Wipe Off The Dust!

In all the books that I have read in my life, which could fit on a single shelve of an IKEA book shelve, nothing has been more profound then the Word of God. Not only has it captivated millions of hearts around the world, it is known as the most important book ever to be written. It is where we find the truth to the Christian’s life, the past, the present, and the future. But just like any book in the world, we do not receive it through osmosis. In other words, to know it, you have to read it. 

         In 2 Timothy, Paul explains that “all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (3:16-17). As a man of God, this statement allowed me to make certain at which how to apply the Word in my life. Not only how to live, which is important, but of up most importance, who to live for. 

         Knowing that I live for Christ alone in my life, I’m compelled to read His truth. I mean who would follow someone and yet desire to know nothing about him or her. We would not do that with a personal relationship here on Earth, so why not do the same thing with our Heavenly Father. I have a burning passion within me to know more about Him and why I was created and saved for. I heard a story one time about a people that longed for an answer from their god. They traveled hundreds of miles, offered up their most precious valuables, all to receive a single oracle from their most precious god. They would wait days if not months for their answer, and if they only knew that this answer came from an old withered lady, that was high on fumes that crept up from the earth beneath, I believe they would second guess their god’s oracle.  

         Yet our heavenly Father has given us all the oracles to life, and in many cases, they remain leather bound, and sitting upon a table, covered in dust.

           I choose to not leave mine covered in dust. I make the decision to pick mine up everyday that I can and fill my mind with His truth. If I would be completely honest, I first ask God, that He would have mercy on me, and reveal the truth through His Holy Spirit, and convict me to be moved wherever He would seem fit. But we must make the choice, the decision to want to know our God and to grow in the relationship with our Savior. 

         We must make a habit of reading the Scripture in our lives. The more persistent we are at making this a priority in our life, the more the Word of God will impact our who we are and what we represent. For example, if we never watch the news we will never know what is going on around the world, but if we consume our time in the news, our lives will become more apart of the world. The Word works the same way. The less we are involved, the less of an impact it will have on us. On the contrary, if we would make the Word a priority, then the subject in whom the bible is written about, which is Jesus, will consume our lives. That very same circumstance is what has happened to me. 

         Now I would add that, I find it all joy. Yes, everything that is written in the Living Word I find it to be joy. Whether there is a correction that is revealed for my own life, or a new revelation of His amazing love for me, I choose to find it all-joy. There are so many people that read the bible, and all they see are rules and regulations, and I would say they read it with a tainted heart. A heart that is unwilling to see the beauty in God’s Holy Word. All I can say is I have abided in His word, and I have been revealed it’s truth, and it is by that truth, that I have been truly set free (John 8:31-32). That is why I choose to be joyful when I read it every chance I get and I would encourage you to have the same mindset.

         I believe another key point with the Word is that it should be the guide to our lives. Andrews said, “the danger point occurs when we begin to think too highly of our own wisdom and start ignoring the counsel of others” (37).  I believe you can walk in the same fashion with our relationship with God. So in life, the more we lean on our own understanding and the understanding of others, we can ignore the counsel of God. This is why I challenge others and myself to use the bible as a filter to our lives. It is the best accountability partner that a Christian could ever have. The bible never wavers, or second-guesses what has been written and it always tells the truth.

         As the word reveals truth, we must be responsible not to change what it says. By that I mean we must always stick to its context, not adding to, or taking away. In other words, one must maintain the integrity of the word. Now I know we are not perfect and God does not deter His grace because of that, but what God has revealed to us, we are held responsible to not only share, but also more importantly to show. The last thing God wants us to do is become obese in His Word. If any generation would understand this more, it would be todays. We must remain fit in the word, consuming it, but also maintaining a lifestyle that exercises that which enters by sharing and exits by showing the truth to those around us. 

          May these words excite you and encourage you to get back to the Word of God. To get to know your Savior in an intimate way and see how He truly loves you. This life is but a vapor, but my vapor as a Christian will be spent building the kingdom of Him who saves.

Andrews, Andy. Mastering the Seven Decisions. Nashville. Thomas Nelson. 2008. print

Take Time

STOP! Take a breath… Don’t move a muscle… Is the world still moving? Yes… Many times in my life, I have had to go through this routine because I have made it too busy. I had to make it known to myself that I was not in control and that God is. An unhurried life is not one that you see often in the world that we live in, but I must contest that it may be that very reason why we struggle to have more sincere relationships in general.

         This begins with the choice of saying, "No"--a two-letter word that, if used right, can silence a room enough to hear a pen drop. But in our own lives, we fear saying such a word. I believe we fear because we don’t understand the consequence if we don’t. The world, including myself, needs to become most compassionate about what’s most important.  It’s too easy to get caught up in chaos and the busyness of life and lose track of the end goal, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

          Jesus explained it to us so clearly when He embodied all the laws together into two relationships: the relationship with God and the relationship with your neighbor. We as a people must be concerned to uphold this embodiment in our lives. Andrew Jackson, our seventh president, said,  "Take time to be deliberate, but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in!” (Andrew 61). I believe the battle that we face today is the battle of a hurried life. Take the action today to say, "No". I must stop deliberating and say no to secure an unhurried life for the future.

