Jesus: The Only Manly-Man

“Stop looking for the path of least resistance and start running down the path of greatest glory to God and good to others, because that's what Jesus, the Real Man, did.”  - Mark Driscoll

Men. Listen up. Sorry ladies, this post is primarily for the guys because it is dealing with being a man, but if you are a woman reading this I would encourage you to keep on reading because if you are planning to have a dude in your life someday this will be crucial in that process. So in saying that, men lets buckle up.

Manhood. What in the world does that mean? We as men hear so many things about what we should do and what we should be. Society and the world tells us that men have to have a ripped muscular physique in order to be considered "attractive." That we need to be chiseled from granite and have those six-pack abs. We need to do manly things! (insert grunt here) We need to be outdoors-men, grease-monkeys, or jocks. We need to treat woman like sexual objects, and in doing so saying things like "I'd tap that," as well as anything else. The world says we can't show our emotions. The only time a man cries is when he is in intense pain or by himself. Emotions are looked down upon. If you don't party you are looked down upon because you are labeled as "too good for it," which somehow gives you a bad image. You have to be competitive, and if you aren't then somehow your looked as less than the standard. For everyone of those examples, we as men are looked down upon if we don't meet those standards. So what do we believe?

It is a struggle. At least for me it is. I see some of those things up on that list and I think of my own life. I look at myself being a bigger guy as not attractive because I don't look like friggin' Patrick Dempsey or some ripped-guy like Thor or something. I see girls swooning over those guys, and it makes me want to be attractive like them. I struggle with treating woman with respect sometimes. I lust, and say things with other guys that don't reflect what Christ is, but what society says. It isn't a cake walk that is for dang sure. So, I ask again. What do we believe?

Look back up at that quote again. As Christian men we have the manliest example. That example is the one and the only Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life!  He came to this earth was beaten, mocked, and treated cruelly. He bore all of our sin on a cross! A CROSS! Wanna talk about being masculine? Uhhh sorry but you ain't got nothing on Jesus.

That is the example we follow. Not the easy, cop-out way of living that this world tells us to follow, but the way that brings glory, faith, love, and hope in God, our Father. We as men are not called to follow the world. Paul says this in Romans 12:2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Seriously though, I want to seriously call out all the guys reading this when I say this because I have felt really convicted lately when it comes to this. What are we doing?

Why do we continue to look to the world for our answers, and try to take the easy way? I want us to look in our hearts as Christian men, and look to the one we follow for our example. Jesus is the main man. He has been and always will be that for us, and let us FINALLY grasp that. Let us finally stop trying to follow society's standards, but instead look to Christ who not only broke these standards but also gave us new ones to follow. Heavenly ones.

Father, we love you. We come to you as your sons and daughters and ask that we start to examine our lives and our idea of being a man. That we don't have to be the guys with the hot bod because you created us the way we are in order to glorify you. We don't have to follow the standards of the world, Lord, but only the ones that you manifested in your Son. We pray for your daughters now Lord that they can find good men in this world that give them examples of what to look for in their future significant others, and may they not be entangled by what the world tells them is attractive but by what you say is attractive and that is godliness. May that same prayer be prayed for all the sons. That we can look for woman not based off of worldly attraction, but off of godliness. We all pray this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who is and always will be ultimate example for us all, man or woman, to follow. Amen.

Waiting: Combination of Trust and Hope

Waiting. Something we as humans tend to hate. Whether its sitting in line at the grocery store, or if it is going through the drive through to get some fast food. We don't like it. We love the instant gratification just like it says in that one commercial, "It's my money, and I want it now!" We as an American culture get so caught up in getting what we want instantly we lose focus of one of the most rewarding things and that is the art of waiting. 

Now, what exactly are the aspects of this term and practice. For me and in my interpretation, two words come to mind when thinking about waiting. The first is the word Trust, and the second is the word Hope. Let's dive into these two and then link them back together. 

The first word that I want to uncover is trust. In Psalm 40:4 the psalmist talks about this trust, and what exactly that means for us as Christians. He says, "Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods." Based on that verse trusting in the Lord leads to blessings. Right? Isn't that what it says? BLESSED is the one who trusts! So, how exactly does this relate back to what God wants for us in waiting? This is how. If we trust in God. That doesn't mean just saying it, but believing it. Then waiting should and will be worth so much more than anything we can imagine because God blesses those who trust in HIM. Waiting links back to that because if we truly trust and truly believe that God will bless us then that act of waiting will only put that trust into action.

The second word then is hope. In Isaiah 40:31 it says, "but for those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." That really exemplifies hope and what that word really means. The act of hope in the bible really is just another word for wait. So, substitute the word hope with wait in this verse, and that is just the exemplification of what it means to wait with a biblical mind set. 

So now think about your life and how you wait. Do you actually wait biblically and give the control or power over to God, and trust that he will bless you? Or do you find yourself pushing the envelope and trying to control every aspect in order to get that instant gratification? Think about it, and apply this to how you handle patience. It isn't about if you are impatient or not, but deeper than that. Do you believe and trust that God does good in all situations? That is the question.

Father, we come to you tonight in praises and unbelievable gratefulness for assuring us that no matter what we go through that you have something greater for us in heaven. We just ask tonight that we can grasp what it means to wait, and the deeper issue behind that. Show us that we can trust in you during all situations because you bless those who wait as it says in Psalms, and you give us strength because we do indeed wait as Isaiah said. Help us to realize that these things and continue to grow closer to you. We love you Father, and we pray this all in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Stand Firm: Not Our Doing, but His

Stand firm. The simple phrase used in the bible so many times, actually I looked it up and the phrase standing firm or around those words is used 34 times in the bible. Now, obviously if a word or phrase is repeated in one book you know that this is probably important and should be looked into right? I think so personally, but when we think of what it means to stand firm we get some different and twisted perceptions that tend to be different than the true heart behind it. So, today I want to dive into that phrase and look at it from a biblical stand point and show how that is completely opposite than what we are fed by this world.

Let's look at some verses with that phrase in it. The first piece of scripture that I want to look at is Matthew 10:22 where it states, "You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." Another place is in Luke 21:19, "Stand firm, and you will win life." 

Now when you read those two verses the first thing that comes to my mind at least is that somehow standing firm and the act of doing that is something that I have to do by myself. That it is on my own power that this "standing firm" is all about, and in that I have to work in order to be saved in the end at judgement. That is what society tells us as well isn't it? That in order to overcome anything in this world that you have power through, and overcome through your own power. Pull up your britches and take it all head on. But, this isn't what God's desire is for you when it says standing firm in his Word.

A better example in scripture that depicts at least what I think is meant by standing firm is written by Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 when he says, "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." This is the perfect foundation to stand firm upon. (Pun intended) God's desire is not for us to try and do this all on our own power, and standing firm does not mean for us to work harder or do better for God, but instead relying on him for it. Look what it says in verse 21 where it says that "it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ." So in other words, God made us, let me repeat that, HE MADE US to not stand firm by our own, but what did it say after the stand firm. It says IN CHRIST! No not to stand firm on our own, not on our own power, but through CHRIST we can stand firm. IN HIM not of ourselves! That is what standing firm means. So in closing, I just want to say just like it does in the title. Standing firm is most definitely our doing, but is and always will be HIS doing. So, my question for you is then. Are you standing firm on your own? or do you stand firm in what Christ has already done upon that cross and what is waiting for you in eternity?

Father God, we just come to you tonight in amazing praise. Not for what we have done or anything that we will do, but for everything that has been done by your Son upon that cross. Thank you for that. We just ask tonight that you continue to work in our hearts and allow us to stand firm according to your Word and remind us continuously that you are what keeps us standing firm Lord. We can continue to do that because of you and only you Father. We love you so much, and are reminded daily of that through the cross. In the name of your Son Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

Scars: A Glance to the Past

Scars. We all have them, whether they be physically or emotionally or mentally, we have them. I want you to start out this adventure by looking at all your scars. I want you to think about them. For most of us, we know exactly the time, place, and what exactly caused those scars. Those memories are etched into our minds and if you were asked about them you could recite every detail about what caused it. For example, I have this big scar on my left knee that I got at my daycare when I was around 11 years old. My friend and I were playing in the basement with the lights off, probably some video games or watching a movie, but I remember this next part vividly. They had a fan running down there, and it didn't have one of those safety cages on it. Because the room was pitch black I had no idea of the fan, and was doing a roll to exaggerate how disappointed I felt after dying in this game. This led me to roll into the fan leg first, which proceeded to slice a big gash into my left knee. That is just an example of a physical scar, but tonight I want to focus on that same idea. The scars our sins and Satan leave.

