Some heavy thoughts for this weekend.

I share a birthday with Nero Caesar (37-68 AD).  That's kind of ironic because Nero was one of the first persecutors of our Christian faith.  He that sought to put out an eternal flame shares a birthday with one who seeks to se it burned brighter and brighter.  May the fire of God burn brighter in my heart, and in the hearts of the Church, because a divided and cold Church can cause God much more grief than any Nero can.

It's interesting to look back on my young life and see so many changes that took place, and these past three years have been where the most change has happened.  Jesus has saved me, there is no doubt about that.  I grew up as a church kid, I didn't care too much about God, as long as everything in my life went okay.  I did fine in school, I never used four-letter-words, I never drank, smoked, did drugs, never dated (so those opportunities didn't present themselves), but I was rotten.  I did not care about people, I didn't care about my family, I could honestly say that there was no real love there for anyone, friend or family, I would just benefit from saying the right things, doing the right things, and living "right" in the eyes of those around me.  I was a very bitter person, and Jesus gave me strength and joy to overcome.  I was a very prideful person, and Jesus humbled me.  I was extremely selfish, and Jesus showed me that His plan was not about me at all.  There's still a lot that needs to be worked on, but God is slowly working on me day by day, depending on my obedience to Him, that I might stand perfect before Him one day.  People tend to freak out when I use the "P" word.  Many people think we can't be perfect or free from sin, but what does Jesus say?  Matthew 5:48 says for us to be perfect, even as the Father in heaven.  Perfection (often called "holiness" or if you like big crazy bible words, "sanctification") is living up to what we know to be true.  If we let God take control of our lives, He will perfect us in these three areas

Maturity:  In Chi Alpha, we sometimes say that "knowledge is analog, obedience is digital".  This means that we will always be learning.  I don't believe that we will be a point, in this life or in Eternity, where we will know everything, but we can choose to be obedient to what God tells us to do at any time in our walk with Him.  As we remain obedient to God, He will show us new things that we should do...or not do, and He will make us more mature depending on our obedience.

Blamelessness:  The Bible has teaches us that sin is a choice, not something that we fall into accidentally.  Just as Adam chose to sin in the garden, so we also chose to do evil.  We live in a fallen world, and the influences of it are all around us, and to choose to sin makes it easier to continue to choose sin.  In this, we separate ourselves from God by our choices.  The beautiful thing about God is that He is merciful and full of grace.  When we come to Him, He will help us to get out of the things that we've trapped ourselves in, to where we can choose whether to obey God or not to obey God.  We do not have to choose to sin, and as long as we choose obedience and repentance, we will be found blameless before a good and merciful God who will forgive us of our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:10)

Sincerity:  We have the ability to be real with one another.  "Sincere" comes from a Latin word meaning "without wax".  When sculptors made statues out of marble, and made a mistake, they would fix the problem by filling in the mistake with wax.  This would make the statue look authentically marble, and one could not tell whether or not there was any wax.  This wax, though a quick solution, did not last as long as the marble (which is why we see statues missing arms, legs, noses, etc.).  There was one way to see whether or not wax was used in the statue, by viewing it against light.  The light would shine through the areas of the sculpture that was not solid marble.  In this way, we are to be sincere with God and with others.  We may look righteous to everyone else, but in the light of eternity, all of our hidden secrets will be exposed.

This is holiness.  We are not all-knowing, so we will never be perfect in wisdom, which leads to the inevitability that we will make mistakes (not all mistakes are sin, but every sin is a terrible mistake), but God is merciful, and if we are sincerely seeking after Him, He will help us.

