Viewing Life Differently

Truth About the Tithe: A Heart for God

2010-09-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Shows Our Heart for God

The Amount is Not Important, It is Where Your Heart is At

(Mark 12:41-43) “Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Jesus saw through their hearts, He was and is more concerned about what you do with what you have.

This sound familiar? Again, it’s Legalism.

As Paul points out in (2 Corinthians 9:7) “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Sound familiar? Again, we see an example of the tipper.

In both examples we see how God blesses those who give from the heart.

A Shift of Fear: From Bad to Good

God has a plan that is bigger then any of ours, including our finances.

It is up to us to fear and trust that He knows what He’s doing.

(Proverbs 9:10) “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”

If we are looking for ways to be wise with our finances, we must seek that wisdom from God. And God says one way to do this is through the tithe.

I want to challenge you to take a hard look at your finances

Are you a legalist when it comes to money? Do you give to be seen giving?

Are you a tipper? Do you give under compulsion or reluctance?

God wants us to be cheerful givers. The tithe is about more than just money, it shows our trust and heart for God.

Truth About the Tithe: Transfer Ownership

2010-09-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Rather than being a legalist or tipper I fully believe God has called us to be givers. What are the characteristics of a giver? One must shows trust and a heart for God.

Today we'll focus on trust

Shows Trust in God

· Malachi 3:10 says that we are to “bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

Transfer Ownership

· Everything belongs to God (Psalm 8:6-8) “You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority—the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents.”
· If we make a total transfer of our belongings to God, he will demonstrate his ability. (Will I not throw open the floodgates of heaven…)
· Financial freedom begins with putting God in control.
· Starts with prioritizing money, putting God first, rather than on the back burner (Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine”
· It seems ironic, because we often do things completely backward, but the bible gives countless examples that when people give their first and best, God will repeatedly bless that commitment.

Truth About the Tithe: Legalist vs. Tipper

2010-09-03T17:34:00.001-07:00

So, what is the first thing you think of when you hear the word tithe? Maybe 10 percent? For years Christians have been getting it wrong, and it is about time we learn that the tithe is about more than just money; it shows our trust and fear for God. Whether they mean to or not, Christians tend to stand on of one side or the other of the tithing war. Either one is a Legalist or one is a Tipper, and both are rooted in the wrong kind of fear of God.

Legalist:

§ These people think we must tithe to join the “Christian Club”

§ We elevate the tithe to be more important than anything else and claim that the tithe somehow assures our spirituality.

§ NOT THE CASE: Christ warns the Pharisees in Matthew 23:23 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of you r spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

§ They would tithe down every last mint leaf but would push things such as living in truth and love aside in order to do so.

§ These people fear that God will somehow strike them down if they do not give a certain amount.

Tipper:

§ These people believe that that the tithe isn’t really at all that important.

§ Therefore, they only give on a hit or miss basis, “tipping” God.

§ These are the people that take out a $5 as soon as the offering plate is sent around, with no planned action for their money beforehand.

§ These people also fear God, and not in a good way; they feel as if giving God a quick fiver on Sunday morning will somehow make them look better. We are afraid of what God will think of us.

Mediocre Obedience

2010-07-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

From Seth Godin's newest book Linchpin

He states that:

We've been taught to be a replaceable cog in a giant machine.
We've been taught to consume as a shortcut to happiness.
We've been taught not to care about our jobs or our customers.
And we've been taught to fit in.

It is my belief that we were not born to be simply a cog in a machine, no matter what we do, but to be artists with minds that can think, ideas that can provoke, and actions that care. We were not born for mediocre obedience.

A Current Day Psalm

2010-06-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

Take a minute to check out this video from The Well Media on Vimeo.

