Shut Up

How do I view worship? Singing songs? Praying? Being thankful for the things I have? I have learned something about myself this week that makes me love God even more. I by nature love being outside and doing things outdoors like hiking, boating, swimming, climbing, and other such activities, that for me is worship. God made this planet and we get to enjoy it. We get to be in awe of an incredible, unfathomable God each and every time we go into his creation and enjoy it. What I have learned about myself though is that I have lost my awe. For some reason I couldn't put two and two together that the feeling I get when I'm outside is the awe of creation. I never put the awe with God the creator. This weekend however, I recalibrated my awe factor back towards God and I think my love for God just doubled. Knowing that God loved me so much that he sent his Son to die for me blows my mind by itself, but knowing that despite my sinful self God has the grace to give me the outdoors as my way to worship Him is too much. Most days I feel like I need to worship, or that I need to pray, but it seems empty a lot of times because those are things that I need to do. I went outdoors and just shut up and all of a sudden God blows my mind with his love for me. Who knew that when the Bible says something like "Be still and know that I am God", it actually meant do it. It's mind blowing what happens when you actually apply the Bible. More Christians should try it. Having worshiped God like that though makes me want to talk to God more and sing to him more. I want to tell people about my God that saved me and then gave me an abundant life. I think a lot of Christians need to shut up and go get their awe factor back on God because the truth is we can let our day to day lives become drudgery. When we get our fear of God back by realizing how big he is our everyday troubles don't seem so large. He carried all of our burdens on the cross and paid the price for our ransom. He is in control. All we have to do is what he says and it's all good. The hardest part of following God is dying to self, doing the the things he wants you to do and not doing the things you want to do. God knows better. Follow God.

You Won't Relent

You won't relent until You, have it all

My heart is Yours

You won't relent until You, have it all

My heart is Yours

I'll set you has a seal upon my heart

As a seal upon my arm

For there is love that is as strong as death

Jealousy demanding as the grave

And many waters cannot quench this love

Come be the fire inside of me

Come be the flame upon my heart

Come be the fire inside of me

Until You and I are one.

I don't want to talk about You

Like You're not in the room

I want to look right at You

I want to sing right to You

These are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs by Jesus Culture. This past week I have really seen my need for God because I am such a depraved person. Jesus Christ gave me a new nature, however, my old nature likes to creep its head and displace Jesus from the throne of my life. Each and every day I have to make a choice to follow God. I made a decision to surrender my will for that of God's will and asked Him to save me from my sin. Just because I made that decision, however, doesn't mean that I'm all set for the rest of my life. There is a struggle in me between my new and old nature. When I surrendered it began a slow and painful process to a Christlike transformation. The Devil tries everyday to kill my desire for that likeness. As I said, each and every day I have to make a decision to follow God, and that decision starts when my eyes open that morning. As soon as my eyes open the Devil is already on me to pursue worldliness. Apart from Jesus Christ I cannot even get out of my bed and pray to God because apart from Jesus Christ my nature is that of evil. Apart from Jesus Christ I will never pursue Godliness. Apart from Jesus Christ I will never surrender self. Apart from Jesus Christ I cannot commune with my God. Apart from Jesus Christ I am an adulterer, a murderer, a thief, an idol worshiper, and a liar. The truth is, it is easy to be apart from Christ. It is easy to fall in to sin time and time again because sin is attractive, and it's hard to crawl onto an altar and be a living sacrifice. All I can do is ask God to change me. As the song says, He won't relent until He has it all. He will come be the fire inside of me and the flame in my heart. Many waters cannot quench his love for me.

The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.

      But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.

Proverbs 24:16

I may turn away from my God like an adulterous wife, but his kindness will lead me to repentance. He will let me know I have sinned and He will convict me of it, and I will return to Him. I can never out sin God's forgiveness. As I grow closer to God in my relationship to Him my love for Him will grow as will my dependence. He won't relent until He has it all and I won't relent until I give it all. It will take my life, but that's what I told Jesus He could have.

1) I put gods before Him everyday

2) I have possessions that are more important to me that Him.

