The Word Became Flesh.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” - John 1:14. To put it simply Christmas is about the Word becoming flesh. The event that had been prophesied for hundreds of years came about in the most humble of circumstances. The prophets foretold it, the world awaited it, and Jesus fulfilled it. There are so many things about the birth of Jesus that should leave us in amazement. From the virgin birth to angles appearing to shepherds. However, amongst all the nativity sets and “Little Drummer Boy” songs this Christmas season do we loose grasp on who that baby really was lying in the manger?  

The book of John begins this way, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” The Word had become flesh. This baby lying in the manger was fully God and fully human. He who would later speak to storms and the storms stopped would have to learn how to talk. He who had to be nursed and fed by his mother would later feed five thousand with a few loaves and fish. He who would fall over and over again learning to walk would go on to walk on water. He who watched his father nailing tables together would thirty-three years later have his hands nailed to a cross. The long awaited Emmanuel had come.

John continues, “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.”  Mary and Joseph’s frantic middle of the night escape to Egypt was only the beginning of the hostility that awaited our Savior. He would be eventually betrayed by one of his close friends. They rejected the one who had come to save them. But that is not the end of the story because John goes on and this is why we celebrate. “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” He was born so we could be born again. 

The story of Jesus birth is not a “cute” kids story, but a radical, earth shattering event that forever changed history. Jesus became a man and lived a human life. As Hebrews 4:15-16 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” When we remember the gospel we find forgiveness at the cross, but we also find comfort in the life of Jesus Christ. We can fail because He did not. We can fall short because He paid it all. We will live eternally because He died and rose again. That is worth celebrating more than 25 days each year.  I love the song “Born to Die” by Bebo Norman because it beautifully describes why we celebrate. Take a moment to read through the lyrics and give thanks for who that baby was lying in a manger over two thousand years ago. Merry Christmas!

They never knew a dark night

always had the Son's light

on their face

Perfect in glory

Broken by the story

of untold grace...

come that day

Majesty had come down 

Glory had succumed now 

to flesh and bone

In the arms of a manger

In the hands of strangers

that could not know

Just who they hold

And the angels filled the sky 

All of heaven wondered why

Why their King would choose to be 

Be a baby born to die

And all fell silent 

For the cry of an infant,

the voice of God

Was dividing history

For those with eyes to see,

the Son would shine

From earth that night

To break the chains

Of guilt and sin

To find us here 

To pull us in 

So we can join in Heaven's song

And with one voice around the throne

All the Angels filled the sky

And I can't help but wonder why 

Why this King would choose to be

Be a baby born for me

Be a baby born 

Be a baby born to die

It is Finished

“It is finished.” ...... Mankind has never heard better words. Jesus Christ as he hung on the cross spoke these words as He breathed His last. The price had been paid. He had suffered the full wrath of a Holy God. No longer would anyone have to offer sacrifices, because the ultimate sacrifice had been made. The beautiful passage in Colossians 2 describes Christ’s work on the cross. “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,  having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

It is hard for me to grasp what life was like for the Israelites before Christ. They were under the Mosaic Law. It was a list of do’s and don’ts to live by, and if these were broken then a sacrifice had to be made. Whenever I read through the old testament I am always grateful that I am not under the old covenant. We are no longer the law, and we are no longer required to make sacrifices. However, I think many Christians today still live under a law. It may not be the same do’s and don’t of the Mosaic Law, but there are still the rules to live by. If one of the laws/rules is broken they feel the need to make a “sacrifice”- a good work, to cover their mistake. This is legalism and moralism at their core. The mindset that in order to maintain a good standing before God we must make sure our good works outnumber the sin in our lives. The gospel frees us from thinking this way. When we can fully embrace the gospel we realize that nothing we can do will make God love us more, and nothing we can do will make God love us less. Think about that. 

Tullian Tchividjian in his great book “Jesus + Nothing = Everything” writes about how the  Gospel frees us from legalism and points us to Christ’s finished work on the cross. He writes, “Paul isn’t saying that our performance leads to our rescue; he’s saying that genuine rescue leads to our performance. Our improvement comes from God’s approval; God’s approval doesn’t come from our improvement.” If we truly understand God’s grace and what He did for us, it will lead to a life full of obedience out of love.” Jesus had harsh words for the Pharisees because their obedience to the law was not with the right motives. They kept the law as perfectly as any human could. However, it was not out of love for God, but rather their love of attention from others. A few pages later Tullian goes on to say, “As we continue working out our life of obedience in light of Christ’s obedience, one thing is clear: the issue is never whether or not to obey. We know the Bible has plenty to say about keeping God’s commands. That’s indisputable. But what motivates our obedience, what animates our obedience, and what prompts us to obey? Is it fear or faith? Is it guilt or gratitude?”

