Childbirth hurts...

Okay... what do I know about birthing pains? Nothing. Not a thing at all... and, a lot at the same time.

The name of this blog is Christianity Struggles, and if you're here, and reading then you know that Christianity can be difficult sometimes. A lot of times, people aren't prepared for how difficult it is to live as a Christian, so they live some bastardized form of light Christianity where they want all of the benefits of being called by the name of Christ without the burden of picking up their cross. (Did you know the Bible says in 4 different places in 3 different gospels "pick up your cross and follow me?")

Anyway... you're here, you're reading... which means you must be in the struggle too.

So, why? Why can't Christianity be easy? Why can't we always get what we want? If God is our good heavenly Father, and he owns everything why do I have to work so hard for what seems to be so little when there are so many other people who seem to be doing wrong and living these lavish lifestyles?

Why do I have to struggle with doing right when so many others are doing wrong and don't seem to care?

Let me try to explain it this way: That's why I don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what's coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.

 All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. (Romans 8:18-23 The Message)

Your first love...

I was in the shower this morning thinking about my Mom and Dad. My Dad died about 3 years ago, but he was married to my Mom for over 50 years. Sometimes, just out of the blue, she'll smile and strike up a conversation about a memory of him.

I closed my eyes, and decided to think about my first crush, the first person that I KNEW that I loved when I was 13 years old. My 17 year old crush. I could vividly remember things about all of them. Things that made me smile.

Then, I felt God asking me the following questions:

• What do you love about God?
• When was the last time thinking about me made you smile?
• Do you sit down and tell others about time that we spent together or something that we did?

I think we all struggle with times when we're close to God and times when we wander off. Sometimes, we go years without even thinking about what he wants us to do, we're on automatic.

That's not a way for any kind of relationship to grow. It causes us to drift away.

Admittedly, I struggle with that sometimes. I get in the habit of treating the relationship casually, because I know he'll always be there... and there's always later. But just like my early crushes... even with the help of Facebook... I may never find them... and if I did, I doubt my feelings would be the same.

The Bible talks about how we should love God because He first loved us. He is our first love... so, let's try not be live out the warning in the Bible about wandering away from our first love.

Let's not confuse our religious habits with relationship.

Revelation 2:3-5
The Message (MSG)
2-3"I see what you've done, your hard, hard work, your refusal to quit. I know you can't stomach evil, that you weed out apostolic pretenders. I know your persistence, your courage in my cause, that you never wear out.
 4-5"But you walked away from your first love—why? What's going on with you, anyway? Do you have any idea how far you've fallen? A Lucifer fall!
   "Turn back! Recover your dear early love. No time to waste, for I'm well on my way to removing your light from the golden circle.

No apologies...

At first, I felt bad about what I wrote in my last post. I felt that maybe, just maybe I was being a little hard. Then it hit me... the name of the blog is:

Christianity Struggles

The above image is from the Civil Rights movement. Pictured is a man facing a menacing dog with another that has his teeth ripping at his clothes. That man realizes that he is in a struggle for his freedom. The people that marched knew that they would face dogs, water cannons, imprisonment, beatings... but they went anyway.

Why? Because they believed it was the right thing to do. 

We say we believe in God, but we also feel the need to apologize to others because telling the truth may hurt their feelings. Well... feelings are temporary. Get over it.

1 Cor 15:17-20
The Message
...if Christ weren't raised, then all you're doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. It's even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they're already in their graves. If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we're a pretty sorry lot. But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy... 

Christianity is more than a little bit of inspiration and excitement on a Sunday with some liner notes to help us get through Monday. We need to believe, belong, and become. We need to believe in the complete work of Jesus Christ. We need to understand that where we belong as Christians and what our role is in a world that is lost in sin. And finally, we need to become what we're called to be so we can live out our lives in a way that matters.

It's time to man up!

Man up... that's an interesting phrase. It basically means to act like a man.  Do what a adult should do. Take on responsibilities for your actions. Grow up! In the protestant Christian religion, we don't have a rights of passage like other cultures have. There's no bar mitzah or bat mitzah, confirmation, or rumspringa. If you were to ask a dozen people what it means to be an adult, you would get a dozen different answers like, being old enough to vote, getting your license, being able to drink, moving out on your own... the list goes on. So, how do you know when you're grown?

It seems like we're in a culture where people are stuck in adultolescence. This isn't really a new thing. Life can be hard and it's nice to have a diversion every once in a while. I am a life long kidult and I don't see anything wrong with keeping a youthful outlook on life as long I take care of my have to's.

My question is: "What about when it comes to our faith?" This isn't a new question. It frustrated Paul back in the early church.

1 Corinthians 3:1-3
New Living Translation (NLT)
 1 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, 3 for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?

Paul was basically saying "Grow Up!"

I think part of the reasons why people struggle with Christianity is because they have to make hard decisions. Painful decisions. It's hard to deny yourself what you want because you feel that an invisible God is prompting you to make a decision that you know deep down inside is the right thing to do... but what will your friends think?

We want to read the good and happy parts of the Bible, but don't want to read about what we have to do to resist sin, or sharing what the Bible says to others, putting ourselves out there to care for those who are less fortunate than we are.

What do you believe?

 Does your faith impact your life?

