Hearing God

When I lived in New York, this guy joined the church. He had scraggly hair, and dressed and smelled like he had just left a mosh pit at an all day heavy metal festival. He was an admitted  alcoholic that was trying to battle his inner demons.

I befriended him, because that's the kind of thing that Jesus would have done. Many times he called me after he had gone on a bender and I sat with him, talked with him, prayed with him.

He had a sincere desire to stop, but the voice of God was washed out by the familiar voices that were calling him to drink and to self destruction.

That's the problem with hearing God... you have to really listen. The voices in the world are always far louder, far more demanding. This... had been the problem throughout history. God says

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27 ESV)

however, if you ask any truthful Christian, they will tell you that they've thought they've heard the voice of God on multiple occasions, but didn't act on it, or in some cases, missed it altogether! This is from people who are chasing after the heart of God!

I think the challenge is to listen and to do. The more you listen, the easier it will be to hear... to move... to act. During this Christmas season, when so many things are pulling for our attention, let's find God in the stillness of his voice.

And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:11-13 ESV) 

I use to curse like a sailor.

I am ashamed to admit it, but when I was younger I use to curse worse than a sailor. One of the guys in my neighborhood taught me how,  and I took that newly acquired skill to professional levels. I always had the right word at the right time. The way that I strung them together was masterful. I was seriously a pioneer in profanity.

When I was a junior in high school, I had a change of mind. I repented and realized that I needed to stop cursing. This was a real moment. I understood the need to stop. I changed my mind, my will, I had a desire to stop!

It took 2 years for me to completely stop cursing. 2 YEARS. I repented, but I did it wrong.

A lot of times, when we're faced with issues in our life, WE get convicted by the Spirit of God. WE  realize that we need to change. WE try to make this change happen by our own will. WE fail, so we either continue in our sin, or we stop trying.

Today, I believe that if I would have taken that conviction and prayed to God to help me stop. If I were truly sorry and realized that I was powerless over this and asked God to help, it would have taken far less time, and God would have gotten the glory.

As Christians, we don't change because we want to. We change because God called us to be Holy. He sent Jesus to be a sacrifice for us because we were incapable of making the changes necessary to live a holy life ourselves. Jesus told us that He needed to leave so he could send His Holy spirit what would teach us all things and bring all things to our remembrance. (John 14:26)

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is 1 Peter 5:6-7

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV)

When God calls us to repentance, He doesn't expect us to figure out how to change ourselves. He wants to help us and mold us into the image of His son.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:26-30 ESV)

God searches out hearts, He knows us. He wants to conform us to the image of his Son. He justifies and glorifies.

So... let us struggle to not try and fix ourselves on our own. Let us truly repent and take full benefit of what God offers us to we can truly be Christians... followers of Christ.

Understanding adoption

The high school pastor at our church along with his wife (not pictured above) were involved in an interracial adoption. They have a beautiful daughter. Sunday, he hold us a story that really made me think about adoption.

He took his daughter our for a Daddy/Daughter breakfast date on Thursday,  like they do every Thursday before school. This time, they were at McDonald's. After they ate and talked, she wanted to play in the play area. When it was time to leave, she was putting on her jacket - looked at him and said:

Are you my Daddy?

He got down on one knee, looked at her eye to eye and very solemnly said. "I will always be your father." Admittedly, he was a little hurt that she asked the question, but felt like he handled the situation as properly as you can.

Later on in the week, they were driving in the car and she asked:

Is God my Daddy?

He replied, "Yes, He is!"

"So, I have 2 Dad's?"

"YES! A perfect heavenly Father and an earthly Dad that makes mistakes!"

Sometimes, we take for granted what our relationship with God means. We are a part of His family. He chose us and has an inheritance for us.



This girl got it. She knows that she has a future. She knows that she has someone that loves her. And this will impact her entire life! She doesn't have to worry about her past. She doesn't have to worry about her family coming in and making her live with them... she has a new house, a new family, and a new future.

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
(Romans 8:12-17 ESV)

Let us struggle to remember that, and share this good news with others!

Swallow your pride, Jesus still wants to be in relationship with you...

I have a friend... well... I had a friend until "the events" happened. The events were really stupid, if you want to know the truth. We were planning on watching an MMA fight together at my house - and split the cost for the rental. He didn't show up.

Then, we planned a golf outing - never happened.

Finally, we planned to watch another MMA fight, and split the cost... and another no show.

I eventually had to walk away from the friendship, but the truth is, he's a good Christian brother. If he ever came by and apologized, I'm sure we could pick up where we left off.

I think this is interesting because our relationship with God is pretty much the same way. We go to church, we read our Bible, we pray... then all of a sudden life gets in the way and we become ashamed and we become afraid to approach God again, so we drift away.

But... God has demonstrated that He is willing to reach out to use if we just swallow our pride.

Look at Peter. When Jesus was going to be crucified, Peter denied knowing Him. 3 times!