We need God as a nation, especially in view of Friday's killings.  Many have used it to spur debates for and against gun control, or prayer in schools (that would be nice, but we really need prayer in church first).  The thing that we need to be aware of as a nation is our need for God.  It is an often neglected fact that the devil has come to steal, kill, and destroy.  Let that sink in.  We have a dangerous adversary who would be more powerful than we are, if not for the Holy Spirit.  He doesn't just want to tempt us into falling away from God, he wants to kill us.  He knows his time is short, and his goal is to destroy as many lives as possible before that time.  The enemy is a selfish enemy who lacks compassion, and does not have mercy on the innocent first and second grader or the troubled 20-year-old.  That being said, we followers of Christ are on the side of the Sovereign King.  I think He can change our nation and deliver us from this decay that is happening morally, economically, and environmentally.  If only we will seek Him (2 Chronicles 7:14).  God uses men as His method for advancing His kingdom, which also means that He gives us free will to obey or not to obey.  These terrible tragedies are not in God's plan or design.  How do we know that God was not earnestly pleading to the soul of the one who killed all those people?  He wouldn't intervene, He couldn't, or it would go against the free will He has given us, and it would not be virtuous of Him to make anyone do anything.  Those men had every opportunity to listen to God and not take part in evil, but they made their choice.  Their sin, like every other sin man could possibly commit, has deadly repercussions in the lives of others.

O' come, o' come Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel,

Who mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear. 

Hospitality

I think there needs to be an anthropological study on the culture of hospitality among the people called Christians.  Over the past few weeks, especially the past week, I have been amazed at how people have invited me to share in the celebration of family and thankfulness, as if I were family.  It gives me a lot to be thankful for, even though I couldn't spend this special time of year with my own family.  It's such a beautiful thing to think about, especially during this time of year.  For some reason, late November through late December comes with an odd sense of heaviness and longing, with no apparent reason.  In this season, it pays to have joy, because God has done so many great things for me, and is using a lot of people to lift me up with encouragement and blessing...and food...so much food...  God has also been showing up in waves of His spirit.  In times that I'm alone, I'm not lonely because He comes with an overwhelming sense of joy and comfort.


In times of ominous defeat
When enemies come to destroy
The wind of bliss comes down to meet
My soul and overwhelms with joy.

In times of gratefulness and love
When hearts are filled with mystery
The peace of God from far above
Descends in tenderness to me.

Steps in the Sand

It's amazing how the plight of the Israelites coming out of Egypt in the Book of Exodus is quite similar to the life of the believer.  Trapped in his slavery, the Deliverer covers him from death by the blood of the Lamb, leading him through the water, passing from one life to the next, as those things that plague him are washed away, then to be led by the fire and smoke of the Spirit through the desert until the promised land of his purpose, which isn't just handed over, but requires work.  I can say that I am in the desert.  The fire of God is leading me day by day.  I see the Jordan shimmering in the sun, and the lushness of the Promised Land on the other side, and I feel like running straight toward the cool of the water, but the Pillar of my deliverance gently tells me "not now, the time hasn't come yet".  I am being led baby step by baby step across the sand in the hot sun.  Have you ever tried taking baby steps in the sand?  It's difficult, but I know God is teaching me new lessons everyday through it, so that I may be equipped to take on the challenges faced in fulfilling the purpose God has for me.

What can I say?

God has been good, and has been continually revealing Himself in my life over the past few weeks.  I am confident that God answers our prayers.  He hears our cries for help.  He has always been faithful, but we cannot give into laziness.  Giving God control of our lives does not mean that we are to give up our responsibilities.  God's burden is light, but that doesn't mean we have no burdens.  Man was designed to walk with God, and if God trust us, He will give us a real burden, to share in His suffering. This does not necessarily mean that something bad is going to happen to us, but that God will put a strong sense of concern or longing for something in regards to His kingdom.  Some are burdened to go to different countries and reach different people groups with the Gospel.  Some are burdened to help those who are sick, hurt, abused, or under oppression.  God has given me a burden for the Church of Jesus, I have felt called to be the paramedic of the dying church in the West, because we face a lot of problems, and need to be revived once again.  I love the Church, and every time I walking into a different gathering place of God's people, I feel the need to assess the atmosphere of what's going on, to love, to encourage, and to learn from everyone, everywhere I go, but also to bring renewal and reformation in areas of weakness.  How can this call on my heart be made practical?