 Can you really explain to someone else what you believe other than to say "Jesus died for me so I could have everlasting life?"


Does your "sinful nature" still govern your actions?

Does it sound like I'm angry? Frustrated? Annoyed? I AM!


I'm not so frustrated with you, but with all the years that I lost because I wanted to be a kidult in Christ.  However, exposure to what the Bible says as I read it for myself and meditate on it shows me the vanity of how I have been living... and I want more. I want to see what it's like to grow up and see what God has in store for me when I actually listen and follow what he says.

Let me put this another way... if you had to live only on milk as an adult what would happen? You would wither away. You would lose your strength and ability because you don't receive all the nutrients that you need to function as an adult.

If you want to know why you make the same mistakes over and over again... it's because you haven't built up the strength to do better.

Hebrews 5:13-14
New Living Translation (NLT)
13 For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. 14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

What do you really look like?

A few years ago, I learned something kind of disturbing. I learned that I had a distorted body image. What this basically means is that when I looked in the mirror, my mind did not recognize the reality of what the mirror said, instead - I viewed myself in an unhealthy way.

I was an athlete when I was in college. I had around 3% body fat, 6 pack abs, perfectly chiseled body. I was 185 pounds of solid muscle and as a soccer player at the top of his game could run for hours without getting tired. After 10 years of marriage, I was 285 pounds, a truck tire for abs, and a body like the Pillsbury dough boy. 

My problem was, when I looked in the mirror, I could not picture myself as being overweight. I saw myself as the fit and proportioned person I was in my youth. And because I couldn't see the truth, I continued to eat the same way that I did when I was young and I continued to gain weight.

I went to the doctor for my annual physical... my elevated blood pressure and excessive weight prompted the doctor to say "You are fat, you need to get up off your lazy behind and exercise."

I couldn't believe the words that came out of his mouth! I was in disbelief. When I got home, I took off my shirt, looked in the mirror, and for the first time could see all of the weight that I had gained.

When I saw the truth, I realized I had to change my ways.

I worked hard... I lost nearly 60 pounds. But in all honesty, I haven't been as diligent as I once was. I think I've gained 20 of those pounds back and I'm slipping back into the way things use to be.

I'm telling you this story, because I think most of us can relate to this is our own lives.

But, what does this have to do with Christianity?

James 1:22-24
The Good News Translation
22 Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice.23 If you listen to the word, but do not put it into practice you are like people who look in a mirror and see themselves as they are.24 They take a good look at themselves and then go away and at once forget what they look like.25 But if you look closely into the perfect law that sets people free, and keep on paying attention to it and do not simply listen and then forget it, but put it into practice—you will be blessed by God in what you do.

Sharing your faith

If you ask most Christians what the one thing they are most afraid of - it's sharing what they believe with other people. There was a time when people believed that it was the job of the Pastor to share the gospel, so most people believe that their job is done once they invite someone to church.

I have been in church meetings where people have talked about how to get new people to come to the church. It's usually revolves around having a program or doing some activity there they don't have to personally interact... because putting yourself out there is difficult and if people asked questions that you didn't know the answer to... well, that would just be embarrassing.

Besides that, the Bible draws some really hard lines about how we should live. It talks about not drinking in excess, no sex outside the bonds of marriage, not stealing... we don't want to seem judgmental. So, sometimes it's easier to just not say anything.

But... we have to remember the last thing that Jesus said before he ascended into heaven as recorded in Matthew 28:18-20 was:

 18 ... “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

It's a personal command to all of us, not just to talk to others, but to teach them...

I was at an early morning men's meeting and this guy named Bill was sharing how he came to be a Christian. He was in his late 30's and a hippy for life. He said, "the first time someone told me about the gospel I was interested in what they said, I just had one question:

"Do I have to stop smoking weed [marijuana] in order to be saved?"  

Without missing a step, the guy talking to him looked him in the eye and said... "No!" Bill admits that if this gentleman would have said yes, he would have walked away. But what this man knew was that it's not his job to try to get someone to change their lives by a set of rules. Over time, exposure to what the Bible says will bring about a change... if you truly meditate on what it says.

I saw Bill not too long ago. He's still hippy Bill. He gave up smoking anything years ago. He still had a strong faith in God because someone took the time to listen to meet him where he was.

Once you take yourself out of the equation, it's easy to talk to people about the gospel.

When I say this, I'm not bragging. Believe me, I have nothing to brag about, but I'm saying this so it will encourage you.

When I was at work yesterday, I felt guided to go to the mall, and sit there with my Bible and do some writing, because I reckoned [logizomai] if I did... God would send at least one person my way that needed to hear from Him. So, I packed my yellow notepad, pen, Bible, tablet computer and sat there writing.

When I finished writing my last sentence for the day, Rodney walked up to me, and we talked for about 30 minutes about what it means to struggle to be a Christian. He had questions... God prepared me with answers. We talked about many of the things that I've been blessed to write about over the past few days and I even read him word for word what I had written that evening. [I gave Rodney the link to this blog as well as a challenge to read all the way through the book of Ephesians from beginning to end in one setting, then read 1 chapter a day for a week. I also gave him my business card with my number. Rodney, if you're reading this... I really meant what I said! God loves you and is there to help you... that's a promise that He makes and He always keeps His word.]