3) I take his name in vain when I take his name on my life and don't live like He told me to.

4) I don't keep the sabbath day holy because I make it about me.

5) I don't honor my Father in heaven because I don't heed his teaching.

6) I murdered Jesus on the cross with my sin.

7) I commit adultery against God every time I choose my own way and not His.

8) I steal glory from God by taking credit for what only He could do.

9) I lie to my neighbors with my life because I claim to be a Christian but disobey the commandments I claim to live by.

10) I'm dissatisfied with what God gave me when I see the blessings of others and wish I had what they have instead of being pleased with what God has blessed me with.

Jesus is the rock in the desert and I am Moses. God told me to speak to the rock but I was angry and I struck him instead. Not only did he give me the water that I needed, but unlike Moses, Jesus gave me a way into the promised land. In every way possible I have spurned Jesus, but he pursues me still. His grace and his mercy are new every day. The wonderful thing about it is that I deserve hell, everything else is a gift. Because of all these things I will give praise to God. I will seek his face and his likeness. When I fall I will get back up again, because he won't relent until he has it all.

Old Testament

Many people don't realize it but the Old Testament is all about Jesus. I read this the other day and it just helps put this into perspective.

Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us.

     Jesus is the true and better Abel who, though innocently slain, has blood now that cries out, not for our condemnation, but for acquittal.

     Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void not knowing whither he went to create a new people of God.

     Jesus is the true and better Isaac who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us. And when God said to Abraham, "Now I know you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love from me," now we can look at God taking his Son up the mountain and sacrificing him and say, " Now we know that you love us because you did not withhold your Son, your only Son, whom you love from us."

     Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserved, so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us.

     Jesus is the true and better Joseph who, at the right hand of the king, forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them.

     Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant.

     Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God's justice, now gives us water in the desert.

     Jesus is the true and better Job, the truly innocent sufferer, who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends.

     Jesus is the true and better David whose victory becomes his people's victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.

     Jesus is the true and better Esther who didn't just risk leaving an earthly palace but lost the ultimate and heavenly one, who didn't just risk his life, but gave his life to save his people.

     Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast out into the storm so that we could be brought in.

     Jesus is the real rock of Moses, the real Passover Lamb, innocent, perfect, helpless, slain so the angel of death will pass over us. He's the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true light, the true bread. 

     The Bible's really not about you. It's about him.

Making Disciples

     Christians have become lazy in the area of discipleship, and have instead chosen to let the church handle this responsibility. Jesus commissioned every one of his followers to go and make disciples of all nations. Why do we feel that Jesus wasn't talking to us? When we read the great commission  why do we view it as a story and not a command of our Lord and King? Did Jesus ever say in the Bible that once you give your life to me you can sit back and concentrate on your own spiritual life? When did Jesus become our own personal secret? Instead, Jesus told us to go in to all the world with the good news about himself. It's GOOD NEWS. The gospel of Jesus is offensive yes, but it is a saving news. Telling people good news actually involves talking to them. I know it's scary. People are opinionated, obstinate, and easily offended, but guess what? Jesus knew all that when he told you to go and tell them. 