It was Paul’s prayer for the different churches he wrote to that they would be able to grasp that. To know the love of God. I believe one of the reasons many people struggle with legalism is because they translate how humans love each other to how God loves us. No one can love another person perfectly. If someone does something extremely hurtful to you, it is nearly impossible not to love them less. Christ’s love is unconditional and not based on how we did last week. In Ephesians 3:17-19 Paul writes, “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” I encourage you to pray that not only for yourself but for your brothers and sisters in Christ. One final passage from Tullian’s book. “Most of us become guilty of this Christless Christianity because we look at the Bible and we see all of the imperatives without being washed by the indicatives. We spend more time asking what would Jesus do instead of what did Jesus do. We have to keep reminding ourselves of the difference between moralism and the gospel. We have to keep remembering that the reason Christ came was first of all not to make bad people good but to make dead people alive. If we forget that, our Christianity will turn out to be Christless.” 

“I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” - John 17:26

Behold, I am making all things new

Life is good. The last few months in my life have been excellent. I have been enjoying new learning experiences at school and a steady work schedule. New friendships have been formed and they are very encouraging to me. I began a relationship with a wonderful girl. Basically life is going very well for me. I admit there have been ups and downs, good and bad days, but overall a great few months. It is easy when things are going well on this earth to loose sight of heaven. When times are rough and we are in the valley of the shadow of death it is easy to long for heaven. But how about when things are going our way? Do we still long for heaven or do we become satisfied with the lesser things of earth? 

A few months ago I posted the prayer of Sir Francis Drake. Whenever I read it I am convicted and challenged all over again. I have it hanging up on my desk as a constant reminder. About half way through Sir Francis Drake prays, “Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; Having fallen in love with life, We have ceased to dream of eternity and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim.”

Ceased to dream of eternity.... 

The other day I was reading through Revelation 21. As I read I began to dream again about eternity. Revelation 21:1-7 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”

There are so many great truths in this passage. It says that God will dwell with man. We will dwell with God! There will no longer be separation from the King of Kings. We will be in His presence worshipping Him in His Holiness. It goes on to say that He will wipe away tears and death will be no more. We will not experience hurt, anger, sadness, frustration, or fear because there will be no more sin. No more living on an earth that is groaning as in the pains of childbirth. (Romans 8:22) But it does not stop there. The King says He is making all things new! There will be a new heaven and new earth.  The creator God who spoke and created this world. The creator God who made man in his image. The creator God who put the planets in orbit and stretched out the universe. This creator God is making all things new! It is beyond on our comprehension. The Alpha and the Omega who was before time and will forever reign calls us His children. He invites us to be with Him for all of eternity. Do we really grasp that? 

We hear phrases like “Preach the gospel to yourself daily.” The gospel is not just Christ’s work on the cross, but it is also His future kingdom. Because of imputation (Christ’s righteousness for our sin) we stand holy before God. Oh what a glorious day that will be. Paul understood what awaited him when he died. In Philippians 1:20-24 he says, “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!  I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.”  Paul went through life with the end goal in sight. 

Are we torn like Paul or are we content with our life on earth? 

I want to live everyday of my life with the end goal in sight. When everything is going my way, I am eagerly awaiting Christ’s second coming. During life’s toughest times I am eagerly awaiting Christ’s second coming.  May we never cease to dream of eternity. 

Genuine Worship

Worship is probably on of the most controversial topics in the church. Everyone has their own opinion on how worship should be done. Everything from what songs to sing, how many to sing, which instruments to use, and how loud it should be played. I am afraid that when we get so caught up in having our favorite songs played each week that we can miss out on genuine worship. I have been to many different worship services from many different backgrounds, and I have watched many people worship. At any worship gathering there are always four different types of people.

1.  The Mumblers - These are the people who are not very interested in being there. They appear to be more concerned about what is happening after the service and they are happy when they can finally sit down after worship. They stand with their arms crossed sometimes barely singing along or not at all. I believe these people have never experienced true worship, because if they had they would be bursting with joy.