1.  To hold fast to God, His Word, and the promises of Him who sent me
2.  To do a lot of traveling.  I want to learn from the Body of Christ in different parts of the country and the world.
3.  To take what I have learned, and to train believers who are part of a church family to be a light to their congregations.

Please pray for me, as God continually shows Himself to me, and directs my path toward His calling for my life.  Pray for God to give me wisdom in this confusing time in my life, that I would be able to be a good steward of what He has given me.


"Here am I, send me, though there's really not much I can do.
But I've answered the call, and I want to give it all to You."  -Keith Green

On Religion and Relationship

This evening I've been thinking a lot about religion, and about today's view of what it exactly is. It seems today that it is popular to say things like "I'm not religious, I'm spiritual" or "I love Jesus, but I'm not religious", Or my personal favorite, "relationship and not religion is important". but I'm kind of confused. Why do people hate religion so much nowadays? Even the Christians are speaking out against religion. First, I think we should take a look at what religion is.  The dictionary on my iPhone defines religion as "a strong belief in a power, or powers that control human destiny" or number two, "An institution to express belief in a divine power".  James, the brother of Jesus, said that true religion was caring for orphans and widows. the few times that the word "religion" was mentioned in the Bible, it was generally positive. Why do today's Christians tend to look down upon religion? Maybe it has something to do with what our conception of Christian religion is. what is the first thing you think of when you hear the word "religion"? Maybe you think of big stained-glass windows, or large pipe organs, or unmarried man and clerical suit, or maybe just church institution and as a whole. I don't know, but the first thing I think of when I think of religion is obligation. Our mighty Church has done a great deal for the Lord, has been used by the Lord, and has carried on his teachings. There are, however, some discrepancies in the way we teach our truth. the first group that I will mention, is the stereotypical view of the church. The churches that contribute to the stereotype are the boring, dry, dare I say, dead churches. These churches usually tend to force obligation, and are very keen to judge others based upon their appearance. This judgment also includes other churches and styles of worship. These churches overemphasize religion. They make laws that are harsh, and are oftentimes unattainable. They often say that mankind is incapable of attaining these laws, and therefore we are evil, leading to some of the practitioners of a lot of these churches, though not all, ceasing to care about the Lord, or letting their futility stop them from pursuing a life of holiness. this leads to Christianity being viewed in a bad light in the world. Jesus said, "they will know you are my disciples by how you love one another"(Non-verbatim). This is crazy, because the Lord is giving the nonbeliever the authority judge whether we are Christians or not, leading to many feeling that this is what Christian religion is. This causes people to have disdain for religion, and causes the Christian to want to forsake this view of Christianity.

The second camp, the extreme other side of the church, is what has historically been called the antinomians, which is just a fancy word for those who do not believe in the law.  They take the apostle Paul's comments regarding the spirit and the law out of context, believing that he was against the law. When I am actuality, he was talking about the futility of him trying to fulfill the law on his own, When it is the spirit's job to make one righteous. this has led many to forsake any obligations regarding salvation. They believe that any such obligation is legalism. of course, it is true, salvation is by faith alone, but salvation must bear fruit in the believers' life. James also said, that faith without works is dead. So back to religion, I think that it is important that we bring back our high esteem for religion because it is also important in the believers' life. Churches are for fellowship, and the believer must be submitted to a spiritual authority, such as a pastor. Churches are for encouragement as well. And it is important, that we are grounded doctrinally in Scripture. True religion is taking care of orphans and widows, and it is my personal opinion that we abide by true religion. Not by our own works, not for our glory, and not trying to attain salvation, because this will not work. We must be submitted, as the apostle Paul said, to the spirit. We must look to him, and all of our sin and bad habits will fall off over time as he helps us along in our journey.  So what are the practical applications to this? I'm not saying for everyone to go out and sell all their things are to become a missionary (if God calls you to do this do it) but as a Christian first off, I would say go to church. Find a church that you can serve in.  Serve in the church, grow to love the church, and be faithful to it. Give to the church. A very very very small percentage of the church actually tithe. Please tithe. It's not our money to keep an hord away anyway.  God blessed you with it. Also, please give to missions. We as Americans live a very comfortable lifestyle, but others in the kingdom, even our fellow Americans, are living hard lives in other countries and at home trying to preach the gospel to those who don't believe.  Many of them live off of our support so we could spare some money to help them out.  Religion will not save you from hellfire, but relationship with Jesus (Which is what salvation really is) is not based off of the benefit of heaven or the fear of hell, but the love for God, and the gratefulness for what he is done for you and for me.