         When we become responsible for our lives rather than the world, we are able to steer the boat in which we sit. We control if we want to head towards a life that God wants us to live or once again fall back into the busyness of the world. I choose to make the choice that grows my eternal life that rests upon God’s promises.

         My friend, there is great joy in that decision. Finding the joy in the promise of God removes the weight off our shoulders. So, not only are you taking control of your decisions but you also give the key to your heart, and to your life, back to the One who created you--Who knows what’s best for you. Think of yourself as a tool. The One that would know how to use that tool the best, in the most correct fashion, would be its rceator. For myself, I find great joy that my Creator is Christ.

         “Following Jesus cannot be done at a sprint. If we want to follow someone, we can’t go faster than the one who is leading” (Ortberg 79). Even in our pursuit to follow God, we must remain unhurried. We are the biggest catalyst to our hurried life; so even if we are following God, we have to be patient when creating a lifestyle that leads to the end result. We must guide ourselves down a path that leads to God on His terms and His way. I would also suggest a warning that we will not have to say "No" once, but many times in life. A Christian must be persistent in his or her decision to follow Jesus, while being sure that he or she is “counting the cost” daily in his or her life (Luke 14:25-33).  

         Throughout my life, and even in the present moment, I fight the hurried life. In my mind and flesh, I’m at war, but I have the ultimate weapon of warfare, Christ. He has filled me with an unwavering Spirit that reveals the truth of the Scripture. I am persuaded that I must flee from the busyness of life and find His promised rest. I challenge you to do the same.

Ortberg, John. The Life You've Always Wanted. Grand Rapids. Zondervan. 1997. print
Andrews, Andy. Mastering the Seven Decisions. Nashville. Thomas Nelson. 2008. print

Enduring The Race to Eternity

Growing up in life, I was always competitive. I understood the object of a game, a competition, and that was to finish first, or do the better than all the rest. I had a passion inside of me that did everything it could to be the best. Although through many of my competitive experiences there was no crown or medal that I would win, I still gave my all in everything that was brought to the table. Now, I wouldn’t say that is the best quality to have in this world because in someways it removes the idea of teamwork and brings in a sense of pride and self-righteousness. But I can say I’m am thankful of the fight it instilled in my life--the fight that never gives up even if you're down by an amount that is just against the odds but you never stop until the time runs out--that fight is something that all people need and must have. 

We live in a society where everything is given, and there shouldn't be much of a fight, or better said, a sense of endurance. Growing up in life, I heard many stories of men and women that gave everything they had just for their next generations. Many men gave their life for their country because they desired a freedom for the many people at home. They were passionate about what was most important and used their hope to continue in their “fight”. But today, we want it simple, we want it now, and we sometimes don’t want to strive to get what we want or more that need. We just expect it to happen without a sense of effort. 

Having an understanding of endurance changed my life. It has made me who I am today. And one of the biggest effects this attribute has had in my life is Spiritually. Understanding what God asks of me as a Christian, a follower of His Gospel, makes all the difference in my personal relationship with Him and with others. It changes the way you live and the way that you respond to Gods calling for all of our lives no matter what the task may be. Look at the word with me, Colossians 1:21-23 “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven.” 

Reading this verse gets me pumped. Just think about it. Without Christ, we are alienated. We are a foreign body that has is separated from God, but he can remove the death of sin and fill us with the righteousness of Christ by the redemptive blood paid at the Cross. And He tells us if indeed we continue in the faith, being stable and steadfast, we will have eternal Glory. Matthew 10:32-33 talks about acknowledging Jesus before others, and, if we do this then, He, being Christ, will acknowledge us before the Father, God the Father. But if we deny Him, then He will deny us before the Father. Who wants that? If there is any real fear in this world, it would have to be the fear of the unknown--the unknown if Jesus will acknowledge you before the father; the unknown if you are saved from death and are experiencing life; the unknown if you are His!

So we must ask ourselves the question: are we known? Do we acknowledge Him before others, do we continue our faith with steadfastness, or have we denied Him by not acknowledging him? The word reveals that He is always faithful to His word; therefore, we must test ourselves and know if we are in Him or away from Him (2 Corinthians 13:5). Also, if indeed He is always faithful to his word, then Matthew 10:32-33 should really make you think…

Whether you have a relationship with Him or not, you need a heart that will fight for YOUR life. Work out your salvation with endurance by standing true to the whole Gospel. Don’t let this world put lies into your mind. Don’t conform to a society that doesn't believe in the the whole truth of the Gospel. Endure 'til the end, and receive the eternal life that God promises. And if you're one that says “I just don’t know about all of this,” don’t wait for it to come to you. Fight and strive for an understanding that, when you receive it, you know without a doubt that God has revealed it to you. Not only will this bring hope to your life but it will also advance the kingdom so that many others will experience the gift of eternal life.