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Dying to Live

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If someone you knew told you that they didn’t fear death, but they were excited for it, what would you think?  Maybe you would ask yourself if they were suicidal, or perhaps they believe in a religion which guarantees paradise after this life.  As a true Christian living in fellowship with your creator, you are neither of these but death should still stir excitement in a Christian’s heart.  Reading that, it probably sounds really weird and creepy.  How could death be something positive at all?  If you know 100% that you are going to heaven, a place where “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Rev.21), and where you get to live in community with the very God-man who died then rose on the cross for your sins, eternally, where everything is perfect…It’s pretty exciting. 

There are so many ideas out there about death, a lot that probably aren’t publicized but are thought up on those late nights when so many people toss and turn trying to figure out what the heck is going to happen when they die.  So it begins with what you think death is…how would you define death?  Then again how could any of us know?-we’re still alive!  Is Heaven real or is it just some fairytale made up to make people feel better about their demise?  Is Hell real?  How bad do you have to be to go there?  How good do you have to be to get into Heaven?  All questions everyone has asked at some point in their lives.

The thing so absurd about death is the conclusiveness, and the fact that it can happen anytime, anyway to anyone.  While I am writing this, a plane could crash into our house and instantly kill my family and I.  On this earth, none of us would ever be heard from again…just like that.  It is horrible and depressing to think about.  Though I do not want to die, I can say with full confidence in Christ that I am not scared of it anymore.  I remember asking my mom when I was little, how do you know you are getting into Heaven?  It was not until I developed an actual relationship with Christ, did know where I was going to be when I died.  Not because of how I felt, what I did, or what I heard but simply by the fact that I had to trust in Christ’s ability and words more than my own, trusting what he said in the bible and believing it.  Trusting in something that would never be able to be taken from me, his promises, love and truth.  Not in “good” stuff I did, because the truth is that none of us could ever be good enough.  Nobody can earn their way into Heaven!

As for being excited about death, if you have accepted that you are a sinner but realized how much Jesus loves you and repented of those sins and turned to Christ in faith, giving him your heart and life, God wants to spend eternity with you in Heaven!!  Jesus conquered death.  Paul writes in Philippians that “to live is Christ, to die is gain” (c.1 v.21).  This coming from a dude who used to kill Christians, and was against God.  Heaven is something to be incredibly excited for!  Take a moment and think about the best possible scenario you could be in right now in which you would be the happiest.  If you have Christ, imagine that scenario times infinity…that’s Heaven.  Our minds can’t even imagine how awesome it will be…I sure can’t wait to find out!

Death is not the end…it’s only the beginning in a period outside of time.  And for those in Christ to die is to gain everything!  But for those who do not trust in him, they will live eternally separated from their creator in Hell. God wants to reconcile with us all so bad, he doesn’t want that for any of us!  However, he is a Holy God who must judge sin and he will do so.  Die to yourself, to live in him!

Golf Is Life?

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Golf is a sport of patience, tranquility, and focus.  So simple on the surface, most people who have never played before insist that it isn’t a hard sport, or it isn’t even a sport at all.  Professional golfer and US Open Winner Rory McIlroy describes himself as “hitting a little white ball around a field sometimes”.  When you look at it that way, it doesn’t get much simpler and perhaps this is one of the reasons Mr. McIlroy is so successful.  Golf is described as 90% mental and 10% physical.  Bobby Jones, possibly the greatest golfer of all time, once said that “golf is played on a 5 inch course-the distance between your ears.”  You see, there is nothing more liberating than striping a ball deep down the middle of the fairway setting yourself up for an easy next shot into the green.  As the white ball trickles down the short grass in the fairway, there is a great sense of security and assurance.  Yet when something goes wrong and your ball ends up behind a one hundred year old oak tree seemingly wider than the ocean, panic sets in.  The great golfers are the ones who aren’t controlled by their emotions, who never are secure in their performance, that never panic when things head south.  Their only security comes in their method, not the results.   

