9/30 - Memory Verse

While visiting Four Corners Church, I took them up on a challenge to memorize this verse:

"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" (Hebrews 12:11, NIV)

I think this is a great memory verse, especially considering the things we often sacrifice as believers. The times when we think it's too hard or not worth it it's important to remember that it wasn't promised that it would be easy and that the reward for our obedience does have a payoff in the end (John 16:33). I encourage you all to consider this verse today and how it applies to you. I'll definitely be doing the same. God bless

9/28 - The Cost

Good morning. Shout out to Pastor Ben & Four Corners Church. I finally visited after planning to for over a year and it turns out I waited far too long. I really enjoyed the service & especially the message. It was a refreshing dose of truth I needed to hear. Couple that with my own pastor's sermon later that day (which fell right in line with what Ben talked about) and I'm feeling especially challenged today.

Ben's main point was that salvation is free and costs us nothing. But following Jesus will cost us something. This is a very important truth, a foundational one in fact, that believers should hold on to. Oftentimes the gospel is presented in a way that might lead one to believe that salvation and everything after it is free. When we don't reveal the cost, we set people up for failure when they realize that following Jesus isn't the cakewalk it was presented to be. Ben gave the analogy of "sticker shock" and I've seen it happen, particularly to someone very close to me. My friend came to our church, joined and wanted to live for Jesus. It wasn't until afterwards he realized the cost - losing friends, a complete change in lifestyle, trading the world's pleasures for God's pleasure. I'm sad to say he's not been back for a while. Please lift up a prayer for my friend & I'll continue to do so. I'm confident in what God is able to do.

One thing that stuck out to me from the sermon was the Ben described following Jesus as beginning a process of cooperation with God. The invitation was free. Now begins this process which for us feels like pulling teeth sometimes because its so contrary to what our flesh desires --> the cost. I'd rather tell this person off for how they treated me but I'll forgive them & hold my tongue instead. The cost. I'd rather use my money toward some things I really want or even bills and savings, but God requires a tenth. The cost. I really want to physically express my love with that special person but I'm not sure I'm ready for marriage. We all know the cost there. What it comes down to is a key word Ben pointed out - obedience. Simply put, following Jesus means doing what He tells us to do. Not agreeing with it or even understanding it. It's in the doing that God is pleased. We must determine, then, is it really worth it? (Matt 25:23, 2 Tim 2:12, 4:8, James 1:12, 1 Peter 5:4)

We understand that there's a great cost to following Jesus but the beauty of it is the underlying principle that we're all aware of as consumers - you get what you pay for. The verses I just listed are some good examples of that. Even more are the practical benefits of doing what Jesus says. We must trust that He knows whats best for us. Ben walked through the parable of the wise and foolish builders (read here - Matt 7:24-29). Building the house on the rock was much harder than building it on the sand, but the practical benefits were tremendous and became evident when the storms came.

Jesus compared two types of people in this story and there were a lot of similarities. Both heard the words of Jesus. Both built houses. In both situations, the storms came. The key difference to remember is that one put Jesus' words into practice and we see the benefit he received. The key similarity to remember is that the storms came for both. Following Jesus doesn't protect us from the storms, it sustains us during them.

Thanks Ben for teaching this & if you're reading this, thanks for the blog material today!

9/25 - New Experience

Ok, so I got a little glimpse into this whole having kids thing last night. We're babysitting for some friends and I see a lot is going to change when little Joshua gets here. By the way, the boy's name will be Joshua Christopher - just decided on that like 3 days ago. As I try to sneak in this blog post between feeding the baby and feeding myself, I'm sensing that my morning routine will be a bit different. As will bedtime, and after work with daycare, and going to any events with the intent to show up on time. Oh boy. The great part about all this was that these kids are very cute & very well-behaved. I hope little Joshua was taking notes.

Amazingly, we were able to get a little study time in and still are plugging away on the the second coming & rapture. I thank God for what He's revealed thus far and pray for even more wisdom as we continue. Wanted to say more today but cereal & Blue's Clues are calling.

9/24 - Prayer & Scripture for Today

Well, I'm still plugging away on this subject of the rapture and second coming. It's a really deep topic once you get into Revelation and the descriptions of the "beasts" and trying to understand how things will take place. Please shoot up a quick prayer for me for understanding & wisdom. I'll need it!