Step by Step

"Oh God, you are my God, and I will ever praise you...I will seek you in the morning, and I will learn to walk in your ways, and step by step you'll lead me and I will follow you all of my days" -Rich Mullins (inspired by Psalm 63)

Oh my, what a crazy week this has been so far...  I don't know why the Lord has chosen this time to speak so much to me in such a small amount of time, I don't even understand.

First and foremost, Friday night, my flight is delayed until the next day.  Obviously, being the type A personality that I am, this doesn't sit well with me.  To add to the madness, the ones who were going to pick me up from the airport that night couldn't, and the switch was on such short notice.  I texted more people, and couldn't find a ride, so I just laid in bed, soaking in my own self pity God, I want to go home, that's all I want to do...  Then the Lord rebuked me, holding nothing back.  "How can you be so selfish?  You just had a great week on vacation, you didn't have to do anything, you got a new phone, and you were in a car accident and were completely fine."  ...So this is the part where I feel like a complete idiot (thankfully God doesn't see us that way), and give my selfishness to the Lord, because He can bear my burdens better than I can.  All of a sudden, my new phone dings, and I get a message from a friend, offering to give me a ride home.  Thank you Jesus

I get home, and the house is a mess, oh well, I had been up since 4:30 that morning, so I take a nap, and get up.  I'm bored, so I decide to read.  I put on "Power through Prayer" by E. M. Bounds on audio (if you haven't read it, you should), and it put in me a stronger resolve to seek the Lord, and even in the mornings (I'm not a morning person).  I kneel down beside my bed to seek the Lord.  The three big things I pray for:

1)  That God would forgive me, and take away my sin and selfishness
2)  That God would give me, my roommates, and others places to live
3)  That God would open my eyes, my spiritual eyes to have a greater revelation of His character, to see needs around me to help me meet them, and my actual eyes, as He has promised my healing through numerous people

So Sunday morning comes around, and I'm up early, asking God to help me make time for Him.  Sunday morning after church, I meet up with my good friend Doug Chan, who pays for my lunch, and introduces me to his friend Brent, who is going to Russia to serve for a year (pray for him).  He shares his testimony with a couple of us at lunch, and it was pretty cool.  As he was talking, I began to think about my testimony, and the prayer the night before, and the times people have told me that God would heal me ...but I don't know if that's true, I think I'm just that token handicapped guy that all the pentecostal people want to see healed, everyone wants a show I thought to myself.  Whatever, lunch was over, and I was going to hang out with Doug, so we all said our goodbyes, I said goodbye to brent and his girlfriend as they got in her car.  The engine came on, and we started walking out toward the cars.  Then the engine came off again, and Brent came out and approached me.  "Seth, I don't know if you're comfortable with me asking this"...oh, he's probably going to ask me about how I became blind, or how much I can see or something.  Why do they always feel awkward about asking?..."But I was wondering if anyone has ever prayed for your eyesight to come back before" Wait, what?????  I don't feel like I have enough faith for it today  I told him my testimony kind of, and about all of the people who said that God told that I would be healed one day, and about the skepticism I've had about people praying for me, because nothing happened yet, so him and doug, and other good friends laid their hands on me.  Before we prayed, Brent said something crazy!  "A lot of people come to these types of things thinking that they have to have enough faith, but it's really just a relationship with Jesus..."  So we start praying and glorifying Jesus.  The thought comes to my mind about social security, and about if I got healed, I wouldn't get my payment, then another thought popped in, claiming that I didn't get much anyway, and that it can't help me out like God can.  They finished praying, and I wasn't healed, but everyone was feeling edified, and the Lord was speaking to us individually about a bunch of different things.