Let's first talk about the scars our sins leave. We sin. That is gonna happen. We are not perfect, but when we sin we inflict pain upon ourselves. We are not just going against God, but we are actually wounding ourselves. It brings pain, it brings hurt, and it takes time for those wounds to heal. An instance in my life where this shows is in my struggle with lust and my prior porn addiction. I watched porn repeatedly over and over again, and because of that I objectified women and let that twist the way I saw them instead of the sisterly love I am called to have for them I saw them as just ways to serve my own pleasure. I had a large wound on my life because of this. Honestly though, this is the core of my struggles in life and has been my largest wound that I have inflicted upon myself. When I first began the process of healing it definitely wasn't easy. The addiction had me and drew me back in over and over and over again like I needed it in order to survive, but every single time I looked at those women lustfully I just reopened that not fully healed wound again. I compare it to this. You are an athlete, and you just had a major injury which caused you to have a surgery. This surgery left a huge incision where they operated on you, but because you don't let the stitches fully heal before going back to work or back to your sport that incision/wound is reopened causing it to be stitched back up again.

God is that doctor. The one that stitches up that wound over and over again. We sin, but every time that we reopen that wound  God sews us back up lovingly and the healing process begins again. It says in Psalm 147:3 where David talks about the Lord when he says, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." It's a vicious cycle if you let it continue over and over again. Scars are not there to be reopened as wounds over and over again, but to remind us of where we have been and where our lives would be without God in our lives. Look at those scars that sin and Satan have left on you. Think of where you have been, and where you used to be without God's grace. That is where you use to be in the PAST not in the present! HE HAS MADE YOU NEW! Those scars are healed my friends. I just encourage us all to look at those scars and be confident that you have overcome those things because by HIS grace you have been saved.

Papa, I pray tonight that we all can see our scars as not fresh wounds that still bring us pain and hurt but as marks of our past lives without you within it. Don't let us dwell on our pasts and those pains, but help us move forward toward the goals and plans you have ahead. Shape in us a new heart that doesn't run back to our previous ways of escape, but let us run to you. You are amazing Father, and we praise you for pulling us from the fire of our sins. We love you Papa, and let us not forget it. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

The Gift of Singleness

What is wrong with being single? Is there really anything wrong with it? Society these days makes it seem like singleness is frowned upon. Even in the church, the feeling around singleness is pretty much non-existent that as soon as you get married you will have a totally new chapter in your relationship with God. Like almost that you can't advance in your faith any farther until you get married. You almost are held back by your singleness. Think about that though. Girls all be up on social media talking about the future wedding and saving all the ideas they see for that special day. They are so excited for that wedding day and all of that they forget about the situation that they are in now, and using that situation for glorifying the Lord. Guys do it too. I catch myself sitting feeling lonely because I ain't got no girlfriend or if you don't understand my ghetto talk, "I don't have a girlfriend." I think about the future and like to think about having an awesome wife with kids, and how my life would be in that situation. I think about those days and almost idolize thinking of that not because I don't like where I am at now, but because we over-sensationalize the future making us long for it more. No, I am not saying that those thoughts are bad, but when it becomes an everyday thing. When you look to your future and focus so much on that, what happens to your present? It becomes non-existent. A passage I really like and heard a sermon on was 1 Corinthians 7 where Paul is writing to the church of Corinth about the institution of marriage. In verses 7-9 though are really where I want to focus today though. Let's dive into it.

"I wish that all men or women were as I am. But each person has his or her own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am." 

What? Paul doesn't want us to be married? GASP! No, not quite young grasshopper. Paul is not saying that at all. I added some things to it to make it apply to both genders by the way, but honestly he is not bashing marriage. Instead, Paul is breaking our perception of it. 

Let's look at verse 7 really here. Singleness is a gift people! It says here that each person has their own gift from God. Singleness is a gift from GOD! We think marriage is a solve all. That we won't have temptation anymore because we can have all the sex we want, but just because you are married doesn't mean temptation leaves. You are still gonna be tempted  as much or even more as a husband or a wife  as you are as a single man/woman. Our singleness is not a burden. Why do we search so hard to find a spouse or to find a date when God, the Creator of the universe mind you, has gifted us with the opportunity to be single? The only difference with singleness than any other gift given to you by God is that it is subject to and could be changed. You are free to choose whether singleness is your cup of tea or not, it isn't just a short little chapter of your life that is meant to fill space until you are married either. THERE IS PURPOSE.

What is that purpose? That would be my next question, and naturally I am sure you are asking this question as well. The purpose of singleness is to go all out for the kingdom of God! What we as a church need to look at is does taking on a spouse or even a relationship in the dating sense going to hinder or advance my relationship with Christ and will it affect God's call on my life? That is the question that is going to need to be asked to yourself. What is the real purpose that I want to be in this relationship? Is it because I feel like God is putting this person in my life for that reason, or is it me trying to control my circumstances?

Those questions are something Paul brings up in verses 29-31 when he is talking about how the time is short. He states here:

"What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have spouses should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away."

Here Paul talks about how marriage shouldn't keep us from pursuing God's kingdom in our lives, or as the man who preached the sermon about this subject said "Going in for the Kingdom." Does the idea of marriage or relationship hinder you from fully pursuing the kingdom? Are you on social media looking at all the wedding stuff constantly when you could be in God's word or serving God? That is where the heart-check has happened for me. Not really the social media stuff, but the aspect of wanting a girl-friend. I was searching for someone to fit that bill, instead of God bringing a person into my life.

The final thing that I really want to encourage you all reading this with is that if we live our lives no matter the circumstances, whether single, dating, or married, in pursuit of the kingdom. God will look upon us with favor because with a life with Christ as the foundation will never be shaken. Stop hunting, looking, and living anxiety-filled about relationships and marriage, but live for the kingdom. God will take care of the rest.

Father, we come to you this beautiful Monday morning and just praise you for who you are, and for who you have created us to be in your image. We ask that the old ideas and stigmas that we have about singleness be blown away, Lord, and replaced with this idea of being graced and gifted with the opportunity  we have as single, dating, or married people to glorify you in every circumstance. Papa, we pray for those of us who are single that we don't go out and hunt for potential spouses, but be aware of people you have brought into our lives and let your will be done in it. We pray that we can continue to have this eternal perspective not substituting our over-sensationalized future plans about marriage and what we expect it to be for your will, and accept Lord that we really are not in control at all. We surrender this aspect of our lives over to you Father, and ask that you do with it as you want. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

Humility: Confidence in Something More

Humility. A word I hear thrown around the church so much like when someone says, "You have a humble heart." I first heard that phrase when I was in high-school, elders in my church called me that, and I just nodded and smiled because I literally had no idea what in the world that meant. I was just like in my mind "Uhhhhhh what? What does that mean? I have a heart and it is humble? Ummmmm okay that sounds pretty good just smile and nod, Tyler." Seriously though, that was my reaction. I had no idea what being humble meant. As I grew in my faith, I started to discover that humility was basically described as not being cocky. Okay, I can do that. I was a good-sport about things and according to my definition was "humble-hearted." Lately though, the idea of pride and humility have turned into something that is a million times more crucial to my life as a Christian than ever before, and I just want to share this pivotal part with you all.

After hearing a sermon by the Christian-rapper KB, I really just sat and meditated on the idea of humility and what that really meant for my life. To start out this conversation about humility, I want to first stress what pride looks like, and what false humility looks like because those are the two big ends of the spectrum that seem to plague most Christians when it comes to this thing called humility and what that looks like in their lives. To do this I want to look in Romans 12 verses 1-3. In these verses, Paul writes to the Romans and it states:

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you."