What is the cure to an infectious disease?
What if the symptoms outnumber the leaves of the trees, the sands of the seas.
A man that can’t stand, is down on his knees. He’s been hurting so hard that he can’t even breathe.
You see, we cough and we sneeze, we gasp and we wheeze, searching for something that will help us relieve the pain when we eat the pain in our speech, our world becomes dark as nothing is sweet.
So we lie on our sheet, we fight for our keep, acting like wolves we devour the weak.
We’re shepherdess sheep, too nervous to sleep.
We act like we’re perfect when we silently weep.
Our sinuses bleed with envy and greed.
Selfish consumption as we consistently feed.
We consistently ache, we consistently take pills with names that are fake.
Let me escape.
Just let me put all of my faith in things that forsake.
If I just lost some weight, if I just were in shape, if I just had a house with a boat on a lake.
Cheap thrills move through our body like cold chills.
We’ll pay with our credit card, these bills.
We’re dressed in our best just to look like success but we need to be healed.
Our nation is sick with the sin that will lead us to death and we need to be healed.
We need a resurrection injection. He was nailed to the cross just to heal our infection.
He was beaten and bruised just to heal our deception.
He broke the back of depression.
He knocked the teeth out of debt.
He gave his last breath, rose up from the grave and said “you’re no longer slaves”, you’ve been freed from your chains, your heartache and pain, just call on my name.
His name is Jesus.

Breeding Insane Christianity

2010-05-07T16:16:00.000-07:00

JOSHUA STUMP Founding Pastor of The Anchor Fellowship

"We breed this insane type of Christianity that needs to be killed of at the root and burned on the pile. It is this stupid Christianity that comes in the door that says... sing us a song I gotta feel good for a moment, now lets go have sex and drink till we drop and party and its all cool because God's mercy... well God says 'screw that', you guys are not going to get it if you keep living in the same crap every week. Because what you do is you take the deposit check of the spirit of God and you urinate on it every single week and you put it back in God's face and then you get angry with him because you don't understand why your life isn't blessed... we have to stop compromising our beliefs, we have to stop compromising our faith, we have to stop compromising in our morality, and in the secret places of our homes, and by our computers, and at the bar, and with our friends... we've got to stop. We've got to pay attention to the decisions we're making. Because what we're doing is we're creating this machine... that says 'God is a joke, God is not real.' Because I will tell you, when you claim God out of your mouth, [but then say] 'I dont ever feel convicted'... God says 'screw that,' God says 'time to change!'"

This scares me, because not only do I see it in fellow Christians, but looking in the mirror, I see myself falling into these same trends. Wanting to feel blessed on Sunday only to turn around and do nothing to grow in Christ throughout the week. Because as it says in 1 Corinthians, our bodies are not our own, and therefore, my reputation is Christ's reputation. That is, how we live our lives during the week, represents to others what we believe to be true about Christ in our lives. More times than not I wonder if we really do end up trashing God's grace. I wonder how much we live our lives like the rest of the world, with no evidence of Christ's love in our lives. This is where I feel like it truly is time to change.

The Human Heart: An Idol Factory

2010-04-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

We live in a culture filled with idols. These idols may not look like a physical statue or a totem pole, but they are in a sense, very real. And although we may not physically kneel down to the idols in our lives, we do bow down them in one way or another; women starve themselves for beauty, men fill themselves with pride to gain power. I am not saying that beauty or power are wrong, in fact, I think they are both great gifts from God. However, it is how we think about such gifts that can turn them into idols, into an ultimate thing, that will never truly satisfy. In Tim Keller's book, Counterfeit Gods, he talks about the despair that comes with creating idols. He states that:

"Despair, however, is inconsolable, because it comes from losing an ultimate thing. When you lose the ultimate source of your meaning or hope, there are no alternative sources to turn to. It breaks your spirit."

Where are we finding our hope? What is our ultimate? Well, it should be God, but I'm confident in saying that most of the time it is not. I'm confident in saying that because I experience it daily. Idols leave us feeling nothing sustainable in the end. In an instant gratification culture, this seems to be fine with us, at least for the moment. And isn't that just what we do? We live for the moment. But what happens after the moment? We either have two choices; push forward and ignore consequences or breakdown and repent. Keller describes this breakdown like a person who wakes up with a hangover after a night of all out drunkenness, only to come to the realization that they can barely remember the night before. But why? Why did we act so stupid? How did we lose all sight of what is true?

The Reason: Our hearts are "Idol Factories"

In Ezekiel 14:3, God says "these men have set up their idols in their hearts." We create idols within us. Which, for me at least, are far more dangerous. These idols can be hidden, secret, and destructive. When we put anything, yes anything, above God, it is an idol. This is how good things like family, love, success, and possessions become idols, we make them the ultimate thing in our lives. So check yourself. What are you putting your ultimate source of meaning and hope in? I will be doing the same thing.

Mission On My Mind

2010-01-31T13:33:00.000-08:00

I am no missionary, nor do I feel the call to be one. But I do feel the call to be on mission. I feel the need to be doing something greater than I can truly fathom. What it is specifically I have no idea, but what I do know is that my mission is the same as Christ's mission (or it is suppose to be).