                While reading Golf’s Sacred Journey by David L Cook, I realized why I love golf so much and how awesome of a sport it truly is.  Living out faith in Christ Jesus, and a round of golf are similar in certain ways.  If you have never picked up a club to play, I encourage you too first of all!  It is fun and something you can play for almost your entire life.  Golf will teach you more about yourself than you’ll ever realize while building your character shot by shot.  If you have never truly accepted Jesus Christ into your heart, this is something you must do!  He will never leave you, and will continue the good work he starts in every one of us our entire lives.  God will teach you more about yourself than you know, because he is your creator.  Day by day he will renew us and grant us mercies to take on the day.  Ask him into your heart today and to change you!

Every round of Golf starts with a fresh start.  You sit at even par in hopes to minimize mistakes and to score well by the end of the round.  Each day you wake up, you start at even par as well!  As a Christian we must remember that each day is a chance to start over.  The Lord’s mercies are made new each and every day.  Dwelling on past sins, and mistakes involves zero belief in what Jesus Christ did for you on the cross.  Instead, we must accept his forgiveness, believe we are saved by what he has done for us, and ask him to turn us from those sins then trust that he will complete the work he has started in you.  Same goes for Golf.  If all you are thinking about at the beginning of your round is how poorly you hit your driver off the tee the past two rounds and that cut slice deep into the woods you had on the first hole last time, your mind isn’t in the right place.  In life, the right place for our minds to be is steadily resting on the Lord as it says in Isaiah 26:3.  This keep our minds in PERFECT peace.  Not temporary, conditional peace based off of performance or results but unconditional peace in our loving savior!  Seriously, this means that when our minds are resting in Christ literally nothing that happens can take away the peace that he gives to us.  Similarly in Golf, the right place for our minds to be isn’t on the outcome or the effects but the method.  Mistakes are made and unfortunate things happen, but if the golfer isn’t solely trusting in the result but rather putting their trust in the truth of the process they will stay at peace.

Funny story.  I play golf and have many odd experiences with the game, but one stands out in particular and kind of relates into the whole concept of things happening in life we don’t have any control over.  I was playing with a friend and my ball was to the right of the green about twenty yards or so on the opposite side of the cart path.  If you’ve ever played with me, you know I have an absolute atrocious slice so seldom am I on the left side of the course.  Anyway, about thirty to forty feet up in the air lay a single wire with the diameter the size of a water bottle cap.  Seriously, the thing was barely even visible, and I have no clue what purpose the wire served, but it was there regardless.  Unaware of the wire, I took a short swing lofting the ball high up into the air directly on line with the hole.  To this day I believe that shot would have gone in the cup if not for the wire clipping my golf ball’s flight sending it directly down into the cart path, launching it down the asphalt about 75 yards or so.  It was infuriating, yet hilarious.

The calmness and serenity Golf requires in order to be successful, is granted to us by Christ so that we can live for him.  The Lord says he gives those who believe in him peace, not as the world gives but as HE gives.  The peace that can’t be taken away, ever.  After all, one of his many names is Prince of Peace.  True peace, is only found in the resurrected savior.  The main difference between Golf and the Christian life is that at the end of one waits a finite score, but at the other waits eternal life with our creator.  Where does your peace come from?

Merry Christmas

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The word “finished” can refer to many things.  Almost anything can be finished…a meal, an exam, a book.  Since it is Christmas time, it is pretty much guaranteed that many people across the world felt compelled to spend a little more than their means this year, sending them into debt.  The word “debt” is like that too, it has many meanings.  You can be in debt financially, or you can be indebted to someone because of something they may have done for you. 

                Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, coming down from an incomprehensible paradise to our world; a mess to say the least.  Now a days most agree the true meaning of Christmas isn’t about getting gifts, but we still don’t get it right.  People say things like “It’s about being with family, and giving”.  While being with family, and giving from the heart are amazing attributes of Christmas, it still is so much greater.  So back to the first sentence, if this Jesus does exist, why would he do such a thing?  He did it for all of us, personally so that we may be saved from our messed up souls and come to know our creator in order to spend life with him eternally in that very paradise he descended from.  He knows everything about you already, he created you after all…but he wants a personal relationship with you.  You and Him.  He died and rose in order so that this could happen! 

