Category Archives: Blog

Resolved to Hope

Posted on Jan 13, 2016 | Download

Don’t get your hopes up. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life." (Proverbs 13:12) A statement given and received by all of us at some point or another. “Don’t get your hopes up.” Hope is a curse word in most of our mental dictionaries. We use it to describe a desire that might be fulfilled, but probably won’t, or is at best uncertain. But hope is one of the major concepts in the Bible. It is used over 150 times throughout Scripture. Our culture sees hope as an unfortunate reality of life, while the Bible describes hope as foundational to the Christian faith and to every Christian’s joy. What is hope? "Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?" (Romans 8:24) Hope is, in one sense, just a fancy word for waiting. We hate waiting. And as technology (and with it, convenience) continues to increase, our impatience increases and intensifies. But there is a sort of threshold. If you begin to save up for some significant purchase, say a new guitar, when you finally make the purchase you are thankful for the wait and the hard work it took to save enough money to buy it. On the other hand, if you have been applying for jobs for over a year and you finally get one, you may be thankful for the job, but the wait seems to have very little value, and is seen as more of an enemy than anything beneficial. We may place some value on waiting, but at some point deferred hope becomes discouragement. The certainty of what we hope for decreases with time. The longer we wait the more uncertain we become that our hopes will ever come to pass, with one exception. The object of our hope. "And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts…" (Romans 5:5) Deferred hope almost always disappoints but Christian hope does not. The above verse gives an odd reason for this phenomena, “Because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts...” So hope does not disappoint because Jesus loves me? That sounds a little too “Sunday school” to be of any real help. Why is waiting good news for the Christian and bad news for the Christless? The difference isn’t so much the waiting, but the object of our waiting. What Christians await ultimately is the resurrection. Our hope is anchored in the reality that no matter what this life brings, not matter what disappointments we face, no matter what opportunities, or relationships, or loved ones we lose on this earth, every loss will be regained a thousand times over at the resurrection. Every other hope may disappoint, but the hope of a final resurrection is absolutely certain. God’s love is the foundation for our confidence because He is strong and He is trustworthy. He is strong enough to bring to pass anything He wants, and He is trustworthy enough do exactly what He has promised. So God, being a good Father who loves us, gives us every reason in the world to trust Him when He says that when this life is over, true life will have only just begun. It is His love, having been “poured out within our hearts,” that enables us to trust in His promise of life, and life to the full, forever. Every other hope may disappoint and discourage, but the Christian’s hope of the resurrection cannot disappoint because it is absolutely certain. The What transforms the Wait. "We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame." (Romans 5:2-5) The object of our hope changes everything. Every challenge to the hope of the resurrection only increases our confidence in it rather than weakening it. In every other hope, the longer we wait, or the more difficulties that get in the way, cause us to lose hope, but for the Christian, our hope can only increase. Therefore, “We rejoice in hope of the glory of God (that is, the final resurrection). Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” So we rejoice in the hope of the resurrection, but we also rejoice in everything that seems to get in the way of that hope, because every source of pain in this life can only increase our hope for the next life. Every loss here only reminds us of what we will gain there. Every suffering on this earth stirs in us a longing for an end to all suffering, that is, our eternal home. So every hope that fails you now is simply another scale falling from your eyes, clearing your vision to see the light that doesn’t dim, the joy that doesn’t end, the hope that doesn’t fade. Get your hopes up, and get them high. "But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:21-24)  But this does not mean we should give up on our present earthly hopes. It means the opposite, in fact. Christian hope transforms worldly hope. Buddhism tells us to live this life detached from any feeling of love or joy because those experiences usually bring suffering, and suffering is our enemy. Even the movie Star Wars subtly gives this message. In Episode II Yoda says to Anakin, “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.” It makes suffering out to be the ultimate evil, and it makes the feeling of fear and anger out to be enemies that should be avoided at all costs. This is a perfectly understandable idea for those who are not Christians, because suffering has no value. Thus, the world would tell us, “Don’t get your hopes up.” But dear Christian, get your hopes high, higher than ever before, because you cannot lose. Either your Father will bless you with what you hope for in this life, or He will bless you with the suffering that leads to endurance, character, and hope for the life to come. So in a certain sense, there is no bad day for a Christian. Of course we feel pain, but, “This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17), and “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). So you have no reason to limit your hope in anything, because if you get what you hope for you win, and if you don’t you win all the more. This is why Paul can so confidently say, “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). This year, if you resolve to do nothing else, resolve to hope.