In the meantime, here's a scripture we've looked at in Bible study:

⁴ Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.

⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

A few things are apparent from this passage. First, I'm so not worthy of a holy God subjecting Himself to this just for me. I'm so glad that He did though because without His sacrifice I'd be on my way to hell. Without the provision He made for us, namely us Gentiles, I'd be without hope. Praise God for first loving us so much!

The specific characteristic of Christ we studied as it relates to this passage is His compassion. His compassion was unconditional. At the time of His death many considered Him stricken by God and afflicted, yet He took up our sins upon Himself. Even today, as we turn away from Him and dedicate ourselves to the distractions in this world more than Him, as we fall asleep during study, as we hurry out of church on Sundays, the fact remains that He still died for us knowing full well how we'd show our appreciation.

His compassion also led to action. Oftentimes we can feel a deep compassion for someone or some circumstance and feel justified in the fact that we at least feel bad for the person. But how often do we act on that compassion? How often do we stop & pray with the homeless person we avoid eye contact with? How often do we reach in our pockets and offer some very practical help for them? Christ's demonstration of compassion shows that there's some action to be done. Matthew 9:36 gives an example of how Christ felt about us -

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."

Other examples can be found in Matt 14:14, 15:32, 20:34. These examples show Christ feeling compassion and then doing something about it. Verse 5 from the Isaiah passage show the ultimate action He took to show how He loved us. Let's put some action behind our professed love for others today (and everyday).

9/21 - Prayer & Scripture Reference

Good morning. I've been in 2 Thessalonians 2 for a couple days and want to spend a little more time in study before I share. The chapter goes into great detail about the rapture and the second coming of Christ, an issue I'm realizing I know far too little about. I should definitely look a little deeper considering how important these events are and how they could happen like now.....or now.....or maybe not until I'm long gone from this earth. The point is, we don't know the day nor the hour but it would behoove us to know what's coming, especially since he's made it known in His word. Here's a few scriptures outside this chapter I plan to look into concerning the last days if you'd like to follow along: Daniel 9:26-27, Matt 24:15, John 14:1-3, 1 Thess 4:13-18, 5:2-5, Hebrews 10:25, Rev 3:10, 13:2-10,18. I'm actually really excited about where this study will take me & what God has for us to learn.

I'd like to add our country to the prayer list. Keep praying for the U.S. because the division here seems to be getting worse. Keep our president & elected officials lifted up because whether we like them or not, God has appointed them (Colossians 3:22-25). Pray for Issue 3 in Ohio, the latest attempt to bring casinos to Ohio. This time it's being packaged as a way to create thousands of jobs but the cost, as always, is the moral decline that follows casinos where ever they go. And that's not a price I think we ought to pay, no matter what our economic situation may be.

9/19 - 2 Thessalonians 1

First off, thanks to all who prayed for me last week. I can remember distinctly on Thursday morning around 10:25am feeling the Spirit of God minister to me, calming my anxieties and encouraging me to press on. That day was a testament of what can happen when you allow the enemy into your life. By not remembering that each day is a battle, I gave him place to inject confusion & deception in me which lead to a defeated pattern of thinking, a remembrance of all my failures and excuses about why I was unable to do what God has called me to do. Yea, it was bad. But thanks be to God for His Spirit & for your prayers. God even sent someone to speak some words of encouragement to me. Words I didn't want to hear at the time, but words I needed.

Paul's message to the Thessalonians is also a good one for me and any Christians going through something.

"Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering" (v. 4-5)

It is in the enduring of trials that we are found worthy of the kingdom of God. We've already been promised that we would suffer (John 15:20-21) but it is not in the suffering alone that we are honored, but how we endure. The purpose behind suffering is the process of purging, purifying and perfecting us thereby making us worthy for the kingdom. It is in our positive response that this process manifests.

9/17 - Don't Give Up

The words of Isaiah,

"He will not fail nor be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law" (Isaiah 42:4)

In this chapter, Isaiah speaks about the characteristics of Christ and gives a prophetic outlook into some of the things He will accomplish. Christ would come to offer a new covenant and to be a light to the Gentiles, who at this point had little hope for salvation. This was His purpose. Verse 4 says that He would not fail nor be discouraged until the time His task is completed. What does it take to have this sort of confidence?

