Simplicity

In our common faith, we all know the main facts about Christianity. God loves us, He sent His son to die for us, and He is coming back to receive us to himself, to say the least of course. It's not a very complicated thing to think of, but we as Christians seem to always seem to try to complicate and make it wise by human standards by putting our own spin on the gospel. Yet that's not always the best thing to do, especially when you're trying to show God's love to someone, or even when you're struggling to find love for yourself. Let me put it this way. GOD LOVES YOU! The God who made the universe and everything, even things you can't fathom, loves you, and wants to have a relationship with you. He desires that just as much as we need it. He desires it so much He sent His very own son to die for people who rejected him and spit on him. He died for everyone, for those you put the nails into his hands, for those who tortured him, even for Judas who betrayed the Son of Man to death. So many times as Christians we try to pick and choose who we want to share the gospel with, to decide for myself who i want to see in heaven. He came for the Jews first, but they rejected him, so God has opened the door for gentiles to accept His word. In romans 11 it says that we gentiles are ingrafted branches. Therefore the gospel message is for everyone. For while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Therefore, we can't pick who we want to go to heaven. We can't say, well this guy is normal so i will talk to him, but that murderer, that sinner over there doesnt deserve to go to heaven. WRONG! To God, all sin is bad, therefore we shouldnt be picky on who we talk to about Christ. Also, we shouldnt be afraid of rejection when we speak to non believers. im writing this for you as well for me. The Jesus told his disciples what to do if they were rejected. He told them to shake off the dust of their feet as a testimony against those who rejected you. Also, we have God on our side. If our God is for us, then who shall stand against us? no one. I once was told a story about a Christian man who felt God tugging on his heart to speak with a man he knew, it may have even been his boss, about Christ. One day, he went into the mans office, and shared to gospel to him, but he rejected it. Then about a year later maybe, he was at some sort of party, and a man came up to him and told him, you may not know me, but i was in that mans office working on the floor when you shared the gospel message. That man ended up saving this guy and the guy saved his family. How awesome is that? (and confusing, it was a bad rendition but i think it was clear enough). We always have thoughts of how a plans going to work out, about  how the person were going to talk to will be saved, but when we speak to them, many times they reject us. and we think, oh, everything was for a loss. but you have to remember we serve an all powerful God. and we are called to share the gospel and let the listeners decide for themselves, not force it down them. We sow the seed, and God will determine if it gets watered. I'm not saying we cant be used to disciple people or anything, because that is also important. But in your everyday life, it is so good to share the gospel with people. their reaction doesnt matter, its that you were willing to serve God. and that is what all of us need to do.

Trials

So first semester of my sophomore year i was in speech class, and i was doing an oral interpretive speech on hebrews 11. That means i had to memorize it all. Then last night, i opened up my bible to where chapter 11 was on the left page and chapter 12 was on the right page. So i read chapter 12, and wow. I cant believe after all the times i looked at chapter 11 and just avoided reading chapter 12. In chapter 12 of hebrews, if i had to describe it in one sentence, it would be "Endure hardship as discipline, God is treating you as his children." (Hebrews 12:7) I don't think ive wrote about my dad's death on this blog, so i will now. My fathers passing was difficult at first, but it really made me come to God and rely on Him rather than on my own strength, because i knew i wasn't strong enough to stand on my own strength. Putting this in perspective to the quoted statement above, i dont think God was disciplining me for something i had done or anything like that, but because He knew i could handle it and i would become a better person out of it and that my faith and relationship with Him would grow tremendously in the following years as a result. This verse is also out of hebrews 12, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." This verse is so true, because it wasnt pleasant at the time. But later on it made me come closer to God because i learned from that experience, and that i have become a servant of Christ and i want to live my life for Him. Also, recently, ive been thinking, "what would it be like if my dad was still alive now?" Then i realize the foolishness of that statement because i wouldnt be the same kid now if he was still alive, id be way different and i have no clue what my walk with the Lord would look like. Don't get me wrong, i miss my dad a lot, but i know that i will see him again one day. And i have come closer to my heavenly Father, and that has been amazing! And is still amazing! So, to bring this blog full circle, i realize now why the Lord never revealed chapter 12 until now. Not because my mind wasnt ready, but because i dont think i would have fully realized any of that until now. I hope this is an encouragement to any who reads this to use their hardships as discipline and that they can learn from them and become a better person and become stronger in their walk with God.

Another Blog? Oh Yeah! =)

I'm really starting to like this blogging stuff. Anyways, a little look into my personal faith right now, you would see that my faith is really relying on praying but i havent really been getting into the word as much as i should. Ive been going to bed later and by the time i go to bed, i either feel obliged like i should read or im too tired to read. With that being said, I feel like ive been feeling God more and more through my daily life, and i cant express how much praying has influenced that. I used to only feel God when there was a big event in my life that prompted it, but now it seems like that as my faith has grown, so has the capability to feel God's love and passion in me and all around me. What ive realized through this is that God desires a deep and passionate relationship with us and when we have that, it's the best time of anyones life. Theres a song by tenth ave called let it go, and it says that if you lose your life to God, and give up yourself to gain Him, then you will find your soul and true happiness. I 100% agree! Nothing is better than being completely being in God's hands. I was just texting gavin, and i made up an analogy that i liked, that missions trips, life experiences, and God's word, are like a well, you get as much water as your bucket can hold, and go as deep as you want to go. God has reached His hand out to us, he gives us missions trips and experiences and His word as a way to reach him, and its up to us to accept that. And as a person whos experienced it, its the best thing you can do for you, and your faith.