What did Jesus do? Jesus approached Peter - here's the dialog:


When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
(John 21:15-19 ESV)

In the end, Jesus wants us to follow Him. Let us struggle to embrace this message in our own lives, and share it with others. After all, we are entering the season when Jesus came down to prepare to be a sacrifice for our sins. Let's share this with those around us.

Faith is a tricky thing...

I remember when I was younger reading about how Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, and how he stepped out of the boat and walked with Jesus until he "saw the wind" became scared and started to sink. I remember thinking to myself how surely I had more faith than Peter and that I would never sink if that were me.

The next time I was at a pool. I looked at the water, summoned all the faith that I had, walked towards the edge of the water and without wavering, I firmly placed my foot through the water, falling forward into the pool.

True story.

I was thinking about this because I was talking with the 9th graders that I work with at church. For weeks they had been talking about a new video game that was coming out - HALO 4. I went around and asked them to tell me something exciting about HALO, and their enthusiasm was evident.

We went around the circle again, but the question was "tell me something that you find exciting about Jesus. I barely got a line out of them. When asked why, the open/honest ones replied "You can see HALO 4, and interact with it."

These aren't kids who just came off the street. These are kids who have been in church most of their life and are struggling with a crisis of faith.

Faith is more than a mental understanding of what the Bible says, and it can't be poured into you from someone else. For years we've heard people say:

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God Romans 8:17

But if you read further, you see that Israel heard AND they saw, but they still turned out to be a rebellious people.

And that... is the tricky thing about faith. Faith does come by hearing... hearing the word of God and hearing from God. God has a way of making his word come alive.

So, let us struggle to read the word of God. Not just our favorite verses... read as much as possible... and share it with others.

Oatmeal cookies aren't sinful...

I love cookies. There is nothing better than the smell of a hot cookie baking in the oven. I CANNOT WAIT for them to cool... I love grabbing a hot cookie... with 2 hands because it droops under its own weight because it hasn't cooled yet. It's too hot and burns my tongue a little... but it is soooooo good.

The truth is, if you put an oatmeal raisin cookie in front of me, I am almost powerless.   I am drawn to them... and I can't eat just one.

If I say to myself "Don't eat them, don't touch them... don't even think about them!" It doesn't work. It really just makes me want them more!

Sin is the same way - "Don't handle! Don't taste! Don't touch! Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe body discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person's evil desires." Colossians 2:21-23

Colossians 2:20 starts off by saying "You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world."

Colossians 2:12-15   says "For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all your sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

I know people who have adult onset diabetes. This realization, for them, means that they cannot eat oatmeal cookies anymore. This truth outweighs their desires. Christianity is the same way. the truth that Jesus died for our sins should outweigh our desire to sin.

What if your "right" is wrong?

A friend of mine performed an outdoor wedding yesterday. For November, the weather was beautiful. The setting was gorgeous, there was a tranquil pasture, a babbling brook feeding into a pond. A gracious hawk circling the event. It all looked so beautiful. Except... there was a pig farm up the field and there was a horrible stench!

Interestingly enough, once you out of your car, and survived the original shock, eventually - you no longer can tell that the smell is there.

It's odd how that works. I once coached soccer at this field where you had to drive by a sewage treatment plant to get to the fields. Within a few minutes - you no longer can tell that there's this bad smell in the air.

Sin is the same way. When you fall into sin, at first, you are sensitized to it. You feel bad about it. Then... it can become a normal way of life - so that you don't even notice it.

Jesus described it this way: 

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Matthew 6:22-24 ESV)

Are there areas in your life that have become so routine that you don't even think about it as wrong anymore? I know, even in my life, there are some areas that I've become calloused. Let's start this week off by taking a look at our own lives and seeing if there are areas where we need to re-submit them to God. Let is struggle not to become so comfortable in this world that we forget that we are citizens of a Holy Kingdom where Christ is King!

How do you handle weakness?

I love and hate this time of year. I love the cool weather... and 3 months of really cool holidays. What I hate about this time of year is that it shows my absolute weakness when it comes to self control. When my favorite candy is around, it calls my name and without even thinking about it my hand goes in the bowl, candy goes in my mouth and I'm wondering what in the world happened!

Thanksgiving and Christmas are the same. The turkey, ham, cakes, cookies, pie. If I'm not careful, I will absolutely put on 10 pounds this time of year without even thinking twice.

Sin is the same way. Sin is so entrenched in our character that so many times, we find ourselves sinning and we don't even think about it. Take a moment and reflect. Can you think of an instance when that has happened to you?


But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:14-15 ESV)

   So... how do we battle it? It's easy to think about battling against Satan, and the gates of hell... but we have this weakness where we sabotage our own selves!

   This week... this season, let us be aware of our weakness, and in our weakness look to God to be our strength.

Sin and Repent, 2 words we don't hear every day...

The other day, I honestly did something silly that hurt my wife's feelings. When I saw how it made her feel, it really brought me to tears. I was genuinely sorry for what I did and made up my mind that I would never do anything like that again. I repented because I sinned against my wife.