So those verses are pretty well known, especially that 2nd verse there about not conforming to the ways of the world, but being transformed by the renewing of your mind. Yea that is cool and I love that verse, but I really want to focus on the 3rd verse here today because that points out some awesome things about pride/humility that are really essential. In verse 3, it says that we are not to look at ourselves as highly as we ought to, but think with sober judgement, in accordance with the faith God has given you. Alright, lets break that down looking at what he says about pride.

Pride is defined as "pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself." Just based off of that definition we can link that to the verse where it says that we shouldn't do that. Isn't that true though? We as followers of Christ are not called to put any credit on ourselves because we don't deserve it right? Isn't that the core belief of Christianity? That we deserved death, but were saved by the blood/death of Jesus. The question that we as followers need to ask ourselves then is, "What of our successes did we do by ourselves?" I want you to reflect on that right now. What of your triumphs was by your own doing? The answer to that question is NONE. Why you ask? Because as believers in God we firmly believe that by GOD'S GRACE we are able to do the things we are able to, not by our doing, but by HIS. On the contrast though, ask yourself this, "What failures are you responsible for?" We sin because we choose to. We fail and falter because we are broken and we are human. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE. So we have no grounds to be proud, right?

We have no grounds to boast in ourselves, yes, but we also have no grounds to beat down on ourselves either, and to down-play ourselves because you know what people? GOD CREATED YOU. He made you the way you are and he said "it is good." So why are you beating down on yourself? He loves you. Jesus loves you. He died on a chunk of tree so that you would not have to beat down on yourself anymore, but to celebrate it with Him. That is the gospel. When you beat-down on yourself and let yourself believe those things that is the opposite of pride, but is still not what God wants when he speaks through Paul in that Romans 12:3 verse. 

Paul uses the words "sober judgement," which means that we should think of ourselves in this light. Not beating ourselves down and not taking a compliment, but being confident in the foundation we stand on in Christ Jesus. He also does not want us to think of ourselves as higher than any other people at all because all the things we do and all the successes we have are credited to the grace of God, our Father, and not to ourselves. Humility is finding that balance mentally, and having that mentality of surrender. Live with that understanding. The understanding that we can't do it without Jesus in our lives, and that without Him we are nothing. Let that understanding bring us peace, and show us what humility is all about. I will end this post with a quote from C.S. Lewis that says, "A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”  Take the time to look up, and live with balanced humility.

Father, we come to you today with a heavy heart. We realize that we look at our successes and our achievements here on Earth, and we let those glorify ourselves instead of letting it glorify you. We just come to you today, and ask that you help us to have that balanced humility. That we may not think of ourselves as up on a pedestal or above anybody else at all, but realize that we cannot do this life without you at the helm and we surrender the control and the glory and all of it over to you to do your will onto. Let us also not beat ourselves down in false humility because that is not what you want from us either. You love us where we are at, and because of your Son dying on that  cross we are able to stand firm and confidently not in ourselves, but in you Lord. We boast in your most holy of names, and not in our own. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

The Devils been Talkin'

Hello there all my people! I know that it has been a while since I last wrote you all, but life has been kind of hectic lately with school, leading bible study, socializing, meeting new people, and all that that brings. It has been around a month since my last post, and so I am just going to fill you in on what is currently going on in the life of Tyler. I came back to school here in La Crosse at the beginning of this month, and I love it so much. Coming back has made me realize how much I missed this place, and how much I love everyone here that God has integrated into my life, whether if I knew them last year or I have met them this year, I can honestly say that the Lord has not come short in blessing me with constant people upon people that I have the amazing opportunity to call my friends, so Praise the Lord for that. But with the good, there comes a continuing struggle that Satan really loves to linger over me, and those are my insecurities about myself. I am not good enough, I am not handsome enough, I am not what the world calls "attractive." You know the drill. It is my struggle, and the devil has definitely been talking about me this past week. I hear the whispers. I feel the hurt. It brings me down. It pushes me into pits. It makes me feel like utter crap, but even though I hear these insecurities and some times even start to believe them I know one things is true. IT IS JUST TALK. This post is about how all the Devil can do is talk.

All Satan every does is talk. I mean honestly. Everyday we are bombarded by his words, his temptations, his criticisms, his lies. You wake up and look in the mirror and the first thing you think is "wow...I look like crap today." Just little things like that are Satan's little lies that we sometimes just accept. Talk, talk, talk, talk talk talk....that is allll he does. It wears you down. It tires you out, it stresses you out. Satan has been doing this in my life lately especially when it comes to me deciding if I want to transfer from here or not. He just talks and talks and talks and talks and drowns out the voice of Truth from me. It is frustrating, but it is just talk.

You know what I am talking about right? If not then alright, but I just want to encourage you as the Lord as encouraged me that it IS just talk. He cannot do any harm to you unless you let it happen. I stand firm right now and say with confidence that Satan is just gonna talk his little mouth off, but I will not listen, and I will focus on the Voice of the One True King. Jesus' voice reigns supreme, and sets us free from what Satan wants us to believe.  In John 8 verse 33, Jesus tells us this when he says, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

I don't know about you all, but I am encouraged by that statement made by Jesus. I know what the truth is, and what God thinks I am. I am redeemed, made-new, forgiven, handsome, fearfully and wonderfully made, God's handiwork, loved, worth something to many people, and cared about by a Savior that laid down his life upon a cross just to prove that to us. To that.....I WILL LISTEN.

Papa. Tonight I come to you with amazing praises for being who you are and who you have created us as your children to be. Father, just hold our hand through the struggles and temptations and valleys of this lifetime, and let us realize that all Satan can do to us here in this world is talk. Lord let us not listen to his whispers of criticism, lies and deceit, and let us cling to your Voice of Truth and your promises. In your most holy and precious name I pray. Amen. 

" And why do we fall, Bruce?....."

What a question. I mean seriously. Look at that question. Why do we fall? I hope everybody who is reading this knows where this quote comes from, but if you are not familiar with it I forgive you. Anywho, this quote was said by Mr. Thomas Wayne, father of Bruce Wayne, AKA Batman, in the movie called Batman Begins. It is a great movie, I would recommend that you watch it.....seriously though after you read this go watch it. So yea that is where it comes from, but it is such an interesting question to think about. Why do we fall?

What does falling mean to you? That was the first thing I asked myself when I first was analyzing this quote. Does he literally mean falling? Like tripping and falling or stumbling, or does he mean in life. The pitfalls, the lows, the valleys, the tough times, the times when we feel hopeless and insignificant. I believe that he is asking this question not just to Bruce, but to all of us. Why do we fall? We all fall. I mean, we are human. We can't just expect ourselves to run around in this life and not trip, stumble, or fall. It would be completely impossible for that to happen. So, think about all of the times that you have fallen. Think of that time that you fell into a depression, or gave in to that addiction, or said something hurtful to someone else, or have been hurt by someone else's words, or when you were heart-broken, or that time that you felt like you weren't loved or wanted by anyone, or when you look into that mirror and you are disgusted by what you see. You see ladies and gentlemen, that list could go on and on and on and on and on. We fall. That IS our nature. We are gonna mess up, get hurt, hurt others, have valleys, stumble, trip, veer off the path that is laid out for us. We fall.

There is another half to that quote though. It not only gives us a hope, but also gives us a way of application into our own lives. He continues and says, "So we can learn to pick ourselves up." Wow. Speak the truth on that one Big Bat Daddy. Mmmmmmm......I mean honestly. We stumble and every time that we stumble or falter or fall short. We are given an opportunity to grow. To build character, to strengthen ourselves, and to learn from it. So the next time that we come to that type of situation, or the next time that we fall that we can then pick ourselves up even faster than before.

Falling doesn't mean failing. It means learning. I have always believed in my heart that God uses everything to better me, and to give me opportunity to learn in this life. He doesn't want the fall to happen, but he allows it to for us to rely on Him to dust us off after we pick ourselves up again. He reminds me of that loving and amazing dad that I aspire to be when I am older. That guy you see playing with his toddler and when the toddler takes a tumble and is scared out of its whits because it is now face first on the ground the father is right there not necessarily just picking his kid up right away, but waits to see if the toddler can figure out how to get back up and watching the child very closely to make sure that if it outstretches its arms for daddy that he will swoop in and save the day. He lets the child learn how to get itself back up, and when the kid does then daddy is right there to brush the dust off and send him or her back out to run around and be a kid. That is God. The amazing and loving Daddy. Pretty amazing eh? Never thought I would connect Batman to God did you? haha me neither. Gotta love it.