I believe that if we make ourselves available God will prepare us with what we need to say in the moment.

John 3 New Living Translation (NLT)
 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.

It's a difficult struggle to be blown into situations like a leaf blowing in the wind trusting God to lead me into situations that he has prepared because first, He has prepared me for the situation through praying and studying His word, and secondly that he He has prepared the other person to be ready to listen.

I mean... could it really be that easy? Things like that don't ever happen... do they?

Acts 8:29-31
New Living Translation (NLT)
 29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”
 30 Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
 31 The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.

Not "why?" it should be "why not!"

One of the primary places that I've seen Christians struggle is when it comes to difficult times. People have these deep "why" questions - "Why did my child have to die?" or "Why do I have to deal with cancer." or, in this economy "Why can't I find a job."

When they ask most Christians, we just give them the same answer that in the moment we even feel is kind of a crutch.

God has a plan.

Yeah, we know that God has a plan, but the fact that He hasn't written it in 10 foot tall flaming letters in the sky so we can understand it, doesn't really help in the moment when people are grasping for anything to hold on to.

One of the Bible promises that I hold on to is: "In this world you will have troubles, but take heart, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

I have built my faith from the beginning to expect difficult times and have a slew of Bible verses that I can hang on to in times of testing and trial.

I am not some super Christian, but I have spent 7 months unemployed. During which time I got to see my Father, an incredible man of God suffer the full effects of both cancer and dementia and was with him when he drew his last breath.

I know what it's like to not have ends meet. I once dubbed my budget "Gone in 60 seconds" because it would all be allocated as soon as... no, before I got paid.

But, through it all, I have still looked to God.

Why?

Because I know that through good or bad, God's primary desire is for me to have the best possible relationship with Him. Heaven is the goal. It would be great to be rich, not have to worry about where my next meal is coming from, or whether all my bills will be met. The short lifetime that we live here... is nothing compared to eternity with God.

The original apostles that Jesus knew this. Most of the apostles that Jesus chose, realized the importance of their faith and most of them were martyred so the good news would be spread by people that loved God more than their own lives.

Phillipians 2 (New Living Translation) says that we should have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privilegesl he took the humble position of slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him a name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father.

Somehow, we have it in our minds that all should be good. We are the exemptions.

And that... is why we struggle during difficult times. Instead of asking God to get us out of the situation, we need to ask how we can bring Him glory through our actions. I'm sure He will grant us His grace to endure. And... isn't that what we need to show people? That our loyalty to God isn't shaken... regardless of the situation? I know I want to be surrounded by Christians like that.

James 1:2-8

New Living Translation

2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

 5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

AWKward...

Without going into detail, yesterday I experienced an awkward moment. It was in the context of a group of friends who over the course of the last year had spent time with each other, cooperatively did things together, asked each other for favors and supported each other.

The problem was... all this was on the surface. One of the other people in the group noticed this and had mentioned the problem with the group dynamic and indicated that we should all probably do something about this, especially if we're going to spend more time together.

This wasn't the awkward moment.

The awkward moment came later when one of the people wanted the benefits of being a part of this group, but didn't want to give as much as everyone else to accomplish our shared goals.

I had a flashback to too many conversations that I've had with people in the past about their relationship with   God.

They want to say that they "love" God, but they don't want to keep his commandments. I think the biggest area is regarding submitting your sexual life over to God. People say they love God, want a good Christian man/woman, but want to have sex with her/him to make sure the sex is good before they get married!

I was in a singles class at church - we separated into a men's class and a women's class to discuss difficulties with dating. An older gentleman, around 70 years old raised his hand. Admittedly, he had been married at least twice before and wanted to marry again. Expecting to hear some wisdom from someone his age with his experiences, I listened intently. He said:

"I'm not going to marry someone unless I sleep with her first. No one wants to be in bed with someone laying there like a dead fish!"

That was an awkward moment for me. I don't mean to make this into a post talking about sex, but there is so much more to building true relationship than dependence upon an act that lasts a few moments. There is so much more time in the day where if that's the only thing you're looking for... you're missing out!

So, what does that have to do with anything? A lot!

I think people are ashamed because it's hard to be vulnerable. We all mess up - and when you let someone down that you're close to? Well... that's difficult. When you care about someone - there's a lot to risk, so sometimes it's easier to step away and keep things at arms length.

God knows all, He see's all, and we know that we don't measure up to His call for us to be Holy. So we would rather surround ourselves with people that have the same shallow view as us.

But... what if we risked being vulnerable - with the understanding that if we failed we would still be loved. Wouldn't that inspire you to try harder?

It would for me...

 Romans 8:1-4
King James Version (KJV)
 1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
 3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
 4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Lost in a familiar place

There is a common understanding that men don't like to look at a map. We like to wander around aimlessly until we figure it out. Now in the era of GPS, men will put in the destination, follow the route, then midway through venture off course because "they know a shortcut." Most people, however, put the directions into their GPS and follow the voice without really thinking about where they're going.

Another reason why people don't generally look at maps is because they know the route. They drive it so much that they don't even have to think about it. It becomes routine. When routes become routine, you don't have to pay attention. I know, there was a time when I drove one route so many times, I literally arrived at work and couldn't recall driving there!