                Christmas is about the coming of our savior, a God man who came down and FINISHED our DEBTS.  Hanging there upon the cross, having just drank vinegar from a sponge, Jesus says “It is finished”, or in the Greek teleō.  What the heck does that mean?  Well, the Greek form is the vernacular of what was said since the New Testament is written in Greek.  This form of the word finished means to fulfill a payment, to discharge a debt, to complete.  So we must remember that if we’ve accepted Christ as our Savior, IT IS FINISHED!  Our sins have been cleansed, and nothing can separate us from his love.  May your peace come from the knowledge that your savior came, and finished the task before him, all for you.  That is what Christmas is about. 

Merry Christmas everyone, and God Bless

Brian

The Right Alternative

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Across America today, college, high school, and sometimes even middle school aged kids are being introduced and induced into the alcohol, party, and drug scene.  Being in the midst of this phase of life right now, I understand what it is like to be on the other side of the fence.  As questions surface from friends as to why I don’t drink and “party”, the response I usually get is a nice nickname like “soft” or “religious”.  Who cares, though?  I’ll take the nickname over a hangover any day.

The truth is that very few kids in these three age groups have a mentality that sees drinking before 21 as not cool, and getting drunk as an absolute no-no.  Not everyone has the same reasons for not doing these things, but I believe the reasoning behind participating in this stuff really isn’t thoroughly thought out.  On the surface, most people just feel that it is what it is…kids do stupid stuff.  It’s universally accepted, so why not take advantage.  Why, though?  How is it hardly ever questioned, even by the people who participate??  I don’t know if any of my old high school peers are reading this, and if they started, they’ve probably stopped already but I challenge all who drink before they’re 21, drink to get drunk, and use drugs to objectively ask yourselves, what is behind this appeal?

To be honest, it furies me to see people drawn to these things.  I’m not mad at them, and I’m not mad at the alcohol.  I’m angry at the deception, people thinking the only way they can have fun is to get wasted and not remember any of it.  Or people feeling so desperate, they look to a bottle to find answers.  It literally makes me sick, because everyone deserves so much better and has an opportunity for something that won’t devastate their liver, brain, or relationships.

Now, if you have read any of these posts before, you probably know where I’m going but if not just hear me out before you make any judgments and close the page.  Answers are not found in the things of this world, and neither is true pleasure.  That “hilarious” party the other night where Bill got toasted and made a fool out of himself might bring you a laugh, or a “good” memory, but how good is that memory?  The self-pleasure being sought out by these sorts of things always comes up short, and ALWAYS will beg more questions.  So where are the answers found?  The truth is found in Jesus Christ.  I know what you’re thinking, “How can some dude that was written about in a book thousands of years ago give me answers, or a happiness better than chilling with my friends getting hammered?”  I used to ask the same question.  There is this thing called the Holy Spirit.  Once you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, it enters you and changes your life…all for the better.  It might sound ridiculous, but this thing, The Holy Spirit?  It’s what you were designed to have, and the only path we have to achieve and maintain freedom.

“Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” Psalms 100:3

There are most definitely some misconceptions about Jesus and those who truly follow him in today’s day and age.  One being that Jesus was some lame guy in sandals who just walked around and preached at people then died and rose again for some reason.  Well, Jesus was and is the furthest thing from lame, or “soft” as some of my friends would say.  He performed many, many miracles (not all are documented in the Bible), healed people from binding illnesses, NEVER sinned, and suffered the worst death ever when his Father turned his back on him only to rise again having defeated sin all for people he knew would never be able to live up to his standards.  He loves you more than anyone on this rock ever could, and all he requires is that you admit you’re a sinner in need of grace and direction, thus turning your life into his hands trusting in his love for you and the redemptive Spirit that now resides inside your heart.  EVERYONE needs this.  The last thing he wants for you is to harm the very body he gave you by going out there and getting hammered, and breaking the law.

*One more thing, Jesus drank wine.  However, he did so when he was of age in the time period and never became drunk.