I believe that Jesus first knew what His purpose was. He knew who sent Him for that purpose. The One who had sent Him couldn't fail and He, having the same Spirit of the God who sent Him, also could not fail. As imitators of Christ, I think this is the same attitude we ought to have. We ought to be confident that whatever God has sent us to do, it will not fail in its purpose and we ought not be discouraged. For me, it happens too often. People don't show up to events or I get little support for something I'm trying to start and I get discouraged. If we can attain this sort of confidence, that whatever God has called us to do it will succeed, I think that would even drive our actions a little differently. Instead of moving cautiously, we'd move boldly. Instead of defining success by numbers or whatever other measures we use, we find a new & more accurate measure. I'm not saying we lower our expectations to build our confidence. I'm saying that we define success by our obedience. Were we obedient to what God called us to do and did we do it to the best of our ability? Did we water the field? Because only He can provide the increase anyway.

Please keep me in prayer b/c honestly a lot of this was for me. Going through some things that have had me discouraged & unfocused. I'll keep praying for you guys too.

A Brief Aside

This is a little different than my usual posts but just on my heart. Not trying to start a debate here just getting this off my chest.

I, like much of our country, have become disgusted with our political system. I don't for one second judge the men & women that serve as representatives and congressmen but rather hold them in high esteem. Their job is not an easy one. Try balancing pleasing your constituents & those who voted you in, passing legislation to make our country better, negotiating with partisan counterparts, all while trying to get re-elected and within a period of 2/6 years. Anyway I imaging balancing these things, I could easily see someone classifying my actions as playing politics. The point is, I get how hard it is.

My frustration peaked last week when Senator Joe Wilson yelled out "You lie" during President Obama's speech on healthcare. I don't fault his stance on the issue at all and will concede that there probably are provisions or loopholes in the presidents plan that will allow illegal immigrants access to healthcare. So the significance of his outburst, for me, was how Obama's election has divided the country more than it has united it, much to my surprise and disappointment.

In the black community, by and large, our president is revered and given an automatic pass on any and every issue, just about opposite to how we treated President Bush, who could do no right. Then there's this other community who I suppose has always been there but, of late, have arisen with a new zeal and incredible boldness. We've seen it in the townhall meetings, the McCain/ Palin rallies, Fox news, generally anywhere staunch conservatives hangout. We've heard charged phrases such as "I want my America back" and "what happened to my country" and we're left only to wonder about the implications of such rhetoric. I wanted to believe that it was a minority of close-minded Hannity/Limbaugh disciples, that it was just a few people who would never let go of the fact that Obama is in office.

So when I heard Senator Wilson yell out, it was like one of those townhall meetings all over again. This culture, which I had attributed to only an under-infomed portion of our society was now present among our leadership. What other president would our leaders be so cavalier about disrespecting? Then the liberal response was to exploit this guys mistake and only further widen the schism in our country that our president has tried to bridge. Liberal vs. Conservative. Republican vs. Democrat. Will we ever get past it?

It'll take some courageous people in Washington who won't revert to the same old politics. We have to allow those courageous people to rise up by demanding a higher level of accountability, with opinions formulated by truth, not mass mobs. Let's turn off Hannity & Olbermann, Maddow & Limbaugh and base our opinion on facts and with a Godly worldview.

9/12 - 1 Thessalonians 5, Part 2

Short post today. Just wanted to admonish you as Paul did the Thessalonians in this chapter,

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

There's a reason we need to be told these seemingly obvious things - they're not easy. Many mornings (this morning) I struggle to rejoice in spite of what I go through and offer a meaningful prayer. Sometimes I allow my mind to wander and lose focus.

I won't be discouraged & will continue to pray even though its hard to do at times. When I say hard to do, I suppose I should say its hard to want to pray. My flesh desires so many of life's other distractions over quiet time with the Lord. Man, that was even tough to admit just now...

Anyway, if anyone else feels this way let's pray for each other. If i'm alone, then just pray for me! I don't believe it will always be like this because I'm confident in the word of God to change me, that a greater desire for Him will develop in me and that this growth process will draw me nearer to Him. Verse 18 even says its the will of God for us to do these things.