"And why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up." -Thomas Wayne from Batman Begins

What up Papa! Man, it really is amazing to be in your presence and to learn something about this life you have blessed me and everyone with. Lord, thank you for allowing us to make connections to your through all things from anything in nature to Batman it all leads back to you. I just pray tonight Father that we all can realize this during our falls that every time that we do fall there is an opportunity for learning to happen. Lord I love you so much, and praise your name on the highest of mountains. In your most amazing name I pray. Amen.


NA na Na Na na na Na na Na na na na na na NA NA BATMAN!

The Campfire

Ahhhh the campfire. A small little ring filled with wood, warmth, and light. There is something about a campfire that brings people together isn't there? I mean you throw any type of person: male or female, young or old around a campfire and magic usually happens. Walls of separation that normally keep people in their own little groups and cliques are broken down and a new sense of community, warmth, and comfort wash over the people staring at the light. I never noticed this until sitting around the fire up at the cabin and then again tonight at a friend's house. Let's dive deeper into this campfire concept and connect it to our everyday life.

What would happen if we took this concept of campfire living and applied to everyday living? Wouldn't that be something? Wouldn't life be so much cooler? We all could just be chill and loving and open to talking to anybody about anything. Think about the sense of community, the sense of worth, joy and acceptance would be amazing to experience.

Let's go a little bit deeper, and apply this to the church. Not just like within each denomination, but us as the church of Christ as a whole as Christians. Isn't the church supposed to be just like this campfire theory? Shouldn't going to church each week not seem like a chore, or something that we are supposed to do and turn into something that we actually love to be at and be apart of? I think yes! I mean if you combine church concepts of worship and learning about Christ and the community and loving feel of the campfire then that my friends would be an amazing church. The church shouldn't be excluding and closed off, but like Jesus says, "Come ALL who are tired and I will give you rest."

My challenge for you in this moment of revelation is to live each day as if you were by the campfire. Be inclusive, love on others and include them into conversations even if they aren't your favorite person, but remember that if we live each day with the "campfire theory" in mind and in practice then let that sense of community and acceptance fill each person you encounter with that warmth of the campfire. So if you didn't get anything out of this post then take away this little saying, "Be someone's campfire today." Be the source of light and warmth in another person's life. That is the campfire theory.

Hey Papa. I just thank you for being you and providing us with these awesome things called campfires. I mean seriously God. It is amazing to see you work through just a simple little thing as fire. The warmth, the glow, the light that spreads to all people who surround it really makes me inspired and encourages me to do the same in my everyday life. Lord, I pray that we all can be the campfire in someones life, and provide that warmth, that light into everyone we meet minus all the smelly smoke and just have that sense of community and acceptance through out our entire days on this Earth. I love you Papa, and pray all this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Grace is Wild. Nuff Said.

Grace. The word that everyone hears whether it comes as a name of a baby girl or if sitting in church on a Sunday morning, but do you really know what grace is? That is a question that I have really asked myself over the past few days, and my answer was mehhhhh not really. I mean I understood that God gave me grace that covers my sins and forgives me, but I just kind of left it at that. As I looked into the subject, I found a book named Grace by Max Lucado. Alright so I kinda was familiar with Max's writing and his sermons, and I thought sweet and the topic I want to learn about is the title! Anyway, this is my revelation about grace that God really has shown me through Max's book and through prayer about it. So enjoy!

Grace is wild people! That is the first thing that God has shown me over the past 48 hours or so. It is a never-ending wave that continuously washes over us as God's children. Doesn't that just lift you up? Everyday, every minute, every second, every increment of time we are being loved on and being poured over with forgiveness and grace. It isn't just a word that we name our daughters or hear in church, but it is alive and in us! We are filled with the Grace of God. We are saved because of this grace that is now embedded in us through Christ's death. Now that right there is out of this world, wicked, wild, and any other adjective that you can think of that means mind-blowing. 

Alright, sign me up for that, but there is always this misconception when it comes to living a grace-filled life. That misconception is that we need to earn that grace or somehow repay God for what he did on that cross for us. Sorry but that is impossible. The only thing that we can do in this lifetime is live grace-filled and recognize everyday that God doesn't want us to try to change just to meet a benchmark on his grading scale and then give us a gold star. That is not how grace works! He wants us to give him the permission and the trust to let him change you. God is not a kind of God that wants his people to change to prove their worth to Him, but instead He stoops to our level as sinners and picks us up out of the dirt. That is Grace. 

Some scripture from the book of John chapter 8 talks about Jesus and how he stooped down to our level. It says:

 "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

In that chunk of scripture the Jewish law heads came to Jesus with a woman who had been caught in the act of having sex without being married, and they explained to him that the Law says that they need to stone her to death. Before answering the question though Jesus stooped down and crouched on the ground. Think about this as not just for her stooping down to her level, but stooping down to all of our levels. We are sinners, we are not perfect, we make mistakes, and we are in pain and prideful, but Christ died for us. You have to remember that Jesus is God, so when God came down to this earth and stooped down to our level he did so to show that we do not need to prove anything to Him, but instead let His grace change us.

Would you pray this with me right where you are at, and let God's grace just flow in you and out of you?

Papa, like your Son showed in that encounter with the woman you stooped down to the lowest of the lows in order to meet us where we are at instead of expecting us to meet certain benchmarks to earn grace, and Father we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for that. For understanding us and our nature, and letting your Grace be a complete part of our hearts. I ask today that you allow for this revelation of your grace to be a daily reminder of who we are in relationship to you, and a reminder that you relentlessly pursue us and will never stop until we see you fully through your Son's eyes. I love you Lord, and let my life of brokenness and imperfection be full of your grace and all for your glory. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen. 

We Can't Always Be Perfect.

We can't always be perfect. How true does that ring? I mean think about it for a second. Think to your life, and all those times when you try and try and try so hard to say the right thing, or not to hurt anyone. Then out of pure anger or stupidity you say something that hits someone to the bone and scars them for life. Have you ever had that happen to you? Where yours or someone else's words or actions just hurts yourself or someone you know. I sure have. Those moments are just one instance at least in my life where I wish that I was perfect. That I could just always say the right thing, and always be that uplifting and awesome person, but like the title says. We can't always be perfect. Let's dive into that....

If we were perfect, oh life would be sooooo much better than it is now wouldn't it? I mean we would always say the right thing, always be clean, never sin, never experience defeat, always win no matter what we were doing, and succeed at all things in life. Sounds like the best life ever right? Sure on the surface that seems to be a pretty fulfilling and good life, but underneath and deeper there are many flaws.

If we never sin, never fail, never disobey God essentially, then why do we need Jesus? Why do we need a Savior then if we are so perfect? There wouldn't be a need for Christ then if we had a perfect life, and frankly I would rather have an imperfect, failing, and sinful life with Christ than a perfect life without Him. 

So my question for myself and all of us reading this then is why do we try so hard to achieve the perfect life where we don't fail or struggle, and in doing so avoid Christ. Because when we try to be perfect and when we avoid situations that we could fail or that we could struggle in then in doing so we are trying to be our own Savior. Jesus Christ came to this Earth because we are NOT PERFECT. He died on that tree so that we could stop trying to be perfect, and actually become perfect in His eyes. He loves us, and says upon that cross that we don't have to try to be perfect and try to save ourselves from pain anymore because he has done that for us already. We can never be perfect! Doesn't that free us from ourselves?! Doesn't that bring us peace to know that we can fail and falter, and no matter what we do that Jesus looks down upon us and says "I forgive you, and I love you forever more." I hope that that sinks in to you all reading this as much as it did for me. We pursue Christ and we love Him with all our hearts, and love others then no matter if we fail or no matter if we fall short of His glory he will always reach out his hands and embrace us in his arms again. Jump back into your Father's arms. He is waiting for you. He loves you, and he will for the rest of eternity and back. 

We ain't perfect, but with a perfect Savior we don't need to be. Amen to that. 