Another misconception is about the people who believe in him and live by his hand.  Living for Christ is the most fun thing ever, much better than a liquid.  Based on ignorance, today’s culture views Christians as these small weak little, fear-filled hypocrites whose idea of fun is playing Go-fish while eating rice cakes.  I have been blessed to meet some solid guys who love Jesus as their Lord and Savior over the years, and we have LOTS of fun.  Good clean fun, though.  You’ll never catch us eating rice cakes, that’s for sure.  Seriously though, what is more fun than complete freedom and complete satisfaction in knowing who you were designed by and to know?  It’s absurd.  Christians are strong because they are made strong by the king of the universe.  Much stronger than any physical strength.

I would absolutely love to talk more with anyone about this, from anywhere.  Before you talk to me though, try talking to Jesus.  Ask him into your heart, to take over in your life, and to forgive you of all the lies you have been believing.  He welcomes all with open arms.  He is a gracious, and loving God who wants to know you more than anything and comes through no matter what.  You WILL be changed, made into the man/woman he has designed you to be.  It is actually impossible for him to lie, so we can have faith in him and his promise.  The righteous live by faith, not by sight.

God Bless,

Brian

Email: Phillysportsfan18@verizon.net

Work In Progress

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For anyone that lives west of Philadelphia and commutes on US 202, they know that the road has been under construction for what seems like forever and no end seems to be reasonably close.  While this road work can be extremely inconvenient and flat out annoying it definitely helped me to realize something recently.  We are always under construction as Christians. 

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”- Philippians 1:6(KJV)

                In Philippians 1:6, God speaks through Paul saying that the good work started in you will be carried out until completion by the Lord…but how come when the work is going on we forget that it will be completed?  The first part of this verse is extremely important, “being confident of this very thing”.  What is “this very thing”?  The work that is going on in our hearts, and the knowledge of who is doing that work and why!  Confidence that no matter what we are going through, God is using it to construct a person who is better able to love, serve, and honor him gives us the motivation to seek and thank the Lord no matter what, and to get through both the good and bad times in a way honoring to him.

                Observing the construction process on 202 has taught me a little bit about construction…It is a very slow process, experiencing many set-backs along the way.  It isn’t pleasant.  Driving to work this summer, there was a week where a new lane was being paved…that entire week, all I smelled on the way to work was the rich, poignant stench of fresh tar being laid down.  As the aroma of distilled organic chemicals filled my nostrils, my car was shaken up and down by the incomplete road.  Eventually however, a new lane opened up and even though the complete project on the road is not complete yet, driving on that freshly paved road was a pretty spectacular feeling.  This can be related to another verse…

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (KJV)

                Day by day, we are “renewed”.  Renewed in this sense means to be completely made new.  In the Greek the word is anakainoō.  God promises to makes us a new creation in him through Jesus Christ.  So after we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, the renewal process isn’t completed…it is just beginning!  Those bad days when we wonder why we are even here, and those awesome days when you are happier than you could explain; they all are days where GOD puts work in and continues constructing his new creation.  The pains and noise created by the work done on our hearts isn’t always pleasant, but we can be assured that it will lead to a beautiful final product, the product that only our creator has the design plans to.  

A unique giving of thanks

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                Thanksgiving is an awesome day.  Typically the day consists of spending quality time with loved ones and eating food prepared with love.  Not to mention football (!!), but not everybody is into that.  Memories are constructed and hearts are softened this time of year.  While reading Psalms 9, you cannot hold a smile back hearing David lay out and further explain God’s faithfulness to us.  As Christians, what should we ultimately be thankful for?  Jesus’s death and resurrection on the cross that literally tore down the barrier between us and God, thus allowing us to have a relationship with our creator.  It is really easy to say how we are thankful for everything that is a result of Christ’s blessing on our lives.  Looking at gifts and consistently forgetting where they came from, and potentially putting them above the giver.  Let’s get this straight: Jesus saved us from ourselves while being physically, mentally and emotionally tortured by the very people he was saving.  He came from a perfect paradise to the corrupt earth all to save a people that he knew would never be able to live perfectly.  He knowingly bought a piece of junk, because he loves the piece of junk more than any of us can comprehend.  He loves us so much that he doesn’t let us just stay where we are, but promises to renew us inwardly day by day and forgive us when we repent and accept his ultimate gift of grace to us.  God had every reason to forsake us and let us self-destruct, but instead he made a way possible that all our needs could be met.  Rectifying our hearts, minds, bodies, and ultimately our souls.  Promising that his faithfulness would endure forever even amidst our faithlessness.  All he wants is our hearts, and our desires.  So as we sit with our families enjoying small puzzle pieces of the ultimate picture, let us thank the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for all things, but most importantly salvation.  If you have accepted Jesus’s gift on the cross and committed your life to him, you’ve got every reason to be thankful this year and every year in the future.  If you haven’t, he wants you to more than anything.  He paid a price for you, and conquered death all so he could talk to you and be with you!  Ask him into your heart, and repent from the sin that separates us from him and as he says, you are forgiven.  It is finished.