 2.  The Mindless - These are the people that are singing right along with the song. They know the songs because they listen to Christian radio all the time and they are regular attenders to church. However, they aren’t really thinking about the words they are singing. The songs have become so familiar that they don’t have to put any effort into singing them. They can sing along and be thinking about the football game later that day at the same time. 

3.   The Mimics - These people could also be compared to Pharisees. When they worship they may sing loud, jump up and down, raise their arms, or have their faces show many emotions. The problem is that it is a performance. They only want people to notice them and have a higher view of them. They are mimicking the truly genuine worshipers. 

4.  The Genuine - These people are in awe of God and love being in His presence. When they worship the words of the song draw them to reflect on the nature of God. They may be silent while they listen and pray. They may also be jumping up and down or raising their arms because they can not contain the joy inside of them. It is a natural outflowing of their heart. At times they forget there are other people around them because they are so focused on praising their King. 

If you are like me you can relate to all of these. I want my worship to be genuine and my motives to be right. Worship throughout our week in our daily lives leads to genuine, passionate worship on Sunday morning or any other time we worship. We can not expect to go through our week without reflecting on God’s grace and the gospel and then have a powerful worship experience on Sunday morning. 

Whenever I lead worship there is always that pressure to play the songs that I know will get reactions out of people. If I play “How He Loves” I will probably have at least half of the group raising their hands, but if I play “Holy, Holy, Holy” there probably will be a lot of mumbling. I want people to be able to genuinely worship on every song that we sing. I want people to experience the grace of God like never before and fall down in amazement. I cannot command someone to have genuine worship because it is a heart issue. What I can do is pray for them and encourage them to seek Him day after day. I can share with them what God has done in my life. I can show them the joy I have from being able to come and worship. 1 Corinthians 14:23-25 says “So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?  But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you!’”  

Worship does not just happen at corporate services, it should be happening in our everyday lives. The way we live our lives should be an act of worship to our King.  I will end with a passage from Isaiah where we get a glimpse into the worship that is happening in heaven. It is a beautiful scene and I long for the day when I too can gather around the throne and sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.”

Isaiah 6:1-7

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:

    "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for."

Shipwrecks and Balance Beams

On a dangerous seacoast notorious for shipwrecks, there was a crude little lifesaving station. Actually, the station was merely a hut with only one wooden boat. But the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the turbulent sea. With little thought for themselves, they would go out day and night tirelessly searching for those in danger as well as for those who were lost. Many lives were saved by this brave band of people, who faithfully worked as a selfless team in and out of this life-saving station. By and by, it became a famous place.


Some of those who had been saved as well as others along the seacoast wanted to become associated with this little station. They were willing to give their time and energy and money in support of its objectives. New boats were purchased with technologically advanced sonar. New crews were trained. The station that was once obscure and crude and virtually insignificant began to grow. Some of its members became unhappy that the hut was so unattractive and poorly equipped. They felt a more comfortable place should be provided. Therefore, emergency cots were replaced with lovely cushioned furniture. Rough, hand-made equipment was discarded and sophisticated, classy state of the art systems were installed. The actual hut, of course, had to be torn down to make room for all the additional equipment, furniture, systems, and upscale appointments. By its completion, the lifesaving station had really become a popular gathering place – a show case of sorts, and its objectives began to shift. It was now used as a sort of clubhouse, an attractive building for upscale, public gatherings. Saving lives and feeding the hungry and strengthening the fearful and calming the disturbed ...rarely occurred any more.


Fewer members were now interested in braving the icy cold sea on lifesaving missions, so instead, they hired professional lifeboat crews to do the work. The original goal of the station wasn’t altogether forgotten, however. The noble lifesaving motive still prevailed as it was reflected in the club’s decor. In fact, in commemoration of their group’s movement, there was a liturgical lifeboat preserved in the "Room of Sweet Memories" with soft, indirect lighting overhead, which helped hide the layers of dust upon the once-used varnished vessel.

A curious thing happened though. During that time and season a large ship was wrecked off the coast and the boat crews brought in loads of cold, wet, half-drowned people. They were dirty. Some were terribly sick and lonely. Others had black, brown and yellow skin color—they looked "different" from the majority of those who were members of this classy club. Some were even of the wrong political persuasion. The beautiful new clubhouse suddenly became real messy and cluttered. The furniture became soiled. A special committee saw to it that a shower shack was immediately built "outside" and "away from" the clubhouse so that the victims of the shipwreck could be cleaned-up "before" coming inside their five star club facilities.


