If we’ve learned anything this past year, it’s that there are very few things every single human being on this planet share in common. Sure, we are all anatomically human beings and certain similarities come with that fact. Recently though, I’ve become more and more aware of one thing where we as humans all have some common ground; pain. Not physical (though that too), but emotional, soulful pain. No matter who you are, you’ve experienced this type of heart-pang at some point in your life. The very presence (not type or quantity) of this heartache is a fact of life shared across the globe. This isn’t breaking news.

No person is a stranger to the pain of sickness, death, rejection, or really anything that just hurts deep down, even when you don’t get why. Pain slips in like a needle, but certainly doesn’t leave as easily as it enters. There are countless songs describing the various types of pain. Some of the greatest friendships you’ll ever have are formed when both of you empathize with each other’s pain. When we meet or hear the story of someone who has been through a similar circumstance and successfully moved on, we are inspired. Pain may be able to be well articulated, but sometimes can only be described as an assortment of discomfort. Much like how no two humans are the exact same, no pains are exactly the same. Everyone’s got theirs, and it’s unique to them.

We ask “why?” and go on a life-long hunt looking for the answer. Our personal encounters with pain motivate us to question why the world is the way it is. The numbing sensation of pain can seem so pointless, so destructive. Yet it is often in these moments where we learn about who we really are, and what we really need.

The mystery that surrounds the pain in our lives is there for good reason. Pain was never meant to be present, just like the things that cause it. The book of Genesis in the Bible states that God made the heavens and the earth and saw that it was good, very good. Perfect, in fact. Suffering was never meant to have a place in God’s creation. However, evil came into the world when Adam and Eve, the first created beings, disobeyed God’s only command which was to not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Pain flooded in immediately as Adam and Eve felt the shame of their sin right away and covered themselves with leaves. The two were previously completely oblivious to the fact that they were naked; they had felt no shame. It didn’t take them long to become well acquainted with sin and its effects, as their first born son Cain killed their second born Abel out of jealousy.

Most of us just chug through life with little understanding of the burdens we carry, but knowing that we don’t want them to weigh us down. Death is a good example of this. If someone who just lost a loved one were to describe death, they would probably be at a loss for words. The abrupt end of life is a simple, yet profoundly confusing reality. One second, your loved one is present and the next, they are gone forever. The agony that accompanies death shows that our hearts don’t really get it, nor were they meant to.

Perhaps the belief that the Bible is true makes you cringe. If you’ve read up until this point, I hope you would at least hear me out till the end. Maybe you’ve been deeply hurt by those who identify as Christian or just feel like you’d be performing intellectual suicide if you were to believe in what the Bible says. To this I ask several questions; how do you make sense of the pain in this world? Why do certain things cause us heartache? Does what the Bible says about pain make sense with what we can observe? Why or why not? As the Bible states, pain was never meant to be part of the picture. Therefore, if it was never meant to be part of the picture, then it would make sense with the fact that we cannot fully understand it. This, at the very least, supports what the Bible says.

Many question the presence of God in their life because of their suffering, or even the existence of the Biblical God because of evil in the world. However, these views aren’t seeing the whole picture according to the Bible. Those questions assume that God owes us something to begin with. We conveniently forget that mankind rejected God! Things weren’t always this way. To maintain his holiness, God gave man the ability to choose. Man turned around and used that ability to reject the God that created him. In an instant, the perfect dwelling place God created changed. Sin flooded into the world along with the pain and suffering that accompanies it. With no way to amend this situation on our own, God acted.

Our sins demanded a payment, one that none of us are fit to give. But God made a way in which we could return to him after this spiritually fatal disobedience. There was one who had the ability to propitiate or fully satisfy the price to be paid for our sin, and he did just that. God decided to come down in the form of a man, and pay for the things we have done against him for us so that anyone who accepts this gift, of Jesus Christ, would no longer have to live amidst constant pain and suffering any longer but eternally with him as he had intended all along.

Your pain is not forgotten or ignored by God, but used by him. How?

This pain that resides in the heart of every man and woman, shows us what we really need. We all long for something but aren’t exactly sure what it is. So we search and navigate towards the things that society tells us we want. Yet when we get them, the same thirst intensifies. These things that can bring happiness for a time can leave deep scars. Unfulfillment has our souls groaning daily. Rejection and disappointment split hearts. Individuals are disregarded, deemed not worthy of time. These are real experiences, which real people feel. And each time, it points to the imperfection of this world and the global suffering taking place. So what is that something that we desperately long for and need?