Circumstances

"Our circumstances are not an accurate reflection of God's goodness. Whether life is good or bad, God's goodness, rooted in His character, is the same." - Helen Grace Lescheid

How true does that ring? We tend to take our circumstances, and over-analyze them. We then take what those circumstances are and decide based off of those what the goodness of God is. For example, in my life if something positive happens I automatically assume that it is God, and I have a spiritual awakening almost during these times of blessing and prosperity. Take the negative, and the complete opposite happens. I think that all of a sudden maybe God isn't as good as I thought he was before during the mountaintop. It seems like we base God off of what happens in our lives. I mean, think about it for a minute. I just realized this over the past day or so, but I let life run my life rather than God run my life. Do you do the same?

In scripture it tells us in Proverbs to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." 

How can we really do that if we allow for every event or change or heartache or triumph or anything else that happens in our lives to define our image of God? The answer to that question is you just can't. You can not serve two masters as it says in Matthew. I struggle with this on a daily basis, but today I know that in order to suck this life for its full potential I need to not let these moments define me. I watched a video last week that really summed up what I am talking about here. It said in this video that our lives are full of defining moments, but those moments need to be defined by God alone. 

So my question for all of us of humanity is this. Are we letting life run our lives or are we letting God run our lives?  

Insecurities

Insecurities. I got them. Plenty of them actually, but over the past couple of days I have been in deep meditation and prayer periodically throughout my days. During this time, I have been just heart-searching, looking for things that are blocking in my relationship with the Lord. I looked hard and deep. It's gotta be my struggle with lust. That has got to be the root of all my problems right? As I looked into that avenue, I saw the root of that sin and was completely blown away at what could possibly push me to the pornography like it did in my past. One insecurity about myself has caused me so much pain and had gotten so out of control that I was letting it control me. I still do actually. I might not make any sense when I am writing this, but this post is more for me than you guys. (Sorry.) This is my story of one insecurity spreading like a wildfire and pushing me to an extreme.

It started 4th and 5th grade years of elementary school. I was not the smallest kid in the class. I was shorter and heavier than most of the other kids, and so some kids thought it would be appropriate to start calling me names. I thought anger would be the way to get them to stop, so I turned to that. Little did I know that it only would make it worse. I was nicknamed "Rhino" because of my anger issue and my size. It just wore down on me. I began to believe them. I began to feel like I was not good enough, not worth anything because I was not considered skinny or athletic. I even fell into a bad depression because of it all and I hate saying this, but had thoughts of suicide.

Fast forward 2 years, 7th grade year comes around. I am introduced to pornography for the first time and I found something that even today continues to haunt me. I began finding the compassion and almost the feeling of acceptance through the women on the computer screen. I fell hard. I watched it whenever I had free time. I spent so much time on the Internet either on those sites or playing video games. That was what my life was. I have not fully overcome the lust aspect of the pornography addiction, but I can say that porn is no longer a part of my life.

It all started with that insecurity about my body. I am not good enough looking for girls to like me. That was the thing that has fueled my lust and even my previous pornography addiction in the past. The stigma that was and still is in my mind that I am not going to get a girlfriend or a wife even because I am not "attractive" according to what the world says is attractive. I have just noticed this over the past year or so. I don't pursue women as more than just friends because I feel like I don't deserve a person like that in my life because I myself am not attractive. Not saying that that is correct that I am not attractive, but that is always the thing in the back of my head which prevents me from doing so many things.

I am slowly in process of overcoming this insecurity with the Lord by my side. I am reading his Word about me being made in HIS image not the world's image. I let these words seep into my heart and change me. I tell you guys all of this because I want you to do the same. Look at yourselves. Sit in meditation and think about what insecurities are holding you back in your relationships with others and even with your relationship with the Lord because insecurities no matter how small can multiply and feed off of other ones to push you into a deep dark pit of sin like I was in.

These insecurities are like a glass window. I felt like a bird in one of those Windex commercials, just repeatedly hitting my head on the window because I felt like every time that I wanted to grow in relationship with the Lord that this insecurity was preventing me from doing that. What I want you to do if you feel the exact same way as me is to go grab God's word and read some verses that apply to your insecurity. Be empowered and encouraged by His word. That will be like picking a huge rock up and throwing it through that glass window of that insecurity. Be free from your insecurity, and bask in the love of Christ.

Hey Papa. Thank you for just pointing out that barrier in our relationship that is limiting me from fully being in relationship for you. Thank you so much for moving in my heart and allowing us to have your Word to have to completely shatter those insecurities in our hearts. I just pray today that we can all do that in our lives and that you can move in the hearts of the people reading this post and chisel away at that barrier in their heart. I claim all of these things as a victory in your Son, Jesus Christ, whose love is expressed through the cross. I pray. Amen.

He is Risen!

Good evening my fellow companions in Christ! I just wanted to start this post out with a Happy Easter from the bottom of my heart. I know that I am a day late with this, but it's whatever. Anyway, I just have had this on my heart over the past day or so to write another post about Easter, and what that really means for us as Christ's followers. So, without further adieu, let it begin!

Where do I being about this day? I mean honestly, it is the most important day in the church year, and rightly so. It's personally my favorite holiday with Christmas being a close second, but that is a whole different story. The reason that it is my favorite holiday is not the fact that we get to have Easter egg hunts, and eat Peeps all day. Heck no! I love this holiday because it literally screams joy into our lives, and gives us hope that no matter what happens that we have a place in the kingdom through Christ.

The whole week in general is a roller-coaster ride. For example, you have Thursday, the day Jesus commissioned the disciples and the Last Supper was made, then you move on to Friday, the day in which He was crucified. Let me talk about this for a minute. Good Friday. The day our Lord was crucified. It was not glorious. It was not clean and pretty. It was painful. It was the sacrifice of a completely pure and holy man upon that cross. Jesus wasn't executed for anything that he did, but was put to death for everything that we did and have done since then. When he was beaten, lashed, crowned with thorns, laid upon a cross, nailed through his wrists and his ankles upon that cross, and then eventually hung upon that tree. He did it for us. He paid our debts with his life.

I kind of compare it to when you have a huge debt to a credit card company because you are indulging yourself in this world, and when you receive the bill a man that you know has everything possible in this world takes the debt for you. You don't even know the man, but he does it anyways, not because he has anything to gain from it, but because he LOVES you. He thinks that you deserve to live this life debt free. If this man thinks that you deserve to live this life free to be in complete relationship with Him then shouldn't we?

Three days later....

The tomb in which Jesus is laid is empty. He is risen! How is this possible? He was defeated. What does this mean? What does this mean about us?

The resurrection is not just a cool little thing that God wanted to add to show that Jesus is the Son of Man. God used this to indicate to us that the debt that this man, this Jesus, paid for with his life is clean, and that the check he used to pay for it is fully cleared. We are free of the debt that our sin has against us! We are resurrected right along side of our King of Kings. Because of this day we are assured that through Christ that all things are possible that no matter where you are that He will be with you in the Holy Spirit. I just want to encourage you all reading this today. That every morning is Easter morning. Everyday you wake up is a day that the Lord has made, and you have the Holy Spirit inside of you to reassure you of that. Jesus is alive! He is risen! He lives in you and me and everyone who calls him Lord no matter what they do.

Hey Papa. I just praise you today for your Son. He didn't deserve to be beaten and lashed like a criminal Lord, but he looks at us with blood-stained eyes and says that our lives free of sin are worth so much more than the pain he went through. I just ask tonight Lord that you help us all live like we were also resurrected that day alongside you. I pray that no matter what happens that we wake up each day with that joy in our hearts that you live inside of us, and are preparing a place for us in your kingdom at the feet of your throne. I claim all of this in the name of your resurrected Son who lives forever and ever within our hearts. Amen.  

Stop, Collaborate, and Listen

"Be Still and Know that I am God" - Psalm 46:10

What is it about this world that we seem to be in such a hurry? Why does it seem that we are so focused on the beginning and end that we don't even appreciate the now? I feel like this has been me these past couple of weeks. I was looking forward to spring break like two weeks before it happened and now that spring break is now coming to an end for me, I am already looking ahead to the summer and what that has in store. But, what about the time that falls between these dates? What about the now? Why am I not looking forward to the next minute, the next hour, or the next second that I am apart of the Lord's wonderful creation? This my insight on the unhurried life.