Matthew 9:35-36 (NLT)
Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Christ's Mission:

He goes out
He proclaims the kingdom of God
He ministers with compassion

Jesus has a mission, but he cannot complete it by himself. Therefore, it is also up to us in some way. Where do we fit in? What is our mission.

Matthew 10:5-8 (ESV)
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.

My Mission:

I need to go out (because they are not coming to me)
I need to proclaim the kingdom of God
I need to minister with compassion

My Mission Field: Lansing, MI (and surrounding area)

Wherever we are I feel God calls us to spread the Word, and be a light to the darkness of the world. Yes, this even includes Lansing, Michigan. I know there are countless opportunities I fail to see or seek in my life. Work, LCC, and my community are all there. So I am challenging myself and you to think about the opportunities that occur in everyday life. God has placed me here for now, and it is my job as a believer to be a sacrificial follower who makes sacrificial followers.

It is only through Christ that any of this is possible, and while it's none of our jobs to make others believe, I know whole-heartilythat it's our job to share the message of Christ. Wherever that may be.

Where is your mission field?

Eating Garbage

2010-01-28T10:37:00.000-08:00

Junk in. Junk Out.

It is a simple concept that I've been taught since I can remember, but it sprung itself back into my mind the other day. I have been trying to think of reasons why I tend to lack "zeal" and "spiritual fervour" in my life, and for me, it goes back to that simple concept of consuming garbage. Now, no one would literally eat garbage, but I wonder how many of us do spiritually. Think about it, we are literally surrounded by garbage in our everyday lives. What we watch, read, etc. affects what we think about which, in turn, influences our actions.

So here is a test. What are putting your energy into, your time into, your thoughts into? What/who are you seeking in hard times? Answer these questions honestly and you may find yourself to eating a whole lot of garbage, more than you probably realized.

Two passages come to mind.

Colossians 3:1-4 (NIV)
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

1 John 2:15-17 (NLT)
Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

It is like eating. If you eat McDonald's every single day (I wouldn't eat McDonald's any day of the week but that's just me) you're going to get sick, fat, and unhealthy. Whereas if you eat Kashi and soy beans you're probably going to a healthier person. Now compare that with your relationship with Christ. If you never set your sights on God and only fill yourself with earthly things you're going to be spiritual sick, fat, and unhealthy. However, if you make an effort to strengthen your relationship with Christ, and don't just expect good things to come with little or no effort, you will "live forever."

So, lets stop eating garbage and start living.

Religion Doesn't Save

2009-09-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

I have, for awhile now, had animosity toward Religion. Now don't get me wrong, I love people, regardless of what religion they belong too. I don't dislike you because you are in a religion. After all, I am a Christian, which technically makes me a part of a religion. Right? I've gotten arguments that I'm just against the label "Christianity," and don't like the connotations that come with it. In some sense that is true. I do hate the negative connotations that come with the term Christian, but I also love of all of the positive ones as well. So it's not the label, it's something deeper. I think people feel like in order to become a Christ follower they need to be in a "religion" and be "religious," that is, they need to go to church and do/say all the right things. And that is where my dislike with the word religion really begins and is lodged. I want to live by what God says in the Bible, not necessarily what my religion tells me. Because God saves, not religion.

Religion never has, and never will, save anyone, from anything. Salvation only comes from the God of the Bible, and is something you can never get from a religion. I've been reading Salvation Belongs to Our God by Christopher Wright, and he made this all the more apparent to me. He says "we assume we get salvation from our Christian religion, [but] according to the Bible, religion saves nobody. God does... Nothing that we do is the means or the cause of our salvation. Our Christianity is a response we make... to the saving acts of God."

Christianity is a response. In both faith and life. We far too often think people need to change their behavior in order to be part of "the group." But the Bible is quite contrary to this belief, saying that God's love and grace are the means to our salvation; we cannot somehow participate in our salvation by doing repetitious religious activities. Saying that, I think we as Christians need to be more welcoming to those around us and accept their current beliefs. Becuase acting like Christ is a response to faith, not a precursor.

The simple truth is this: I don't want my life to be organized by religion, I want to be centered on Jesus.

I think Project Church does a nice job of describing this.

Religion ends with guilt. Jesus begins with forgiveness.