We need someone who will never leave us and who doesn’t change with time. We need love that is set like concrete, steady and unchanging. A true love that is not based on feelings, but a perfectly self-less choice. We need to be gently yet firmly corrected and guided. We need rest from the weariness of this world. Most importantly though, we need forgiveness for sin, and to be restored to the God who made us! None of the other needs are accomplished without this occurring. The only one that checks off all these boxes is none other than Jesus Christ. The one God himself sent to do so.

You may be in a time of aching pain right now. The difficulties of life are weighing you down and (rightly so) you don’t know anyone who really understands what you’re going through. Perhaps the world just continues to disappoint and confuse you. Maybe you’ve come to the realization that you have needs that no person, place or thing on this planet can meet.

May I invite you to ask the God who never intended you to experience that pain into your heart? Or to consider doing so? To accept his gift of Jesus, paying for your sin, in turn meeting all your needs and changing your eternity? Your pain, will not be hopeless anymore. God promises that.

Now things won’t be perfect and you will still have troubles. However, you can have courage and walk through those struggles knowing who Jesus is and what he has done for you! You will receive the promises of God which never fail. The answer for the pains you have experienced, are experiencing and will experience may not be made known to you now, but the very thing you need the most will be yours. A relationship with God, only available through faith in Jesus Christ.

The following scripture was referenced throughout this blog. Please check these wonderful truths out for yourself!

Genesis 1:31 – Creation was perfect

Genesis 3 – Adam and Eve disobey God

Genesis 4:8 – Cain Kills Abel

Ephesians 1:7-9 – Where the forgiveness we need comes from

Ephesians 2:8 – Grace is not earned, but given

Romans 8:28 – No pain is in vain with God

Philippians 2:6-11 – What was Jesus like?

1 Peter 1: 3-5 – An indestructible hope

1 Thessalonians 4:13 – Hope amidst pain

Have you ever been so thirsty, that your desire for water trumps all else?  I’m talking tongue feeling like a dry sponge, completely dizzying, exhausting thirst.  Water is needed to sustain life and when we don’t receive it, our bodies will inevitably shutdown.  The symptoms start out slow but then become very serious and life threatening quickly.

Easter for some is about bunnies bouncing around with colored eggs and baskets of candy.  For many others around the world, including myself, it is about the day my sin was paid for.  The day my thirst was able to be quenched permanently.  It’s the day that a way was made where I could once again be with my Creator.

Created in the image of God, our bodies are not just composed of cells and tissue.  A glass of water can quench your physical thirst and moisten your palette, but nothing can touch the thirsts of our hearts.  Nothing except for the power of Jesus Christ.  Imagine the scene…

His body is dangling from the wooden slabs and blood is flowing from His mangled body.  The thick, needle like thorns pushing through His scalp are causing Him less pain than the mocking of His very identity and authority the crown represents.  Crying out to His Father, Jesus asks Him “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”  At this very moment, God forsook His Son and the pouring out of His the wrath began.  An unsettling darkness begins to settle over Golgotha as the crowds continue to shout and riot, uttering their bitter contempt and hatred for this “blasphemer”.  “Come down and save yourself!” they yell at Jesus, laughing and jeering at what they believe to be inability and weakness.  Then the massive, wall like veil of the temple is torn in half from top to bottom.  The ground starts to rumble beneath the crowd’s feet and the enormous rocks on that hill split completely open.  Tombs begin to crack and crumble as the deceased inhabitants who had trusted God even before Jesus had come, rise out.  Jesus lets out one last agonizing cry and declares “It is finished” while slowly bowing His head, rendering His Spirit.  Overwhelmed with all he has just seen, a centurion standing right in front of Jesus claims in horror that “Surely this man was the Son of God!”  As the crowd dissipates, a loud group of thumping sounds can be heard as many pound their chests.  A soldier approaches Jesus to see if He is still breathing and when he sees He isn’t, the soldier thrusts his spear deep into Jesus’s side and quickly rips it out.  Blood and water pour out of His violently maimed body as Jesus is taken off the cross and given to Joseph for burial.