9 Things God Has Called You To Do With Your Life?

Posted on Jan 5, 2016 | Download

If you ever find yourself wondering what God's will is for you life, this little passage makes it pretty clear. “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” (1 Thess. 5:14-18 NASB). It’s helpful to take lists like this and turn the commas into numbers. Suddenly what seems like a series of vague concepts develops into a delightful list of do-able actions. We are talking about God’s will here. So let’s break down each one.   1. Admonish the unruly “The unruly are those who are out of order, using a military word that describes the soldier who breaks ranks or marches out of step. This is the self-willed person who simply demands to hold his own opinion or preference. These must be warned.” Guzik’s Commentary Depending on your personality, this might be difficult for you. Or enjoyable. Regardless, as Believers, if we see a fellow brother or sister demanding to hold his or her own opinion or preference and breaking the ranks of unity…call that out. Admonish means to warn, exhort or encourage. Speak up in love and help them get back in step.   2. Encourage the fainthearted “Those of little souls; the faint-hearted; those who, on the eve of a battle, are dispirited, because of the number of the enemy, and their own feeble and unprovided state. Let them know that the battle is not theirs, but the Lord's; and that those who trust in him shall conquer.” Clark’s Commentary In other words, there are brothers and sisters around us who are timid, feeble-minded, scared to death. They’re facing the forces of the enemy and would rather run and hide. Nothing encourages us for battle better than knowing we aren’t alone and that the battle belongs to the Lord. (Proverbs 21:31) Encourage one another.   3. Help the weak "Cling to the weak" is a lovely piece of advice. Instead of letting the weak brother drift away and finally vanish altogether, the Christian community should make a deliberate attempt to grapple him to the Church in such a way that he cannot escape. It should forge bonds of fellowship and persuasion to hold on to the man who is likely to stray away.” Barclay’s Commentary Romans 15:1 reminds us that “we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.” Each of us have areas of weaknesses that could use the strength of others. We have all benefited from those special times when a stronger brother or sister actively and sympathetically assisted us in our moment of need. The benefits are mutual. The bonds unbreakable. Here is where true community is lived-out.   4. Be patient with everyone Patient means what you think it means but here are more ways of describing what patience looks likes in our lives. “To persevere patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and troubles, To be patient in bearing the offenses and injuries of others, To be mild and slow in avenging, To be long-suffering, slow to anger, slow to punish.” Everyone means what you think it means. Every. One. Even the annoying ones. It means not being irritable, thinking before you speak the harsh words, taking a deep breath and extending the same amount of patience to them as you would want extended to you. “True Christianity is shown by its ability to love and help difficult people. We do not look for only perfect people to minister to and to minister with.” Guzik   5. See that no one pays back evil for evil “The moment we feel ourselves acting from a desire to “return evil for evil,” that moment we are acting wrong. It may be right to defend our lives and the lives of our friends; to seek the protection of the law for our persons, reputation, or property, against those who would wrong us; to repel the assaults of calumniators and slanderers, but in no case should the motive be to do them wrong for the evil which they have done us.” Barnes Revenge. Vengeance. “That’s what you get.” These are strong motivators so prominent in our culture. But as Believers, we are to see that no one ‘pays back’ for the evil which was done to them. We aren’t called to ‘get even.’ We are called to forgive. “Above every other virtue, the virtue of forgiveness characterizes the Gospel.” Stedman   6. Seek after that which is good for one another and all people “The phrase ‘to all men,’ seems to have been added to avoid the possibility of misconstruction. Some might possibly suppose that this was a good rule to be observed toward those of their own number, but that a greater latitude in avenging injuries might be allowable toward their enemies out of the church. The apostle, therefore, says that the rule is universal. It relates to the pagan, to infidels, sceptics, and persecutors, as well as to the members of the church. To every man we are to do good as we are able - no matter what they do to us.” Barnes Numbers 5 and 6 on the list fit together like a hand and glove. I imagine a fist balled up in anger and revenge releasing under the strain of mercy and forgiveness. Ok, so I’m not gonna punch you in the face now. That’s good. But it’s not enough. Now, put on a soft glove and extend goodness to that person. Yes, to those in the Church. Of course! But to those outside who will know us by our fruits. Goodness is on the fruit list. (See Galatians 5:22)   7. Rejoice always “To count your blessings, to be grateful and always realize how much God has done for you, and despite adverse circumstances, to always remember what a glorious future awaits you and how fortunate you are to be a Christian--this can never be stressed enough. Erdman reminds us, ‘If a person is not rejoicing, it is because he is not appropriating to his personal needs all the available riches of grace in Christ Jesus.’” Dunagan Rejoice. Celebrate and declare. That’s the easy part. Always. In every circumstance. There’s the rub. A true mark of maturity in Christ is when one learns to “rejoice in all things.” It’s certainly ok to acknowledge the sorrow, to grieve and hurt. The danger comes when we find ourselves despairing of the hope and future we have in Christ Jesus and forgetting the reservoir of grace, strength and power that comes when something has surpassed our ability to endure. Right there, in that moment, we have cause to celebrate but only if we know 2 Corinthians 12:9-10: “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” We have reason to rejoice. Always.   8. Pray without ceasing “You are dependent on God for every good; without him you can do nothing; feel that dependence at all times, and you will always be in the spirit of prayer; and those who feel this spirit will, as frequently as possible, be found in the exercise of prayer.” Clarke When you learn to gladly accept your dependency upon God you find yourself speaking to Him more throughout the day. Quick prayers for wisdom and direction. Supplications of needs and wants. Heartfelt prayers for healing on behalf of yourself and loved ones. Desperate prayers of protection in frightening times. Sudden declarations of praise and thanksgiving. The lines of communication are wide-open because your posture is one of receiving of Him. Praying without ceasing means two-way communication. Talking and listening.   9. In everything give thanks "When joy and prayer are married their first born child is gratitude." Spurgeon We can be thankful IN every situation and circumstance. That’s different than being thankful FOR everything. Who is really thankful for a serious illness, natural disaster or flat tire? When we are thankful IN a situation, we are acknowledging that God is sovereign and can redeem any situation. Romans 8:28 reminds us that God can cause everything to work together for the good of those who love Him. When we’ve been in an attitude of joy and a posture of prayer our hearts are already inclined to be thankful IN the everything. For THIS is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Simply put, God’s will is His desire or pleasure for us. It’s not His will therefore we MUST do it. It’s His will, therefore we CAN do it.