At the next meeting there were some strong words and angry feelings vented, which resulted in a division among the members. Most of the people wanted to stop the club’s lifesaving activities altogether and place all involvements with future shipwreck victims somewhere else. "It’s just too unpleasant," they said. "It’s a hindrance to our social life. It’s simply opening the doors to unseemly folks who are not ‘our kind.’"Well, as you would expect, some still insisted upon saving lives and that this was to remain their primary objective. Their only reason for being was to minister to "anyone" needing help regardless of their club’s beauty or size or decorations. They were voted down though and were told that if they still wanted to be involved in saving lives ...you know being involved with those kind of lowlifes ...who were shipwrecked in those distant waters, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast! And so they did.


As years passed, the new station experienced the same old changes. It evolved into just another club. And yet another lifesaving station was begun. It was strange how history seemed to continue to repeat itself. If you visit that club today, you’ll find a large number of exclusive, impressive clubs along the same shoreline owned and operated by slick paid professionals who have lost all involvement with saving lives. Shipwrecks still occur in those waters, you understand, but now most of the victims are not saved. Every day they perish in the frigid sea by drowning, and so few seem to even care... so very few. -- Kurt von Schleicher
 

As the church we have been commissioned to go into all the world. (Matthew 28:19-20) Jesus also said earlier in his ministry the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. I was recently talking to my church's college and career group about why I was involved and where I would like to see the ministry go. As with any ministry the focus MUST be Christ and the Gospel. If we loose our focus on that then we are only a social club. The church in America has been drifting this way.  Church buildings are now multimillion dollar facilities. Are these churches still willing to go out into the harvest or are the comforts at home too much to give up? I am not saying that every church in America is going this way. There are many large and small churches that God is using in powerful ways to make His name great. However, too many Christians in churches are settling for the comfortable social setting of the church and they don't want to go out into the unknown. Going out into the unknown is risky and dangerous. When we remember the gospel and what God has done for us we realize that without Him we are nothing. He deserves our lives, our worship, and to be first place in everything. We go to the lost not out of some sense of duty, but instead we go out of love. 

I have posted this video by Francis Chan before, but I think it is worth watching again. 

Consider it Pure Joy

“Joy unspeakable that won't go away
And just enough strength
To live for today
So I never have to worry
What tomorrow will bring
'Cause my faith is on solid rock
I am counting on God”

In the last month I have had several conversations with friends on the topic of joy. I believe that joy often times gets confused for happiness. Joy and happiness are very different and if we get them confused then we may miss out of finding true joy. Happiness is an emotional state. I can do things things that can make me happy. I can go to Starbucks and order a Venti Iced White Chocolate Mocha and I will be happy. If the Broncos win or I do well on a test I am happy. As with any emotion it will come and go during the course of a day. Happiness is fleeting, Joy is constant. 

The word for joy in the Greek is “Chara.” Chara is derived from the Greek word “Charis” which means “grace.” Rick Renner writes, “This is important to note, for it tells us categorically that chara is produced by charis of God. This means 'joy' is not a human-based happiness that comes and goes...Rather, true 'joy' is divine in origin...it is a Spirit-given expression that flourishes best in hard times. For example, in 1 Thessalonians 1:6 the Thessalonians were under great stress due to persecution; yet in the midst of it all, they continued to experience great joy. In fact, the Greek strongly implies that their supernatural joy was due to the Holy Spirit working in them.”  

I have always had a hard time understanding verses such as James 1:2 which says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” The reason I had trouble with the verse is because I was only thinking of joy as happiness. I had the same problem with 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 which says, “Be joyful always;  pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I could not understand how I could be joyful always. But then I started studying joy and how it is used in the Old and New Testaments and I came up with the definition.  This is only my definition so it is not perfect, but I hope it helps you grasp what a wonderful thing God has given us with joy.

“Joy- having a better understanding of God’s enduring faithfulness and grace which leads to no longer worrying about trials and tribulations in life. The result is thanksgiving and praise to God in every situation in life.”

With this definition I was finally able to understand how I could “Consider it pure joy” and “Be joyful always.” Happiness is something we can find by ourselves where as genuine joy can only be found through having communion with God and the Holy Spirit working through us. 

Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Restoring community in a generation obsessed with independance

We have community centers, we have coffee shops, we have social networking sites, and we have clubs and organizations. All of these have something in common. In all of these people go there to find community. Their purpose is for likeminded people to get together and experience community. As human beings we need community, it is how we were created. One of the worst punishments for a criminal is solitary confinement. It is the removable of the person from all contact with society. People will start to go crazy after being in solitary confinement for so long. We need other humans. The same goes for Christians. We need other Christians. Christian community is one of the most important parts of the Christian walk.  Christians are moving further and further away from the idea of community. In general people are moving away from community. Rarely will neighbors talk to each other and strangers will not say hello when they pass by. Our culture glorifies the self-made person. The person who can stand on their own two feet and doesn’t need other’s help.  This however is a far cry from what we are told to do in the Bible. A Christian who is not in communion with other believers is in a very dangerous place. 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-11 says “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:  If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” 

I think of the Christian walk as a tree. Each Christian is a tree in a forest. When a Christian gets involved in church, Bible studies, and one on one discipleship times they put down roots. Each time a tree puts out a root it can gain more nutrients that are vital for the tree to survive. The roots also keep the tree grounded. When Christians are able to establish themselves in a good community then they have many strong roots. However, the Christian that bounces from church to church and from group to group never has the opportunity to put down deep roots. They are only able to gather surface level nutrients.  Putting down deep roots is hard. It requires time and many times hardships. Only when the tree has put down deep roots will it be able to grow into the full size tree that it should be.  

In Christian community there is 

• Building and strengthening
• Healing
• Unity
• Accountability
• Giving
• Carrying of other’s burdens

Grover

A few months ago I was working on a final paper for school at Panera Bread.  After about half an hour a guy came up and sat down in the chair next to me and began working on his computer. A little after that I overheard him on the phone requesting a John Piper book from a Christian book store in town. When he was finished with his phone call I started up a conversation with him about Piper.  His name was Grover and he had just recently moved back to Colorado Springs. As soon as we started talking his eyes just lit up and you could tell he had an intense passion for the Word of God.  The longer we talked to more excited he became.  We had a great fifteen minute conversation about Christian books and studying the Bible. I came away from that conversation greatly encouraged. Even though he was a complete stranger we were able to talk as if we had known each other for years because the most important thing in our life we had in common.  Our faith in Christ created unity between us. It transcended our racial, age, and background differences.  We had Christ in common and that was all we needed to have community.  I thought about Grover a lot in the preceding weeks.  I wanted to have the same passion for God’s word that I saw in him. About four months after I met him I was at Starbucks doing some devotions and He came in. Immediately we recognized each other and gave each other a hug. Even though we had only talked for fifteen minutes four months earlier it felt like a reunion with an old friend.  We were only able to talk for a few minutes, but we were able to encourage each other.  I do not know if I will ever run into Grover again. If I do it will not matter how much time has passed or what has happened in our lives, we will still have Christ in common, and therefore we can have community on the deepest level. 

Myths about Christian Community

When I have talked to people about Christian community and fellowship there are always a few myths that many people hold on to. These myths can be detrimental to fully experiencing community. 

Myth 1: I regularly attend church therefore I am experiencing real Christian Community. False.  I have been part of a church for my entire life. My family always attended on Sunday mornings and my parents had us involved in many other church activities throughout the week. Even though I was in the church several times during the week I rarely experienced community. The conversations I had with friends rarely touched on a deep level. They were surface level conversations about our weeks and nothing more. Just because you are in church and around believers does not guarantee that there will be genuine community. It provides a great opportunity for it to happen, but it takes initiative. 

The second myth is closely related to the first myth but with a slightly different focus.

Myth 2: Whenever my Christian friends and I get together we are having Christian fellowship.  False.  If your time with your friends looks no different than what non-believers are doing then it is not Christian fellowship.  Two non-believers can go and get coffee together and have a great time. They may even be encouraged by each other. It is not any different than two Christians having coffee together. However, if the Christians spur one another on, and they bring God glory in their conversation then it is true Christian fellowship. Christian fellowship is the interaction between believers to: edify, encourage, challenge, strengthen, and pray for one another. 