Those are words that we don't really hear a lot about these days. The whole concept of sinning against someone or sinning against God doesn't seem to be in the vocabulary of our country. With the concept of sin nearly removed from our nations dictionary of terms, we also lose the concept of what it means to repent.

That event made me think about how I feel when I sin against God. It doesn't have to be a BIG sin, it can be something "silly"... something small that we have come to accept in this society. It seems as though we are taught so much about grace, that the face that we need to really feel sorry for what we've done has been mitigated because no one wants to feel bad.

The truth is, the idea of repentance did not stop when John the Baptist came and said "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is upon us!"

The idea of repentance did not stop when Jesus died on the Cross for all of our sins.

Repentance was one of the main themes in the book of Acts - as a refresher, the book of Acts was when the Gospel was spread by believers like you and me across most of the known world! Let's take a look at a few verses in Acts - feel free to read the surrounding verses:

• Acts 2:38  (Acts 2) And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

• Acts 3:19  (Acts 3) Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,

• Acts 8:22  (Acts 8) Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.

• Acts 17:30  (Acts 17) The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

Even the book of Revelation, that talks about Jesus' return talks about repentance 10 times!

So... here's the question for the day. How do you respond when you realize that you've sinned against someone? How do you respond when you realize that you've sinned against God? If your heart doesn't ache, if there isn't a hint of remorse, if you toss it off as "it's okay, God knows my heart" and you keep going in the same direction, you may need to ask God to soften your heart.

This week, as God to show you where you may be treating sin and repentance as casual things in your own life. Ask God to soften your heart towards Him and to others. It will change the nature of all your relationships!

Becoming who you're suppose to be...

Music is my hobby. I have written hundreds of songs that are really mediocre at best. I can share them with my friends who aren't musicians and they enjoy them, but when I share them with friends of mine who are professional musicians, they see the flaws in what I've done, and they can make it... better.

Christianity is a lot like that. I can live my life based on Biblical principals that I've learned, and other Christians around me, and people who are lost can be impressed, but God sees all of my shortcomings, and views my weaknesses through the lens of grace.

I think part of that is because a lot of time, I try to live my life by my strength.

The Bible is full of people who live their lives, and God steps in and radically changes their lives from who they think they are to who they are suppose to be.

We are all born into a fallen world, until God steps in and offers us salvation. At that point, it's like the master musician stepping in and helping us understand the subtle (and not so subtle) mistakes that we made. And although there will be times when we don't have the skill to work our way through a tough passage, God steps in and helps us.

Sometimes, it's dramatic. God changed Abram's name to Abraham. He changed Jacob's name to Israel. He called Peter a Rock, and changed Saul's name to Paul. In those instances, he completely said - let's start with a different premise. This is what I call you.

In other instances, God charges you with a task that is too big for you to do on your own, like with Moses, or John the baptist and Timothy.

In either case, God is calling us to shed the identity that we have had since our natural birth and adopt an identity that is based on God's vision of who we are.

Let's start this week casting off who we think we are, and asking go to show us who we are suppose to be.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:16-21 ESV)

Can you hear me now?

 

I remember when I first became a Dad. It was amazing how I could pick out my child's cry in a crowded place. As they got older, I could distinctly hear their voice and their tone... even in a room full of loud kids.

The more interesting thing is that over time, as they grew and got older, they had the ability to do the same. They could pick out my voice and respond to it quite easily.

When I married Lisa, her son was 8 years old. I could literally be one room away and call him and he would not respond to what I said. His Mom could simply ask, without even raising her voice if she heard me calling him, and he would respond quickly at the sound of her voice. Why? Because she spent time with him, and he recognized her voice.

It's taken about 2 years of knowing Evan and spending time with him in order to get him to recognize my voice.

It's the same with God. Jesus says:

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

When was the last time you heard the voice of God, and responded by following His prompting?

That's why today's picture is of an iceberg and not an ear. When you look at an iceberg, you just see the top. It's so easy to get distracted by what you see, that you don't realize how enormous the iceberg is. It's almost like the world is the part of the iceberg that we see, and God is the enormous part under the water that makes the whole iceberg move and float. We pay so much attention to what we see that we miss the part that we can't see.

This weekend, let's really spend some time with God. Let's learn to recognize His voice and learn to respond to it. You will be amazed at how much more effective your relationship with God will become and how much more effectively you will be able to reach out to those who are in need of a savior.

I am the problem...

I am the reason why I don't eat healthy.
I am the reason why I don't exercise.
I am the reason why I don't use my time wisely.
I am the reason why I don't share God's word when I feel  Him tugging at my heart to share.
I am the reason why I don't pray about a situation when I know God is asking me to.

We live in a self help world where we are taught that we have the ability to lose wright if we just follow the right diet and exercise plan.
We are taught that we can change our lives if we just follow the right philosophy or read the right book.

Even in church, sometimes we are taught that if we just do these 3 easy steps, our life will change.

We try all this on our own then wonder why God doesn't show Himself strong and might in our lives like He did with Abraham, Moses, Paul or any of the other great heroes in the Bible.