We hustle and bustle in this life. We look so far into the future and bask in our pasts that we forget to look at ourselves right now. We don't necessarily "stop, collaborate, and listen," as my home boy Vanilla Ice once said. But, what if we did do that in our faith lives on a daily basis? That doesn't mean every time that we want to talk to God or pray that we need to break out Ice Ice Baby, but it means that we need to do those three steps.

Stop: This step is pretty self-explanatory right? I mean in order to really have an in-depth talk with the Lord and really "Be Still" as it says in that Psalm. That means to stop everything that you are doing. That means shut the phone off, turn the TV off, shut down the Xbox and Play Station, and legitimately sit still. That makes sense right? At least it does to me.

Collaborate: Aight, so this step is all about thinking while you pray. So for me that means that I just pray everything that comes to my mind that I think is good to pray about, which normally is everything because God is like that and wants to hear everything he can possibly imagine because he already knows your prays. Anywho, when I am thinking back about my days then this is the time to just get together with the Lord and have that little "pow-wow" with Him that he most definitely desires.  This does not mean though that you have to do all the talking.

Listen: This one is probably the easiest to think about, but actually is the hardest to put into action. I find it that after I just spew my guts out to the Lord that I am tempted to just say alright amen my job here is done, but in order to fully bask in the art of being still you need to be able to listen. You need to be able to quiet your mind, and just tune in to what God could possibly want to tell you in that time of peace. Think about it though. It is kind of hard to have a conversation with someone if as soon as they are done talking they shut you out. What do you think the Father feels like whenever we just pray and don't give him a chance to respond? Just think about that a little bit.

Hey Papa. I just come to you tonight with unending praises. I mean honestly you have done so much for us as your followers. You have given us a gift of eternal life through your Son Christ Jesus. I just thank you so much for giving me a passion and a voice for you Father. I just pray that as all of us go into our new weeks that we can start living in the now, and recognizing your presence in all of creation Lord. I just ask that you help us to want to spend more time with you each day, and that instead of just spewing our prayers to you that we can actually allow you to speak to us in however you please. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

The Plan

What is the plan? What are you gonna do next? Are you going to do this or that? Decisions. Decisions. Our lives are full of them. We make conscious and unconscious decisions too many times to count in just one day, but think about each of those decisions that you make. Think about how much anxiety goes into certain decisions and how easy others are to make. Wouldn't you like for those anxiety filled decisions to be not necessarily easier, but for you to make them with confidence? I am here to tell you that you can have that freedom. We were granted with that freedom. We are free to be used fully by God in all circumstances.

I say this in the most confidence because I personally struggle with this on a daily basis. Control. I want to have control. I want to know exactly what is going to happen, and I try to take God's place in my life. I always try to reject that freedom and think that my life would be better if I was in control of it. That is pride speaking. It is thoroughly exhausting to try and live a fully controlled life with out submission. I mean honestly think about it. You really wouldn't want to know everything that is going to happen, and if the decisions we make are the ones that would lead to an easier path. You want to know why? Because that would take the life out of living. You wouldn't be living if you weren't learning, but that is a whole different topic.

Want to know the promises that the Lord has given us about this? Well of course! God's word speaks so much truth into our lives and can be applied to almost every situation. I mean honestly, I don't understand how people can just not turn to the Lord's word for that peace that they are looking for. In this situation, I think that a couple of verses apply. Romans 8:28 and Jeremiah 29:11 are ones that are most well known.

"And we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' - Jeremiah 29:11

Those two verses are the most well known of verses that deal with the purpose and plan of our lives, but isn't there a sense of freedom you feel when you read those verses? I do. I have that sense of freedom that even if I mess up or even if I don't do exactly what the Lord wants me to do at that point that He is going to use it to glorify Him and to make me into who he wants me to be. That is the same for you all reading this as well. If you are contemplating a big decision coming up or worried about what tomorrow brings. I just want to encourage you and inform you that you are free. As it says in Galatians 5:1, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." 

You are free. You are free to struggle, free to live, free to make decisions, free from sin, and free to rely fully on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to work through ALL situations to continue on his plan for us. You are being worked through even if you don't think you are. God doesn't make mistakes, and he doesn't just give up on you. He has a plan and is going to use everything you have given him to make that plan possible, so I ask you this. Are you living in that freedom? 

Papa. I come to you this afternoon with a heart full of your love and with the freedom you promised us to be fully displayed in the way that I live, and in the way that I present myself. I just ask tonight Lord that you use this knowledge of your purpose and your plan to bring peace to all who read this, and that they fully grasp that no matter where we go or what we do that you are using everything to advance us farther and farther into your kingdom. If something happens that pushes us away from you Lord then use it to shine your forever bright light into our dark hearts, and if something happens that pulls us closer to you then use it make us grow in a close-knit relationship with you. I ask all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen. 

Don't Stop the Madness

Happy Sunday Night all! I hope you all had amazing weekends! I know I did, and I am so blessed by what I was able to do. On Friday, I had the opportunity to go to a Tenth Avenue North concert in Rochester with some of my favorite people. It was glorious. I recommend going to one of their concerts if you want a great show that really is just "worship on steroids" as one of my friends put it. I felt God move in that room on Friday night, and I knew he was working through what Mike (the lead singer) and the rest of the band to bring glory to Him. This post is going to be about a concept and a topic that was brought up by Mike while he was talking about the song "Don't Stop the Madness," which is on Tenth Ave. North's newest record. This post is just going to branch off of that topic and expound a little more into it. So enjoy!

Let me first just give you some of the lyrics of the song, and then I will explain afterwards. Deal? Good. Here are the lyrics:

"All I hear is what they're selling me
That God is love, he isn't suffering
And what you need's a little faith and prosperity
But, oh my God, I know there's more than this
If you promise pain it can't be meaningless
So make me poor if that's the price for freedom
Don't stop the madness
Don't stop the chaos
Don't stop the pain surrounding me
Don't be afraid, love, to break my heart
If it brings me down to my knees, yeah"

Okay, so now what I want you all to do is think about what those lyrics are trying to say. What is this song trying to convey to us?

Well, when I first heard this song and when I looked at the lyrics for the first time I was really put off by the fact that they wrote a song about how we are not supposed to pray for the Lord to make our sufferings stop, and that the band's intentions was to tell us to just get over all the pain and madness. Those were my first impressions, but as I looked more into the song and more into the lyrics I also saw that it never says there that we are not supposed to pray for the Lord to make our situation better, but instead it says that we praise God for our trials because it will bring us closer to Him.

I was reading in James the other day because it is the book of the bible my study is working through at this moment, and I came across this set of verses: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." That was James 1:2-4.

I just think that that hits home for me because it is calling us not to revel in our own self-pity and get down on ourselves when we face times of challenge and opportunities for us to grow as believers, but instead to be encouraged, to have joy knowing that because we are going through this madness and this heartache that it is developing us into better people. It is developing us to be more like Christ.

So go back to the song real quick, and look at where it talks God being love and not in suffering. That is so much of a lie that we hear everyday. We hear that God is love, which is absolutely correct, that he is there with me during the great times and when I am at the high-points of my faith that that is when he is there, but that isn't the only place he is either. He is there in the suffering, the pain, the heartache, the shortcomings, and the falls from grace that we have every once in awhile. He is there through it all and he is working it all for your good! He is transforming your trials into your victories and is continually shaping you through them to become more reliant on Him. God never has told us that our lives were gonna be easy, but instead he said that when we do encounter those struggles that he will use them to his glory.

