up at Christmas and Easter but have nothing more than a foundational level of understanding when it comes to the Gospel message. Still many of us have never heard the message. What draws us to the Gospel? What makes following Christ not only the right decision, but the most important decision of our lives?The Testimony and the life of Jesus Christ provide us with the answer like this passage from John 5:36-40:

"I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

The testimony of Jesus is a testimony that brings eternal life. He is the one who is prophesied about in the Old Testament , the one whom about Isaiah is speaking when he says,  

"Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan -- The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."(vv.9:1-2)

Jesus has come to bring eternal life, the Light of the world to all nations. We don't believe in Christ because we fear hell or death. We believe in Christ because he brings life to all who will kneel before Him. When you turn on the light in a dark room, it completely obliterates the darkness. It doesn't creep slowly out the door, the darkness disappears. When Christ shines his light into our life, the darkness is gone forever. The victory is won. Jesus says in John 17 that eternal life is simply "that [we] may know [God], the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [God has] sent" (v. 3). This verse rings throughout me heart and my life.

I grew up in the church going through the motions. God didn't mean anything to me. It was just what I had to do on Sundays. God captured my heart as a junior in high school and he wrecked my life. He made me reevaluate my career choice, my relationships, my attitudes, and he continues to chisel away at the pieces of me that aren't pleasing to him so that he can reveal himself in me. It's painful sometimes, but this is why I believe.

God has created me to live forever in His presence, but our Holy Father can't be in the presence of our sin. He hates being apart from us so he sends Jesus to die for our sins and the sins of the world so that this great chasm can be closed. He frees us from our sin, our burdens, and the bondage that society places on us to be beautiful, wealthy, independent, strong, popular, or whatever pressures we place on ourselves to fit the mold. God has called us to completion and to a higher purpose through His son. He frees us from ourselves and then he gives us a mission and a purpose. He tells us to go. He says I have loved you and have freed you, now let me use you to help free others.

This isn't just my conviction, it's the truth of the Gospel. God is the only one who can save the world. We are just pawns on the chess board, but he guided the hearts of others to reach out to you, to teach you, to live out the example of the life of Christ, so that you may be drawn to his heart and be freed by the power of the Gospel, that you would know His heart. This is eternal life, that we would know our Father and His son and that through them we are free. This is why we follow: it is what we were created to do.

Conversation with the Philosopher

As a youth director, ministry fills most of my time and it's one of the greatest rewards of the job, but when I get some time off, I like to read relax or watch a movie that takes me away from the daily grind and the emotional ride that ministry can take us on. Part of being called to ministry (which I remind you that each of us are) is that God is always speaking to us regardless of whether we are "on the clock." This past weekend I had some comp time to take, so I used it to head up to Philadelphia to see my fiance. Overall it was a great trip, but similar to my last experience outside of my bubble (Spit and Freddy), God put an opportunity in my path.

I noticed as we traveled around Philadelphia on public transportation that people like their own space, especially in the midst of people they don't know. Every train and bus that I rode on that weekend, I was looking for the open seat. As I looked down each car, I saw one person in every seat until the seats were "full" and I had to sit next to someone I didn't know. There is nothing terribly wrong with this picture except that we seem to have lost the sense of community and relationship that Christ has called us into. Society is a major factor in the way we interact with others. Technology has made communication and relationships terribly superficial, but we are just as responsible.

God drove this lesson in on my way home that night. When I arrived back in D.C., I was walking back to the parking garage where I parked my car when i passed a homeless man who was asking for money. I decided to give him some money, but I also chose to sit down and talk with him. Watching so many people sit alone on the bus and put their heads down as we walked past each other on the sidewalk, I was frustrated that we have gotten so far from even saying "hi" to someone that we don't know. I sat down and he said "you are talking to a smart man, an intoxicated man, but a smart man." Then he asked me a question I still don't have the answer to, "why did you sit down here?" I told him that I had watched a lot of people ignoring each other today and I believe we shouldn't be afraid of people, just because we don't know them. We are created for relationship and I wanted to have a conversation with him. He told me I was making an academic statement that I hadn't internalized. I told him that he was right, I haven't completely internalized that attitude but I try to. He eventually told me that I was not smarter than him and asked me not so kindly to leave. He thought I had a motive in speaking to him. It was strange to him that anyone would want to have a conversation with him just for the sake of conversation. Why does this matter?

I have been convicted about many of my faults and I believe as we draw closer to God, we begin to realize how many ways we have fallen short, but the Holy Spirit doesn't convict us of our sin so that we will feel guilty, he requires our response. He is opening our eyes and our hearts to see more of who He is. I haven't done all the math, but I am convinced that Jesus didn't know personally most of the people He ministered to. You could argue, since he is God and God knows all, that he knew everyone intimately, but the people he ministered to didn't know him.  The disciples and Paul didn't know most the people they ministered to either.

Ministry begins with relationship, but we fear new relationship and rarely seek it out. I am a fairly outgoing  person if you put me in a social context that is designed to meet new people (college, church, family gatherings, a new school, etc). Why is it so hard to create those situations on the train or in the grocery store. Do we fear that they won't understand us or do we fear that we might not understand them or when we are uncomfortable that we may have to respond to our understanding of their situation? What will they think of us? What if they get angry and tell us to go away?