God doesn't change. In Genesis 15:1, He tells Abraham: "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield and your exeeding great reward."

When God's people were in Captivity, God told Moses "I am who I am", or "I am that I am" was sending him in Exodus 3:14.

Paul learned this lesson too. He had an infirmity that he prayed for God to remove. God's answer to him was: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor 12:9-10

It is amazing what we can accomplish when we rely on God to do the things that we can''t do. Here's the challenge for the rest of the week. Stop trying so hard to do things through your own strength. Wait on God, listen intently to His voice, and be obedient without question. You will be surprised at the changes that happen in your life.

... but God saw it differently.

I really didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wasn't even thinking about the future at all. But one day, I walked into my Dad's office, he was doing computer math, and I was hooked. My course and my future were set. That single incident changed my life.

It's really easy for us to look at natural incidents in our life and find the pivotal moments. It is much harder to find those pivotal moments in our own lives when it comes to our relationship with God.

The primary difference between those of us that believe in God and those that don't is that we recognize that at some point in our lives, God stepped in and made a change. We would have been lost, but God revealed himself to us.

It's not our preaching of the gospel that will persuade people. It's the power of God.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty... 1 Corinthians 1:27

There is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Cor 10:13

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)... Ephesians 2:4-5

Let us struggle this week to see those places in our lives where things could go wrong, but God steps in. We need to see those places where peoples lives are going in the wrong direction, but God wants us to share His love.

The gospel is simplicity in a complex world

I love this photograph of oranges. It reminds me of the oranges I use to eat when I was growing up. Filled with juice that would squirt half way across the room when you bite into them and trickle around my taste buds... I can close my eyes and taste it now.

The problem is... this picture is not a picture. It's a painting in a new style called hyperrealism.

We live in a world where paintings can be confused with photographs. There's no need for imagination any more because we can find a picture or go to youtube and see a video of the impossible being done. In movies, we have seen people fly, we have seen the destruction of the world, we have seen artificial limbs in futuristic movies look just like real ones.

In reality, we have seen doctors perform amazing surgery, we have seen scientists look inside sells and at actual DNA. We have seen actual pictures of what other planets look like.

We have seen all these advances, but still - we believe in God. The rest of the world wants to believe in what they can see.. but what you can see... cannot always be trusted.

So, with all these advances, how do we share the gospel with a world that is desperately in need of a savior?

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart. Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the wold did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For the Jews demanded signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to the Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." 1 Cor 1:18-25

Despite the thinking of this present age, God has not changed. The simplicity of the gospel... that man needs a savior still resonates in the heart of man.

This week, let us struggle to share the gospel in its simplicity.

What are you looking at?

  

There are some things I will never do. It is safe to say that I will never smoke. My Dad, Aunts and Uncles grew up on a tobacco farm and have all used tobacco products since their early teens. I have seen the effect of that on their lives, so I will never go down that path. It is a part of who I am.

I will never drink. I have seen too many people in my life struggle with the control of alcoholism and how it affects those around them.

I am a Christian, I have seen the effects of sin, but I cannot say with the same conviction that I will never sin. Why is that?

I use to think that it was in how I saw myself. I see myself  as all of the above. I don't see myself as a smoker, I don't see myself as a drinker, I see myself as a Christian, but that really isn't it. It goes deeper into identity.

I have seen the impact of smoking and alcohol on my extended family, and I don't want to identify with that.

The problem is, we see people who are Christians, and we see people who make mistakes and ask for forgiveness all the time. We aren't perfect and we can identify with that. It's a part of the cycle.

When we look at other Christians as the benchmark of who we are supposed to be, we will always find an excuse to not be who Christ has called us to be.

Maybe, it is time for us to really look at Christ for our identity. Who does He say that we are? How would He handle a situation? Why don't we live in the grace that He has given us and not some bastardized version where we only do what's right when someone is looking, or only when it's convenient?

It's a problem that has existed since the fall in the garden. Early on God asks the question:

"If you do well, will you not be accepted? If you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." Gen 4:7

Isn't that the way that we live? We try to do what's right? Most people say that they try to live by the Golden Rule... the operative word is try.

I think that question is rhetorical. God knows that we cannot "do well." He gave us the 10 Commandments and allowed for priests to offer sacrifices, and we still could not "do well." It is impossible for us to rule over sin, ourselves.

The only way that this can happen is if we lose ourselves in who Christ is and wrap ourselves in His identity.

We need to live out "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." Gal 2:20

We need to struggle to make this a part of our every day life. In the decisions that we make. In the way we relate to others. Take a moment today and assess your life. Are you still trying on your own? Your strength? Or are you living life through faith in God? It makes a difference.

Jealous

When I was younger, I had this HUGE crush on a young lady. It wasn't just some anonymous crush because she was beautiful. I tried to get to know her. I spent time with her. I knew her likes, her dislikes, her passions, her favorite color. If you asked me why I was interested in her, I could tell you all about her quirks and idiosyncrasies.

Of course, she was interested in an egotistical guy that treated women like trophies. She would chase him, give him things... anything just to get his attention for a moment. I don't think he even really knew her name.