Papa. You are utterly amazing. You literally are the best dad in the whole world. I mean honestly you just do so much in our lives in order to make us into who you want us to be. You mold us and shape us into perfection because you are not done with us yet. We are your masterpiece Lord, and I just pray tonight that we recognize that these trials and tribulations that we go through are put into our life for a purpose. That we are not mistakes, that theses challenges are not just there to keep us occupied in our life, but to guide us and to bring us closer to you Father. I just pray that we can all see that even though you are love Papa that you are also in the sufferings that we experience. You watch us and love us no matter what happens in our lives, and I claim all of these things as victories in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The War is Over

Imagine this. You are a solider in the midst of battle. As the battle rages on, you notice that you are the only one on the battlefield against the enemy. You are alone. You look behind you and see no one. You look ahead of you and waves upon waves of enemies are flooding your vision. You fight and fight and fight. You strive trying to save your own life, and you cry out for any type of help, any kind of relief from this pain that you are going through. As you continue to defeat enemy after enemy in this battle, the enemies start to transform and when you look at the faces of the ones you have slain you see an eye-opening image. The men you are slaying are all yourself. Think about that for a moment. How is that like our normal everyday lives? Isn't that, if you really think about it, what our daily lives are like? We aren't battling against others. We are not battling against Satan. We are not battling against the world. We are battling against ourselves.

That situation is something lately that I feel has been happening in my life, and I really just noticed it in my life over just the past couple of days. It is always been a battle against ourselves that goes on in our soul. Just think back to this past day. Did somebody say something that hurt you? Yes they did say something, but it was us who chose to listen to it. That is just an example of the battle that goes on against ourselves. Everyday we are presented with temptation, which is Satan tempting us, but it is once again our choice to either give in to that temptation or fight against it. Our sinful nature wants to do it so bad, but the Holy Spirit that is in each and everyone of us fights against it. A battle with ourselves.

Now I know that that seems kind of harsh, that we are in a never-ending battle with ourselves, but I also want to remind you that this war that we wage against ourselves is actually already over. You have already won, not because of what you have done or how many times you let the Holy Spirit win in your heart, but because of what Jesus Christ did on that cross. When he died on that cross and then rose again in three days, he overcame it all and won the war that we tend to wage every single day of our lives. We live as if this life is a battlefield and we are just supposed to tackle every obstacle over and over and over again even if it is with our Sin or temptation or with our insecurities, when you actually think about it. We are fighting a pointless fight. We have won. We are literally kicking a dead horse here people! Jesus died in order for us to live freely, not to be bonded by the chains of our lives, but to live in complete and utter relationship with Him.

This life is not a war. There may be battles, but in each of them Christ has already won. We as followers of Christ have already won. You want to experience that freedom? Just accept that you are capable to overcome anything because you are already set free and you are already on the winning team because Christ already played the game 2013 years ago.

Papa. I come to you tonight in prayer just to praise you Lord, and to thank you for all that you have done in the lives of us all. I just pray tonight that we can allow this idea of living free to seep into our hearts and fill us up with motivation for the next days to come. A motivation to live in complete and utter freedom because your Son, our Savior, has already won the game Lord. He has won the battle and given us a small windy path to follow freely. I just continue to pray that we as your children can experience that freedom and live by it. In the name of Jesus Christ, the one who has paved the way for us all, I pray. Amen.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."- Galatians 5:1

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love." -Galatians 5:13

Valentine's Day

It has been a couple of weeks here at college back from break, and I can tell you that I am so blessed by this place, beyond my own understanding. Just the connections I have made through Christ and the friendships I have made really have built me up and made me want to go deeper in my faith than ever before. I praise the Lord for that, but as we all know Valentine's Day is tomorrow. The one day out of the year where boyfriends/husbands pull out extravagant ends in order to express their love for their significant others and where the world treats their spouses or significant others with so much love that it overflows from that person. I am not going to lie to you. I love Valentine's day and what it represents as a holiday which celebrates love in our lives, but I think that especially in relationships we think that this day is the only day that we need to love and pamper and respect with nothing in return. This post is about taking the concept of what Valentine's Day represents and bringing that into your everyday life.

So let's start this post out with exactly what love is in the first place. If we define what love is, and then figure out what it is in our lives then we will be able to apply that concept not only to the day dedicated to it tomorrow, but to our entire life!

In 1 John 3:16 it states the following about love: "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." This just explains the love that we ought to have for everyone in our lives, so when you hear the word "love" you should think about Jesus and what he did to show that love to us. I mean think about the phrase in that verse where it says: "...we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." Just think about that. Apply it to your lives. Apply it to your relationships. It doesn't mean that you are going to die for that person. (Okay that might be what you get out of it, but I get a little bit of an abstract meaning.) I think that is saying that we need to lay down our selfish ways of thinking. I mean think about this for a moment. You are in a relationship, and even though you are with that person and made a commitment to them. They just don't seem that invested in it, and choose not to give up anything in order to see you, or they choose their friends over you, or a sport. Even though you are in a committed relationship, they don't really commit themselves to you. Now flip that around. Think about if they loved you like Jesus loved us. Think about if they laid down themselves for you. Think about how amazing that would feel. That is love people. Right there. That is what we are called to be in our lives.

You now have been schooled about what V-Day is about, but why has society overemphasized this one day as the only important day in a relationships stand point? Besides an anniversary this is the only day that most guys are willing to lay down their own pride and love unconditionally. I just ask this question. What about if we lived everyday like it was Valentine's Day? What if we loved our significant others unconditionally every single day of the year? What if we loved every single person that we came in contact with as Christ loved us? Wouldn't that love just be amazing? I think it would be. I just challenge you all to not just pick tomorrow as your day to love, but take the Agape Love that you experience tomorrow and continue it through everyday of your relationships with others.

Papa. I just come to you tonight with a humble heart. I am just completely engulfed in your love, and just want everyone to feel like this Lord. I am eternally thankful for what you have done in my life, and have taught me about the love you have for us. I just pray tonight that we all can take this to heart. That unconditional love cannot be boxed or bottled up into just one day a year, but it has free reign in every single day of our lives! I come to you tonight asking that we be changed by the love you pour into us, and that we may pour this love that we feel into others everyday. No matter who they are or where they are in their walks with you. No matter if they are our spouses or significant other or if they are a friend or family or just a complete stranger or enemy. That we can express the amazing love that you displayed to us on that hunk of tree when your Son sacrificed himself for us out of that love. I say all these things in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who died and rose again to show us the kind of love that we should not only love on this Valentine's day, but in everyday and everything we do. Amen.

Radical Love

Hey all you wonderful people! I just first want to thank you for once again reading these posts. It really means a lot to me that you are willing to read my thoughts and my experiences with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I just really appreciate all of you, and have a place in my heart for each and everyone of you. Prayers are always being sent. Let me just give you a little synopsis of what has been going on in this life for me. I have experienced my first week of classes back here at UW-L and I can tell you that I really missed this place. It just kind of sucks that I have to leave a bunch of people at home in order to come back to this wonderful of places. It's not the fact that I am not excited about being here or starting a new chapter with my Lord, but I miss the people from home. My friends that I saw every weekend, my family, and just my community of fellow believers at home. I miss them. I love them. This week has been a roller-coaster though. I mean for one part I was excited to be back and see everyone, but then I fell missing all of those people I listed above. I was just starting to plain out and start getting used to life again here, and then Satan just did some nasty things in my heart and in my mind. I just felt like last night that I was as depressed as depressed could be. I don't know why, but I just hit the bottom. I cried a lot and just prayed to God to just get all of these thoughts out of my brain of suicide and all of those things of no self-worth or esteem. I just was drained, and was not full of love in my heart at all. This morning at worship changed all that for me though, and I feel now as if I am overflowing with that love once again. I love this feeling of when your prayers are answered, and that the things you go through daily are worth so much more because I can continually look at the cross as my source of love and affection.

Anyway, you guys now know how my past week has been, and now I just want to bring a topic up that I have been thinking a lot about lately. That topic being the term "radical love." I know you guys probably have heard of that term before, but I want to apply this in a different aspect of our lives that most of us don't really see it. So in saying all of this, how about we jump right in?

When we think about a "radical" type of love what is it that you really think of? For me, I think of the love Jesus has for us and how he sacrificed himself for the good of all of us sinners here on Earth. You know like it says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but experience eternal life." That verse explains that "radical love" probably the best that I can ever explain it. That is the one and only radical love that I could think of when I first thought about this topic, but then out of the blue I thought of a much more tangible example.