Over-connected 

Texting, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, blogs, and numerous other things are being utilized now like never before. You could say that this generation is the most connected generation there has ever been. In ten seconds we can read through someone’s profile and know everything about them in the past week. We can gather information about others almost instantly. We have become so connected on so many levels that we have lost what it means to have deep relationships and go beyond surface level relationships. We no longer bother to spend the time to dig down deep into someone’s life. Sure we know what type of music, movies, and books they enjoy and what their latest status is, but we don’t know what they are struggling with or what God is teaching them in their lives. When we are only connect on a surface level we can not bare one another’s burdens as Paul encourages us to do. As this generation exalts the  individualistic mindset it starts to become the mindset of many Christians, and they try to walk alone. They may not even realize that they are walking alone. A Christian who walks alone is in a very dangerous place. I do not want to see any Christian walk alone, and I want to see those who are walking alone turn and join the beautiful thing God has created in Christian community. 

Not a Fan

The video below touches me on a very personal level. I was a fan about a year and a half ago. Then by God's grace He called me to know Him more. I came to a point where I realized I was only going to church and doing devotions because that is how I was raised. I was frustrated with living the lukewarm Christian life. It completely changed my life when I went from a fan to a follower. Being a fan is easy, it doesn't require much commitment and you look good to those around you. Being a follower is hard most days, but that is what Jesus called us to be. 







I am not a fan, are you? I would love to hear your story if you have gone from a fan to a follower.

Fasting and Feasting

America lives and breathes in front of the television screen. Between video games, movies, and television the average American spends 3-4 hours per day in front of the TV. Four hours a day!  That means that the average American spends one day out of every week in front of the TV.  I would guess that the average American Christian spends 15-20 minutes in the Word of God on a good day.  Fifteen minutes a day compared to three hours, I don’t think I am the only one who sees something really wrong with this picture. Many of you right now are thinking, “I don’t spend that much time watching TV and I go to several church activities throughout the week so I am way better than the average American.” 


Stop comparing yourself against the average and start looking at what God has called us to do in His word.  Maybe television isn’t where you spend much time; maybe it is Facebook or some other activity. We all have areas in our lives that we spend way too much time in.  When we die we won’t be wishing we had watched more movies or spent more time on Facebook.  All of that does not matter compared to knowing God. 

Philippians 3:7-14 says “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith intChrist—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”


Are you willing to consider the things of this world such as movies, video games, Facebook, etc. as garbage? I am not saying that we just completely abandon these things and live completely separate from them. All of these things can be beneficial in some contexts, but we need to monitor our time on them. We are commanded in the Bible to fast. Most of the time people think of fasting from food, but we can fast from other things. Fasting from the things that consume most of our time can be very beneficial. It is us saying “Lord, I count everything as loss compared to knowing you, and because of this I am giving up an earthly thing to know you more and dedicate more of my life to following You.” Let us start fasting from earthly things and start feasting on God’s words. 


Feasting on His word is more than reading a chapter a day and then saying a quick prayer each morning. It is us focusing all of our attention and digging into the Word of God. It is us setting a significant section of time aside just to read and meditate on the Word. I like the term “feasting” because it gives the picture of eating until we are stuffed and overflowing. I believe too many times we try to get through our days with just a snack. A snack will never be enough to give us all the strength we need for each day. Feast on the Word. Also I believe that God has gifted many writers and they have written great devotional books, but let this never replace our study of the Word itself. Nothing should ever come in place of the Word, it is sufficient in itself.  Examine your life and ask God to show you where you need to fast and how to feast more on His Word.

Closed Doors

What are your plans for the summer?  What are you going to do in College? What are you going to do with your life? Who do you want to be? I have been asked those questions so many times over the past year, and I am sure that many of you can relate. Everyone wants where you are headed and what you are going to be doing in your future. When you are unsure of where you are headed in the future it is hard to answer those questions. You don’t want people to think that you are just wondering aimlessly through life.  I came to a point a few months ago where I had no idea where I was headed. I thought I knew where I wanted to go, but God had closed several doors.  Proverbs 16:9 says “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” I had planned my course, but God had a different plan for me. 

When God closes a door on something that you have been working toward for a long time it can be very challenging. Feelings of anger and frustration can arise. We like to think that we know better than God on what is best for us. When there are closed doors we have the opportunity to trust God more. We can change our head knowledge of God being sovereign to heart knowledge. When people have doors closed on them they come to a point where they say “If I just knew God’s will for my life everything would be so much easier and I wouldn’t have problems deciding what to do next.” 