I'm sure most of you can relate to a story like this... in all honesty, most of us live it on a regular basis.

God loves us. He describes Himself as a jealous God. He knows the numbers of hairs on our head. God supplies our need. He cares for us and gave us the most precious gift - salvation by offering His own son Jesus on a cross. Remember this? "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, so that any whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

But, the world is off chasing the promise anything else in order to find significance. Even Christians sometimes get caught up in chasing things other than God.

There is no challenge today. There is no struggle. Just take a moment and reflect. God loves you. How are you responding to His love? God wants to love those around you. How are you sharing His love with others?

Short Attention Span

I admit it. When it comes to spiritual matters, sometimes I have a short attention span. There have been times that I have read something in the Bible, or made a decision, and 15 minutes later - when I am tested in that area, I forget it all. I know, it's sad but true... but, if you were honest, you would probably admit that there are times when you do the same.

Sure, I may whisper a prayer in the moment, but if God doesn't reply in 5 minutes... 

The interesting thing is that God has a history of not being a "I will do this when you snap your fingers" type of God. He is, after all, God and not a genie.

Let's look at Abram. How many years was it between when God made a promise to when God changed his name to Abraham and gave him 1 child. 1 CHILD... when he was promised a nation that no man could number?

Look at Daniel  he prayed for an answer for 21 days. An angel told him that he would have been there sooner, but the prince of the kingdom of Persia (what we interpret as a demonic force) contended with the angelic messenger until the archangel Michael came and helped him (Daniel 10:12-14).

Even in Jesus life. When He began His ministry, and was fasting for 40 days - He was tempted by Satan. 3 times Satan came to Him offering an easy way out. It wasn't until Jesus stood strong on the word of God that the angels came and ministered to Him (John 4).

Just because we don't see God moving in our lives to answer our prayers doesn't mean that He is not moving.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (Ephesians, 6:10-13)

I know we live in a culture that is all about constant movement and dynamic change. We want to get things done now! But just remember that we are working in God's time... not ours.

So, the challenge for the day is not to run off in your own solution. Be patient. Wait for God. You may be surprised at the outcome.

The key to success is in the relationships that we have...

When I was growing up, all the great heroes had a sidekick, someone that would help them out when they got into a situation that they couldn't handle alone. Batman had Robin. The Lone Ranger had Tonto. The list goes on... the only superhero that was successful alone was Superman. Of course, Superman was from a different planet and was virtually indestructible... how realistic is that?

Even in my own life, when it's just me, I become overwhelmed. I begin to stress. When I have someone on my team, that gives unconditional support, it all becomes easier.

We, as believers, have God on our side, and it is important that we recognize that, but he doesn't call us to be on this journey alone.

If you ask almost any Christian who their Biblical hero is, after Jesus, Paul usually makes the top 5 list. If you ask almost anyone that I know, that is serious about their faith, they would love to have a Paul in their life. Someone that had a strong conviction about the scripture and is always ready to share it, to pray, to serve.

Paul... had a Barnabas in his life. Barnabas was an encourager... he was not a yes man. Paul and Barnabas worked well together, but when it came time to choose between Paul the seasoned veteran, and Mark, the younger inexperienced Christian, Barnabas chose to encourage Mark and help him grow in the faith. Paul and Barnabas didn't argue about it, they still shared brotherly love for each other until the end of their lives. It is important that we all have that in our lives.

Paul also had a Timothy in his life. Timothy was a young man in the faith that needed a spiritual father. Someone to encourage him to stand firm in his ministry.

We should take a look at our lives and make sure that we:

• have a Paul in our lives
• are being a Paul to a Timothy
• have a Barnabas in our lives

Take a moment over the next few days and look at the relationship between these 3 in Acts and I and II Timothy.

The challenge for the next few days is to take an account of our lives and see who we are surrounding ourselves with... do we have someone that calls us to be better, are we calling someone to be better, and do we have someone that will look into our lives with honesty?

If you don't have these 3 key roles, I highly recommend that you find them...

What is freedom?

Most of us hate rules. It's in our DNA. When you try to put a young child to bed, they want to get up and play. When we first go to school, we don't want to sit down and learn the lessons, we want to talk with our new friends. When was the last time that you really obeyed the speed limit? It is in our nature to push against any rule that is imposed on us.

I was talking with this guy at church the other day and he said something that I never really realized before. Before God gives His promised people the 10 commandments, he says:

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." Exodus 20:2. God is basically saying "I HAVE SET YOU FREE!" Just like in the picture above, you can't set something free and hold it in captivity at the same time.

When people think of the 10 Commandments, they think of these oppressive rules that no one is capable of following, but Jesus summed it up this way "

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:37-40

Admittedly, most people would agree with the second one. Most people try to love their neighbors.. or at least those people that are in their circle of friends... but the tough one? The toughest one is loving God... because we naturally want to push away from anything that wants to assert control over us.

But maybe, we should change our perspective.

Do you knot know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? Romans 6:16

Although the "freedom" that everyone is looking for seems appealing, it really leads to death and separation from God.