God Bless everyone.

Fly Like An Eagle

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I look up to and respect Michael Vick, even if he is a convicted felon and dog murderer…and no, it’s not just because I’m an Eagles fan.  Why?

The first time I saw Michael Vick play football was during the divisional playoff round of the 2002-2003 season in which the Philadelphia Eagles played the Atlanta Falcons.  Vick actually played awful in the game, but I developed a certain admiration of him that evening.  Every time he touched the ball, his feet seemed to be literally engulfed with flames, torching the infamous Veterans Field turf wherever he stepped.  He was running so fast it was as if his feet were on fire and he was attempting to put the flames out by running at sickening speeds.  How could this dude be exploding out from under center, whipping around his tackle and burst into the Eagles secondary in a few measly seconds?  From that game on, I watched his career from a love-hate point of view.  I loved watching his animal like speed and agility and arm strength.  I hated watching his arrogant press conferences.  He continued to puzzle defensive coordinators around the NFL, but as he talks about in his autobiography, Finally Free, he was making his way down a very destructive and evil path.  

                On November 19th, 2007 Mike went to prison on a twenty-three month sentence for dog fighting.  Mike was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL at the time, and this shocked and deeply angered many people.  Not just football fans, but everybody.  Animal activists were enraged and advocated the death penalty for Mike.  While many had different views on punishments, one thing most agreed on was that what Michael Vick did was evil.  Life went on for the rest of us, but as Mike describes in his book, he was in a stand still during his prison time…he was a “caged bird.”  That cage was opened in August 2009 when the Eagles signed him after serving his prison sentence and being cleared to play football again by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, but ultimately when he rededicated his life to Jesus Christ in a Kansas prison cell.          

                There is sooo much to process and consider with Michael Vick’s story, it is something that can be debated for days and days.  One thing that cannot be debated however, is that this man changed and not because of his doing.  Mike’s accomplishments on the football field with the Eagles in 2010 is not what makes his story interesting, it’s what went on in his heart.  God grabbed him where he was, and lifted him out of the disgusting sin he was indulging in when he turned his back on Christ upon entering the NFL.  His 2010 season shows how God richly blessed him and used him in the lives of many, including myself.  Mike lays it out for us in the eighth chapter of his book…

                “From the moment I first heard those prison doors slam behind me, I began to turn back to God-praying, reading the Bible, and recommitting my life to Him.  The only thing I could do was have faith and stay strong and to trust and believe that God would give me another chance”.  

                When he is talking about another chance, he is talking forgiveness.  Mike went from being one of the most beloved athletes to hated Americans in the course of a few months.  The forgiveness he NEEDED was from Christ.  It is the forgiveness we all need, and receive when we turn to him in faith and believe in his son’s death on the cross.  The forgiveness he DESIRED was from all his fans, friends, and family.  While many have forgiven him and many have not, it is troubling to think that some of those that have not call themselves “Christ-followers”.  It begs one question, its okay for God to forgive you of all your sins and call you his child but you don’t think it is fair for him to forgive and cleanse someone else?  Well for all the people who believe Mike Vick should never be forgiven for what he did, it isn’t up for you to decide.  We all have the same sentence, death.  We are all as much of a sinner as Mike and desire to be free!  Free from sin, free from evil, free from the deep wounds that lay in the depths of our hearts.  Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the only path to the freedom we need and desire.  The wages of sin is death, but when we repent…

“You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” Romans 6:18

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” Romans 6:22

Forgiveness is a beautiful and powerful thing.  Instead of the eternal death we have been sentenced to because of our incessant sin, we receive eternal life.  When we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us…and his mercies are new each day!  We must forgive, like we have been forgiven!  Live free.  Fly like an Eagle, free from sin and basking in the glorious riches God has for you!