Men of God

I know it's late, but i have something on my mind that I don't want to lose. I recently heard a song by Casting Crowns called Courageous, it's new and named after a Christian police movie coming out later this year. If you haven't heard it, I advise you do. It really makes me want to be a man of God, not a man with God, but a fearless man who follows the Lord with his whole heart, is not afraid of sacrificing himself to save others. I've always had a dream of living in the middle ages and being a blacksmith and also a warrior type guy that would be epic and manly. However impossible that may be, it'd be awesome. That being said, men have become pansies in our generation. It's true, anyone who denies that is an idiot. Men don't stick up for morals, what's right, and what they believe in. Christian men are no different. Personally, I don't like confrontation, I like avoiding making people angry, and try to please everyone. That's not the type of man I feel God wants me to be, I need to stick up for what's right no matter what it does to my ego, my image or anything. Men are supposed to be courageous, to protect women and children from the evil around them, to be family men who serve the Lord. No matter what you do, you can be a man of God. Whether it's an office job or being blacksmith, you can be a man for God. Man up men! Be strong in the Lord to be able to lead the weak and give young boys good examples and role models! Don't be afraid to fight for God. No matter where it leads. Be men, men. But not just men, be men of God! 

The Way

The Way is the title to the new Jeremy Camp song, and once I heard it, it really drew me back to the simple truth in the Bible. Jesus said " I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through me." That statement is so simple, yet so true. I watch as people around me try to find happiness, try to find purpose to their lives, yet none of them do except those who truly know God. They run around working hard to get money and buy happiness. Others go around do good works to help others with charity and good deeds. First of all, you can't buy happiness. I can almost guarantee you that I am happier than the richest men in the world. Secondly, the good deeds and charity are exactly that, good, but they won't get you into heaven. There is only one thing you can do in this life that will give you eternal life, accepting that Jesus died for you to save you, and following his commands. I'll admit, I sometimes think that if I do this, it will help me get into heaven. Later I realize my foolishness in that thought. To whoever reads this, don't fall into that trap, don't go around doing good things to try to get into heaven, but rather do good to spread the good news of Christ. Also, don't fall into a legalistic trap like the pharisees and sadducees did. Jesus warned about that, how they go around to the street corners and in the public places to pray to show the people how "religious" they were. Jesus said that they have received their reward in full. Rather, it is the ones who do things to honor God and who really know Him who get their spiritual reward. That brings me to another point, even when things are going bad in your life even though your devoutly following the Lord, don't stop following Him. And even when you see non-believers living more comfortably and are richer, don't forget that that is all the reward they will get, because those who believe in the Savior will receive their reward in Heaven, and that reward is eternal, while the reward here is so small. Romans 8:35-39 "³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?³⁶ As it is written:

   “For your sake we face death all day long;
   we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”^[j]

 ³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Foolishness

In chapter 1 of 1 Corinthians, scripture says that God chose the foolish things to shame the wise, and the weak things to shame the strong. He chose the lowly and despised things (dying on a cross would qualify). It makes me want to be foolish for God! I don't really want to live comfortably if it is against God's will. I honestly don't care about money, how much my job pays or living comfortably, whether or not i have modern technology or safety, if i would be killed for living for the Lord there. I really don't care because I know it is in the Lord's hands and wherever He puts me He will do with me as He pleases. The American "Dream" consists of being safe, living comfortably, having an office job, living in the suburbs in a nice house with a family and then retire when you get old. To me that sounds like a nightmare. I feel safe in God's hands, to me that's my dream. Letting myself go to Him, to let God guide my life. The bible says that we have been freed of our sins, of our chains that bind us! I want to use that freedom to live for Christ! In Philippians Paul said that to live is Christ and to die is gain.  I want to live for Christ, and if i die, then i will finally be home. Because we are tourists on this earth, just passing through. And if you have ever watched tourists at amusement parks and stuff, they do some pretty foolish stuff that makes us think they're crazy because they won't be staying their long, they won't be trying to make friends. They are trying to fulfill their purpose of that trip. We should be the same way. We shouldn't care about whether we act foolish or not, even though i do, i shouldn't though. We should use our life as tourists on this earth to fulfill the purpose of us being hear, to spread the news that Christ was resurrected and that he freed of us sin and death! They say when in Rome, do what the Romans do, but the Bible says to not conform to this world. Be set apart. And always be open to God's perfect and amazing will, no matter where it takes you. For me, i don't know if i will get married or not. I don't really care right now, because even though I love most women and they are a beautiful creation of God and they are super awesome,  well most of them, I think that many are better as good friends instead of partners in relationships. I've tried my hand at dating, and it shipwrecked. My navigation system got focused on the wrong things and not on God. I know now that God has reserved me for His purpose, and I know He will guide me to the woman of my dreams and that will be best for me and I for her. And even if I don't get married on this earth I know that i will still be married to Christ because I am apart of the church which is the bride of Christ. I guess what i am trying to say is that, God works for the good of all people, and even if you are in a time of trials or temptations, there is a purpose and that in the end everything will work out, even if you don't see that reward or good until you get to heaven.


(And yes, I know, it is 2 am when I'm publishing this, but hey, it's summer =))