Doug is staying at Josh and Valorie Wheeler's house.  This a great couple that is very dear to my heart, and they are going to be full time missionaries.  Check them out at www.joshandvalorie.com  We went to their house, and Josh shared an awesome passage with us from the book of Isaiah

⁹ Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

¹⁰ For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

¹¹ For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

¹² To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

¹³ But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.  Isaiah 28:9-13

It's arguable how much of the future God actually knows in His divine foreknowledge, but I know one thing, God knows a whole lot more that we do, and He reveals it to us just a little bit at a time.  If God had told me three years ago that I was going to be a radical Christian, living my life for Him, going into ministry, and leading a small group, I wouldn't have believed Him, or I would have walked away, because that's not what I would have wanted.  My life is in God's hands, and it's just my job to glorify Him.  The Westminster Shorter Catechism states that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  That's what I have to do, nothing else, He'll take care of the rest.

Oh, I got called yesterday about a unique housing opportunity, so come alongside me in praying for that.  God gets the glory.

Fruits that Yield

Sometime near the beginning, the earth our Father built,
With words, He set it spinning, with breath, the waters spilt.
He placed a garden fair and green, and fauna greatly varied,
In skies, meadows, and oceans clean, the seventh day, He tarried.

He gave the first man one command He knew the man could keep.
He trusted man to understand, but in temptation creeped.
The man consumes the fruit of sin from avarice's tree
He clothes himself from shame within, with works he thinks will set set him free.

As Father looks on after, more of his loves rebel.
Their drunken feasts and laughter, soon turn to painful hell.
"I have a plan!" he then resolves, to seek and save the lost.
I'll send my Son, their sin absolved, at such a heavy cost.

And on that day, the tree that stood, on which the Son had died
Contained the Man that shed His blood, and water from His side.
That we would see what we had done, and repent of our ways.
He sent the devil on the run, by rising in three days.

Though Adam made his vile mistake, and ruined his destiny.
When Jesus died man did partake, the fruit of a leafless tree.

"Shema!", God's Greatest Commandment

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 reads:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

     To a Jewish person, the first statement in this group of verses is called the "Shema" from the Hebrew word translated as "Hear".  The Shema stresses God's oneness at a time when all other people groups around the Israelites practiced polytheism, or the worship of multiple gods.  This is God's way of not only claiming His oneness in substance, but also that He is the only one worthy of worship.  God created mankind to worship, and he knew that if man did not worship Him, he would worship something less worthy, leading to his ruin.

     Following the Shema, God gives the greatest commandment in all of Judaism and Christianity, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all you strength.".  This is the commandment in which Jesus quotes to the Pharisees when asked about the greatest commandment.  Jesus went on to say the Law and the Prophets hung on these commandments.  God calls us to etch this reality into our hearts and take it everywhere with us.  

     In essence, God wants our mind and heart to be focussed on Him.   As we get up in the morning, as we go to sleep, as we sit around talking, He wants to be with us, involved in our lives.  He wants our houses, families, and our future generations to be filled with His presence, his thoughts, and His words.  If we do not have a mind in love with God and who He is, our mind will revert back to trivial things that hold no meaning and will not satisfy us.  This goes back to the Shema.  God is the only one worthy of our worship.  He alone is worthy of our love and affections.  If we devote ourselves to Him, He, in His righteousness and love, will take our love and distribute it according to His will.

Liberation from Above

Slavery, slavery, my soul cries out.
Babylon's minions run about.
I'm going to die without a doubt
This blessed hope, life seems without.