Let's stay in prayer for each other. God bless u all

9/11 - 1 Thessalonians 5

Paul explained to the Thessalonians at the end of chapter 4 that those who had already died would be with Christ when He returned. Apparently there had been some confusion about this and having such a brand new religion, such theological clarification was vital. One thing Paul knew they did understand about the second coming was how unexpected it will be. Verses 1-3:

"Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape."

Considering Paul's previous exhortation I believe that not only did this church know this fact, they internalized it. Its one thing to know information, but wisdom is properly responding to the information.

In elementary school, whenever our teachers would have to leave the class for any amount of time, it was like it was an automatic reaction to act a fool. Throwing paper balls, blurting out obscenities, drawing on the chalkboard, spitballs - it was a free for all. It was pretty much "how much can I get away with b4 teacher comes back" and thinking back, that was pretty fun. All the while, we knew the teacher would return. So once the lookout (yes we had a lookout) said the teacher was coming back, seats were straightened, paper thrown away and our best innocent faces were put on. We straightened ourselves up when the teacher returned so at the end of the day we'd have a good report.

How much more should we now "straighten ourselves up" knowing the Master is returning. Especially since we don't know when He's coming. We don't have a lookout this time. Most of us know He's coming back and doing so unexpectedly. But if we truly internalized it, we wouldn't do (or not do) the things we do. This truth is supposed to drive action, not just be a piece of useful Christian knowledge. If you knew Christ was coming back in 2 hours, how would you act? Think about that for a moment. It'd be a little different than the 2 hours you had planned wouldn't it? If you truly believed He was coming back like a thief in the night, should it be different?

9/6 - 1 Thessalonians 4, Part 3

2 verses this morning :

v4 - "that everyone of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor"

v7 - "for God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness."

The battle for purity rages in all of us. For some the battle is light, for others it is consuming. God has placed within us a strong sexual drive but like all of what God has created, it has become distorted as that message is now delivered to us through the world. The information we receive, and most of it is by choice, comes through media, our thoughts and through what we see. This information is largely contrary to Gods views but is pushed so frequently we hardly have time to even process it all. To get Gods perspective on this issue takes an intentional and consistent look into Gods word. If we don't counter all the misinformation with truth, what views will e form & what habits will we develop?

These verses stuck out to me this morning because I often use society's incessant promotion of sex as an excuse for why its so hard to remain pure. These verses forces us to look at it a different way. Verse 4 says that we should know how to possess our bodies in sanctification. There were no stipulations on that statement. It didn't talk much about what others were doing, just about what we ought to be doing. Same as verse 7, God has called us to holiness. That call isn't hinged on anyone elses actions, the commercials they show or the clothes they wear. It comes down to us. No excuses, live holy.

9/5 - A Different Spirit

Hey every1. I'm on vacation this week! No vacation from the Word tho. I'll try to keep logging thru next week but yall might have to bear with me. Only internet access is on my phone so blogs will likely be shorter and the focus on grammar will be much less valued. Me & Kendra are in Baltimore for the baby shower then taking a little trip on the east coast. Be in prayer that our travels are safe & that we get A LOT of gifts. Jk, ... But seriously tho baby stuff is stupid expensive.

Been meditating on scripture my boy Jarvis sent - Numbers 14:24, "But my servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it." Meditate on this today and determine how different your spirit really is from the world. What evidence marks your distinction?

Also read Joshua 14. Good day folks.

9/2 - 1 Thessalonians 4, Part 2

Paul exhorts the Thessalonians early in the chapter for their faithfulness but here in chapter 4 addresses them on a matter where they needed more guidance. The Thessalonian culture, much like ours, had a perspective of sex that left God out. What made it worse for them was there was no Christian influence that had even suggested sexual purity. As new believers, they were expected to go from doing whatever they were doing to being sexual pure, cold turkey.

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit" (v. 4-8)

The opening to this passage, I believe, would be better understood as "for this is a will of God," meaning I don't think Paul is explaining the exhaustive will of God but just a portion, particularly, our sexual purity. As believers, our goal is to please God and the only way we can accomplish this is first understand what it is that pleases Him or, in other words, His will. The specific part of His will we must understand here is that we be sanctified.