Most of these thoughts are rooted in our own pride and fears. There were many who were hard-hearted towards the message that Jesus was bringing. He was rejected on a daily basis, probably by the majority of those he talked to and some who followed even left when they felt uncomfortable (John 6). We have a desire to be accepted not just by our peers but by the world and everyone that we come in to contact with. The truth is that all of us have that desire. We want to be known and loved, but the way to be known and loved isn't to avoid situations where we might be rejected, but to start getting to know and love others. We know that this is a basic human need and essentially what we are created for, but instead of seeking it out we wait for it to come to us. What if we started getting to know and love others.

As I am typing this, I've gotten news of a third suicide within three weeks of a student in one of the local school districts. After these things happen, there isn't anything we can do, but pray for the families and we can't carry the weight on our shoulders for another's decision, but being in true relationship with one another is so important. When we are hurting and broken we need face-to-face communication, a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, but we walk by so many without eye contact or even to say "hi." We were created for relationship, true and intimate relationship with a God who loves us and cares about us unconditionally and he asks the same of us.

 ³⁴"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

 ³⁷"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
 ⁴⁰"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

The least of these may be the homeless man on the DC sidewalk, a stranger on the morning commute, someone in the grocery store, the "nerd" at school, or maybe just someone we never thought to talk to. Look into the eyes of the people you walk by and remember that God created them and Jesus is in them. They have a desire to be known and loved, just like you. Take the time to talk to people, to seek out relationship, to put aside your own schedule and ambitions for the sake of someone else. It's necessary for it is what Christ has called us to and the reward is eternal. Smile at someone you don't know today. If I don't know you here is a smile... : ).

The Overflow

 It's been a while since my last post in part, because I have been thinking about this for a while, but more so because I haven't had the time to get my thoughts out, but right now this topic has become very important to me. In college I was a Christian Education major. I was involved with praise teams, bible studies and fellowship groups about six days a week and in most of those situations I even held a leadership position. This means I was constantly being filled by God and by the Holy Spirit, right? Not exactly. Certainly the potential was there, but standing up in front of people and professing my faith, talking about the Bible, and singing some songs that led people to worship didn't make me a committed believer. It made me a busy man controlled by schedules and responsibilities.

I have not discovered the point where we are taught that our life in Christ is based on how much time we spend talking or singing about him with other people. Don't get me wrong, these are great opportunities to share the love of Christ with others and to be filled but if it's just another activity on our schedule, then we are missing a vital point. God desires our hearts. He desires time with us and he wants us to share that with other believers in the context of bible study, fellowship groups, and many other means of worship, but he also asks us to meet him in the quiet places. It is easy to show up at a place at a designated time and to talk about what everyone else is talking about, but do we let it affect our lives.

I don't believe that anyone can spend time in the presence of God with their focus on Him and not be changed. God challenges us to think and to live differently. Every song that we sing in worship to Him and every verse of scripture that we read is meant to make us think more about what it means to live a life completely surrendered to Him. Not simply because we owe it to Him, the One who created us, in whom we "live move and have our being" (Acts 17:28), but more so because he desires us. He wants to be in that relationship with us. He knows our hearts. He knew us before we were formed in our mother's womb (Psalm 139). He knows what will we pray and do before it even enters our thoughts. He knows us intimately and he loves us compassionately like no one on earth could love us. So...why is it so hard to listen.

I was a terrible student in high school and college. I rarely read the course material and spent many more classes than I should have doodling and trying to keep my head from hitting the desk when I fell asleep. I think most of us have similar feelings when we go to church, Sunday school or youth group. We have heard these stories all our lives and we know what it means to be a good person like Jesus told us to. We aren't captured by the words and emotions that come out in the gospels and here is my point. I believe each of us is responsible for how we respond to what we hear and are taught, but I believe a major issue is in the ministers of Christ's Kingdom (essentially all of us, but specifically our spiritual leaders). I speak this because I am convicted of it and I have been involved in the lives of people that God has put in my path to minister to and I have not ministered to them completely and as effectively as I could have. God's grace is sufficient, but that's not an excuse to quit moving forward.

Some of the advice that was given to me by other youth pastors and speakers at conferences was that ministry comes from the overflow of our personal relationship. When we draw near to God, we are so consumed by His presence that we can't help but have the desire in our hearts to share it with others. For most of us, here is what happens. We go to camp, church, a bible study, a retreat, a conference, etc. and we come back "on fire" for God. Whatever that speaker or pastor spoke to us, God used to really hit the spot. We are living in the overflow, and it's pouring out of us for...a couple months...a week...a day? What happened? We stopped being filled. We stopped seeking to know him more deeply on a daily basis. We relied on other people to speak His life into us and we lived on that, but once it's gone, we feel empty, like God picked us up and then left us hanging. We call these "spiritual highs" and "spiritual lows." I know this feeling very well, but it's not meant to be this way.

God wants to meet us consistently. He is a God who never changes. He never leaves our side. He is as close to us in the mountains as he is the valley but we can't bring ourselves to listen and to draw near. It's not enough to go to church and bible study and hope that God will pour into us through those people. We have to seek Him. He says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jer. 29:13). If we seek Him with all of our hearts, we will find him in the midst of joy and sorrow, happiness and pain, the mountains and the valleys. Why is this so important?

Part of the impetus for writing this was that I was upset with the advice that ministry must come from the overflow, because let's be honest, most of us aren't consistently overflowing. What happens when there is no overflow. First, I believe that God uses us in our weakness. It's not easy and may even feel burdensome at times, but God will use us because ministry is for his glory, not ours. His grace is enough. The point I think many of my colleagues were trying to get across is that the effectiveness of His ministry in our lives is directly correlated with our own spiritual walk with Him. When we consistently acknowledge the presence of God in our lives we can't help but praise him and lift him up in our lives and our conversations with others. They will see His life and His glory as he shines through us and be drawn to His heart.