Religion adds burdens. Jesus carries burdens.

Religion enslaves. Jesus frees.

Religion is about what I have to do. Jesus is about what he has done.

Religion sees us vs. them. Jesus sees us.

Religion leads to pride. Jesus leads to humility.

Religion is salvation by morality. Jesus is salvation.

Religion brings religious institutions. Jesus brings a movement of love.

Religion separates itself from the world. Jesus steps into the world.

Religion is about rules. Jesus is about grace.

Religion tries to change people. Jesus changes people.

In the end I just think we need to be less focused on Religion and more focused on a growing relationship with Christ

Just A Thought

2009-07-29T16:28:00.001-07:00

if you are not spiritually growing, you are spiritually shrinking. there can't be idling.

Our Mission: Unqualified, Imperfect, and Ready

2009-07-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

There are multiple things that I believe go into our daily mission as Christians, the missionary (us), the mission field (wherever we are), and the mission itself (being sacrificial followers, who make sacrificial followers). The more I think about my life as a "missionary" and my neighborhood as a "mission field," the more I see myself lacking in the "mission." I think we are all called to missionaries; I don't think that means moving to a different country, or being on full time mission, but it does mean a shift in our priorities. We pigeon hole ourselves as unqualified, imperfect, and unprepared; and use these as reasons as to why we could never go out in our mission fields. The truth is that those reasons are actually excuses, and that we are actually more ready that we probably realize.

The Missionary: Justin Simon

I wonder how many times we as Christians treat the mission just as Jonah did. I know I get the feeling that I am all for the mission, just as long as it's easy, or if someone else does it. Jesus told us in Matthew to "make disciples of all nations" not "when you're perfect and qualified go make disciples." This is a major flaw I see in myself as a younger person in church. I often feel as though my thoughts and actions are worthless. Why would someone 40 years older than me care what I have to say or do about a matter, after all, I'm am just an imperfect, unqualified youth. But God could care less about that. He wants me to have a heart for those around me, and share His love with them, no matter how qualified I am.

The Mission Field: Lansing, MI (and surrounding area)

Wherever we are I feel God calls us to spread the Word, and be a light to the darkness of the world. Yes, this even includes Lansing, Michigan. I know there are countless opportunities I fail to see or seek in my life. Work, college, and community are all there. They are all, in a sense, my own personal Ninevehs; and more times than not I tend to act like Jonah, and run from them. I can't tell you the amount of times I have had an chance to share the gospel to others in the midst of everyday conversations, and haven't. So I am challenging myself and you to think about the opportunities that occur in everyday life. God has placed me here for now, and it is my job as a believer to be a sacrificial follower who makes sacrificial followers.

The Mission Itself: Being a Sacrificial Follower, Who Makes Sacrificial Followers

To accomplish this I need to be prayerful, in the Word, have a heart for those without Christ, promote community, and above all, be obsessed with God, and living a lifestyle of worship.

It is only through Christ that any of this is possible, and while it's none of our jobs to make others believe, I know whole-heartily that it's our job to share the message of Christ. Wherever that may be.

Have We Lost Our Awe of God?

2009-07-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

Here is a video from Francis Chan's website for his book Crazy Love. I can't help but wonder if we've lost sight of the awe of God and his majesty.

What Is a Good Day?

2009-07-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

It's a simple question, but it is one I think needs to be addressed. So what makes a good day? No work, no school, all fun, all pleasure. I'm not sure. For most, I think people live in the hope for the weekend, the hope for a day off, I know I get sucked into this. I wake up on the days I work counting down the hours until I get to leave or until my next day off, instead of making the most of the day I have. What a waste! I spend so much time thinking about what I could be doing that I neglect to actually do something great for God. I make everyday life seem meaningless, and everyday occurrences meaningless. I often try to convince myself that the small things are meaningless and that I am far to busy to do something larger for God's glory. This, in turn, creates an apathetic state of mind toward doing anything. I wake up, go about my daily business, and go back to sleep. But as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:58 we need to "be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless." NOTHING we do for the Lord is useless. Strong words. Nothing. Not eating cereal, not washing dishes, not work, not play, nothing, is useless. "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). I think there needs to be a radical reorientation of our lives. I have this idea in my head that my only goal for the week is to seek relaxation, fun, and pleasure. When I think about it, could I be more wrong? Not that relaxation, fun, and pleasure are wrong, but in no way should they be what I am striving for or what brings me the most joy and satisfaction. I need to find that joy and satisfaction in Christ alone. I need to put Christ at the center of my actions and live, in all things I do, to glorify Him, not myself.