For a lot of us, that's how Christianity is. We get into the habit of routine and think that we're doing okay because that's the way that we've always done it. Then... as time goes on, we stop doing things like praying, or studying our Bible... we arrive at church for the last part of praise and worship and leave immediately when the sermon is over. Many stop taking communion, because it just makes the service a little longer and they've filled all the check boxes so they're good... right?

As a result, the things that were really important to us at first seam... less important now - like reading our Bible and meditating on what it says. The lessons that we're teaching our kids... well, to be honest, we aren't really teaching them anything. We're expecting them to learn it in church. And how it affects our lives? Well... we have our notes and we can read what the Pastor talked about during church service. 

Church service... that's exactly what it feels like. We have completed our serving "obligation" by giving God 90 minutes of our time on Sunday.

The question is... what's the problem? 

Judges 2:10
The Message (MSG)
Eventually that entire generation died and was buried. Then another generation grew up that didn't know anything of God or the work he had done for Israel. 

From a historical perspective - the words above were written to the generation after Joshua! They had gone into the land of promise and had fought many great battles. God had demonstrated his incredible love for his people... and they had their houses, they had their jobs, they got into their routine... and they forgot about God.

Okay... that's an Old Testament example. We have grace now... that could never happen... right?

Galations 4:8-11
The Message (MSG)
8-11Earlier, before you knew God personally, you were enslaved to so-called gods that had nothing of the divine about them. But now that you know the real God—or rather since God knows you—how can you possibly subject yourselves again to those paper tigers? For that is exactly what you do when you are intimidated into scrupulously observing all the traditions, taboos, and superstitions associated with special days and seasons and years. I am afraid that all my hard work among you has gone up in a puff of smoke!

It's so easy to get caught up in tradition, and not doing things that we shouldn't, making sure that we're in church on Easter and Christmas... and at least 50% of the other Sundays and we think we're doing something good.

God promises abundant life he wants us to be out there experiencing His grace as we share His word to a world that is lost... instead... we get complacent... and it becomes difficult to tell Christians from the world.

My prayer is that I fight against just checking off the check boxes in my life. I truly desire to make a difference in the lives of others.

Selah.

Beating your head against the wall...

In a lot of churches, sin is a four letter world. I once attended a church service where the pastor freely admitted that sin was not a topic that pastors like to teach about because of the conviction that it causes in the heart of the people that attend. Websters defines conviction as being convinced of an error and compelled to admit the truth.

To me, that's essential. I think a lot of times we go to church and get our checklist on what we could or should do in order to grow in Christ, but we are never convinced that there is something wrong with our current state nor are we compelled to admit that we have not fully accepted our responsibility in battling sin.

I remember the first time I attended a singles class for people in their 30's. It was a Sunday evening and one of the leaders was taking prayer requests. She asked that we pray for her brother who was struggling with alcohol and drug abuse. She said she couldn't see how he couldn't understand the impact that his visible struggle with alcohol was having on his life and the lives of others around him.

Later on, many people were talking openly about people that they were dating that weren't Christians. A few confessed that they struggled in the area of sexual sin. But they kind of glossed over that because so many people in this Christian group had the same struggle.

I asked what the difference was between the person that struggled with drugs and alcohol and the person that struggled with sexual immorality? There was silence. In that moment, they were convinced of an error and compelled to admit the truth.

I'm not going to be bold and say that I was the perfect single person. There were times when I slipped into sexual sin. I'm not proud of those moments, but I tried not to wallow in that and being convicted, I broke off the relationship and explained why I could not continue banging my head against the wall of sin in this area.

Sin is sin. It separates us from God. we can push and fight against it all we want, but we cannot push down that wall. We can pretend that the sin doesn't exist, but it doesn't change the reality.

So, the question is, "Why do Christians sin?" The Bible clearly states that "if any man be in Christ he is a new creation, old things are passed away, all things are new again" (2 Cor 5:17) so why... Why.. WHY?

I think the key lies in a little quoted verse:

Romans 6:11
King James Version (KJV)
 11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Reckon - it's the Greek work "logizomai" - it means to decide that something is a reality. For example, if I "logizomai" that my wallet book has $25 in it,  it has $25 in it. If it doesn't, I'm deceiving myself. Logizomai implies that you're dealing with a fact.

Do we live like we are dead to sin? Is that a fact to us?

Do we live like we are alive - sanctified, set apart... for a life of service to God made possible by the death and Resurrection of Jesus? Until we do that... we are going to continue to hit our head against the wall of sin.

Are you listening?

“Christianity is a love relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. It is not a religion to observe, a set of rituals to follow, or a list of disciplines to master. It’s astounding but true that the almighty God wants to communicate with us. And He has a lot to talk to us about. The same God who was present as each world empire rose and fell, who observed humanity making each scientific discovery, and who will judge every world leader, every ordinary person, and every demonic power – this God, who is infinitely wise and all-powerfully strong, wants to interact with you and me.
…
Scripture claims that when our heart turns away from God, we stop hearing from Him (Deut 30:17). Each of us must decide how closely we want to walk with God. We can choose mediocrity in our Christian life, or we can resolve to go deeper spiritually, growing in our love for God and increasing our capacity to hear from Him.” – Unlimiting God, Richard Blackaby

I wholeheartedly agree with what Mr. Blackaby says here... but there is one thing that he doesn't take into account:

FEAR

There are a lot of things to fear:

• what if I fail
• what if I heard God wrong
• what if it's my imagination
• what if my friends leave
• what if people look at me

I admit it. I have those thoughts on a regular basis. What if no one reads this blog... or worse, what if someone does and thinks my understanding of God is wrong... or even "what would my Pastor think?"