This is much easier said than done, but I challenge you to try it.

Start with five or ten minutes in the word when you wake up in the morning or before you go to bed (make sure you are awake and not just reading the words...been there). Focus on what God is teaching you through your relationships and prayers. Allow yourself to be affected by the life that he lived. I am confident that He will reveal Himself to you. Pray for a deeper connection to Him. We are all ministers to those around us, so let it come from the overflow, but remember to keep being filled by His word with others and in your personal time. I'll encourage you with these verses from Luke and Matthew:

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Luke 5:16 

Jesus (sinless, perfect, One w/ God) needed to withdraw from the crowds and from his ministry to spend personal time with His father. It was necessary for Him. How much more is it necessary for us.

"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matt. 6:6

 Remember our reward is in heaven. God wants to fill us with His love so that we can minister to others and share his love with the others. The reward in heaven will be great. We will see those he has used us to minister to standing with us in praise to the Almighty.

A Dying World

I was at a conference this past weekend for a local ministry. It was a training conference for student leaders from the local schools and I was invited to join them to get a better understanding of what their ministry was all about. Here is their purpose retrieved from their home page:

The EDGE is an on-campus evangelistic ministry of the local church, initiated and led by students.  The EDGE exists on a secondary school campus (middle schools & high schools) for the purpose of sharing the Gospel with every student on every campus.  Youth workers are crossing denominational lines and forming strategic youth ministry partnerships to more effectively support students as missionaries to their school.

For lack of a better word, this is awesome. Most of us can look at this and think that this is the goal of most ministries right, to spread the good news to all the world. However, few of us truly take the opportunity to evangelize (myself included) even to our closest friends. When I even hear the word evangelize, immediately I think of television or handing out pamphlets on the streets, you know something all those crazy people do. 

The closing speaker at the conference (I really wish I remembered his name, but let's call him John so I don't have to call him "that guy"), told a story that really knocked me down and I hope it at least makes you think about our role in the Kingdom.

John was a gifted soccer player and was given the opportunity to play for a team in Europe. The soccer team spent their time after every game at the local pubs regardless of what time of day it was, but John never went. The whole team knew he was a Christian and that was how he made his stand. One day he noticed one of his teammates hanging out in his room reading a Bible. John thought, great, another christian, but to his surprise the man was an atheist who thought he needed to know what he didn't believe. A couple weeks later, John is confronted by this man. The next part word for word as I remember but, he asked John if he believed that he was going to hell. John stepping up to be a brave Christian, said something like "Yes, I believe if you don't except Christ as your savior, you will go to hell." The man stood up and said to him "How dare you. If I knew the people around me were dying I would get down on my hands and knees and crawl over broken glass to make sure that they knew."John never spoke to one of his teammates about his faith, he didn't put himself in the atmospheres that challenged him.

I was in awe after hearing this story. During my sophomore year of college, a good friend and I started a Bible study, because we didn't feel we got into the scriptures enough and it was challenging. We realized at some point that we hadn't even shared our faith with our closest friends. We had no idea where their hearts were. Jesus says very clearly "...I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

Without the love of Christ within us we are bound to death, because there is no freedom or forgiveness for our sins (Romans 6:23). The life that Jesus gives is eternal and full of grace (John 3:16). Previously I have written about our judgment towards people who think differently than we do and the divisions in the church but I think the issue of evangelism is much deeper. Most of us are afraid to offend someone with our faith. We keep it in our hearts and in our churches and we stay away from the pubs after the games so people will look at us and know we are Christians, but Christ didn't just live as an example to those around them. He met them where they were by building relationships with them. God reaches people in so many ways. He may initiate that relationship through a tract, a fire and brimstone sermon, a friendship, sharing a meal, a smile, or a multitude of other ways, but we must be aware of God's work in the world and how we can consistently be working to further the Kingdom.

There is a world out there that is dying because we are either too consumed by our own troubles or too afraid of what the other person will think instead of being concerned for someone else's life beyond this world. I know there are people in all of our lives that need ministered to and we have been afraid to do so. I write as one guilty of this myself, but take that step because the reward is eternal. If you have ever lost a friend or anyone who has died that you were close to, you know that feeling of emptiness and hurt when they are gone, so don't stand and watch the world around you die. You will be left wondering if there was something more you could have done or said. You may not even have to start the conversation right away. Pray for them diligently first. Ask God to open up their hearts, but do something. It's not enough to walk around with your head held high because you know where you will be on the day of Judgment. Bring your friends, acquaintances, enemies, and people you may only see once with you to worship the one true King.

O, For the Sake of Love

I talked a few entries back about how sometimes it is so easy to get angry when we feel the the church is failing its people, and I've found myself in that place once again. I don't have cable so I don't catch the daily news, but many of the big issues come up online as I'm working throughout the week and a few headlines lately have really troubled me. I would like to mention two of them "Should New York forbid Mosque near Ground Zero?" and "Church Plans Quran Burning."

The first article was released in mid-July of this year and the conversation has continued on since. I'm not normally into politics, but as followers of Christ we certainly can't ignore them. 9/11 was a terrible tragedy and the result of terrorism by Muslim extremists who make up a small portion of Muslims worldwide. After the tragedy, many Americans developed a hate for every Muslim that walked the planet. They made us uncomfortable in airports or on the streets and we began to stereotype them into a small category and we hated them. We were angry at them with a "justified" anger. Jesus told his people in the sermon on the mount that if anyone is angry with his brother they have committed murder (Matt. 5:21-26). I am not saying that there was no reason to be angry at the men in those planes, or at the situation, but our anger should not be directed towards an entire people who lost their brothers and sisters in the same tragedy and continue to lose their family members as the war continues just like we are. If we continue to direct our hate towards these people there will never be peace for anyone. Ten years later we are still holding on.