The more you think about it the more idiotic, and prideful this state of mind seems. Because our next day isn't guaranteed, our next breath isn't even guaranteed. So why has this concept escaped us? There is a 100% chance all of us are going to die, so what makes us think we are invincible? What makes us think we are in control of it all? It seems that unless someone close to us falls ill or dies, we rarely take the time to understand the frailty of life. We consider ourselves powerful, unbeatable, and untouchable; whether we use those words or not. We have an ill-advised self confidence in ourselves, in our lives, and in our futures, rather than having confidence in Christ and the hope he brings through the cross. We are warned of this self confidence in James 4:13-17.

^"13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” ¹⁴ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. ¹⁵ What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it."

God wants us to find our greatest joy in Him alone, and live for him in all situations. Drop our pride and come to him. For it is through Christ that true happiness and joy is found, not in ourselves. It is not up to me. It is up to God. It is God alone that knows my future. It is God alone whom I need to find my hope and joy.

A good day is making the most of every situation, and fully trusting in God's plan for our lives. Knowing that God is working in all situations.

Phil Mickelson Hits Backwards Better Than You Hit Forwards

2009-07-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

Now Phil Mickelson is by no means my favorite golfer (Go Tiger!), but this is flat-out cool. Courtesy of Golf.com, this is a video from Phil's short-game DVD where he demonstrates how to handle a ball on the downward lip of the back edge of a bunker, a shot that can't be hit forward without landing in the sand. However, if you are Phil Mickelson, you turn around backwards, and simply hit it over your head. Check this out...

A Chameleon, A Mockingbird

2009-06-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

As Christ followers, our lives should look different than those of the rest of the world. But often times our lives aren't. I think we as Christians in America are living a largely unchristian life, myself included. There seems to be little difference between the way we live, as Christ followers, and the world around us. We tend to think that Christianity is about doing the right thing, which it's not, and that we are doing the right thing, which we're not. We are chameleons, blending in the rest of the worlds ways. We are mockingbirds, regurgitating the worlds views and beliefs while hiding our own.

So, I am a hypocrite, or at the least, a recovering one. Because at my darkest, these are my beliefs as well. I like to build myself up, tell myself I don't need help. Jesus though, tells me other wise in Matthew when he says "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." I am nothing without Christ's love. And I need Jesus. Jesus didn't come because we do the right thing, he came because we constantly do the wrong thing. I need to remember that I suck, and the only good that comes out of my life is through the Holy Spirit working through me.

How true it is that sometimes we base our salvation on good deeds rather than the loving act of Christ? Yes, good deeds are necessary, and we do need to distinguish ourselves from the rest, but how? I think it comes down to a need to change our hearts, and to actually want the change. Because if our hearts don't change, I don't see how the actions will. C.S. Lewis says "before we can be cured, we must want to be cured," and I think that states it well. There needs to be a sort of balance. We need to be in the world, not of it. We should live for Jesus as a city within the city—knowing culture, loving people, and seeing lives transformed to live for Jesus.

Kids:Questions of Jesus

2009-06-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

via Jesus Creed

I'm working VBS next week and I pray that none of the kids ask me any of these questions!

Jigsaw

2009-05-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

I had been doing a lot of thinking, but my mind wasn't really wrapping around what exactly it was that I was thinking about. It seemed as though I had many unorganized thoughts that all seem to focus on something, and I couldn't quite figure out what they are all pointing to.

It's like a jigsaw puzzle of sorts.

I had all these pieces spread on the table, and I thought that if I could see the box, then maybe I could piece them all together to make something out of them. The box turned out to be doubt and the pieces turned out to be many aspects of my life in which doubt has been overwhelming me. I doubt if what I plan to do with my life is a stable career, and if that truly even matters in the choice. I doubt whether all my hard work will eventually pay off, at work or school. I doubt my sincerity in many relationships. I doubt if I'll ever be able to make a difference, so why try. And sometimes, I doubt if God is even listening. Even typing this, it is unreal to think about all the doubt that has been filling my mind as of late. And I will forever suffer to the irony that is my prayer life. While it is the first thing I should do, it is often the last. What I'm afraid of hearing, is often what I need to hear. And often times, what I'm afraid of doing is what I more than likely need to be doing. Because when I give control to God it makes life so much less stressful, and less doubtful. Psalms 94 says that "the Lord will not reject his people; he will not abandon his special possession... unless the Lord had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, 'I am slipping!' but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer."