What keeps me going is relationship. Let me try to explain it this way.

I'm married. I travel as a consultant, so there are times when I'm away from my wife. In order to keep the relationship strong, we have to talk. We talk about everything. Transparently, openly, honestly. When she's weak, I encourage her. When I feel unsure, she comforts me. 

Our love grows because we remain in relationship constantly through out the day. If it's a one line e-mail, o140 characters in a text message, a phone call, or the intimacy of sitting down and talking face to face.

If we didn't do this, our relationship would become stagnant, the potential for drifting away may occur.

Instead, with each message, there is a desire to spend more time with her and to make the best use of the time that we have together.

It's not so different with God. Through out the Bible, He refers to Himself as the bridegroom and to us as his bride. There is a longing for togetherness in ways that I can't fully comprehend.

God wants more than 90 minutes on a Sunday. He wants us to remain in contact with Him, and as we get to know Him better, the relationship will become more intimate. We will be more willing to tear down the walls that hide how we truly are so through relationship, there can be real change in our lives.

But... too many times we want relationship on our own terms... like in this video.

John 15
Common English Bible (CEB)
 1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vineyard keeper. 2 He removes any of my branches that don’t produce fruit, and he trims any branch that produces fruit so that it will produce even more fruit. 3 You are already trimmed because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch can’t produce fruit by itself, but must remain in the vine. Likewise, you can’t produce fruit unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, then you will produce much fruit. Without me, you can’t do anything. 6 If you don’t remain in me, you will be like a branch that is thrown out and dries up. Those branches are gathered up, thrown into a fire, and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified when you produce much fruit and in this way prove that you are my disciples.

Follow the leader

"...I continue to meet many people who settle for mediocrity in their Christian walk. Conversely, I regularly encounter others whose vibrant spiritual life is enviable. We all serve the same God. We know He desires intimate fellowship with us. We know He wants us to experience Him in His awesome splendor. But some people allow complacency to limit their walk.

If you're satisfied with your current spiritual situation, you're setting the boundaries of what you'll experience of Him. If you believe you're incapable of knowing God more intimately or of serving Him more powerfully, you're choosing to plateau spiritually.

But if you sense within you soul that you've barely scratched the surface of what God has for you, if you long to go deeper with God, if you want God to use you to make significant impact on your world, then keep reading." - Unlimiting God - Richard Blackaby 

Do you know why Christians are called Christians? It first happened in a place called Antioch where a small group of believers experienced the grace of God and taught in the temple for a year and as a result, many people came to know God. Because of the action of a few, many lives were changed. (Acts 11) That was the impact that Jesus had... and that's the impact that he wants us to have. He wants us to reach other people and teach them about Him.

I've been in the church for a long time, and the number one response I hear when it comes to not sharing your faith is... "I don't know how - what would I say?" Fear grips them and they are afraid of taking the first step necessary to follow in the steps of Christ.

But... when you read the Bible, you see the message that God wants shared with the world is always the same, and it's always delivered by ordinary people who allow God to help them accomplish things that they never thought were possible. To me, the most impossible thing is telling people who don't know that they need a savior that there is a God who loves them.

My prayer today is that I make myself available and that when the opportunity arises, I share God when the opportunity arises... even if what I have to say may not be popular. But then... being a Christian has never been about popularity... has it?

Jeremiah 7
New Living Translation (NLT)
 1 The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2 “Go to the entrance of the Lord’s Temple, and give this message to the people: ‘O Judah, listen to this message from the Lord! Listen to it, all of you who worship here! 3 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says:
   “‘Even now, if you quit your evil ways, I will let you stay in your own land."

James 4
New Living Translation (NLT)
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Opposites day is over...

You can live opposite of what you profess, but you cannot live opposite of what you believe.- Dallas Willard

When I was growing up, my Dad would say "Man is the only creature capable of lying to himself." When you think about it, that's a pretty powerful thing.

When I gained 100 pounds, I would look at myself in the mirror and not be able to tell that I was overweight. I would go outside, run around with my sons and tell myself that I was still in shape. But, in all honesty, I had this unhealthy excessive amount of fat that was preventing me from being as healthy as I needed to be.

At nearly 300 pounds, I professed I was healthy and living an unhealthy lifestyle. The dangerous part was that I believed I was healthy. Because what I believed was wrong, the impact on my life had the potential for dire consequences.

At 300 pounds, your blood pressure increases. They call it hypertension - the "silent killer." High blood pressure begins to effect your body in ways that you don't recognize because everything seems well on the outside.

Fortunately, I went in for a physical and the doctor said "...you are fat, you need to get up off your lazy behind and exercise." I think that honesty from an external person really helped me see exactly where I was.

My own pride wouldn't let me see where I was... but he helped me by speaking the truth in love.