Resolution or Reality: Why We Hate New Years

Posted on Dec 30, 2015 | Download

Slow Growth is an Illusion. For the past five years or so the once rural city I live in has become quite progressive. The population is increasing, business is booming, the arts are beginning to flourish, and people are actually moving here from bigger cities and do not feel completely Podunk. As a result there are several new buildings and architecture popping up out of nowhere. But they really aren’t out of nowhere. In reality, I drive by a construction site on my way to work for months and am constantly wondering what in the world is taking so long. It seems like half a year goes by and the four walls are not even standing yet. Then all of the sudden it happens. The same structure that had no structure for six months is fully functioning within a couple of weeks. The foundation takes a while. The first time I noticed this I just assumed there was some logical reason that the progress stopped. Maybe a disagreement arose about the contract, or perhaps the owners ran into some sort of legal issues with the property. But as I saw this happen time and time again I finally realized what was going on. The foundation was being built. As a carpenter, Jesus talked about this in his Sermon on the Mount. Toward the end of His message He said that if anyone applies His teaching to their lives they are like a man who builds his house on rock, a solid foundation. If anyone does not apply it to their lives, they are like a man who builds his house on sand. When the storm comes the house on the rock will stand strong, but the one on the sand is in trouble. The foundation is the most important part of the structure and usually takes the longest. This is how life goes for me. Sometimes I look back over the years and see that I am still struggling with the same things I was struggling with ten years ago. I think to myself, “If it has taken me this long to have only come this far, will I ever arrive?” But the reality is that God is a Foundation Builder. He is in it for the long haul, and He is in it for our ultimate joy rather than our immediate and temporary happiness. "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6). Not a morning person. When I was young my parents would do everything they could think of to get me up in time for school. My dad would sometimes wake me up all excited by playing with my action figures. We would play for a few minutes until he said, “Alright, now get ready for school.” Other days he thought it was funny to wake me by pouring water on my head. Not as enjoyable as playing with my toys, but it got the job done, I suppose. I’m sure they wondered if I would ever be a self-functioning, normal adult. There was no change until I was twenty-four. Then I started college. For some reason I would try to stay up late and do my homework and it was just not happening. 10pm would come around and I could not stay awake. The assignment was due the next day. The only thing I could do was wake up at 4:30am and do homework until it was time to go to my job at 8am. Turns out that 4:30am is like a fresh cup of coffee. I was wired and ready to go. I now frequently wake up early to focus and get ready for the day. It is my best time to get things done. Not a money person. One more. I was absolutely awful with money. For a year after high school I attended an internship. My parents paid for it, and the total tuition included food, lodging and learning. That means the only expenses I needed extra money for were gas in my car, and entertainment. I spent $1,100 in one month… on entertainment! Like going out to eat, getting coffee, going to the movies, etc. My parents told me they were going to have to cut me off. Apparently their bank account was not just a bottomless pit with my name on it. I am a completely different person now.  I left the internship, got a job, and then found out that money really doesn’t grow on trees. Now I enjoy budgeting so much that I am in college for Accounting. Reality. I say these things, not to tell you that someday you will be a morning person or a financial guru. And of course, this is not the whole story either. I can list plenty of areas in my life that aren’t even close to an overnight fix. I’m still terrible with directions, meeting new people is still very difficult and terrifying, and I cannot stay consistent in eating healthy for the life of me. But I do want to encourage you not to give up. This is the time of year that some people, (whom most of us find annoying), begin thinking about how they want to better themselves over the next year, while the rest of us are too familiar with the feeling of defeat to even want to try. There are some things you hate about yourself and no matter how much effort you put into it, change just isn’t happening. You have noticed little, if any, improvement over the past several years and it is getting discouraging. But the Bible tells us, “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9). Don’t look at your lack of progress assuming growth is never going to happen. Sometime you work for years and years to improve an area of your life and one day something clicks and you just do it as if you always have. Other things are like climbing a mountain. You will see your progress, not by seeing how far you’ve yet to go, but by seeing how far you’ve come. But do not give up. Keep repenting, keep pursuing, keep learning, keep trying, and someday you may be amazed by your sudden growth. You may have been building the foundation all this time and since the foundation takes the longest and looks like the least amount of progress, you might feel like you’ve accomplished nothing. Don’t stop. You will reap if you don’t give up.