My doubts are normal, but it is how I deal with them that will change how I live my life. It gives me amazing hope that even in my doubts Christ is there to pick me back up, even as I can feel myself slipping. I fail, and He is still by my side. What comfort! I have to remember that I am a constant work in progress. God is molding and shaping me on a daily basis to be the man I am suppose to be.

And when doubts fill my mind, your comfort (will give me) renewed hope and cheer!

Bird's Eye View

2009-05-19T17:16:00.000-07:00

Poor birdy is stuck in my egress window!

Don't Go to Prom, You May Burn in Hell?

2009-05-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

And so it continues. This story makes me mad...

something else

2009-05-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

change.

it's something that not everyone likes.

it's something that you get when you buy something.

it's something that you do to the oil in your car.

it's something that brings people together, and...

it's something that tears them apart.

it's something that can be good, or it's something that can be bad.

it's something that i fear.

it's something that i hate.

it's something that i love and...

it's something that i have no control over.

-control is something out of my control- and i have to admit it

trust.

it's something that i need to have in God.

it's something that i need to have in friends.

it's something that i need my friends to have in me.

it's not worrying. it's being rational.

it's everything i need.

The Big Three

2009-04-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

I find these things so elementary, yet so crucial.

Knowing and acting on God's Word (aka BIBLE)
Surrounding yourself with a Community (aka CHURCH)
Talking to Christ (PRAYER)

BIBLE, PRAYER, CHURCH!!! Are these not the things we're taught as Christians from day one?

If you're anything like me these basics are often ignored. I like to think that there are more important things to deal with or that I can just do it by myself, which always fails. I love Christ, but I seem to struggle with these all the time. So here are my personal convictions about these three things. Good, bad, indifferent.

BIBLE: God has basically given me a manual of how to live. Kind of like that that owners manual shoved somewhere in the glove box in my car. When something goes wrong with my car, and it always does, there are two things I do: 1. I try to fix it on my own, 2. I go to my owners manual, 3. A few weeks ago I needed to change the time on my clock in my car. I assumed I knew how to do it and spent a half hour trying to fix it. Real life is the same way. When I have a problem, I think I know EVERY way to fix it, instead of going to the Bible, my manual. The complete irony of the situation is that if I went to the manual in the first place I would save myself a whole lot of trouble. Because the truth is, once I went to the manual, the solution became clearer.

PRAYER: I have always struggled with this. And for whatever reason, I have never seemed to be able to have a strong prayer life. I have a one reason why I don't do this. I DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING WILL HAPPEN. And that's the truth. Because if I did, wouldn't I do it more? It seems strange to me, that even though I want and need a continually growing relationship with Christ, I rarely talk to him. And when I do talk to him it seems to be a lovely rehearsed version of what I think he would love to hear. It is actually the exact opposite of what he wants. He wants a relationship with me. The thing I fail miserably on, Daniel excels. In Daniel 9 it talks about how Daniel actually has a relationship with his prayer life and God. So right now I'm striving to talk to God as a friend, rather than just a name on a page.

CHURCH: This is something I actually enjoy. I love community, and growing with Godly, like minded people. One thing I have always found to interesting is people's definitions of church, both as a building and a community of followers. For me, church is a community of believers, whether it is a small group of six on a Tuesday night or a church building filled with 1,000 on Sunday morning. I love the accountability and support I get from my community. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says that "though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." I need that group throughout the week. And I thank God for all the people he has brought into my life. We also need to be serving and growing Monday through Saturday as well. God wants us to interact with the world so they can see his glory, we need each other to be able to influence others rather than be influenced by others. Hebrews 3:13 says we should "encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Community is more than just Sunday.

While You're Young...

2009-04-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

...do great things for Christ.

I think our generation is in trouble. Errr... well somewhat in trouble. I think, for me at least, it is so hard to keep strong in your faith, especially among peers. It's easy for me to talk to my peers, and even those older than me, IN THE CHURCH. And that's the problem. This "in the church" thing kills me and is what keeps me up at night. It all comes down to trust. If I had trust, real trust, in God then the rest would be mute. I am far to often worried about my glory and my fame. Not God's. So this brings me to a point of stand still. Sometimes I feel like "what can i do? i'm just some young kid." This is where the verses in Timothy help encourage me.