At this very moment, we all were given the opportunity to be reunited with our Creator and to be reconciled to the very purpose for which we were created.  To be with Him, and reflect his glory.  The story didn’t end there though…

The next day, the priests and Pharisees then gathered with Pilate. “While he was alive, the deceiver said he would rise in three days.  In order to keep his disciples from going and taking his body out of the tomb to make it look like he actually did rise from the dead, we should seal the tomb and guard it.”  They got their wish and guards stood outside of Jesus’s tomb the day after the Sabbath.  They didn’t stand for long though, as another earthquake shook the ground beneath them violently early in the morning.  Trying to keep balance, they looked up and saw a blinding silhouette descending, an angel of the Lord.  Out of sheer terror, they fell to the ground trembling and passed out.  The entrance to the tomb was rolled away and out walked Jesus.  Many did a double-take when they saw the man they deemed a deceiver and powerless walking around, alive.  “Peace be with you!” He proclaimed to His disciples.  In jubilant excitement, His disciples listened intently when Jesus made clear to them that He was going to be back.  In the meantime, they would wait for the Lord.  They would follow Him.

When we are extremely thirsty and searching for water, when we find some do we just take a little sip?  No, we down that thing!  Similarly, Christ’s grace to us on that cross was abundance upon abundance.  Our souls, severely parched by our sin crave something that lasts, not a temporary fix.  The floodgates open and wash our hearts completely, and they don’t stop.  The same power that rose Jesus from the dead is still busy at work today.  The effects of dehydration can be fatal, but the price of sin is always lethal.  It separates us from our Holy Father who created us to be His glory in the first place.  We cannot live eternally with Him, without the perfect sacrifice for our sins.  We are broken and will be forever, without our God.  Thankfully, there was a payment made that day.  A payment that when accepted into our hearts, saves our souls and reunites us with the real, true and living God.  It gives us a real relationship with our Father, not something we just conjure up in our minds.  It changes lives and brings as Jesus said, peace.  It gives us a heavenly perspective and hope.

My prayer for all this Easter is that we would stand in awe of our creator, overflowing with gratitude.  To be drawn to Jesus this year like never before, simply for who He is.  That we would become more aware of the sin the leaks into our hearts so subtly, and bank on Jesus to change us.  I pray also that those who haven’t yet decided to receive His payment, would experience the Lord and be made aware of His redemptive purposes for them through His love.  I pray when our hearts thirst for the temporary, we would be quenched by remembering Jesus on the cross and chase the Everlasting.  I pray that we would treat every day like its Easter Sunday.

Recently, I have been reading through the book of Joshua. Encouragement and excitement fills my spirit when I read of the victorious Israelites, who were seldom the favorite in battle, but had been given a promise of land that was theirs for the taking. In order to receive this inheritance however, they had to conquer many vicious enemies who typically outnumbered them greatly. Ultimately, the Israelites led by Joshua, defeated these enemies (31 cities in all) and received what God had promised Abraham and his descendants. I think my Bible’s publisher (Kodhiates & Baker) sums up the theme of this book perfectly, “victory through faith”.

Fast forward to after these battles take place. The Israelites are dividing up the land and reassigning allotments after conquering all 31 cities. An elderly man named Caleb approaches Joshua and speaks up saying, “Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day”. It isn’t spoken out of arrogance or entitlement, but rather with great wisdom and faith knowing the Lord would fulfill his promise. The day he is referring to is one on which a massive decision was made, 45 years before. A much younger Joshua and Caleb were sent on a spy mission with ten others to scout out the Amorites in the Valley of Eshcol before waging war. While others around them were scoffing and shaking in fear about being demolished by what they saw, Joshua and Caleb knew they had a big decision to make and the stance they took on the matter would have enormous implications for the rest of not only their lives individually, but for the whole nation of Israel.

I used to have a kid’s Bible that had illustrations to go along with each story. I still remember the depiction of the Amorites given. Twelve very tiny men were peering over a large wall, with only their profiles visible. A deep fear and intimidation indicated by the steep slant of their eyebrows and wideness of their eyes caused by the looming giants drawn in the distance. Men that looked about 3-times the size of the twelve spies, with rippling muscles and golden armor glistening in the sunlight were drinking bottles labeled “Milk” and “Honey”, laughing and joking with each other.