     Now once you tell them about Jesus you are not off the hook. Discipleship means you have to spend time with them. Jesus said to teach them to obey all I have commanded you. You can't teach people to obey God in one sit down. You have to walk with them in their daily life. This is something that everyone dreads because we are in our heart selfish. Anytime something disrupts us from our schedule or routine we get pissed. How dare I have to spend time with someone that the world considers ugly, stupid, or annoying when I am supposed to go hang out with my friends tonight. New Christians are so needy and they will probably be calling all the time asking endless questions. All I want to do is take a nap, or watch a movie with my friends, or read a book, or anything else besides talk with someone who needs Jesus. Jesus left heaven to come and teach us about God for 33 years, and we bicker about teaching new believers about God a couple times a week. Jesus humbled himself to be murdered by his own creation and we don't even want to give up some of our free time to help people. How selfish are we? The only answer to our attitude is daily repentance. We have to ask Jesus to change our heart and our perspective. When we realize that teaching people about Jesus is the only thing that matters in this world our view is drastically altered. You realize that the hated people in this world are the ones that need Jesus the most. Jesus said himself that the sick are the ones that need a doctor. Everyone hates thieves, gangsters, prostitutes, drug heads, and sex offenders, but those are the people that Jesus hung out with because they were spiritually sick and they new it. Would we dare to be seen with these people much less teaching them about Jesus and what it means to walk with him in a daily relationship? It's not just the people that the world hates either, but also the ones that they ignore. Everyone, Christians as well, ignore homeless people. When we pull up to the stoplight  and there is a man with a sign asking for money we try to pull up just past him or stop further in front of him so we don't have to look at him or read his sign. Jesus Christ our Lord was homeless. He was spurned by the religious community. He was seen with the worst of the worst but he didn't care because his Father in heaven had given him a command. It's high time we started to view Jesus' commands as commands and not suggestions. Jesus said if you want to be my follower you must pick up your cross DAILY and follow me. You don't get to put it down one day and pick it up the next, you don't get to pay someone to carry it for you, you don't get to have his cross shipped do you at the end of your life so you can wrap your arms around it in death. YOU HAVE TO CARRY THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST EVERYWHERE YOU GO EVERYDAY. How? You pick up the cross of Jesus by surrendering your will and your desires to his will and his desires. You submit yourself to your King and Master and ask the Holy Spirit to flow through you and produce the fruit of Jesus Christ in your life that day. Let the Holy Spirit love people through you, and disciple people through you. 

     One last thing to add before I close out this post. In the parable of the sower Jesus said the seed that fell among the good soil multiplied and produced itself 30, 60, and 100 times over. For the longest time Christians have worked with addition. We have an event and people get saved. Bring them to church and people get saved. Multiplication involves making disciples of Jesus Christ and instead of inviting them to church to become church drones  you teach them to go out and make disciples as well. Most all Christians today just come to church and believe in inviting people to church but they are not teaching anyone to go out and make disciples. We are focused on ourselves. Church is programmed for the individual and not around seeking and saving to lost. This is something that has to change. 

     God help us to repent of our selfishness and go out and make disciples of all nations. All we want is for your name to be glorified and I pray that we be intentional about the expansion of your Kingdom. I want as many people to fall in love with you as possible but how can that happen unless I go out and tell them. 

I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel

It's no secret that the gospel of Jesus Christ is not a popular one. Following Jesus requires submitting your will to God's will. We also live in a culture where you can believe whatever you want to believe as long as you don't try to put your beliefs on someone else. Jesus brought an offensive truth when he came to Earth. He revealed all the careful crafting we put in to making our lives appear holy, as empty, because our hearts are dark and do not seek Him. He upped the standard to a heart level. Jesus exposed religion as an institution of slavery. Needless to say people don't like the gospel because it points out a simple well known fact. We are sinners. People become Christians, however. Why? Because Jesus is the most real, loving, and worthy person there has ever been. Jesus actually cares about people and wants to love them and heal their hurts, and for some strange reason beyond my comprehension He chose Christians to demonstrate this to all the world. It's our job to bring the gospel to a world that desperately needs Him. As I said before it's not a popular gospel, but it is our job to tell it as Jesus lived it. It's not our job to change it to make it more culturally acceptable because we don't want to offend anyone. We cannot be ashamed of the life Jesus Christ lived. Jesus did not call us to blend in to the culture we live in. We are an alien race that is part of a Heavenly Kingdom, and we have a King whose authority we are under. Jesus said if you deny me before men I will deny you before my Father who is in Heaven. Is that really something that you are willing to risk just because you don't want to offend someone, or you want to fit into a crowd that will never love you or accept you the way Jesus does? This is something that we as Christians have to prepare for everyday that we step outside of our house. We take Jesus' message of love to a sick and dying world that hates Him because that is their nature. They don't know how to love God and even if they did they wouldn't chose to because they have instead chosen to follow in the footsteps of their father Adam in sin. They need Jesus to come into their lives and give them a new heart. They need a heart that seeks and loves Him. How will this happen unless we tell them about Jesus? We are either going to offend man or we are going to offend God. God wins. When it's all over every knee will bow before him and every tongue will confess that he is Lord, but unfortunately for some it will be too late. Let us proudly bear the name of Jesus Christ to the world. He was a homeless carpenter who was thrown out of his hometown, betrayed by one of his closest friends, deserted by all of his followers, rejected by his own Father, and murdered for the sins of the world. Praise be to Him who endured all things. I am not ashamed.