Mankind's armies dressed in black
At Armageddon, forces stacked
Prepared for signals to attack
A trumpet sounds, the clouds roll back.

Then came a sound as if a storm
So great and loud, it trumped the norm
A cavalry in white did form
Under one flag and uniform

As the horses thundered forward
To war with Man's ungodly horde
There rode in front the Lord of Lords
Whom from His mouth, there came a sword

His eyes aflame, His hair was white
His countenance lit up the night
His enemies trembled in fright
With His sword, all He did smite.

And when His foes will all be slain
From Zion's hill, His kingdom reigns
The one we crucified remains
Prepare for He will come again.

Finding your "Holy of Holies"

In the Bible, before Jesus died, the only way to voluntarily enter into the manifest glory of God, the Shekinah, was in the Temple in Jerusalem, in the House of God, known as the Holy of Holies.  Once a year, the high priest would come into the secret place of God and intercede on behalf of Israel.  When Jesus died, the veil to the temple was ripped, and God's presence was no longer confined.  Today, we can retreat into the presence of God anytime we seek Him.  It is important that we spend time in fellowship with Him to hear what He has to say.  The King of the Universe who lovingly helps everyone with their troubles everyday gives all the time you need to spend with Him, but sometimes we can't even give Him 10 minutes.  My newfound fervency in hanging out with Jesus has brought me to my own special temple at night, my garage has become my sanctuary, boxes and car parts are the adornments, my own little clear spot on the concrete is my pew, my poor singing voice is my choir, piano, and organ, the opening garage door is my benediction, and the Lord, my pastor.  As I come to him, throwing all of my distractions away before entering His sanctuary, and waiting until the light shuts off so that I am in complete darkness, keeping my eyes from wandering, but having them focussed on Him.  In my joy, I sing songs and hymns to Him, praying and anticipating an answer, enjoying the sweet feeling of His presence surrounding me.  When finished praying and singing, I, being renewed, open the door, not leaving His presence, but taking Him with me as I go on with my night.  Find your Holy of Holies, and spend the time you need with Him.  He loves us, and desperately desires to spend time with us.

What have you done?

"Where are you?" cried the Father loudly, as the snake slinked away, sneering peevishly
with the cold deadly venom dripping from the fangs, he slid back into his hiding place in the brush of the garden.  The Father walking through the brush, looking for his son, who was hiding with his wife, covering what he'd done with the petty figs, the works of his flesh, which made him feel secure.  Pulling back the leaves from thicket where they hid, the father looked disappointedly at them, a tear in his eye.  His lip began to quiver, as he asked them that terrible question, "What have you done?"  The leaf-covered man nervously blamed the one that he was supposed to love and take care of, and she blamed the snake, who devilishly slinked out of his hiding spot.  Seeing the disaster that happened, the Father cursed the snake, and the world He made them for good.  His quivering lip became a sob, as he began to implement the repercussions of the problems they caused.  His sobs became weeps as he casted them out of the garden, as they realized that their problems would lead to their death.

"The Fall" wasn't a fall, it was a rebellion.

Tunnel vision

You put eternity on our hearts, but I want more.  Stamp it on my eyes.
May they focus on Jesus, only Jesus, no one and nothing but Jesus, so much so that even blinking, shutting their lids for only a millisecond causes them agony from missing the chance to gaze on His beauty.
Keep them from losing focus, stopping to take a glance at the world and what she has to offer, her trap of temptation and laziness strongly beckoning them to just rest, to avert their stare from Him.

You direct our steps, and are a lamp for our feet, but I want more!
Shackle my feet with chains of holiness, so that I would not stray from your narrow road.
Keep them from turning even a small angle from your path, so that I would not be snared in the thorns on its sides.
Sin's temptations call me with the sweetest of voices, but to be trapped in the thorns and thistles causes me pain.
I try to get back on track, but they coil around me, their needles piercing me, their spines scraping my sin.
To be on your path is a comfort to my feet, and to gaze on your beauty is a delight for my eyes.