Joshua and Caleb may have been intimidated and may have been fearful. In my opinion, they probably were and God knew that. After all, God commands Joshua not once but three times to not fear but to be “strong and of great courage” (Joshua 1:6,7,9) when Joshua is given command of the army after Moses’s death.

God knows exactly how we are feeling and why; how great of a comfort is that? However, they knew also the promise God had made to them which conflicted with the course of action suggested by the other spies. The promise was the occupancy of land that not only the Amorites and Anakites controlled, but more land that many other forceful and brutal people ruled. People who had resisted God for many years and had embraced sin.

I’ve started wondering, how aware am I of the promises of God? Ultimately, when we let these guide our decision making as Joshua and Caleb have, they lead to wisdom and amazing things we couldn’t have imagined. These promises only become available and “live” when we see our need for a savior and accept Christ with anticipation of the changes he will instill.

Obviously, in order to obtain the Promised Land, battles were going to have to be fought. The fear overwhelmed the spies though and they did not trust God to deliver on what he had said, that he would deliver the land to them along with their enemies in battle. Caleb and Joshua however decided that day that they should enter into the land. They trusted God would deliver on his promise and carry them in battle. It’s important to note that Moses, while capturing this story in Deuteronomy, mentions how those who were overwhelmed with fear forgot how God had already guided them and what he had done for them.

I am so amazed how quickly I forget the past where God’s hand was on me even in seemingly unfavorable circumstances. The fears start to build up, anxieties start piling on top and decision making abilities are suspended. Hope seems to fade from view, and the circumstances seem to just grow bigger and bigger until they are all that you see. On the other hand when we dub circumstances as good, we seem to forget where we came from and who brought us out from there! Positive emotions start over flowing and our vision again is spoiled by circumstances.

One of the most encouraging truths in the Bible is the fact that no matter what, true hope and faith, not dependent on circumstances, does remain. That confidence and courage God commands Joshua to have did not hinge on the circumstances. It hinged on the sovereignty and character of God, the fact that he loves perfectly. After all, his perfect love casts out fear. Even when his promises seem so far or don’t make sense, they are what has made us who we are and who we are becoming! How freeing is it to know that God promises to never leave us, or forsake us? This provides an unconditional comfort. How freeing is it to know that God promises that all things work together for the good of those who believe in Jesus? It allows a perspective not bound to temporary troubles and trials (of which there definitely will be), and hope in all situations. How freeing is it to know that each person was made in the image of God? It allows for a true sense of self-worth no matter what size, shape, color or quirks someone may have. Encapsulating all these and many, many others though is the freedom given by the knowledge that Jesus Christ chose to die and pay the price for each and everyone’s sin and give us life through his resurrection. We too can be victorious in faith, but only through the knowledge of God’s promises to his children!

In a post last year, I mentioned how I had spent the past few summers working on a golf course (Philadelphia Country Club) on the grounds crew.  This place has produced so many quality stories and learning experiences for me, I constantly find myself referring back to them.  Equally as enchanting has been the overall beauty of the land, though.  I cherish those early mornings looking out at the rising sun and hearing the birds chirp.  I catch myself day-dreaming about the rolling fairways clothed in vibrant green while taking in the sweet aroma the grass clippings released each morning.  There has always been something about golf courses in general which has drawn me to the sport, but after working 3 years at “Philly” as we call it, I’ve noticed the detail that truly goes into each course.  While recalling all the small details and jobs we did as a crew to keep the course looking perfect, I remembered one job in particular that seemed to point out such a cool truth about the human heart when looked at in a certain way.