 

 

 

 

 

A little validity….

How often do men come out of prison a better person than the one who entered prison?  Look at this statistic from the U.S. Department of Justice…

                “More than 650,000 ex-offenders are released from prison every year, and studies show that approximately two-thirds will likely be rearrested within three years of release.”

                Doesn’t sound like rehabilitation, does it? 

True rehab comes from Christ, and Christ alone.

Communication Factor

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The past two years I was blessed with the opportunity to work on the grounds crew of a golf club who hire migrant workers all the way from Mexico to come up and work every March through November.  Hailing from Vera Cruz, Mexico, a place riddled by drug cartels, most of these men speak very little to no English which presents some interesting challenges during the course of the work day.  However, all these guys are hilarious and awesome people, so the miscommunication was usually very entertaining for both English and Spanish speakers alike.  Despite the language barrier between the Americans, Mexicans, and single Jamaican on the crew (shout out to Gopie) everything that needed to be done, always was finished by the end of the day.  There were some days where I was absolutely blown away by the efficiency that was displayed, with such an inefficient method. 

 

                One day this past fall, I was working side by side with a man from Mexico named Samuel.  Samuel is a small, skinny man who sports a grey goatee off of his wrinkly face.  Smoking about a pack of cigarettes a day while being in his sixties having done manual labor his entire life, the man musters up the strength each day to weather the elements and earn money for his family back home.  Serious respect.  Anyway, we got to talking on this blustery fall day.  I asked “You excited to go back Mexico and see familia?”  Wow.  Who would have known something as simple as that would spark such a grammatically incorrect yet involved conversation?  Samuel started telling me about his daughters, and how one of his daughters was a widow because her husband was murdered by the cartels.  She had 3 kids to raise with no job and no husband to provide.  Samuel knowing my minimal grasp on the Spanish language simply said it was “No Bueno”.  He got that across to me amidst the massive wall separating us conversationally, so I decided to tell him about something’s that were going on in my life.  I realized how I hadn’t had a good conversation like this with someone who even spoke ENGLISH in a while!  Everything was straightforward, to the point and perhaps most important, we both really had to think about what the other was saying in order to understand.  Later on in the day, Samuel, out of the blue came up to me and said “We no good understand each other for Tower of Babel!”  I just started laughing hysterically, partially because of how funny he sounded saying it (a common occurrence for us to laugh at the language barrier), and because of how blown away I was!  We then started talking about various Old Testament occurrences including The Tower of Babel, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, The Battle of Jericho, and also talked about Paul from the New Testament a little.  It then hit me like a bag of bricks, there still is a universal language…The Gospel!!

 

In Genesis chapter 11, the first verse states that at the current time, there was only one language.  Then people travelling from east find this big plain in the land of Shinar (most likely modern day Iraq) and decide to build a gigantic tower “with a top that reaches the heavens so we can make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the whole earth”. (v.4). God decides to punish them for their pride and protect them from dangerous unification by “confusing” their language.  This was the origin of miscommunication between Samuel and I, and millions of others!

 

If God eliminated having only one language, but wants us to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matt.28:19), then how do we do so when the other countries speak a different language then we do?  The Gospel isn’t bound down by words, its living.  The Holy Spirit lives in us and communicates to others through our actions.  Even if there is a physical language barrier, there will never been a spiritual language barrier between us.  The Gospel is for everyone!  Not just English speaking Americans, or Spanish speaking Mexicans.  The consistency of our sinful hearts needing to be saved that will exist in all of us until we accept Jesus Christ into our lives by faith transcends words.  Which is why through hand motions, broken words, and tears there is amazing ministry going on all over the world, because it is Spirit led, sincere, and truly from the heart.