 If that isn't enough, the people who should be filled with a love that is above this world are the ones that are lashing out against their enemies. Let me clarify some points before I go on. I believe that there is only one way to the Father and that is through Jesus Christ. Our scriptures make that clear. I believe anyone who denies the love that Christ has to offer will suffer consequences, but how in the world can anyone know the love of Christ if they haven't experienced it.

Jesus told us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:44). The love that Jesus has is unconditional. He doesn't require us to love Him back. He gave his life, his time, and everything he had to make sure that his disciples and the everyone that he interacted with knew his love fully and deeply so that they would understand when he was raised from the dead what their eternal reward would be. He calls us to offer this same love to the people we want to hate.

The burning of the Quran is a disgrace to the scriptures. It's a an unrighteous human judgment placed on a religion that most of us have never tried to understand. We are not the judge of this world. We are called to embrace the love of Christ and to share it with others. If they deny it, they will answer to God, not us. I don't agree with everything that happens in this world or in the lives of other people, but if I look on them with judgment I create a wall that can't be broken and have shut the door for Christ's love to enter in through me.

The love that Christ gave others required relationship. Why were you first attracted the the love of God? What really drew you in? Was it condemnation, shouting, and fire? It may have been, but I doubt that was most of our experiences. Most of us were introduced to the love of God by true and unconditional love in the context of a relationship with people who were really living it out, in the moments where the scriptures were alive and meaningful, because they talked of love and purity even when we fail, or completely miss the point. There was grace enough to cover the mess we have made of our lives and our relationships. We were shown compassion.

What if we loved other people? Not just Muslims, but everyone, regardless of how they have wronged us or hurt us or if they loved us back. I don't want every Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, Atheist, Christian, or any other human being to have to spend their life in eternal judgment. Christ offers eternal life and he has called on me and you to share that love with the world so they won't have to die. We have murdered them with our hate. I want to stand next to the brothers and sisters in Christ before the heavenly throne worshiping the God who has saved us by his grace. I want all my brothers and sisters there. I believe there will be much more joy in Heaven if we seek to love our enemies and pray for their hearts to be drawn towards Him so we can stand next to them instead of being the reason they never wanted to listen.

I admit I only took a couple of classes on the world religions and I have a misunderstanding of them as well, but I'm open to starting the conversations and building the relationships without motives and regardless of our differences. My God has called me to love the world without judgment or hate,unconditionally, just as he has loved me. I am deeply sorry for failing all my brothers and sisters and treating them poorly through my thoughts and actions and I ask for your forgiveness. Let's love each other.

The Cost

I've been thinking frequently about what it means to follow Christ, to have a true relationship with him. I spoke a little about this last week in Sunday School with the High School youth and they all expressed similar frustrations. The love that I have for my fiancee, my family, and my friends is tangible in many ways. I can talk to them whenever I want. I can hug them and tell them that I love and care about them and they can immediately respond in a was that is clear to me. Although sometimes it does happen, it is difficult to forget about these relationships. I've spent my entire life in relationship with some of them and long periods of time with others and my heart is drawn to them. All of these relationships and the love that I am able to show towards them are a gift from God. I know love only because he first loved me (John 4:19). He loves without condition, full of compassion, and completely. This love that God offers shines through these relationships, but He also reaches us in means that aren't so tangible.

God has taught us to love him. Jesus says "if you love me, you will obey my commands," (John 14:15) and that the entire law can be summed up in two commandments "...Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." and "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:37-39). What does it mean to love God with ALL our hearts, with ALL our minds, and with ALL our strength. I think we take the scriptures that we have heard so often too lightly. All isn't a very light word. To love God is to give him everything, all that we have and can give, not all that we want to give and this is important for more than just our own well being.

"Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 

"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'

"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:25-33)

 This is, or at least should be a challenging passage. Why is the God who is love, telling us to hate our family? God isn't telling us to despise our families or to ignore them. He is telling us that, He must be first. When Jesus called the first disciples, He simply said "follow me" (Matt. 4:19, 8:22. 9:9 to name a few). They were called to leave their homes, jobs, and families at the drop of a hat because what Jesus was offering was worth more than all those things. At least with his disciples, it didn't take much convincing from what we can gather from the scriptures.

It takes a lot more convincing for even Christians today to desire to follow Jesus. There is so much available to us at the tips of our fingers that the thought of having to read scripture, to work towards face-to-face relationships that are deeper than a facebook message, and to have to spend our lives seeking one thing just isn't feasible and Jesus isn't make it any easier by telling us we have to if we want to be His disciple and to live out His purposes in our lives. Some would argue that you can be a Christian and not a disciple. The disciples are the preachers and teachers. They are the ones called to spread the good news. The rest of us just listen, but James tells us we are "deceived" if we only listen to the word, we are called to action (James 1:22). Why is this so important?

God loves each and every one of His people. Nothing can change that (Romans 8:38-39), but if we want to follow Jesus, if we want to know his love completely and to live in the fullness of life that is offered through his sacrifice, we must respond to the love we are given. Our forgiveness and our eternal life came at a cost and it requires sacrifice on our part. In the passage in Luke (above), Jesus is saying that we absolutely have to count the cost. Is this venture really worth getting into? Is it worth going to church, putting a little more in the offering plate, giving my free time to volunteer, reading the scriptures, allowing myself to be pushed way out of my comfort zone and looking at the world differently?