The First Noel Was No Silent Night: A Painful Christmas

Posted on Dec 9, 2015 | Download

The Not-So-Silent, Holy Night “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman… She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth… And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her Child he might devour it. She gave birth to a Male Child, One who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron…” (Revelation 12:1-6) All was far from calm, little seemed bright, and as for the Holy Infant, there was no sleeping in heavenly peace. When God Himself came down and became flesh, even from the first announcement of His birth, chaos and confusion seemed to follow. God does not come quietly, He never has and never will. And His birth—the very Incarnation itself, the day the Word of God took on flesh—was no exception. The angelic broadcast that brought “Good tidings of great joy,” also left devastation and uncertainty in its wake.  We Three Kings: What Peace on Earth? “’Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled…” (Matt. 2:2-3) The news of a Baby who would be the “King of the Jews,” was a threat to the lineage of Herod’s kingdom. So when he was told about this Royal Child, he found out what city He would be born in and told the magi to come back and tell him exactly where the Baby lived, “So that I too may worship Him.” But when the magi were warned in a dream not to tell Herod anything, he took matters into his own hands. What started as these men’s desire to worship, ended in a mass infanticide by a tyrannous, insecure, and jealous king. Herod ordered a massacre for all babies under two years old throughout the whole region just to make sure he got the right one. Imagine an entire city with almost every household filled with weeping mothers and helpless fathers, as thousands of families hold their cold and breathless bundles of joy. Even as I write this, the thought of soldiers kicking in our door as we are sitting down for dinner, and ripping Owen out of my wife’s arms as we experience the worst day of our lives, nearly brings me to tears. The question that should be ringing in our ears is, “Where is this peace on earth?” Nothing Calm, Nothing Bright “Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more’” (Matt. 2:17-18). Think about it. Let the confusion linger in your heart as it did for thousands of tragedy stricken Jewish families that “Silent Night” in Bethlehem. Events like this and the injustice they carry are the seeds that give birth to atheism, and for good reason. The question that should be burning in our minds is, “If God is good why didn’t He stop this from happening?” If God can prophesy about this event in Jeremiah hundreds of years before and if He can warn Joseph in a dream to escape, then couldn’t He have prevented the whole thing? And the answer if we stay true to the Bible is yes, God could have prevented all of it, and He did not. And here is where we want to speculate. But doing so is usually our way of trying to make excuses for God; trying to make Him look good, or be more acceptable for the twenty-first century. The truth is God can defend Himself and when He gives clarity we should listen and when He does not we shouldn’t try to make Him more human or easier to understand by making up “good reasons” for why He allows these things to happen. We don’t know the fullness of God’s wisdom, but thankfully, while God doesn’t give us very much clarity, He does give us great hope.  Good Will to Men And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11) This massive infanticide happened about two years after the angels appeared to the shepherds giving them “good news of great joy.” Now, two years later, life has gone back to normal, the once astonished shepherds are back to sheep duty, Joseph is doing carpentry work again, and the world has moved on. Nothing has changed, no “peace on earth,” and all of the sudden a killing spree in response to the news of the toddler king. This devastating verse that is quoted in Matthew about a mass murder in Bethlehem was originally written in Jeremiah 31:15, sandwiched in a section filled with hopeful promises from God of Israel’s restoration. The whole passage in verses 15-17 says, “Thus says the Lord: ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.’ Thus says the Lord: ‘Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work, declares the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope for your future, declares the Lord, and your children shall come back to their own country.’” The “Good news of great joy,” is the promise of a final resurrection—justice at last, all wrong finally made right. God does not promise that we will not go through difficulty, in fact, He promises the opposite (John 16:33; 1 Peter 4:12). But what God does give us is promise of final justice; true peace on earth. The “peace on earth” that Jesus brings is not necessarily a peace in our relationships, nor in our chaotic lives, but it is peace with God. Every other religion gives man the task of striving to climb up to God on the mountain of good works, but only the Bible shows us the love of a God who came down to man. We are sinners. We are enemies of God. We deserve God’s wrath. But He offers us peace. And this peace is not just a truce between two enemies who decide not to fight anymore. It is more than just forgiveness. God doesn’t merely offer us absolution, He offers us adoption through the birth, and later, the death and resurrection of Jesus. The “Savior who is Christ the Lord” is called the Savior because He came to save His people from their sins and to reconcile them to God. The beginning of the story may be the tragedy of thousands dying at the birth of the Savior, but the end of the story is billions being saved by the death of the Savior. The angel came with good news. The good news of a God with open arms rather than closed fists. He is the God of mercy. His very name, Jesus, literally means “God is Salvation.” “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:1-8).