I like what Paul says to Timothy when it seems that he is was lacking confidence because of his age. He tells him not to "let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity," (I Tim. 4:12) and that "God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News" (II Tim. 1:7-8).

I would never say that I am ashamed of God, but I seem to live that way sometimes. And actions speak louder than words. UGH!

But I think that's where my frustration ends. Because we're also given hope. Hope that what we do is not meaningless. No matter how often that seems the case. Paul says to suffer for the sake of the Good News. And while thats hard for me to swallow, even typing this, I know it's the truth.

Ignatius?

2009-04-09T15:41:00.000-07:00

Where is the Church going? This is a very satirical look at unhealthy "rock star" culture that has been growing inside the church.

Ignatius from travis hawkins on Vimeo.

where i end

2009-04-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

oh my God, i've been hiding in this city

trying to run

waiting for some security

that seems to never come

and when You look at me You see

a man consumed with anger

a man consumed with greed

there's nothing left for me to do

no one else for me to harm

and so i'm crying out to hear from you

just hold me in your arms

i've wandered these streets

searching for comfort never gained

and these scars on my feet

tell of this self-inflicted pain

face to face and heart to heart

where i end is where we start

April Fools!

2009-04-01T06:48:00.000-07:00

The History Of April Fools' Day Plus The Top Five Pranks Of All Time

pitinmystomach

2009-03-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

internal struggles...

i sometimes seem to be battling myself.

Slavery:Pleasure

2009-03-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

I think this one is HUGE in our lives! At least for me. How often do we put the pleasures of this world above God? I know i do it all the time. And everyone has different pleasures, whether it be money, drugs, music, sex, t.v., vacation, and so on and so forth. I think its very intesting what Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 says about pleasure.

^"1 I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. ² So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” ³ After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world. ⁴ I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. ⁵ I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. ⁶ I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. ⁷ I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. ⁸ I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire! ⁹ So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. ¹⁰ Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. ¹¹ But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere" (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 NLT).

First he intended to test pleasure (2:1). I seem to do this constantly and without thinking. I convince mysleft that lifes pleasures will fullfill my every want. But it doesn't. And the teacher in Ecclesiastes finds that out (2:2-9). He tries nearly half a dozen different things to bring him pleasure, but in the end still finds himself alone and unhappy. Isn't that what its like for us? We go into something thinking that this one "good thing" will bring us joy. And the strange thing about it is that IT NEVER LASTS. No matter what it is, because the things here on earth do not last. The teacher reveals this in 2:11 saying "There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere." So what can we conclude about this? Well, if nothing on this earth is sustaining, then we need to find our deepest and and most enduring joy in God. It says in John that "If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

It should be my goal to find joy in Christ rather than the things of the world.

Slavery:Control

2009-03-01T14:17:00.000-08:00

" ¹¹ I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time. People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy. ¹² People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy" (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 NLT).

Life is unexpected and more times than not causes us to grab for control of our lives. We try to put control high on our lists in order to keep things things "in order".We try to control our lives in two kinds of ways: preemptive and reactive.

Preemptive

Manipulation/maneuvering
Meticulous organization

Reactive

Anger
Panic
Worry
Escape

We have these times where we would much rather control our lives because we know what is best for ourselves. But doesn't it seem to always go the opposite way. There are countless times in my life when I have done something that I believe is the 'best option' for me only for it to turn out to be the 'worst option'. There seems to be a parallel between what God wants from our lives and what we want from our lives. A great example of this is in Genesis, when Abraham and Sarah were trying to have their first child. Sarah seemed to be infertile so she told Abraham to have sex with her maid in order to have a child, and Abraham did. And as a result all sorts of other stuff happened. Not quite what God had in mind. And interestingly, Abraham's control is again tested, and it once again it involves a child. God basically asks Abraham to take his son Isaac away and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. But is so amazing is that Abraham does it. And because he was faithful to the Lord, just as he laid Isaac on the alter, God told him not to touch him and provided Abraham with a ram to sacrifice instead. I love these two stories because they illustrate so well the point I often miss. In that, if we allow God to have control of our lives, he will take care of us.

I need to remember to surrender and trust God in all situations in life.