 

Jesus says we should let our Yes be Yes and our No be No in Matthew 5:37.  How often do we communicate like Jesus though?  He was always truthful, honest and loving with his words.  Mark 1 and 2 provide a good lesson on how to communicate with one another. 

 

  • Mark 1:15…short, honest, and sincere.

 

“The time has come,” he said.  “The kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news!”

 

  • Mark 2:17…truthful, and patient with the wishy washy Pharisees after they questioned him about eating with “sinners” and tax collectors.

 

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but

 

sinners.”

 

                Unlike us, he had every right to be harsh with these people and to flip things around and judge them as we often do with people who do things contrary to what we think they should do.  Jesus was without sin though, and we are overflowing with it.  It puts things in perspective to know that we never have the right to judge anyone yet we always do, and he had every right to, and was calm, patient and slow to anger.  Another way we need a savior.

 

The latter half of Matthew 5:37 says that “anything beyond this (simple, truthful answers) comes from the evil one”.  Sadly, rarely are people upfront about things.  Or if they are, it’s out of bitterness and sin, not truth.  Instead, they choose to people please and aim to earn the acceptance of man rather than of their Savior.  Ironically, people pleasing really is only done with self-glorification in mind…we only do it to make things easier on ourselves, rather than thinking about the others best interests.  Our yes’s are not yes’s and no’s are not no’s, and this is a very devastating place to be for everyone, nobody wins! 

 

We can be strong though, when our confidence isn’t in compliments from others or approval of man but resting solely in God and his word.  It’s an amazing freedom, and serves as an opportunity to build better more meaningful relationships with people when we are bold in Christ and learn to communicate as he would.  He’ll provide amazing ways, just like he did with Samuel and I, but most importantly, he’ll teach you how to better communicate with him!  He’s the best person to talk with around. 

 

               

 

 

 

Go To War

/ brianhilton9 / 1 Comment

Motivation can be hard to come by at times.

                As difficult circumstances pile on top of one another like logs, our hearts become weighed down.  Physically the presence of pain, stress, hurt, or guilt traps people in a fog of fear, anger, depression, or sorrow to mention a few.  Sometimes there seems like no way out and the heavy vest being carried will never be lifted.  In our minds, these things are magnified, whether we want them to be or not.  It’s time to break that magnifying glass!

                Where does incessant thinking about fear, or stress (among others) guide us?  The path is a dark one with no end and an exponential increase in the struggles.  For some reason however, it seems so enticing to give into those thoughts and let them have their stay.  The reason for that is because as Christians, we have a common enemy.  It’s not Atheists, homosexuals, prostitutes, junkies, or Muslims.  It is sin, and the flesh that is inspired by Satan.  If we truly believe that our God is real and his Bible is truth, why can’t we accept that the enemy is real as well?  Starting down this path, nobody realizes who is really behind it…the deceiver.  However, when Jesus is accepted and believed in with all of one’s heart, they quickly turn one hundred eighty degrees and start sprinting in the other direction and no matter how real the enemy is, he has no power. 

                The moment his word penetrates our hearts, souls are changed, truth is realized and war is declared.  What used to be a nice sounding sentence of literature becomes the strength we need to make it through the day and the joy we so desperately lack.  If God says it, that settles it.  As believers, our weapon, sharper than any sword or physical weapon, is the Bible.  Which begs the question, why would God have given us a weapon if there was no war to be waged?

                Believing that a book is more powerful than an AK-47 is ridiculous to anyone who has never read and believed the Bible.  This war isn’t a physical one, though.  Take 2 Corinthians 10:4…

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” (KJV)

                Paul uses the word carnal, or in Greek, Sarkikos.  Sarkikos literally means fleshly or of the body, but implies weakness, frailty, and imperfection in the Greek language.  An antonym of Carnal in Greek is Pneumatikόs.  This literally means spiritually, or supernatural and is described in the Greek language as pertaining or proceeding from the Holy Spirit.  The entire New Testament of the bible was written in Greek originally (2 Corinthians is in the New Testament). 