A Hebrews 11 Kind Of Hero

Posted on Dec 2, 2015 | Download

A lot of people have different chapters of the Bible that are their favorite. I would say most people really enjoy the book of Hebrews and specifically chapter eleven. The subject of Faith is an obvious cornerstone in our life as a believer. This chapter in Hebrews brings great definition to faith and adds to it wonderful biblical examples of those who have gone before us who have exemplified great faith. Towards the end of the chapter, the writer of Hebrews seems to save a special section for those who seemed to give it all. Those who in the face of all adversity and dire circumstances laid their life down for Jesus. Many people refer to these as the “Great Heroes of the Faith”. People who in faith, literally gave all for the surpassing knowledge of Christ. Here is how the text reads picking up in Hebrews 11:35-40. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains,dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. I have met a lot of wonderful believers during my lifetime. People who will have truckloads of crowns to lay at the feet of Jesus when they go to heaven. However, in my 34 years of living, I feel that I have only had one encounter with a person that screamed Hebrews 11. I was living in China at the time, but I was on a ministry trip to Cambodia and Laos. After spending several days in Cambodia, my ministry partner and I flew into Vientiane, Laos. We found a taxi and he zoomed us off to our hotel. We got to the hotel, got checked in and then started getting situated in our room. Once settled, we were relaxing before our evening dinner and meeting and we hear a knock on the door and someone come in. I look up and somewhat nervously look around the corner to see who it is. In comes a middle-aged, white man who is a little on the skinny side, dressed in very casual jeans and a t-shirt. He yells out my ministry partners name and my friend looks up with an expression of amazement on his face. They greet each other in the middle of the room and I can quickly gather that they go way back. My friend turns and introduces this new guy to me. I greet him and then I begin to hear the story of how these guys know each other. It turns out that their paths had crossed multiple times in the missions world. My friend had been living and serving Jesus in China for 20+ years. This other man had been in and out of China and Southeast Asia for almost just as long. As they talked about missions and what our visitor is currently doing, I felt the Holy Spirit pressing upon me that this man who just walked into our rooms is one of the Heroes. One of the Hebrews 11 Heroes. He opens his mouth and begins to describe in a very humble way all that he is doing and been through to distribute the bible to literally the darkest places in the world. From interrogation to persecution to staying hidden for weeks and months at a time. He has had passports taken from him, documentation destroyed and the list goes on and on. Yet, he continues to find ways to get Gods word into peoples hands in the most hostile places in China and Southeast Asia. It was a surreal moment. It was a God moment that marked me for the rest of my life. I knew that I was truly in the presence of a Modern Day Hero on this earth. No one will ever know his name. He will never be on Tv. You will never read one of his books. But, he is exactly who I think of when I read through Hebrews 11. I will never forget him and pray for those that are like him around the world! May they continue to press on towards the ultimate prize!!

Why We End Our Prayers With, “In Jesus Name, Amen.”

Posted on Nov 24, 2015 | Download

Every good Christian knows if you do not end your prayers with, “In Jesus name, Amen,” God probably won’t hear you. Just kidding. But when tradition become, well traditional, it eventually becomes routine, and then its purpose becomes assumed, and finally, forgotten. So what is the purpose of these four words at the end of our prayers? Does it give a better chance at getting a favorable answer? Is it like abracadabra? Or just a nice signature, like when writing a letter: “Sincerely yours, Barry White.” "In Jesus Name." Every time we say these three words at the end of our prayers we are proclaiming the good news of the gospel. Ephesians 3:12 says that through Jesus, “We have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him,” before the throne of God. Without Christ we are sinners, enemies of God (Col. 1:21), under His wrath (Ephesians 2:3). We have no access to God on our own. But when we say “In Jesus Name,” even at the dinner table, we are reminded that through Christ, we have the access to talk to God. He is our Father. Jesus has given us “the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). In John 14:13 Jesus says, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” So do not leave out the most important part of your prayer. Through Christ, and Christ alone, you have the right to approach God and ask for anything, or even simply to thank him for the food he has provided for you. "Amen." Amen is kind of an obscure one. If you do a search for “Amen” in the Bible it shows up in a strange variety of places. For example... “‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’" (Deut. 27:18) “Blessed be the Lord forever! Amen and Amen” (Psalm 89:52). “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36). Ironically, it is least often used in the Bible at the end of a prayer. But there are examples like, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen,” (Galatians 6:18). The word means “truth” or “it is true.” (That is the reason some people say Amen during the sermon at church). In Revelation 3:17 Jesus himself is called “The Amen.” He is the embodiment of truth. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Everything he says is truth. That is why Peter said, ” You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:67). Very often when Jesus would teach he would begin with, “Truly, Truly, I say to you…” And some versions translate it, “Amen, Amen, I say to you…” Say Amen when you hear or pray or read the truth of God. The most common use of the word Amen in the Bible is right after a declaration of God’s glory, ”To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”   This post was written by Ken Reid. For more great content from Ken, visit his site: HonestChristian.org.