I'm sure we all lie to ourselves, but more than that - there is a world of people out there that lie to themselves on a regular basis. They look at their lives and compare themselves to others and believe they are morally good, so they must be right with God.

Do you ever feel God is asking you to be a mirror to them showing them the truth? I know I was thankful that someone did that for me... and I try to do the same things spiritually that the doctor did for me physically.

Psalms 119:70 Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law.

What good is knowing the truth, if you don't share it? Sometimes I struggle to know when and how to share my faith, but I pray that that changes...

High school memories...

When I was in high school, I had a crush on this girl named Kate. She liked me too, but for some strange reason, couldn't date me. She would, however, take up as much of my free time as she possibly could. Almost every night during our brief "courtship" she would call me and say things like:

Could you bring your guitar to school tomorrow and play for me? If you do, I love you , I love you, I love you... but if you don't I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.

Eventually, SHE decided that the nature of our relationship wasn't making either of us happy, so she decided that I needed to date someone that I could actually spend time with. It's been over 25 years and I still remember her words...

I am going to help you find someone to date, but just know, whoever she is, I will hate her... and I will hate you for dating her!

 The question is... what does this story have to do with struggling to be a Christian? Everything!

God asks us to love Him. He makes it easy for us. He's consistent. He loves us. He wants to talk with us on a regular basis... but we act like a high school girl named Kate. We give God ultimatums, we throw temper tantrums, we get jealous when he does things for other people. We give Him what we want to, not paying much attention to what He really wants from us.

Take a look at this video...

It's funny... but it's true at the same time.

So, I guess my question for me today is... how do I show God I love Him, and is it consistent?

Matthew 22:36-38
The Message (MSG)
 34-36When the Pharisees heard how he had bested the Sadducees, they gathered their forces for an assault. One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: "Teacher, which command in God's Law is the most important?"
 37-40Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."

Battling being complacent

"God 'is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us' (Ephesians 3:20). Have you seen Him do things in and through your life that absolutely amaze you in their magnitude? If you haven't, why is that? After all, the Bible says God wants you to experience this.

Again, the impediment is not God. The problem lies with us. We've become too easily satisfied with spiritual mediocrity. Some of us have become so used to a powerless life that we've come to think of it as normal for the Christian. It is not. God has more for us to experience and to do than we could imagine. We limit God's activity by our choices." - Unlimiting God by Richard Blackaby

When I read this this morning, it hit me like a ton of bricks. After being at work all day, all I feel like doing is relaxing and watching a little tv. (In reality, the tv is watching me...) If I were to be completely honest, my stomach is beginning to look a little like the guys in today's picture. Great.

Nothing is going to change unless I do something about it. I know that it is possible to lose weight, at one point, due to the discipline of diet and exercise I lost 60 pounds... but it didn't just happen. I had to do something... and it was at least 6 weeks before the scale moved... but I kept going.

Sometimes that's how it is with our faith. We get that urge that we need to follow God more closely. We start... and nothing happens immediately. We get discouraged and go back to a life of mediocrity where our flesh (sinful nature) grows more and we become spiritual side becomes weak.

One of the promises that I made to myself was that I would be in good enough shape to run around and play with my sons (who are now 16 and 19). I now have an 8 year old step-son that, if I am going to keep that goal, I'm going to have to start now.

One of the promises that I made to God when I became a Christian was that I was going to be His witness and share His Words with people that didn't know what God has done for man and to help people that know who He is to grow and be strong.

Neither of these will work if I limit the outcome by not participating in the activities that I need to in order to become more fit and able. That's why it's important to find like minded people to surround yourself with. It's important to work out (exercise spiritually, by not just reading what the Bible says, but doing it.) If you don't make yourself available... then we are limiting God's activity by our choices!

2 Timothy 2:1-10

New Living Translation (NLT)

   Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. 2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

 3 Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. 5 And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. 6 And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. 7 Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.

 8 Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. 9 And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. 10 So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.

There is this personal project that I've been working on for some time. It's a tough one and one that I find overwhelming at times. Every time the chance comes to work on it, I look at the big picture, see how big it is, then say... "I'll start tomorrow."

For many, this "project" can take many different forms... it can be - getting your weight under control, getting to know God better through Bible study, giving up friends that you know are keeping you away from a closer relationship with God... we each probably have at least 1 thing...

I woke up this morning, and realized that I was successful in my yesterday.

Since I'm introspective, I decided to try and figure out why yesterday seemed so easy... in my time with God I felt he was saying to me...

"Give us this day, our daily bread..." Matthew 6:11

God has a history of giving us what we need 1 day at a time. Whether it was providing manna for the people of Israel when they were wandering in the desert or in the life of the Apostle Paul who realized that he needed to "die daily" (Romans 6:11) to his own desires... or even today - where you and I need God to help us with our life.

People tend to forget God when things are going good, and only pursue Him when there's trouble. If we can get into the habit of chasing His will daily, how would that change our lives? If we didn't say "tomorrow" but grasped on to the grace the He has given us today... would we do better?

I think I get it... I need to value what God has in store for me more than a mere moment in time that will fade away. I need to trust that God will help me get through the moment sometimes and not just make things go away. I need to learn to respond to His grace. It may be difficult in the moment... but the reward of success is great!

2 Corinthians 4:17-18
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
17These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing. 18Things that are seen don't last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. That's why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.