The sixth hole is one of the most versatile holes on the entire course.  The short par five is an absolute piece of eye candy, strategically placed in perfect line of sight with the club house.  The slight dogleg right intimidates golfers when they see the heart of the course, a large pond equipped with two fountains, looming on the right side of the fairway. Feeding into this pond is a small stream which flows between the larger fairway and a smaller one that climbs up a steep hill and connects with the green.  Thick Bermuda grass creeps along the banks of the stream and is very difficult to contain.  During the scorching months of the summer, the roots stretch out so far that they actually start to grow in the stream.  One day last summer, three of us were assigned to clear the stream of all the excess Bermuda that found its way in.  When we got there, I think we all wanted to call it a day.  The amount of water visible in some parts of the stream was as thin as a pencil.  I think the most open area of the stream not overcome by grass was about the size of a basketball, it was incredible.  The grass was so deeply rooted that when would go to pull it out, a significant chunk of mud would come with it and water would quickly fill in the vacant spot.  Long story short, it took us the entire afternoon to finish and the weight of the muck nearly broke a bed off of one of our work carts while transporting it to our dump.  While cleaning the stream however, we noticed that down the brook close to where it connected to the large pond, there was little to no water flow.  In fact, there was this nasty, red foam growing on the surface of the water.  It definitely did not look healthy.  A stale stench of stagnant water was also noticeable.  The more and more grass we removed though, water started gushing free, flowing down stream and pouring into the pond.  At the time I really could care less, I just wanted to shower. The other day though, I remembered that story from last summer and how it seemed to explain a huge issue I have wrestled with many times.

I got to thinking, is there anything holding back the Holy Spirit from flowing into my heart?  Are any sinful roots present that I am not seeing, but direly need to be recognized and removed? Taking that a step further, how does that state of my heart affect those that I love and ultimately my perspective of my savior, the owner and creator of my heart?

I think it is extremely difficult for us to navigate our own hearts for whatever reason.  We think, we feel, we act.  Rarely do we think about what we think about.  We see the results of our actions and then we think about the series of thoughts and feelings leading up to the action and forget where they came from, the heart.  The only reason we cleaned out that stream was because of how it was affecting the pond.  Fungus and algae began to grow at a rapid pace when the water flow into the pond slowed.  This affected the overall health of the pond, not to mention appearance. So our superintendent decided it was time to put some work into the stream so that ultimately the pond would be cleaned.

To try and clean this pond ourselves without paying attention to the stream first would be pointless.  Another few weeks and the pond would be filled to the brim with algae and fungus again due to the lack of water flow.

Similarly, to try and cleanse our hearts on our own proves time and time again to be pointless.  Getting in that mindset usually just muddies the water even more.  It’s overwhelming, and rightfully so because it is impossible!

However, when the grass was removed and fresh water began filling into the pond again, within two days the algae and fungus on the surface of the water was gone.  The funky smell went away, and the glass-like water of the pond was restored to its picturesque form.

Asking God to remove the filth in our minds and lives that block the Holy Spirit from flowing into and through us does the same to our heart.  It cleans it, because it allows the only one who truly can do that cleaning to get to work.  Our hearts begin showing more signs of beauty to others through our words and actions.  Removing that filth comes by recognizing it as such and surrendering it to God, followed by the renewing of our minds which comes from envisioning what is said in His word and trusting it to change our inner most beings.  The change seems to come on when we aren’t suspecting it, but it is felt.  We can be sure that if we ask for it, it is occurring.  Whether we “feel” it or not.  A disconnection from the common-place feelings and emotions of a fallen world is replaced with heart-knowledge and a confidence to boldly go to Jesus out of the faith daily.  David, a mighty warrior who God used heavily, also saw the need to ask the Lord to maintain his heart in Psalm 139: 23 & 24:

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

We all need the streams to our hearts cleaned out each day just as a golf course needs its fairways cut every day; to be operational for its designed purpose.

More and more it seems vibrantly apparent to me that the only way to go about navigating our hearts is to recognize them as broken.  After all, as Jeremiah 17:9 states, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?”  However, the very next verse gives us hope in the fact that “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind” (v.10). 

He then delivers the anecdote by moving in our hearts, thrashing the lies deceiving us by giving us an understanding of the truth; that we are HIS and he came and died in human flesh in order to purify our hearts that we may live with and for Him if we chose to simply believe in him and leave our old selves at the door.  Acts 15:9 assures us that he “purifies our hearts by faith”. The simplicity and solidity of the Gospel is the ONLY heart cleaning device out there.   To realize that we are in dire need of a savior is to embrace that one does actually exist and no matter what, He is ready to begin, to steadily work on, and to finish the work in our hearts that HE alone started. The levees holding back the living water can be opened with humble repentance, and faithful acceptance.