We know that Jesus loves us and fills our hearts up with that everlasting love and happiness, but a lot of us don't ever notice the love others have for us. That Jesus is being shown through people in our lives! When I think of this concept I think about the song "Jesus in Disguise" by Brandon Heath because in this song he sings about this exact concept of being that light of Jesus in other people's lives. 1 John 3:16 really emphasizes this point as well when it says, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." We as followers of Christ are exposed to this love not to just keep it to ourselves and be cynical towards others, but instead love them whole-heartedly. We are called to speak the truth to them yes, and encourage them in their walks with Jesus, but we do this all out of love not for our own selfish wants or desires. I just have had a heart for this in the past week because it isn't really fair to just keep Jesus in a box that I only pull out every now and then when I need some more self-worth. HE SHOULD BE THE REASON THAT I LIVE!!!!!!!!!! I mean honestly I see so many young Christians out there that say they love Jesus, and that he is their own and only God, but don't take it serious when it says in John 3:30 that "He must become greater; I must become less."

In saying all this, I just want to leave you with a final statement. Are you being a "Jesus in Disguise" in your relationships with others? Are you letting that "radical love" that you experience shine through you and onto everything that you touch? 

Papa. I just come to you today with unbelievable praises because of how you are and how you use me as an instrument in the orchestra of your love. You are amazing Lord. Today, I just pray that we all can instead of boxing Jesus up in our hearts and only pulling him out when we are hurting or in sorrow or even sometimes when we are on unbelievable highs that we keep him as a constant in our lives. That he becomes our lives! I just pray that the idols that we put in our lives whether that be other people like significant others or our performance in school or people pleasing that we lay them all down in comparison to you Lord. You are the reason we breathe, that we have a heart beat that we can walk, talk, love, pray, eat, drink, and the list goes on and on. I just pray that we all that have come to you Lord can live like that. That we can put you number one in our lives, and love as radical as you love us. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

Risky Business

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." - Matthew 16:24-25

We as Christian young people go through a lot don't we? I mean in our schools we are looked at as outsiders. If we where a shirt that portrays anything related to our faith  we are looked at and judged for what we believe in. We are judged by Christians themselves already. I mean people that have been through confirmation, and don't pursue the faith any further. We are looked at as the "churchy people," the ones that think they are "holier than thou." You want to know something? I will gladly take that label because really what they see in us is that we have a life about us, a way we do things that seems to show off so much joy. 

Let me get back on track though. I was at my youth group tonight, and we talked about this subject. I found out tonight that 11 out of the 12 disciples that followed Jesus throughout the gospel were killed because they were considered "Jesus Freaks." John was the only one that was not killed, but he was exiled/tortured for being a follower of Christ. I mean look at that as an example to be one of Christ's disciples we have to be willing to lose our previous lives, and sacrifice that good that we once had in order to experience his greatness fully. The disciples had good lives before Jesus came into them. Some were successful fishermen, one was a tax man, others were farmers, but that laid down their previous lives in order to make in themselves a new life. They laid down their previous selves, and followed Him in promise of eternal life through Him. I just wonder if we can fully do the same? I just wonder why we don't? I don't judge, and I don't want to change anyone or try to sell this to anyone because you will all get there someday, but in my heart right now I am so radically in love with the Father and with Jesus that if He called me to do something I would be very willing to do it. That is just where I am at in my relationship with Him right now. 

In saying all that it is extremely risky business to be a Christian in this day and age. I am not going to lie about that at all. It has its hard points, but all the rewards will blow your mind. The amount of high-points I have when the blinders are removed from my eyes are unbelievable. 

The final thing that I want to address about this topic is about the time that we have on this Earth. I just want to share with you all this video from Francis Chan about this subject exactly. To live radically for Jesus, and then to keep an eternal perspective. So I am going to show you that video, and then pray at the end.

Hey Papa. I just come to you tonight in unbelievable amazement at who you are and who I am in relationship to you. I just ask that when you say pick up our cross daily and follow you that we actually take that to heart, and we press on to the goal because we know that the goal of this life is not for ourselves, but for you Lord. This life is a figment in comparison to the life we are going to have with you in eternity. I cannot wait Lord, but that will come whenever you want it to come. As for right now, I just pray that we all just look instead at our selfish desires that we look to you because you already lived the perfect life as a human through your Son Jesus Christ. Let us live by his example, and glorify his name through all we do even though that it will be hard, and we will not be the most popular of people. We will pick up our cross and live for You. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

Come to the Well

"On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." - John 7:37-38

You look at that scripture right there and I don't know what you feel about it or even if that affects you at all, but I do know that it affects me greatly. I read that scripture and I think about all the searching, all the empty things that I have chased from pornography to affection to love to control to just something to fix my brokenness. When I hear the words "anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink," I just get an overwhelming sense of peace and love when I think about that. Jesus is the only way that we are going to fill that void in our hearts. Why do we go after all these worldly things? Why do we expect other people to be our Jesus? If only this guy or girl would be in my life, then I will be saved then I will truly be happy. I don't understand the human thinking sometimes. God created us as some really complicated creatures if you ask me, but honestly though we go through life expecting all the worldly things and people to make us happy and save us from our brokenness. 

It says in that piece of scripture that if we believe in Jesus, and his Majesty then the Holy Spirit will enter into our hearts. When that happens, the Spirit then starts chiseling in your heart and helps you mature in your faith. I mean I am just now finally accepting the Spirit into my heart, and I can tell you that I feel so much at ease. I have had to make some sacrifices, but God sacrificed his SON. Shouldn't I be willing to sacrifice some things in my life that might seem okay to have for God? I mean God sacrificed his Son. Jesus seemed okay on Earth right? I mean he had a pretty good life up to the Crucifixion, but he sacrificed what was okay in order for God to make it great. He sacrificed his life for something greater, so that we would have eternal happiness and love through Him for the rest of our small lives and eternal life to come. 

Okay that was a pretty epic side-tangent. I like what I did there. Anyway, we as humans thirst so much for all these worldly things. I mean the list goes on and on for what is important in our lives. God and Jesus is always something to a background item even in the eyes of Christians. We go through the motions of going to confirmation and church on the weekends, but honestly there is no Spiritual growth there. We put God on the back-burner. I like calling it "Back-burner Christianity." (Clever right?) I was the exact same way until about a year ago. I accepted Jesus into my heart as a freshmen in high-school, and then really just left it at that. I didn't grow in spiritual maturity, and then still kept searching for all those other avenues of affection and love. I used people for that, and my addiction to pornography was another avenue I used in order to fill that void. I accepted Jesus and was a Christian, but I was still thirsty because I didn't drink the water that was being poured over me. Even though God was pouring his love through Jesus allover me, I never drank that living water. I never let that affect my whole outlook on life! I never was able to see God in all that I do and in everyone that I met! That is really amazing to let the Father be the father of you life, and to let him control it all. 

I am going to end this post with some lyrics from the song "The Well" by Casting Crowns, and then pose a question after that with some prayer so bear with me here.

Leave it all behind.
Your pursuit of perfection.
Leave it all behind.
Your fear of rejection.
Leave it all behind.
Your temporary pleasure.
Leave it all behind.
Your pursuit of treasure.
Leave it all behind.
The chains of addiction.
Leave it all behind, and come to the well.

That song really just shows everything that I said before. Jesus is that well of living water. Leave all that has happened in our past. Everything that we once were and let Jesus enter into our hearts. Read the Word, pray, worship Him, and let God work in your heart. That is the only thing that is going to fill your heart up. Not people. Not drugs. Not alcohol. Not sex. Not everything that we feel is good in our lives, but Jesus will. I have left it all behind and have jumped into that well of living water. Are you willing to let Jesus change your life completely? 

Lord Jesus. We just praise you today for just being that well of everlasting water that we can go to when we are thirsty. We just love you Lord, and all we want is for you to take full control of our lives. Take all the control that we want and some that we enjoy, and do your will on our lives. I just ask that all of us realize that all the things that we chase after in this life are nothing unless we have You leading our way. Unless we have your Spirit in our hearts and have you living inside us nothing that we do will fulfill the desires of our hearts Lord. You are the desire of my heart, and I just pray that we all can live in harmony with you. Lord Jesus help us grow in relationship with you and mature us according to your Holy Spirit which is within us. In the most holy of names I pray. Amen.

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.  May He look upon you with favor, and bring you peace. Amen.