An experience with Jesus should change your life whether you have been a believer for 100 years or not at all. When we draw close to Him he shifts our world view. We begin to see the world through the eyes of God and what we see requires a change in us.We will begin to hurt for what he hurts for and to find joy in what he delights in. These emotions and attitudes will draw a response, but are we have to be willing to embrace it. We have to count the cost. It's not about being ready to make the decision. When we make that decision God will guide us, but are you willing to be changed? Are you willing to be convicted and are you willing to respond? Is it worth it?

I can't answer that for anyone reading, but I can say that nothing in this world will ever satisfy like the love of Jesus Christ and having a personal relationship with him. I will not be able to convince anyone of this with my own strength or agenda, it has to be experienced. God provides us with opportunities to share the joy that he has given us. As I mentioned above, Christ gives us two commandments, to love Him with all we have and to love others. In loving Him, we must be willing to make the sacrifice, to pay the cost, whatever it takes. In loving Him, we will be drawn to His heart and we won't be able to help but love others because we will see them as he sees them with love and compassion. It's not always going to be an easy road and it may not ever seem easy, but the reward is eternal. It's beyond our life on this earth. It's perfect and pure and holy. Take a step in faith, believe Christ is who he says he is and fall into His embrace. Delight yourself in His presence. Pray that He would meet you and brace yourself for the adventure.

Homeless Youth: Spit and Freddy

This past weekend I decided it was worth driving up to my home state of Pennsylvania to do some white water rafting with some of my friends from college. It a three and a half hour drive to Ohiopyle, PA from where I am living. I used Google maps and opted to avoid toll roads to save a little money. The scenic route was beautiful and void of traffic which was very peaceful for about half of the trip. Around six or so that evening I was making my way through Cumberland, Maryland and I saw three teenagers, dressed in the same clothes they have probably been wearing for months holding up a cardboard sign that read "Traveling, Broke, and Hungry." I stared as I waited at the stop light and then drove by like hundreds of vehicles before and after me.

As I continued down the road, the excuses started flowing: "What did I really have to give them? I don't have any cash. What if they tried to take my wallet? What if they pull a gun on me and steal my car? If I give them a ride, it's a pretty huge liability." Somewhere in the next few hours, God hit me hard. I thought "if that was Jesus, I would have pulled over in a heartbeat." Right? The truth is, that was Jesus.

In Matthew 25 Jesus is talking about the Kingdom of Heaven and what it will be like. In the end he will come to separate the sheep and the goats. Picking up from v. 37-45:

 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

This passage wrecked me the rest of my trip. It's not an exaggeration to say that I spent every waking moment with those teenagers on my heart.I prayed fervently for God's forgiveness and that those teenagers would be there when I got back. I wanted so much to give them something. God answers prayers for opportunities to glorify Him.

Sure enough the next day, as I rolled through town, the teenagers were in the same location. I pulled in to the Sheetz across the street to get gas, then to the Rite Aid parking lot where they were standing. I opened up the trunk. I had some fire starters, $6 cash, a granola bar, and my Bible. I walked up and began talking with one of these teens. Her name slips my mind, but three others were there as well. The guy referred to himself as Spit and one of the other girls introduced herself as Freddy. She was married to another boy they were traveling with, but he wasn't around. I gave them what I had and asked about their lives. They didn't want to the Bible, but I offered anyway. I learned that Freddy and her husband had been traveling for about nine years. One of the other girls had only been out about a year. The group travels by hopping trains and depends on the streets near the railways to provide them with food. One group came from Michigan, another from Chicago. They had to stay out of Ohio, because they had gotten in some trouble with the law.

I learned something valuable from these teens. When I drove by them the day before I judged them I decided in those few moments that they weren't worth my time. Besides there are millions like them across the United States and all over the world. These teens have spent most of their lives ignored and neglected and they have become so calloused to affection that they enjoy their lives on the road. I believe those teenagers were more like Jesus than any Christian I've met in the church. They depend fully on each other and the world around them. They ask for help when they need it, because they know they can't do it alone. Most of the world including the local authorities, and workers of the stores where they sit on the street corners are annoyed with them, but they aren't hurt. They keep going on to the next city. They find love in each other. It's not the fullness of love offered by our Savior, but how can they begin to understand a love that has never been shown to them.

Time Magazine put out an article that in 2005 and 2006 there were about 1.5 million homeless youth in America (http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1883966,00.html).  We can only assume the number is higher now with the shape of the economy. This number can be totally disheartening and it should be, but when we make those youth a number we don't really see the pain and the abandon that I saw in the eyes of those teens. Christ has called us to serve all of his people. Some of us are doing that everyday. Some of us have found comfort in our own churches and families and don't see the need around us. I pray that our eyes would be opened, that we would see Jesus in the people that are hungry, and thirsty and we would provide for them. They might be your next door neighbor.

I don't want to stand before Jesus as he points out every time I drove by when I could have helped one of His children because the miracle of what God has created is in each and every human being no matter how young or old, rich or poor, annoying or pleasant, clean or dirty. God loves them and He wants to use us to share that love. We can't ignore what is right in front us, but we do it every day. I don't want this story to be a sap story. Yes, what I saw was terrible, but instead of dwelling on it, do something about it. Share the love. It is what you're called to do.

Do you Believe This?