                When belief in God is present, his Holy Spirit lives inside the body of the believer, empowering them with Chôzeq, or literally filling them with “The Lord’s strength”.  The weapon, protection, and strength is all supplied with Jesus.  Thus, it is time to go to war.  Making war against addictions, fears, and selfish desires is possible by taking God’s word for what it really is, truth…and living in accordance with it.  Satan and our flesh’s only power is derived from what we give to it, so it is time to battle those because God has enabled us to and calls us to do so!  We will lose battles, BUT he has already won the war, ultimately.  Go to war.

Free from the Flame

/ brianhilton9 / Leave a comment

The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego is a popular one because of the seemingly fairy tale ending when these three men are saved from a fiery death and given a promotion by the man who was trying to kill them, King Nebuchadnezzar.  The problem is that with this amazing story many Christians and non-Christians alike take it not for what it truly is, but as they interpret it…a fairy tale.  The thing is, it’s the furthest thing from a fairy tale.

                A quick version of the story is this: King Nebuchadnezzar builds an “image of gold” and issues a decree that when people hear the sound of a horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes or any other kind of music, they must fall down to their knees and worship this golden image.  If anyone doesn’t, they will be thrown into a fiery furnace.  So then these tattle-tail astrologers tell the King about the 3 Jewish men (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) who are not obeying his orders to worship this image.  Nebuchadnezzar then tells them face to face in his fury that they will be thrown into the fire if they do not worship his idol and “then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”  I wonder if he thinks his metal “god” can. They respond that they don’t have to defend themselves to him.  The boldness and faith of these three men in their next statement is something we need to ask God to give us!  They say “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”  Nebuchadnezzar, furious, throws them into the furnace then cranks up the heat seven times its usual temperature.  The guards manning the entrance both are incinerated upon the furnace door opening, but these three mighty warriors are not harmed at all.  The King watches the men walk around his mighty furnace unharmed while a fourth figure is with them.  Nebuchadnezzar recognizes the figure as the Son of God and calls the men to come out of the furnace at once.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego walk out without any damage whatsoever.  Nebuchadnezzar recognized the men’s devotion and faith in God and noted how they did not compromise and how God blessed them for that, issuing another famous decree that anyone who speaks out against “their God” would be cut into pieces and their houses would be destroyed.  The three men are then promoted in Babylon…

It is safe to say that in this world, there is fire all around us.  Nobody in their right mind would say that this world is perfect, fair, and easy to live in.  There is evil all around us, and in us!  The fact of the matter is, we ourselves are fuel to those flames.  Our sin ignites that fire on a daily basis, and keeps it going.  We are so worried about being burnt, our eyes are constantly on the flames.  So we get torched over and over again and wonder if there is a way to resist being engulfed by these flames.  The fact is that sin remains.  We live in a fallen world separated from God, our creator and without him there is nothing but flames.  What if there was some kind of fire retardant we could cover ourselves in daily?  A safe haven.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had it!  It’s called faith.    

In the Christian world, there are so many ideas on what faith really is and we tend to over complicate it. This stuff in the bible, it’s real.  These aren’t fairy tales. Faith is faith, believing but not seeing, doing but not knowing; trusting.  However, having faith is not completely understood.  There is serious power when one has complete and utter faith in God, and Jesus Christ their savior.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego understood this completely!  When there was no possible, logical, plausible way of them surviving being thrown into a furnace, they did not fear and did not doubt that God had already saved them!  Even if they did die, they knew they would be met face to face with their savior, so where is the fear in death?  Faith in God sending his only son to die for us changes lives, and there is no circumstance that is irrevocable with him.  A beautiful freedom from fear and doubt is born in our souls and we no longer see the flames, we just see the peace that transcends all understanding.  Did God not tell us that if we believed, we would see the glory of him? (John 11:40). 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego clung to him to get them out of the flames.  We should do the same.  Repent from our sins daily and ask him to change our hearts and give us more faith!  He wants to make us valiant warriors…even more than that.  We just need to understand his power and put our faith in who he is. 

So when the going gets tough and you don’t know where you are headed, keep on walking.  It may just take you out of those flames.  By the way, you aren’t walking alone.