Pray for Syria

Posted on Nov 18, 2015 | Download

Many of us are aware of the tragic civil war and unrest that has been going on in Syria for the last almost half decade. It seems almost daily that we hear of more and more Syrians fleeing their country to escape the horrible terrors brought on by war and terrorism. Now we are hearing the number of refugees has gone beyond 10 million. Obviously, when you are seeking refuge this can put you in a very vulnerable place, especially for the women and children. I’am not in anyway an expert on this issue, nor do I claim to be. I have read several mainstream articles like the rest of you from a variety of news outlets. The purpose of this post is to help guide our prayer for Syria, the refugees and on a larger scale the middle-east. Below I have listed what I’m calling a Top 10 prayer list for this crisis. If we stand together in prayer, we are assured that God will hear our prayer and move on behalf of those are in desperate place. 1. Pray for peace – In the midst of tragedy that the the peace that comes from the Creator will pass all understanding in their personal life. May their also be an expedited process to civil rest and governmental peace in this nation. 2. Pray for protection – Specifically for the innocent and the civilians we pray they would be supernaturally protected in all ways. 3. Pray for salvation – That the goodness of God would touch the people of this nation through dreams, visions, encounters etc.. And that many more thousands would come to know Jesus personally! 4. Pray for the innocent – For those who are being treated completely unfairly and unjustly that God would show them through any means the life of Jesus and how He can relate! 5. Pray for those who are mourning due to great loss – That God would bring great comfort and encouragement to those who have seen and experience such horrific loss. 6. Pray for Life over death – That the devils way of death would be thwarted and destroyed and the LIFE of Jesus would invade peoples lives and hearts, including national leaders. 7. Pray for light over darkness – That as darkness seems to prevail the the light of Christ and his hope would shine even brighter in a super natural way! 8. Pray for victory over defeat – As all around these people see defeat, we pray that true Victory, eternal victory would invade their hearts and minds and give them hope! 9. Pray for the reconnecting of families – With many families being separated, we pray for the reconnecting and joining together of families and that during this time of waiting they would remain hopeful and encouraged. 10. Pray HIS kingdom come, HIS will be done – Ultimately, we want nothing more than Gods Kingdom to come and will to be done in this situation and in this nation as it is in Heaven. Come Lord Jesus, Come!

The Words of Eternal Life

Posted on Nov 11, 2015 | Download

John 6 Jesus just gave the very controversial message that His Body and His blood were the true food. The multitudes following Him began to complain and question the validity of His authority. The topic was just too much for them and many turned away and deserted Him. Jesus turns to the 12 and asks, "Are you also going to leave?" I love Simon Peter's response: "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life." Some days this is exactly how I feel. His Words are so much better than anything the world could offer me. Even when I might not understand all that the Spirit is trying to teach me. Even when I feel like I can't grasp the true depths of His words. Even when the world turns away and calls Jesus (and His followers) crazy. To whom would we go when we've already tasted and seen? To whom could we turn to that could satisfy us like Jesus? At the end of the day and all the struggles, one thing remains....He who has the Son has life. To quote the rest of Peter's response: "We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God." We have Jesus. We have life!

Small Steps To Stand!