Dating God

I am glad I am not dating anymore.When I talk with people who are still dating, I frequently hear the same thing over and over again.

1. I met this person I really like.
2. I'm not sure if they like me.
3. I'm going to ask them if they like me.
4. We're seeing each other!
5. I think they're seeing someone else - I'm a good person, why can't they see it?
6. They broke up with me!
7. Anger

Anyone that has dated can probably relate to this story. The anger of rejection is real.

 But in reality, this is God's story when it comes to mankind. The thing is, God's anger isn't with us... it's with sin and the fact that sin separates us from Him. That's why he went through extraordinary means to bridge the relationship.

Think about it...God loves us, He gave us the ultimate gift in the person of his Son they gave his life for us. We realize that God loves us and we say we want to have a relationship with him... then, we wander off.

The difference is that God continues to pursue us.

Deuteronomy 6:5

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

5So love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and strength

Romans 5:7-9

New Life Version (NLV)

7 No one is willing to die for another person, but for a good man someone might be willing to die. 8 But God showed His love to us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Now that we have been saved from the punishment of sin by the blood of Christ, He will save us from God’s anger also.

Slave... or free?

In the last few posts, I talked about what it means to be a slave to Christ. It was like a reoccurring theme. But... the Bible tells us we're free? How can you both be free and a slave at the same time. I think that's something that a lot of people struggle with.

There are some people that accept Christ, then continue in their old lifestyle (sin).  They... aren't really free.


There are times when I just slip into doing something that's  stupid because of my own inattentiveness. I hear the warning by the grace of God... and I listen to "a different master." As a voluntary slave, I listen to another master who is in direction competition with the one that I serve.

In that instance, I have voluntarily give up my freedom to serve another who is not interested in my best interest.

John 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 

For me... this would come in the form of guitars. It would start by looking at guitars online.... then watching youtubes of people playing the guitar... then going to the store and finding it... then buying it. In the end... I had 21 guitars. Did I need 21 guitars? No. But I was a slave to buying them... instead of being free to play them.

For a while, instead of playing music to praise a living God, I was looking at my collection not playing any of them.

Now, I sold them all, only have 2... and play to the Glory of God. (Just my story... not suggesting anyone do the same.)


In other instances, I know some people that accept Christ... struggle to become the best Christian that they can be, then other believers begin to put them under bondage (law) of the Old Testament.

Galatians 5:1-3 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to the whole law.

I have a friend that is a new Christian who is struggling because the women in her church tell her that it's a sin to wear pants. She loves God, but feels guilty because she can't afford a new wardrobe.... and she likes pants!

I know I said this blog wasn't about denomination, but I can't find anywhere in the scripture where Jesus indicated that clothes make the person. He was all about people coming to Him and serving.

I struggle here too. Sometimes, it's easier to come up with a checklist of things that we need to do in order to be a good Christian, than to take time to build a proper relationship.

Romans 6:21-23
The Message (MSG)
 20-21As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn't have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right anything for that matter. But do you call that a free life? What did you get out of it? Nothing you're proud of now. Where did it get you? A dead end.
 22-23But now that you've found you don't have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God's gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.

It's hard to pray sometimes...

It's really easy for me to pray for other people. It's easy for me to pray in front of a crowd. It's difficult for me to pray for me.

I have never really been one to ask people for anything. I would almost rather suffer in silence than ask someone for help.

When it comes to the big things in life, it's easy for me to have faith in God that he'll act when His time is right, and I am patient enough to wait... and when God does move, I try really hard to give Him all the praise.

But... here's the deal. Faith is good, but God also wants us to pray. The only way to pray effectively is to be humble, open your mouth... and pray.

My oldest son is in college. I know there are things that he needs, but I generally don't send him money because it would get spent on fast food or other leisure activities. I wait for him to ask. That way, I know his needs are being met. He called me the other day and asked me for $40. That's not a lot of money, but he needed it because the weather got cool unexpectedly, and as an athletic training major who is working with the football team this rotation, needed to have something warm to wear.

He asked.... and I gave him what he needed.

His response to me was, "Dad, you know I hate asking for anything. So you know I only ask when it's a real need."

He recognized that he couldn't accomplish something on his own, he humbled himself... and he asked. He asked not from a sense of entitlement, but in a "if you could please do this for me..." No trying to guilt me into acting... just a humble request.

He received it, not because he earned it, but because I love him as a son.

That's what God wants from us. He wants us to humble ourselves and ask. Not because we deserve it. Not because we think he owes us... but because what we need done is bigger than what we can accomplish and we need his help to accomplish it.

Now... the difference in me being a Dad and God being our heavenly Father is this... I want my son to grow up and be independent. God wants us to grow up and depend on Him. If we depend on God, He will lead us to accomplish things that are beyond our wildest dreams!

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

1 Peter 5:6-7
New Life Version (NLV)
6 So put away all pride from yourselves. You are standing under the powerful hand of God. At the right time He will lift you up. 7 Give all your worries to Him because He cares for you.

Trust God for the ride of your life!

I really like this picture. A daughter, who probably isn't a strong swimmer in on a surf board with her father. She has floaties on her arms to help her be buoyant if she falls and goggles on her eyes to protect her eyes from the salt water. She's enjoying the ride, while her father intently has his hands on her, but at all times is watching where he's guiding her.