The verse makes it clear that one's sexuality can't be separated from one's sanctification. If you are failing in this area, you consequently fail to be sanctified in God's sight. That word sanctification, in this instance, means to make holy, to separate or to devote or consecrate. The implication is separation from the world and devotion to God. In verse 4, we see the significance of that separation - that we possess our bodies with honor, not "like the Gentiles who do not now God." There's a clear distinction made here. Therefore if you have resolved to live a life that includes sex outside of marriage, then your sanctification - the process of being made holy & fit for the kingdom of God - is incomplete. I'm not ranking sins here. The same could be said for a variety of other sins, but we're on 1 Thessalonians 4 and this is the topic at hand. This is also an area God has devoted a lot of attention to in His word so it would behoove us to pay special attention to it.

Imagine a lower standard for holiness. I suppose we don't have to imagine, we can just look around at the world's guidelines for sexual morality, but imagine if that standard was actually truth. Imagine if some of the things we convince ourselves of - "God understands," "A little of this won't hurt," "It's not like I'm hurting anybody," etc - imagine if that standard was actually true, if God was actually cool with it like we convince ourselves He is. That would also mean that God is also cool with the consequences - the heartache, unwanted pregnancies, disease, sexual addiction, perversion - all the things He actually guards us from when a proper perspective of marriage is attained and a correct attempt at it is made.

9/1 - 1 Thessalonians 4

1 Thessalonians 4

This morning brings me to a very familiar passage of scripture & one I think deserves a lot of attention and even more meditation. The passage is so familiar, in fact, I think I ought to spend even more time on it and avoid the urge to pass through it as if I fully understand. One author I've read warned that one of the dangers we face as believers who are dedicated to God's word is treating the word with familiarity. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that "the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." So I think I'll spend a little time here.

This issue of sexual immorality is one of the biggest issues facing the church. It's a fiery beast and has devoured so many in it's path. It's relentless and as our age becomes more "progressive" and our standards become even looser, the beast just grows that much more powerful. As it is such a powerful topic, you'll have to pardon me if I don't mince words on this one. We've become so deceived in this area that we deny how powerful it is and think we can play around with it and not fall. We live with our girlfriends/ boyfriends, think we can stop at just a look or just a kiss, watch any movie we want, listen to whatever music we want and put ourselves in compromising situations thinking its all good and we're strong enough to overcome it. A hint this morning, and this is from the Lord Himself: you are not. The Bible advises us to "flee sexual immorality" (1 Corinthians 6:18). If we were strong enough it might have told us to stand & be steadfast, but the clear advice here is to run.

I think the battle of sexual immorality rages in all of us but is particularly more intense among the brothers. As we are more susceptible to visual imagery, this temptation becomes that much more strong for us. And look at what we're exposed to everyday - billboards, commercials, prime time television, radio ads, pop-ups, not to mention the women we actually see in real life! Pornography and masturbation are more common among men for these reasons, and are an epidemic in the church. In 2006, revenue for the porn industry was $13.3 billion in the U.S. with over 70% of men ages 18 to 34 visiting a pornographic site per month. Considering about 75% of Americans call themselves Christians, how much of that $13 billion came from the church? Also consider that with this high of revenue, as an industry, pornography would crack the Fortune Top 200.

Besides viewing sexual immorality, many of us are engaging in it. The culture has been resolute in reminding us about what we deserve sexually and if we don't get it what options we have, primarily having it outside of the context of marriage. Marital, or even relational, unfaithfulness is now more the rule rather than the exception. We now have this high standard around "love", "the right time" or "the right person" and have so skewed the proper intentions for sex that God's view has become a laughing stock. When G.W. Bush pushed abstinence in schools, the backlash wasn't even anger, it was ridicule and mockery at the very idea that we humans should attempt something as futile as abstinence.

I'll have to write more on this later, but I don't want to lose you just yet. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 - "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality." God is not in any way ignorant of the facts I've laid before you. He's not unmindful of the struggle we face in a sexually charged society. He's also not a God who changes or would lower His standard of holiness. The thing I hope we come to realize, and I'd like to study more on, is that the reason His standard is so high and why He wills that we live holy, is for our own good. It is the will of God - so not only must it be possible for us, He expects it of us. Yes it's difficult, but consider this today: is He worth it?

More tomorrow.