Posted on Aug 11, 2015 | Download

Yesterday I was out buying some shoes with the boys. I remembered reading that Nike was one of the big supporters of Planned Parenthood and mentioned to Aidan that I would rather not buy products that I know the profits help fund abortions. We believe life begins at conception. No question. This conviction has little to do with a woman's right. It has to do with truth and standing for what you believe is morally right, regardless of popular opinion. This topic was news to my boys. While they know what abortions are I had not told them about the recent disturbing news of PP. So standing there in the middle of a shoe aisle I explained to the boys why I would rather not support them. I also let them know that I would no longer be drinking Starbucks. Aidan immediately asked what other companies are known supporters. So we stopped and looked them up and were shocked to learn that many of the products we buy support PP.  The moment was incredibly somber and tearful. The boys asked, "Mom, what clothes can we buy? What shoes can we wear? What phone service can we use? Everything seems touched by evil." What a lesson for my kids. And for me. We talked about awareness being the key. Educating ourselves then acting upon what we know. Start somewhere and take a stand for what you believe in. Even though we feel like we've been caught up in a huge snowball that is careening out of control, it doesn't mean we can't start digging our way out, one shovel at a time. The PP trail will be a long, slippery one and most likely as tearful as peeling an onion. But we've started the journey and we don't want to be herded like cattle along a path that leads to deception and compromise. For our family, we are starting with what we know. Taking small steps to stand for what we believe in. Our actions may not cause a huge corporation to stop supporting evil practices but it teaches and trains our hearts to fight for what we know is right, in subtle ways that don't require yelling at people or debating with a deceived world. "Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked." 1 Timothy 1:19

Tell The Story

Posted on Jul 21, 2015 | Download

Today, I spoke with a young lady in her time of crisis. In my efforts to encourage her with God’s Word, it became very clear that she was completely unfamiliar with the Gospel. Out of curiosity, I asked her if she was familiar with John 3:16. She said no. I quoted it thinking it would jog her memory. Nope….  This young lady apologized for not knowing more. She shared with me that she went to church when she was a little girl and even went to a Christian School for a while. I told her not to apologize for not knowing and asked her if she would like me to share the Gospel with her. She said yes. I went all the way back to the Garden of Eden and Adam and Eve’s disobedience. Fortunately, she was familiar with that story.  It took about 10 minutes to paint a picture of the Life God has promised every person, sins ability to keep us away from that life and the forgiveness of sin that is provided in the person and work of Jesus Christ. She had truly never heard this message. She just looked at me and listened intently. I had to work hard to simplify the message of the cross knowing that what I shared could change this girls life forever. Even in the telling, I became more excited about the ‘purity and simplicity’ of the Gospel. (2 Corinthians 11:3)  My story is not unlike hers. I have vague memories of going to church when I was very little. After divorce and disillusionment, my family stopped going. I did not grow up hearing the Gospel. God was not talked about. I can’t recall any prayer in my home. Later, in my teenage years, my understanding of God, Jesus and church was “…that is what all the ‘prudes’ are in to.”  Yet all the while ignorant, I was miserable  My two best friends went to two of the main denominational churches in my hometown. They were both active in their Youth Groups. They knew that I did not go to church and was not a Christian. I was very immoral. Never once did they confront my lifestyle. Perhaps it was because they were living it with me? God was never part of the conversation. Jesus was never part of the equation. I didn’t know the Gospel.  I have distinct memories of spending the night my very best friend and watching him read the bible for a few minutes before we would go to bed after a night of ‘festivities’. Every now and then, I would go to Sunday School and church the next day with him. I would sit there with many others I went to school with. No one ever spoke to me about the Gospel. Did they know I was miserable? No, but they knew I was lost.  I am thankful for my wife, Melissa, for taking the time to share the Gospel with me my senior year of High School. Though I did not understand everything, what seemed to be very clear was, “I am miserably lost, but I don’t have to be!” Two years later, I surrendered my life to Christ. Today, I am privileged to serve God by preaching His Word and helping others live the life He has called them to live.  My encounter with this young lady has reminded me how important it is to offer hope through the Gospel; to take a chance and tell the story. We must not take for granted that those around us have truly heard and understand the Gospel. We need to prepare to share. It is important to be mindful that those we are sharing with may know less than we think about the person and work of Christ.  We must also be patient and pray! It took me two years for me to give my life to Christ, but when I did, it took! I did not pressure the girl in my story to become a Christian right then and there. I gave her a Bible and encouraged her to read the book of John until our next meeting. I also gave her “Ten Steps Towards Christ” by Jimmy Evans and asked her to read that as well. My hope is that she will surrender her life to Christ very soon!  One last thing... a powerful tool for every Believer would be a 5-10 minute telling of the Gospel in a simplified way that includes your personal testimony. Write it out. Keep it in your bible. Read it once a week. Memorize it. Most importantly…Share it!  Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;

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