I was talking with my fiancee last night and we were discussing the story of Lazarus when Jesus raises Him from the dead (John 11:1-43). If you aren't familiar with the story I'll summarize, because it's about forty verses. Mary's brother is sick and dies while Jesus is out of town. Jesus waits a few days until after Lazarus is dead and in the grave before he decides to go back and heal him. Martha meets him before he gets into to town. Here is the conversation that follows (vv. 21-27):

"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

Martha goes back into town and returns to escort Jesus to the tomb where he brings Lazarus up from the dead. All he said was "...Lazarus, come out..." (v. 43). Most of us would agree that this is pretty incredible that Jesus was able to bring someone back from the dead, but when we read the story, it doesn't affect us like it would if we were there, right?

Jesus is bringing people back to life every single day. He is reaching out through his people to heal those who have been hurt by abuse, their past, addictions, or simply a life they have tried to live without him. We aren't amazed by the miracles that God performs everyday and we aren't moved by what he has already done through his Son. I know that I get really excited when I see God do something in a youth that I'm working with or in a relationship, but sometimes when I read the scriptures I'm distanced emotionally from what is actually happening. I think many of us feel this way when we read about Jesus' life.

One reason I think we feel this way sometimes is that many of us don't feel that we have experienced or seen God work in such a miraculous way. We appreciate our interactions with people who are really nice or can pray out loud really well and we might say that God is really moving in that person, but our own pride makes us feel then that we are inadequate. We appreciate that person or that relationship, but we don't feel we could ever be in the place that they are with God. We start to compare ourselves to the person of faith rather than the One who is working in them. At the root of this issue and many other issues in the church is a hesitancy to earnestly seek God in prayer, but more importantly to believe that he is capable.

In the story of Lazarus, Jesus was present to Martha and Mary and the other Jews that witnessed the event. Although it may have been there, we don't read about any hesitancy in the sister's to seek out Jesus' help, but many around them, including themselves, seem to be upset that Jesus didn't come sooner. "If you had been here, my brother would not have died" (v.21).  I credit them in that they believed his presence would have brought healing, but they were beginning to doubt. It wasn't happening on their schedule.

Our culture is all about the immediate solution. What is the quickest and most efficient way to get the easiest reward. Our walk with Christ often ends up the same way. Instead of praying for a while about a decision, we will pray immediately before and judge the best course of action, hardly giving God time to respond. Throughout the gospels we see Jesus healing the sick and the lame and it sounds like He is doing great things and we wonder why he doesn't heal like that today. In many situations the people that Christ has healed are healed because of their faith. In their weakness, they believed that Christ could save them (Matt 9:22, 15:28; Mark 5:34, 10:52; Luke 8:48, 18:42). Jesus even heals a father's unbelief (Mark 9:24)!

Before I go much further, I want to make sure my point is clear. I am not saying that if you pray harder your friend, or your grandparent will come back to life, or if you prayed harder before they died, that it would not have happened. It's not only about physical healing and the amount of faith we have does not equate to God's ability to intercede. Jesus ministered to others through healing them and they responded by sharing what He had done with others. What I am trying to say is that we don't pray believing that God is capable and we often pray for what the best outcome will be for us.

Casting Crowns wrote a song a few years back called "What if His People Prayed?" I believe the church is praying today. We pray before meals and for God's blessing and for his will, but often times it is because that is what we are suppose to do. The Bible says pray so we pray. What if we prayed believing that God would come? What if we prayed for people we didn't know? What if we prayed with other denominations and worshiped with them to bring unity to his church? What if we prayed for healing without our own ?

If there is one prayer I believe God will always answer it's "draw me closer to you." God wants to be near us he wants to be in relationship with us. Any relationship requires consistent and honest communication. Our relationship with God is no different. We have to seek him out, believe that He is alive and moving in the world today, rejoice when he performs even the smallest miracles. When we give him the glory for all that we are given and dwell on the life that he gave for us, we will be overwhelmed by what He can do in us and through us, but we have to really believe that he can and he will. If we are praying with his will in mind and surrendering to his purposes, we may not get the answer we want, but we will know that God's hand is at work.

"Not in Our Church"

I walked into church this past week to be told that the seat I was about to sit in was reserved for someone else. I watched as this member of the church told a few others the same thing. As I told this to another one of our youth leaders, the response was "...that happened in our church?" I have to admit I was pretty upset at the idea of reserved seating in church. Had this been my first Sunday at this church I may have not have a felt very welcomed, loved, or cared about in that moment. I spent most of the service angry about it and the guest pastor's sermon fired me up even more.

I enjoy being challenged by what the scriptures say and about my own thoughts and opinions. The pastor was giving a sermon on truly reflecting the image of Christ. He talked about what someones first impressions might be if they walked into church that morning. He talked about how we can make a church look good with lots of programming and friendly people, but can still miss the point of the Gospel. I watched judgmentally as the members that had refused me a seat in front of me nodded their heads in agreement. I was pretty upset as many others may be when the church lives out the stereotypes we are given.

The easiest thing to do is to be angry about it. As many of us watch the church spiral away from the core message of the gospel, we become disheartened and frustrated. I was reading a friend's blog and he was talking about how much money, time, and effort are spent on trying to keep people from making "wrong" decisions, specifically about homosexuality. The Presbyterian church has divided itself because some churches have become more "liberal" and don't want to associate with those "sinners." Romans 3:23 says "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Every Christian believes that Christ died for our sins and that in Him we have eternal life. Isn't this the most important message that is consistent throughout scripture? I am not saying that nothing else in scripture matters, but at the core of the Bible is a message of love. We are called to love others without judgment. It is up to the Holy Spirit to convict others of their sins and how they can reconcile their relationship with God.