So, today... take a moment and think about what freedoms we have, and let us live out our love for God and show it to those around us.

Need a hand?

If I had to be totally honest, I would say that the only time that I really pray earnestly is when I come across a situation that I cannot handle myself. Don't get me wrong, that's not the only time I pray. On a daily basis, I pray that I make a difference in the Kingdom of God. I've been know to pray for those around me. But the only time where it's prolonged and with fervor is when I need guidance... and then it's usually revolving around work.

I know the Bible says "Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man." Psalm 60:11 AND Psalm 108:12. It also says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1. In the New Testament it says "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in the time of need." Hebrews 4:16 - but since the Bible is God's story and not man's what if each one if these is in direct relationship to the advancing the Kingdom, and our fight to remain in the Kingdom of God?

When was the last time that you truly prayed for God to help you reach the lost? When was the last time you prayed to understand how to live out God's word? When was the last time - at the hint of sin, you boldly ran into the throne room of God and screamed  help me not sin?

Don't get me wrong, God is interested in our day to day needs. However, in the final analysis, our jobs will go away. Our problems will end some day. The things that endure are the things that we do for the Kingdom of God.

My challenge for you today is to pray with a Kingdom mindset. Pray that God will help you reach the lost, and stay safe from sin.

Personal Inventory

Every once in a while, I like to do a personal inventory to make sure that my life is in order. Things on my checklist are things like: when was the last time I reviewed my personal budget, when was the last time I made sure my cell phone plan was the best that is offered, when was my last dentist appointment, when was my last physical.

Those are the big things, but we also do this on a more regular basis in our lives: have I done laundry, have I paid all of my bills, did I record the TV program that I wanted to watch later?

Some of us even take a spiritual inventory - do I go to church on a regular basis, do I pray, do I read my Bible or at least try to do a devotion.

This morning, in my prayer time, I felt the need to take that a step further. How does my life line up against the way Jesus lived?

Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10

So, today's checklist revolves around what does abundant life look like?

Is abundant life wealth?

And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." - Matthew 8:20

Is abundant life having those around you that you can depend on?

When Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, "[Jesus] came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, "So, you could not watch with me one hour?" Shortly after that, all of those closest to Him scattered.

We can go through a whole list that shows that the abundant life that Jesus is talking about is not fully rooted in this life.

Jesus says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5 ESV)


Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together." (John 4:34-36 ESV)

The last this that Jesus said before he ascended into heaven was


And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)

Abundant life is bearing fruit. Making disciples. Teaching people who God is and His way to salvation through Jesus.

In the early church, people were called Christians because they did what Jesus did. Talk about the Father and tell people that Jesus is the only way for them to be reconciled back to God. My challenge for you today is to do a personal inventory and whether or not your life is truly an abundant life bearing fruit. If you aren't, don't worry, it's not the end of the world. Simply ask God to help you. He promised he would.

Friendship

It's been about 6 years since I've been "home". For the last 6 years, I have been on the road as a consultant and have spent at least 5 days a week away from my home. The one thing that happens when you're away is that you begin to lose contact with people. 

The first thing that you miss when there's this lack of connection is friendship. Sure, you have acquaintances, but really there is this deep desire that I had to be known and to know others.

I genuinely longed to be able to sit down with people that knew me well enough to speak into my life in areas where I might be out of balance, people that cared enough to tell me that I may want to consider doing something about my weight, people that just cared.

Friends will tell you the truth. They share what's on their hearts, their hopes, dreams, aspirations. There is nothing more refreshing than spending time with a good friend.

Jesus says "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15 ESV)

Jesus is plainly saying that his desire isn't for us to simply be mindless servants that are doing things because we're told to. He wants us to be friends. God's desires and plans for our life are not hidden or essoteric. He wants to make his thoughts known to us!

Let's spend the rest of this week exploring our friendship with Jesus. Really take the time to tell him what your dreams, hopes and fears are... but don't let it be a one sided conversation... listen... and see what God's plans are for you, see where He is helping you and what His plans are for you.

Like father, like son...

I remember when my oldest son was 3 years old. I would take him to the toy store and walk about 3 steps in front of him with my hands clasped behind my back. He would try to do the same thing. Every once in a while I would pick up something that I thought he would be interested in. He would do the the same... looking at it intently. I would put it down, and he would do the same and we would continue on our journey.

He... wanted to be like me. If I sat down and read a book, he would sit next to me. If I went outside, he would come outside. He was learning who I was.

Today, he's 20 years old, and if you saw the 2 of us together, you would know that he's my son. The way he stands, the way he carries himself. His sense of humor. The subtle and sly glances that he gives when there's an inside joke.

This is the same way that Jesus was.

"So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel" John 5:19-20

Jesus made is plain... when you looked at Him, you saw His Father.

Now, we say that we have God as our Father - and that we are His children. My question is - when people see us, do they see our Heavenly Father?

Let us struggle this week to live our lives in such a way that people will know who our Father is!