Francis Chan in his book ‘Forgotten God’ gives an excellent view on God’s will for our lives. He writes, “I think a lot of us need to forget about God’s will for my life. God cares more about our response to his Spirit’s leading today, in this moment, than about what we intend to do next year. In fact, the decisions we make next year will be profoundly affected by the degree to which we submit to the Spirit right now, in today’s decisions. It is easy to use the phrase ‘God’s will for my life’ as an excuse for inaction or even disobedience. It’s much less demanding to think about God’s will for your future than it is to ask Him what He wants you to do in the next ten minutes. It’s safer to commit to following him someday instead of this day. To be honest I believe part of the desire to ‘know God’s will for my life’ is birthed in fear and results in paralysis….God wants us to listen to his Spirit on a daily basis, and even throughout the day, as difficult and as stretching moments arise, and in the midst of the mundane. My hope is that instead of searching for ‘God’s will for my life,’ each of us would learn to seek hard after ‘the Spirit’s leading in my life today.”

After several months of searching and many closed doors, I finally came to a point where I needed to trust God and be content with where I am at. This doesn’t mean I have stopped seeking God on where I should be, but until He opens something else for me I need to be faithful with what He has given me. 

I think about the parable that Jesus told about the bags of gold. Matthew 25:14-21 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.  After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!” 

In the beginning of the story it says that the master gave to each servant ‘According to his ability’.  The master knows the servants personally and he knows their ability to be trusted.  The servant with five pieces of gold returned five more. The master saw that he was faithful with small things and therefore he gave him more responsibility (opened a door).  When doors are closed it gives us a chance to reflect on whether we are being faithful with what God has given us at the moment. Praise God for open doors and new opportunities, but also praise Him for closed doors and the opportunity to learn to trust Him more.  

It Was For Freedom

 “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. Freedom, it is something that everyone wants to experience.  We get progressive stages of freedom as we get older, from the freedom of getting a driver license to the freedom of deciding the course of your life.  We enjoy freedom. As Galatians 5:1 says we have been set free by Christ’s work on the cross and we can experience freedom in every area of our life.  What type of freedom is this?  It is freedom to be holy.  It is not just freedom to now do whatever we like.

 In 1 Corinthians Paul is addressing the believers who are using their new found freedom in Christ to do whatever they want. He writes to them saying, “‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but not everything is constructive.” Steven Olford describes the liberty in Christ this way “Liberty in the Biblical sense is not the license to do what you want; it is the power to do what we ought.” I know many of you want to experience freedom in your lives. You read these verses and hear quotes like this, but you do not feel like you have freedom. You may feel in bondage to sin or maybe it is just your daily routine and you do not feel the Spirit of God guiding your interactions with others, thoughts, and actions. No matter what it is you want to experience freedom.

 I believe the reason so many Christians are not experiencing freedom in their lives is because they are not fleeing. They are not fleeing from what has them in bondage. Overcoming sin is a process and there are two very important parts. The first part is praying for deliverance. We see this when the Lord was teaching the disciples to pray. He tells them to pray “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.” God is the only one who can deliver us. However, we still have a role. The second part is that we must have a fleeing mindset. We live in a culture where fleeing is looked down on. We are afraid people will think we are cowards and weak. We desire to look tough as we try to battle sin head on. Stop caring about how it will look to others and only care about what is pleasing to God. 1 Timothy 6:11 says “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.” Drop you ego and flee!

During the Civil War our nation was divided in half and at war with each other. The war came about for many reasons, but one of the major reasons was over the issue of slavery. During the war the slaves in the south knew that if they could make it into one of the states that was in the north they would be free. They would be protected and what not be sent back to their slavery. However, in order to do this they had to escape. They had to flee from their place of bondage. They had to leave the comfort of their familiar homes and everyday routines in order to reach freedom. It would be a long journey and very hard at times but at the end awaited freedom. Fleeing must occur if there is to be freedom. I believe too many Christians are comfortable where they are at in their sin and they don’t want to put in any effort to experience freedom. Fleeing is an active process that involves awareness and discernment. 

In the movie “The Bourne Identity” the main character is being chased for most of the movie. At one point in the movie he tells the person that he is with that whenever he goes into a building he automatically locates the quickest escapes in case his pursues catch up to him. This is the mindset we need to have.  We must be constantly aware and ready to flee. 2 Timothy 2:22 says “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” We have been set free and that should cause us to give thanks and praise God, and we should use our freedom to pursue holiness.