Slavery

2009-03-01T13:48:00.000-08:00

Grand Ledge Baptist Church recently started a series on Idols of The Heart which is going through the book of Ecclesiastes, which talks about a sort of 'earth bound' view of life 'under the sun.' The series has really made me sit back and look at my own life. It is so easy to get caught up in life; and without even realizing it, I become a slave to things around me. I'm going to be blogging about these different idols that seem to take control of my life and of which I seem to become a slave to.

2009-02-24T17:35:00.000-08:00

My new favorite thing about the internet.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

2009-01-31T21:38:00.000-08:00

I now have a routine!

All this makes me want to do vomit. Seriously. So I try to ignore it. Tell myself it's not there, but it always is. Maybe 'out of sight, out of mind'. I often find myself rejecting routine, and I have found myself doing this for years now. But only lately have I realized why I dislike and repel them so much, because I now actually have one. I get up, eat, shower (when necessary), go to work/school, come home/go to Rachael's, and go to bed around 10:30pm. It is not that I dislike the things in my routine, because I love eating, having a job, and a wonderful person to share life with. It's when these things become monotonous and predictable that I have a problem. When I wake up at 6am every other morning to eat the same things, go to the same job, and do the sames things, all followed by school other days, it just gets to the point of exhaustion. Yes, routine is exhausting me, and I find myself asking: Where is God?

And just when I am about to bathe myself in my own pity, I realize something. This "routine" has been pulling me down in much more significant ways. Ways that need to be dealt with, and can only be dealt with when I stop feeling so damn sorry for myself, and when I want to deal with them. I can say it all I want, but actions always speak louder than words. Because I've honestly been living a routine for most of my life, it's just not so obvious. Because if I only keep myself busy, and distracted, I can loose track of what is really keeping me together.

I finally found where Christ had been hiding all this time!

Nowhere...

It was me that ran away. Most of the time I would much rather mock God, and run away, than come to him with a humble and redemptive heart. It's almost a 'out of sight, out of mind' mentality again, that if I can focus on things other than Christ, maybe He too will focus on other things. My motives are often selfish and somewhat apawling. My conscience is absent, my mind, not my heart, is at the center of all. And that is a place I hate to be. It is me at my darkest, and most of the time I keep ignoring it, hoping the feelings go away. It is my belief that if we all truly believed Christ was always with us we wouldn't do half the things we do. Because the truth is, I'm selfish. I want God to be there when I want Him to be there, and the rest of the time he can just turn the other way.

It's almost ubsurd for me to write this. Because of how addicted, needy, and pitiful it makes me out to be. But that's what I am without Christ.

Thankfully Christ is forgiving. And I praise Him for that! Every second gives me a new chance, to be a new man, with a new mentality.

So for now, I'll fight that routine...

2009-01-26T16:34:00.001-08:00

So this weekend I was at the store and I decided that ice cream sounded amazing. I found this. It's fantastic! I suggest everyone go try it!

Yahoo! Toolbar/Keep Up

2009-01-24T13:39:00.000-08:00

GAH! I'm going to try to keep up with this. I even put a button on my Yahoo! toolbar. Lame I know. But the only websites I go to are the ones on my toolbar. That is the extent of my Internet usage. My toolbar consists of...

five, yes five, websites devoted to the Detroit Lions (shame)
one to Facebook
one to my email
one to my blog.

So hopefully I'll use this. And hopefully my friends (past, present, and future) will read it.

'The Great Sin' from C.S. Lewis' 'Mere Christianity'

2008-11-06T10:58:00.000-08:00

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. The chapter entitle 'the great sin' is one that seems to always confront me and challenge me in different ways. According to Lewis the 'great sin' is pride, and this is something that i think, no matter where you are at in your life, you can relate to.

1. "according to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison." this may have struck me the most. Most likely because I often put all of those things as "worse sins" than just thinking of yourself above others. But when I sat down to think of it, it wasn't anger, greed, or drunkenness that got Satan kicked out of heaven, it was pride.

2."Pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense." This whole chapter, but this quote in general just reminded me how much we miss out when we only concentrate on ourselves. In 1 Corinthians the author says "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." How can we truly love when we so often times put our selfish, narcissistic thoughts above those of others?

3."Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind." Just think about that. The words still make me think every time I read them. We try so hard to be like Christ and yet everyday we have this "complete anti-God state of mind" I hate to think that I have that. But I do. And it is going to take a conscience effort to thwart this state of mind.