Some might call that dangerous. His child completely trusts her father and one day, will probably be a world class surfer because of these experiences that the rest of us look at with fear.

I'm sure she didn't get it right the first time. She had to learn to stand with her legs straight so he could hold her up. I'm sure she fell the first few times they tried this. But... she listened to her father's instructions and he is teaching her to glide across the top of the water where so many of us would sink!

Bringing this closer to home, my wife called me today and asked me about a scripture that she was reading. This wasn't out of the ordinary, frequently we'll pray together or read God's word together. This time, I was driving and didn't have a chance to really sit down and read what she was talking about.

Later on that evening when we were talking she said the words that husbands hate to hear... I have a confession. After a brief moment of panic, I was able to hold my composure and ask her what was on her mind.

She said, while in her prayer time, the Lord spoke to her and when she re-read the scripture, it was God talking to her about an attitude that she needed to change.

Here's the thing... instead of being sad, she was excited!

She understands that God has put the floaties on her (given her His word), and goggles (the indwelling of His Holy Spirit) and is taking her on the ride of her life, as long as she trusts Him!

Psalm 94:12
The Message
How blessed the man you train, God, the woman you instruct in your Word, providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil...

Hebrews 12:6-8
New Living Translation
For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punished each one he accepts as his child.
As you endure this dicing discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn't discipline you as he does all his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.

Sabotage...

“I was at the gym last summer on one of the elliptical machines that faces the window. I was looking out at the parking lot and watching the people come in for a workout before heading home for the day. After a few minutes a guy pulls up and gets out of his car. He’s a large guy and it takes some effort for him to get out of his small sedan. He’s still in his office clothes, but I watch as he reaches in to grab his gym bag. He puts it over his shoulder and then leans into the car one more time to get something else. He emerges with a cup that has a red spoon in it. You get what’s happening? This man is finishing off his Blizzard from Dairy Queen as he walks into the gym for his workout. He stands right outside the window in front of me to take his final bites. I’m pretty sure it was cookie dough. He throws the empty cup in the trash and walks in for his workout. He wanted to get in shape, but he didn’t want to make any personal sacrifices.

That’s how a fan will try and follow Jesus. A fan will try and accept the invitation of Christ to follow, but they don’t want to say no to themselves. In Luke 9:23 Jesus makes it clear that if we’re going to follow him, a casual no-strings-attached arrangement isn’t a possibility…” excerpt from – not a fan. Kyle Idleman

No more excuses

If I were to be totally honest, one of the reasons why I don't pursue God with all my heart is a fear of failure.

What happens if he asks me to do something that is too hard? What if I fail?

The last thing I want if for God to be disappointed with my actions, so it's easier to not try... but, isn't the end result the same? Isn't God still disappointed that we didn't try?

In my prayer time today, I really felt I heard God saying, if you just trust in me and let me be your strength and guide, I will show you things in the Kingdom that you could never imagine!

My immediate response was, "Why me? I am nothing special."

God's response was... "I know why I made you, and what mission I want you to accomplish."

It's hard for me to not try and make things happen on my own... to trust in an invisible God all the time. To serve him "like a Hebrew slave." (Pardon the colloquialism) But... isn't that what he asks us to do in his word? Isn't that what I've been blogging about?

I really want to see what God has in store for me. So - please pray for me while I learn how to submit.

I may not be a prophet, but I know that God knows me and set me aside for a purpose...

Jeremiah 1
This is what God said:
 5"Before I shaped you in the womb,
   I knew all about you.
Before you saw the light of day,
   I had holy plans for you:
A prophet to the nations—
   that's what I had in mind for you."
 6But I said, "Hold it, Master God! Look at me.
   I don't know anything. I'm only a boy!"
 7-8God told me, "Don't say, 'I'm only a boy.'
   I'll tell you where to go and you'll go there.
I'll tell you what to say and you'll say it.
   Don't be afraid of a soul.
I'll be right there, looking after you."
   

I have a plan...

I am a planner. I like to think things out. If you ask me a question, I'll think things through and give you a really good answer. As a consultant, my job title should  be "Problem Solver" because I'm good at it.

The problem is that when it comes to Christianity, God wants all the praise and the glory. We... or, should I say I want to take the credit for what I've accomplished.

When I was in college, I met this guy that wore a cross around his neck that was almost as large as a hub cap. We identified each other as Christians. The primary difference was in how we talked about our day.

Here's an excerpt of our conversation:

Him: I led 15 people to the Lord today.
Me:  That's good, we're having prayer meeting tonight to intercede for the campus and meet to disciple some  people that want to strengthen their walk with God.
Him: I've led 45 people to Christ this week. What have you done? I'm going to bed early so I can wake up in the morning and pray the sun up.

I wish I knew what happened to him, but I don't really remember him past that first semester. What I do know is that the group of people that I started with, are still continuing in the faith, still seeking God's face and still have a desire to  disciple and serve where God leads.

It's not about us and our actions, it's about serving with a servants heart and being obedient.

Honestly, I have to remind myself of that from time to time.

Proverbs 16:2-4
New International Version (NIV)
All a person's ways seem pure to them, but the motives are weighed by the LORD.
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.