There are so many different things that seem to demand our minds attention, our hearts affections, and our bodies’ actions. A constant debate in our souls over truth bang on our minds demanding a path to proceed down, only we hardly ever recognize this process consciously. The fact is we demand truth, and need it to survive.
Validation, confirmation….these are things we so desperately desire as a result from our actions or words. Decisions without them are decisions without any truth, any “conviction”. It seems however, that truth has become just a quantitative term. In our “majority rules” culture, truth is ever changing; opposite of everlasting. This contradicts the very definition of what a truth really is, though. If something is true, it is “constant, exact, and correct” according to the dictionary. If something is constant, then it cannot cease to exist. If something is exact, then it cannot be moved from its original position. If something is correct, it can never be made wrong. Truth, if it is in fact true, logically must hold to itself. Intertwined and complete, there are no physical openings, no gaps, and no attitude that can disrupt the consistency of truth.

So, if the view that a different set of truths applies to each culture, how can it match up with the definition? If truth is determined by people, who are defined as “imperfect”, how can it be true? After all, truth is flawless. The scientific name “Human” of our species is a synonym for “marred” at times, yet we consistently buy into the fact that the masses decide what is true and those not in agreement will just have to deal with it.
That’s why I love the Word of God. A book filled with absolutes that provide us with explanations and examples on how to apply them, these absolutes lead to freedom. This freedom today’s society seems to preach but honestly, our world doesn’t seem very free to me. Think about it!

Personally, I know that when I do not take enough time to read the Bible and to think about it I tend to fall into a timid mindset that cripples any growth in my heart, soul and mind. “I don’t understand anything that is in there….I don’t know the context, and can’t apply it….How can words help this situation?” It’s a mixture of laziness, idolatry, and unbelief (lies) that ask these things in my head. Laziness because I don’t want to put in the amount of time I know I personally need to spend in the Word each day. Idolatry because idols I may not be aware of are lurking in my heart, completely blurring my vision. Unbelief that the Word really has helped me in the past, and that it will continue to do so knifing through my flesh and filling up my soul with what it needs. I simply am not myself when I do not fully invest my mind, body and spirit into the Word of God and what is says.

Something happens when I do make that choice though, I return to the one who created me, who knows me entirely, and who never leaves. I become a little more the person he created me to become, I feel like myself again. I have a reason to relax and be joyful, I no longer have to force any of these emotions or pursue a temporary fix. I believe that when somebody experiences that precious time with their Savior, they are restored. All needs are met, no further searching is required. ALL of his book is true, and continues to stand the test of time, amidst a broken world of people hating what is in it, trying to disprove its validity. It is a gift to us, instructing us in ways that fill our needs, not our selfish desires.

Undoubtedly though, believing what is in the Bible to be true is a decision that must be addressed in us individually. The same is true with what each person thinks of Jesus Christ. That decision is one of faith. The evidence is there whether you look for it or not, but I do hope deep down anyone reading this Christian or not, does look for it. Only growth can come from that. Only TRUTH, can come from that.

In the New Testament book of Philippians, the apostle Paul writes in verse twenty one “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” The letter in which this statement is written is addressed to the church in the city of Philippi. Philippi was located on the great Egnation Way in Macedonia, which was essentially a highway from Rome to Byzantium, which today is Istanbul. The Roman colony was often a stopping point for traders from the east and west travelling to these major cities, and it is believed that because of that reason Philippi was a strategic place to spread the gospel.

How many of these traders heard “to live is Christ and to die is gain” and wondered what in the world that meant? What exactly is life if it “is Christ” and how could anyone gain from dying?

The thing I love about this verse is how simply, and profoundly it speaks to the heart.

Life is Christ. Dying is considered a gain. But dying is only considered a gain if your life is already in Christ.

Ephesians 2:1-5 lays it out.

Verses 1 & 2 state “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit is now at work in those who are disobedient.” This death is the furthest thing from gain. These sins that we were dead to alienate us from our creator forever because a holy God must judge sin. That lands us in Hell, a real place defined as a location being in separation from God.