Christians are on the news picketing against abortion and against gay marriage and to be fair even for those things. What if we stopped spending our time arguing about who is right and who is wrong, whose lifestyle is the right one, and focused our eyes and our hearts on the cross? When we look to the cross and at the life of Jesus, there is no hatred. There is love for every single human being. I am not denying that there are consequences for our sin, but we tend to think that some people sin worse than others or because they sin "intentionally" that they are doomed to hell, but you tell me one time you have sinned after having known the Father and didn't know you were doing it. James 2:10 says "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." The liar and the murderer stand next to each other in judgment. God knew we could not fight the temptation of sin on our own. That is why he sent his son and that's why his grace is given to us so freely. The following passage in James 1:19-25 came to mind as I was thinking about this.

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

I was hurt by how I was welcomed at church this past Sunday, but my easiest reaction was to be angry about it which accomplishes very little. What is important is how I respond. How do we respond when we feel the church is going in the wrong direction or a few people have missed the point? Have we hit the nail straight on the head in our own lives? Have we not slipped and missed the point a few times? God's word and the Life of His son are at the core of every believer. We must listen to what God is saying to us constantly, but I am pretty confident that he will never tell us to speak out against our brother. He tells us to love them and not to do anything that would cause them to stumble. Romans 14:19-21

"Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall."

I believe if we simply get angry at the situation of the church today we will fail God's people. We have to get back to the heart of the life of Christ. If we seek out his purposes in our lives and ask the Spirit to guide us to the people we must minister to, He will give us the truth to speak to others in love.  In each of our churches there are as many sinners as they are members. Each of them is searching for truth and love. We must not deny them these basic needs through our actions and our words.We have to constantly look in the mirror and ask ourselves if the image that reflects back at us is that of our Savior. What we see in the mirror will be what the world sees. If we want the world to see Jesus we have to follow Him in our own lives in everything we do.

Carry-On Baggage

I seem to have had this conversation with myself and others many times. Most often it comes before a backpacking trip for two reasons. The first reason is that it is really easy to relate getting rid of extra baggage in our lives to packing a backpack. The second reason is that if you talk about it before your group packs, they will hopefully pack less which means less complaining and back aches later.

After I finished college I spent the few weeks I had at home going through all my old stuff and trying to get rid of the "baggage" I had kept from over the years so my parents wouldn't be left with a mess when I was gone. I went through old photos, notes from friends, cheesy lyrics I spent hours on and never put to music, and all my sports memorabilia from high school. I was able to narrow all my stuff down to one large plastic tub, which I would pack along with me as I moved to Virginia. A couple weeks ago, my fiancee and I were talking about memories from high school and what might be important to keep as we shared our lives together and some day with our kids. As we pursue life together, there are also some things we need to let go of.

As I thought about it I realized that this plastic tub (a very heavy plastic tub) was quite intentionally full of me. I had kept things that kept me holding on to a past that I needed to let go of. It's important to know where we have come from and with all that is available with technology and things today, it's easy to keep track of your life, but some things need to be thrown away. We can't ignore our past and how it has affected us, but when we hold on to things that serve as constant reminders of our achievements and our downfalls, we aren't able to move on completely. I say achievements as well as downfalls, because both must be behind us.

As followers of Christ we are called to depend on Him completely. Our achievements would not have been achieved without his guidance and strength and we aren't to boast in these achievements. In the ministry field we tend to talk about numbers and view success by how many people were in church or how many tell you how great the sermon was or how they were moved. It's great when those things happen and we should rejoice that God is working through his people, but there is much more work to be done. Greater things are yet to come as the song goes.

When it comes to the places we have failed, we tend to hold on to them as excuses as to why we can't move forward or why we are inadequate for the work we are required to do. We are all inadequate to carry out the message of the Gospel. We were made adequate by the love of Christ and his death on the cross. He prepares us for the work he has to do. If we don't feel prepared, it is because we have failed to trust him.

As we pursue the will of God in our lives we must throw away the things that may hinder us (Hebrews 12:1-3). When Jesus sends out his disciples to minister in the villages he says:

"When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: "Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no no extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them." So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere." (Luke 9:1-6)

He tells them not to take anything. They must depend completely on him to provide for their basic needs  of food, clothing, and shelter. God has seen our past. He has redeemed us, and he knows what lies ahead, but we can't carry extra baggage. He provides for us everything we need when it is needed. We have to keep our eyes on Jesus and the eternal message that he brings. The things we do on this earth will fall away. The areas in our lives where we have failed him have been erased by his all consuming grace. When we make the decision to get rid of our extra baggage that we have insisted on carrying for so long, we allow God to completely enter our hearts and in doing so we can more fully share His love with others. I'll wrap up with one of my favorite scriptures from Philippians 3:12-14,

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Leftovers and Hand Me Downs

I was out with some the middle and high school youth picking corn for a local food bank this morning. I was really excited about getting the youth out getting to know each other and helping others locally. As I was picking corn I realized we were picking the leftovers from the good corn that was already picked to sell. I pulled a few ears with bugs or very little corn on them, and I was a little saddened by what we were giving to others. Now, I believe this is a great mission and if we hadn't picked it to give to the organization it would have gone to waste. Some "okay" corn is better than no corn. The same concept applies to thrift stores and clothing donations. They are filled with the things that nobody else wants. We can go through our closets and get rid of all the things that don't fit and that no one who could afford better would ever want to wear.