Note: Although this is a Father and Son reference, this applies to everyone that knows Jesus as their Heavenly Father.

Standing strong

I know a lot of people who are struggling now. Financially, health, family problems, work... It seems like every time I turn around, even in my own life there is some crisis that requires immediate attention and despite my best planning and efforts, there always seems to be something that is out of my grasp to solve.

Seriously... just this weekend, I received a phone call from someone that I hadn't talked with in over a year asking for $100 so their lights wouldn't be turned off. It looks like everyone needs some help, and we're all reaching out to anyone that we can think of for moral support, an encouraging word... anything just to get to the next moment.

Sometimes we forget that we have an enemy that wants to destroy us. We have an enemy that wants us to give up hope and to walk away from God in despair believing that God either doesn't care for us or is unable to change or help our situation.

On multiple occasions the Bible tells us that we can ask God or that we can pray in faith... but what do we do in the meantime while we're waiting for the hand of God?

I just wanted to offer a few Bible verses to consider while we're in this struggle:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. (Eph 6:10)

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties upon him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

The important take away in all of this is that God cares. Yes, He wants us to struggle and stand, but he doesn't want us to try to do it on our own. He is there to help us if we really truly believe that He cares and is interested in our life.

So in the midst of all of our struggles and problems, let us remember to ask God to help us. This is not a one time thing... this is a constant day in/day out thing. Let us rely on God's strength and not our own.

Sometimes, running hurts...

There was a time when I loved to run but I was about 20 years younger and 35 pounds lighter. Earlier this summer, I rediscovered the joy of running... or rather... jogging. It was refreshing to get back out there again. The thing about running is that it hurts sometimes. When you're just starting out, your body isn't use to pounding the pavement. There are times when your lungs hurt. There are times when you are absolutely positive that you will not be able to go on... but somehow you do.

Christianity really isn't that different.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so gread a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run  with endurance the race that is set before us..." Hebrews 12:1

Just like I can feel the extra 35 pounds that I carry when I run, when we live our Christian life, we also can feel the weight of sin that we carry in our lives, and we can see how that impacts our relationship with God.

 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.(1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

So... my challenge to you this week is to take a look at your relationship with God. Are you living your life in such a way that you can be the best that you can be or are you trying to carry some excess baggage?

Let us struggle to "train" ourselves so we can run this Christian race well... getting into shape is going to hurt... but it will all be with it when we receive the prize!

Hear, Understand, Do

Everything we do in life can be summed up in 3 simple words: Hear, Understand, Do.

We learned to talk by hearing others talking around us. At first, we babble unintelligibly, but eventually, we begin to understand - then we talk.

We go to school, hear what the teacher says, understand it, then do it.

We go to work, we hear the tasks they have for us to accomplish, we understand it, and we do it.

This pattern is repeated throughout our lives - it's how this blog is written. I try to explain something so you will connect with what I'm saying, I tie it into scripture so you can understand the context, then I challenge you to do something.

This is the same challenge that James gives:

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (James 1:22-25)

That's my challenge to you this week. Hear what the Bible says about God. Understand how that impacts your life... and do something about it.

Feel free to comment below about what God is challenging you to do, so you can encourage others!

Say your blessings

Count your blessings. This is an interesting phrase that has permeated our society. When something bad happens, we say "Count your blessings" - which to some degree really means - "It could have been worse!"

Other times, when we "count our blessings," it's because we just got a new material thing or money, or something beneficial. We are quick to proclaim - "Oh! I am so blessed!"

At other times, we do something for someone less fortunate - and someone sees what we've done and they say "You were such a blessing to them..."

My challenge for this week is for you to silently bless those around you. In Numbers, God told Aaron to bless the people of Israel using these words:

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. 

So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them. Numbers 6:23-27

Isn't it interesting how the priestly blessing was asking God to bless, keep and grant peace?

May God bless each of you that reads this blog. May God illuminate His word in your heart and bless you with the opportunity to tell others of His great love and mercy!

 

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
(Psalm 1 ESV)

Where does the time go?

I remember a time when I made time for God. I mean really made time for God in an intentional way. I would get to work an hour early just to be able to sit quietly and spend some time meditating on the word of God. I also remember coming home, and after doing things around the house and with the kids, I would open up 3 or 4 Bibles on the table and pour over the word of God.

On Saturday mornings, my friend Riley and I would go to the park as soon as it opened to pray in the morning. My whole life was centered around God, family, and reaching out to the lost.

Somewhere along the way, things changed. I get up in the morning and pick up my tablet and I may spend 10-15 minutes reading a Bible app. I take 5 minutes to pray in the shower. I get to work and start working on the problems of the day, and when I get home, I try to "unwind" by looking at TV and trying not to think about anything.

I think the biggest result out of all of that is that I never have time to do anything, because I'm too busy doing nothing!

So, the big question is why? Then... as I was reading 1 John this morning it all snapped into clarity and focus:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17 ESV)

Somewhere, my love for tasty snack foods, and entertainment has eroded some of my passion for God! The call to seek God first, step away from technology, love God more is screaming out.