3-5 go on to explain that “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.” The ways of this fallen world are to gratify the cravings of our sinful nature which is opposite of the Holy Spirit. Continuing to quench the thirst of our flesh would only result in the complete lack of ever having life at all. However, the reconciliation with Jesus takes place when someone recognizes, and confesses their sin to the King of Kings and is cleansed by his death and resurrection on the cross. As verse 5 states, the death of Jesus Christ is the definition of grace…it isn’t something anyone can do for themselves! It is by his sovereign choice. This is where life, purpose, truth and wholeness all meet in the new heart that Jesus has placed within his new child. Broken people are made whole, and he loves us back to life. Our physical death now only holds earthly implications because by holding to Jesus’s promises in faith, our spirit is sealed with Christ and will never perish but live eternally in fellowship with him!

The short, strong, and simple reminder of what life is all about brings a great peace to my soul deep down, and inspires me to pursue him more and more. A love so undeserving, yet given to us so abundantly. A love where he doesn’t only accept us where we are, he also wants every ounce of our hearts so he cleanses our hearts from sin by conviction and repentance. A love where he all of our needs are met, and hardships are not went through for nothing. A love where he promises us more than we can imagine for ourselves, and only requires that we hold to these things by faith and trust in him. A love where we get to spend forever with him in that other real place called Heaven.

Now that’s something that would have gotten the attention of a few traders making their way to Rome.

I have been really desiring to write for a while but it seemed like each time I was ready to sit down and think, a thought popped into my head telling me to do otherwise.  “Why are you doing this?”…“That is a pretty dumb thing to write about, nobody would understand”.  The pattern typically consisted of an influx of negativity, followed by confusion, capped off by a cowering hand closing the laptop.  Something God has placed in my life as a way to contribute to his kingdom became an afterthought due to a paralyzing numbness of my mind, emotions, and knowledge of my Lord’s saving power in my life.

Like anyone, my mind wanders from time to time.  You can probably sense that when you read what I write.  However, “wandering” typically implies coming back relatively soon.  My mind seems to like to set up camp for a few days after wandering.  At the end of the trek however, I seem to always realize I cannot come back without help.  I hate where I am, and have no map to get me back to the state of mind I came from.  That state of mind becomes a thing of the past…or did it ever even exist?  As the sun sets in the forest of fear and confusion, my mind is tossed around by every crunching leaf and falling branch.  What was that?  Is that really there or is it in my imagination?  As time drags on in the deep dark woods of over analyzing, and second guessing, one thing becomes apparent.  I’m lost, and I need to get out of here because I don’t like it in this place.  It isn’t me, and it’s an empty environment.  I don’t belong here and I want to go home.  So I come crawling back to all I know…Grace.

This “forest” I was speaking of obviously isn’t a physical place but a mental, and spiritual one.  It has been a place I, like many others have tried much of my life to navigate through with no luck.  A place that every Christian learns more about painfully each day.  This crazy, wacked out, scary place is our flesh.  My flesh is different than your flesh, but at the roots, it is the same.  It’s like different kinds of trees…all trees have roots, but what’s above the ground isn’t always the same.  Everyone’s tree is different.  Being completely honest, something I struggle with deeply in selfishness.  I’m a self-centered guy, and at times I feel everything around me is centered on the basis of how it will affect me.  People might not see it all the time, but when I see my heart, I feel a massive sense of shame because of the black spots I see all over it.  This selfish thought process can take me down roads I am not at all prepared or fit to handle, but it’s like they are disguised as the truth.  Soon it affects my relationships, my choices, and my joy.  It literally sucks the life out of me.  That’s when the wandering happens…the mind games.  Satan’s torture tactic to get us to break down, and give in to whatever compelling sin is being presented at the moment.  An easy way out, or so it seems before the fact but anyone who has travelled down that path of giving into that way of thinking, absorbing the fears and not holding on to truth knows it’s a road leading to nowhere.  All it is really, is a big trap used over and over again to keep us from being who we really are.  The way we were designed to live.  There is a way out however.

The amazing thing is that when I see my sinful heart, I know that the heart I am looking at has been replaced and is washed clean every morning.  Why?  Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection on the cross.  Something I know I can’t do is be perfect, and blameless.  Jesus Christ was just that, however.  The perfect sacrifice.  Whenever I start to think I have a shot or even strive towards it, I am quickly humbled because I just start wandering and realize I’m at a place I can’t get out of on my own.  I wander and see that sinful heart, feel it’s tugging me to act, but am no longer destined to listen to it.  I can rest in his power.