What if we were providing for someone we cared about or someone we were having over for dinner? We would cook our best meal and if they needed anything we would jump on the opportunity to provide for someone we loved and cared about. Why is it so different with people we don't know, and people less fortunate than ourselves? You can come up with simple answers, often excuses, like we never met them or my absolute least favorite line when helping other "they have nothing, so they will appreciate whatever they get." These words may be true but I believe they are some of the most rotten words to say when trying to help others. In Luke 6:27-35, Jesus talks about love in relation to others:

 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.  "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

In this passage Jesus tells us to love even our enemies. We are far from enemies with those who are in need of food and clothing. He also tells us the famous rule "do to others as you would have them do to you." You wouldn't feed your company with leftovers or provide them with old useless hand-me-downs. You would give them the best you had, because of your love and care for them. The world is full of God's children. As a Father, his desire is to provide for his children spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally. As children of Christ each of us is a brother and a sister to those next to us, regardless of whether we know them or how we feel about them. We are called to love others. Jesus didn't give half of himself or just the parts of himself he felt appropriate. He was obedient to the father in giving all he had, his very best to his disciples and those he ministered to. He called his disciples to do the same. In order to follow him and to love as he loved, they had to give up everything. They had to spread his love through their own lives by ministering and giving to others and showing them the love God had for them. Ephesians 5:1-2 says "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Christ's gave his love fully to people he didn't know everyday. He provided for them with the best he had. He had to sacrifice all he had and serve with all he had. We must do the same.

It is incredible what God is doing through his people on this earth today, but simply giving is not enough. It's not about throwing money in the plate, taking your clothes to the Goodwill, giving a little extra from your harvest. These are all great things, but we must look at these moments of giving as if we were providing for our own family or loved one, because the world needs our love, not our leftovers.

Excess and Reward

I was reading a youth pastor's blog the other today, and he was talking about the difficulty of ministering in a more affluent community when Jesus speaks of how difficult it is for the "rich" to enter the kingdom of heaven (Mark 10:25). Most of us regardless of our societal status would hesitate to call ourselves rich..."Donald Trump and Bill Gates our rich, I'm just comfortable and providing for my family." I believe most Americans are rich in some way and I do believe it will be difficult for many of us to enter the kingdom of heaven, myself included. Our culture teaches us to show love through the material. The amount of love we have for someone is directly connected with what we can give them. Don't get me wrong, when Gary Chapman listed gift giving as one of the five love languages, I believe he was right. Giving is definitely a way to show love, but giving doesn't have to be material and even if it is it doesn't have to mean spending a a lot of money.

Luke says "but woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. (v.24)" Our dependence on the material wealth of this world has provided with so much comfort that it blinds are need for a Savior. How often instead of praying, do we seek comfort through the material. When you are having a bad day you go to the Dairy Queen and get yourself a medium snickers blizzard (guilty). When you get up for work and you get stuck in traffic and people are cutting you off, but if you just had your Starbucks coffee it would be all better. How about if we are trying to lose weight. We go out and buy all the pills and quick remedies instead of asking God to help us to be disciplined to work out a little every day and for him to give us the strength. These aren't all bad things at all if we have sought out God's purposes first. Have we taken the time to pray about it and to seek his comfort?

I grew up rich. I had a family that loved each other and stayed together through thick and thin. We had enough money to live on and then some. I had more than enough food on my plate every evening. I had clean water to drink and whether I chose to listen to Him or not I had and still have a Savior that provides for my deepest needs. Here is the key, Jesus never showed his love through the material. When he shared his last meal with the disciples, he didn't give them a collector's grail and a little figurine of himself to remember him by. He gave himself. He gave them eternal life (Jn. 6:54). He told them not to hold on to this love and to remember him only for that moment, but to spread his love to the nations (Matt. 28:19). To share the "wealth" and the "riches" that he has given them. As a material culture, we must learn to depend on Christ for our comfort. We have to serve his Kingdom with the eternal reward in mind. It's funny even as we serve in the church or on mission trips, a part of us still seek reward. We want gratitude for our work, even a t-shirt or something to remember the experience.

The truth is Christ is reaching out His every day with the opportunity to experience his love. Each experience has a reward, an eternal one that we will never see in our time on earth. How beautiful will it be to stand before the Father, after confessing all the times we have fell short, as he wraps us in His arms and says "for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me (Matt. 25:35-37)."That's the beauty of the Gospel. One day we will be able to stand before our God and to be fully loved and unashamed before Him. This will be our most worthwhile endeavor and the greatest reward.

Thoughts on Blogging

     I decided to start a blog. I was in the office at my new job as a youth pastor and I was talking to our secretary. We were talking about facebook, twitter, blogging, etc, and how these social networking devices have created a culture of arrogance. As we type away each moment of our day when we wake up, are drinking coffee, or go to a concert, why we hate it when traffic is backed up for hours on the interstate, and anything else that comes our way, we believe people are really interested in what we are doing at that moment. On the other side of that coin we are interested in what is going on in other people's lives. Some of us will spend hours a day looking at pictures, commenting, and messaging our friends. Essentially, people do care about other people's lives and we find out a lot of information through facebook without ever having to talk to them on the phone or in person. At this point you may be asking, why then am I typing away assuming that you are interested. Well you have read this far, which means you are at least curious.

    The intention of this blog isn't to fill you in on my life and its whirlwinds, but to minister to those of you who may choose to read it. I am thinker and a talker, but often my thoughts don't come out very clear when I speak them. I hope they make more sense typed up. If any of the future topics I post about interest you or make you question I would love to have a conversation with you. Enjoy and God bless!