So, this week, let us strive to put God first. Let us love God more. Let us look with expectation to how we can serve others than our own selves and ego. Let's do that... and see how our life changes.

Do you ever wonder what God is looking for?

Do you ever wonder what kind of person God is looking for? I know a lot of people do, and I know a lot of my own life I have tried to make myself into the image of what I thought God was looking for in a person to serve Him. I mean, it's simple, right? You read the Bible, and you find out what our Biblical heroes did and try not to make the mistakes that they made and you're in... right?

Or... what about prayer? What if I pray really, really hard... is that what God is looking for? Is He looking for someone that goes to church 2 times a week and gives to the poor?

To some degree, I think every Christian has struggled with this question. Are we significant in the eyes of God, and will our efforts be recognized or do they even matter.

I think this is slightly backwards, it's not about us, it's about God.

In John 4:23 Jesus is talking to this woman that we call "the woman at the well" - she's not a Christian, she's not even Jewish and Jesus tells her... this:

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24 ESV)

GOD IS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO WORSHIP HIM!

In Matthew 6, Jesus tells His disciples that God knows that they need food, and clothing, but the key thing is to seek the Kingdom of heaven first!

In Matthew 27, when they ask Jesus what the greatest commandment is, He tells them to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.

To me, it's pretty consistent. Let us start off this week being the type of people that God is looking for... people that seek Him first. Selah

It makes a difference...

I remember when my oldest son was about 3 or 4 years old. He had just learned that we kept snacks in the pantry. He asked if he could have a snack one evening before bedtime, and we said no. As long as we were in the room, he was a good little boy and stayed away from the cabinet.

About 15 minutes later, I think I was in my office working on something, and he wandered into the kitchen, opened the pantry, and I heard the familiar rattle of plastic holding the snack. (I guess he didn't realized that sound traveled...) I walked into the kitchen and he had this guilty look on his face.

It was really amazing to me... when he knew I was in the room, he stayed away. When he thought I couldn't hear, he would try to disobey.

Sometimes, I think Christians are like that too. When we are with other Christians, we tend to be more Christlike. When we are left on our own, sometimes we are less diligent.

I think the Apostle Paul understood that. He dedicated a whole chapter to how he struggled with sin, and understood that grace makes it possible for us to be victorious.

Paul encourages us to stay in an attitude of prayer and to let God's Holy Spirit reign in our lives. That we should walk away from anything that looks tempting. By remembering that God is always with us, we are less tempted to put our hand in the cookie jar!

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 ESV)

This weekend, let us live our lives in constant communication with God, and let us see what a difference that makes in our lives.

What about sin?

We live in a country where appearance is everything. Before the housing market bust, I had friends who had these really huge houses and expensive cars and I would wonder how they could afford that, especially when we both basically had the same income.

What I didn't know was that they were eating peanut butter and jelly every night and they were sleeping on the floor because they couldn't afford a bed.

A lot of times, we are so concerned with the way that we present ourselves to the outside world that we begin to believe the persona that we have created is real! We begin to compare ourselves to those around us and we forget that as people that believe in a Holy God, we have a different standard.

Can any of us say that we are living a sinless life?

 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.  8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (ESV - 1 John 1:6-10)

When we forget that we have the potential to stray away from God, we begin to take grace for granted and we are in danger of wandering away from what we believe. I'm sure, if you take an honest assessment of your life, you'll see times where you have done this very thing.

Just as Jesus instructed His disciples to pray in the Lord's prayer, we need to ask God to forgive us of our sins when we pray, as well as forgive those who have done wrong to us.

Let spend to today really focusing on having true fellowship with God and allowing that to impact how we relate to others.

It's not a suggestion...

When I was in college, I ran for student government, twice. Once in my Freshman year, then again in my Sophomore year. The college passed a new rule that said "Freshman were not allowed to have cars on campus." As an elected official, I lobbied to have that changed, because the College Handbook clearly stated that Freshmen could.

My push for change was not based upon a suggestion, or an opinion. It was based upon the rules that were written.

The thing that troubles me most about what's going on in Christianity is people wanting to change the rules. Instead of reading what the Bible says, and understanding it - people are taking parts of it out of context, and twisting it - and taking their own suggestions about the way things should be and living by those instead.

I have heard people on TV saying that you should "Love your neighbor as yourself" and then use that as an excuse to not tell someone that what they are doing is wrong and against the laws of God.

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40 ESV)

The basic premise is that we should love God with everything that we have. This is because we know that in God there is life! To love our neighbors as ourselves is to ensure that our neighbors do not incur the wrath of a Holy God who does not change.

Loving God is not a suggestion. In order to love Him, we must know Him. We cannot love God without loving His laws and His statutes. 

The Psalmist encourages us with these words:

I will meditate on your precepts

and fix my eyes on your ways.

I will delight in your statutes;

I will not forget your word.

(Psalm 119:15-16 ESV)

This week, let us strive to meditate on God's precepts, ways and statutes - which are revealed in His Holy Word. It's not a suggestion...