There is an alternative option now, one that isn’t easy but one that leads to unity with the way our creator designed us to be originally. The way of freedom through trusting in God’s perfect grace, and love.  A clean replacement heart, just waiting for us.  This heart, is who we really are, not the old one covered in darkness.  That sin’s tab has already been picked up, it is a done deal.  The selfishness was all in the old heart, and when I feel it tugging at me to do something or think something, I know it isn’t true because Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. HE is where I should go, what I should hold on to, no matter what sounds cause my mind to whip back and forth in that forest of my flesh. That selfishness?  It isn’t me, just like that thing you struggle with so badly isn’t you once you’ve accepted Jesus.  You are dead to it.  It’s the old you.  The time to experience God’s grace, love, peace, joy, comfort, and guidance is right now!  The time to stop selling ourselves short by wandering in some stupid forest that’s keeping us from reaching our design always will be and always has been yesterday.

 

 

  Doubts come in all forms, attacking the mind of believers in Christ constantly. Doubting salvation, the existence of God, God’s omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence is something that has gone through every Christians’ mind at one time or another. One tiny idea planted in the mind can sprout into vicious deception constantly attacking our soul as we cling to it as tight as we can. For instance, a young guy in high school who loves the Lord, hears a classmate saying how the Bible is a bunch of fairytales. Instantly, he entertains that thought as though it could have a degree of truth in it. The kid who said it is pretty smart after-all, his GPA is off the charts! He must know what he’s talking about! The seed planted in his mind receives all the nutrients it needs from his flesh kicking in providing the essential fear, desire for control, and doubt. Now, instead of walking confidently in the Lord, the young man is constantly downcast feeling broken and lost even though he has already been made complete in Christ alone.
Isn’t it funny that so often we think doubts are more rational and real then Jesus? A theory taught as fact in public schools gets kids thinking that evolution makes perfect sense so where does that leave what they have learned about Jesus? Why is it that this doubt thing keeps slithering its way in and we can be completely unaware?
The devil loves to get us to doubt. It’s how he gets us to take off the armor of God! He whispers in our ears and we listen! Well it’s time to stop listening to that liar, and listen to our Father.

“I write to you dear children because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I write to you, fathers because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” 1 John 2: 12-14

Whatever doubts come, there is an instant answer. Prayer. Pouring out everything you got to him is what he wants! The bottom line is we have a choice! Doubt or Trust. Doubting really isn’t much fun, and trusting in God? Well, it’s what we are all designed to do. Clothe yourself in who you are in Jesus Christ today! Be built on him alone, rooted and see growth like a weed.

In Christ, you have overcome the evil one and he can’t touch you. No doubt can change that. Instead of doubting our God, it’s time to start questioning our doubts.
-Brian

The word expectation means the state or act of looking forward or anticipating something.  Expectations are everywhere, and a lot of times we have expectations set for ourselves.  As Christians sometimes our expectations get all of our attention and we forget why the expectations were set in the first place.  When those expectations (often unattainable by our human efforts) fail to be met, panic and chaos sets in.  Why so?

There is a difference between an expectation and a goal.  A goal is a healthy milestone set to motivate you and keep you focused.  An expectation can be unhealthy in that it requires unrealistic abilities on your end and can just lead to confusion, frustration, and stress.  For example, Bill Harmon grew up being the son of 1948 Masters champion Claude Harmon.  Now a golf instructor, Harmon says one of the most important things his father told him while golfing is “I don’t know why you get so upset. You aren’t that good.”  It may sound mean, or degrading but it is so true!  In the game, expectations can be set ridiculously high for ourselves that no matter what, we will always be failures in our own eyes. 

I believe the same can be said for those living for Jesus.  Why does it radically surprise us when we screw up? The expectation of living a perfect life is completely unattainable, and God knew that!  That’s why he sent Jesus to die for our sins so he could still know us.  Floundering in our sin and our past mistakes is forgetting the saving, redeeming power of Jesus Christ our Lord!  Trying to live on our own merits only brings us into complete disarray, but it is so easy to do!  Expect GRACE when you repent to a loving God and never forget who you are in Christ alone when you accept him into your life!  Thanking God for all things and being content in all situations frees us up from the worldly expectations we set for ourselves.  As a Christian we are made alive through Christ, nothing that we can do earns that!  Expect him to carry you today!