It's Not About Behavior Modification

Many Christians have a legalistic view of God. God says do this and don't do this, the people at church don't do this, therefore I can't do it either, etc. This form of legalism is called religion and many people believe this is what the Bible teaches us to do and how to live. This is one of the most convincing lies that the devil has ever told. Religion says nothing about heart change, but rather behavior modification. Behavior modification says if you look at porn you need to stop looking at porn, if you are an alcoholic you need to stop drinking, if you have a problem cursing you need to quit and stop speaking that way. You might ask, "well whats wrong with ceasing to do all those thing? They are sins aren't they?" Yes they are sins, but in your walk with Jesus he is not interested in you modifying your behavior, he is interested in changing your heart. Almost always when you change your behavior without Jesus changing your heart beforehand there is always either a return to that sin, or a replacement of one sin for another i.e. I'm going to stop drinking, and instead I am going to smoke. That is a far fetched example but people do it all the time. In essence, as you are walking with the Lord and he shows you an area in your life that you need to repent of, you don't look at that area and stop doing it, you look into your heart and see why you were doing it in the first place. Many people have addictions that they face whether it be cigarettes, alcohol, pornography, drugs, or food and they seek a way to modify their behavior to get these addictions under control. Instead you need to look at it from God's perspective. God is good. He knows what your needs are. By rejecting God and embracing sin we tell the Lord that we do not trust in him to provide for our needs. Since I have named these examples I will continue to use them, but be aware just because I have not mentioned it there are many other areas where heart change is necessary, it does not just apply to addictions. However, when you look at porn, with your choice you tell God that you do not trust his goodness to provide for your sexual needs. When you continually retreat to alcohol and get drunk to forget your problems you tell God with your choice that you do not trust in his goodness to provide in the situation that you are running from. You are putting your trust in alcohol and not God. When you worry about food all the time and when you will get your next meal, you tell God with your choice that you do not trust in his goodness to provide for you daily bread to sustain you. Instead in each situation you need to pray to the Holy Spirit and ask for his power to change your heart, that you do not want to reject God and live for yourself, but want to live by the power of the Holy Spirit so that in your weakness he can be strong. Do you think that if you pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give you the strength to trust in his goodness and provision for your needs he will deny you that request. Absolutely not. Do you think that if you submit yourself to God, stop living for yourself, start asking God to change your heart that he will refuse? Absolutely not. God wants to change your heart. Changing hearts is his specialty. If you try to modify your behavior you will either become proud because you succeeded, or you will fall into despair because no matter what you do you fail each time you try to change yourself. Jesus didn't die on a cross so you could get saved, take over and perfect your own faith. He died to save you and what he started in you He plans to carry it on to completion by changing your heart. Stop trying to change yourself. That is not how God intended your relationship with him to work. Ask God to show you what areas you need to repent of and then ask him to change your heart to be like Jesus in that area. He will answer.

Well here is my attempt at blogging. Generally I dislike bloggers because most of them complain and criticize without offering any solutions to anything. I would like to use this blog to help people by showing them my failures and flaws as I walk daily with Jesus in relationship, and how he works in my life as I learn to submit my will to his (Kenosis). Hopefully I will keep all blog posts short and to the point because I know it can be arduous to read a blog that could pass for a novella. I'm not an English major and I'm not really concerned with my grammar and punctuation as I write, so those of you sticklers for grammar and punctuation will just have to deal with it. My reason for making a blog is to publish what I am studying and learning in hopes that someone will read it and learn, or be encouraged in some way.  Feel free to comment, ask questions, or if you have any encouraging words for me please leave them. Encouragement and prayers from fellow brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ are needed more than anyone will admit. I need them.