Life is forever marked by the highs and lows of life. When people look back at their lives, most of their memories are of the peaks and valleys. What is interesting enough though is most of our lives are spent along the journey between the highs and lows, the peaks and the valleys. Yet those are not the points of our lives we remember. Ask a married person about the year that they were married, and they are not gonna tell you, "Oh, that was the year that I planned our wedding." They will tell you, "That was the year I got married." Sure, it was also the year that they planned their wedding, and, sure, they will have memories of planning; but the highlight was the wedding.
So it is with every significant event in our lives, whether good or bad. There are many steps that go into a high or a low. It rarely comes out of nowhere, unless it is a death or a winning lotto ticket that you found on the sidewalk. That is how most of our lives are spent between the highs and the lows. But these are also some of the most important times, because what we do in these times can affect what happens. So often we view our lives as a rollercoaster. Just going between the highs and the lows. But what if there was something that could stabilize our lives and our emotions that so often fluctuate between joy and depression. Well, good news...there is something.
My mom shared with me once that our greatest responsibility in life is to cultivate our relationship with Jesus Christ. I have to be honest and admit that I have been going through one of those descents into the valley (no pun intended [for those who don't know, I'm from the Valley]). Being honest with you again, during this time of "descent," the first thing to be thrown to the wayside was my relationship with Christ. As I got further and further in, there was one thing that my heart ached for and I denied myself that, whether that was because of guilt, shame, hurt, etc. Would my relationship with Christ have stopped the events that led to the "descent"? Unfortunately, no, it would not have; however, as I slipped into the valley, there was one thing that I could cling to, one thing that would stabilize me, one thing that could guard my heart and mind "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding...in Christ" (Philippians 4:7).
I don't know if you can identify with this or not. Maybe, I'm just crazy. Or maybe you're going through this right now. Whether you are in the valley, on you're "descent" into the valley, on you're way to a peak, or on the mountaintop, there is only one thing that you need to do. Cling to Christ. He will help you savor the highs, enjoy the journey, and not get too down in the valleys because we always have hope in Christ. My prayer is that you will always cling to Christ and the hope that we have in him that one day, no matter if we go through hell on earth, we will no longer suffer, no longer experience pain, and no longer have a constant ride of ups and downs.
If you are going through one of these times, I pray that you be able to find some solace in the fact that you are not alone. You are not isolated. That whatever it is you are going through right now, it is shaping you into a better person. Do not allow you're time in the valley to make you bitter. Instead, allow it to shape you.
If you are going through a peak, enjoy it. Savor it. Milk it for all it's worth, because life inevitably will bring a valley. There is a danger in these times too to shirk our responsibility to cultivate our relationship with Christ because everything is going swimmingly. Never forget to cling to Christ.
Philippians 4:23: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit."
-Trace
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The Way: Promise
2 Timothy 2:11-14: "The saying is trustworthy, for: 'If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful—' for he cannot deny himself."
The last couple weeks, we have looked a lot at grace, and we will continue that trend today. I do not think we fully understand God's grace. We might have a good head knowledge of it, but I think many times we wind up missing it's full impact on us. A lot of Christians have this misconception that when we do something wrong God is going to smite us. While there are consequences to our actions and sins, God's overarching plan does not end or change because we sinned. Want proof? Moses killed a man. Then, God called him back to Egypt to free the Israelites. Have you killed someone? Probably not. Hopefully not. Even if you have, take courage, because God used a murderer. That's funny because in our minds not much surpasses murder on the evil scale. David committed adultery. And then, had her husband killed. But God still used him to enlarge and prosper the kingdom. On and on, the examples go. The best example though is Abraham.
Abram and Sarai were seventy-five and sixty-five respectively and barren when God promised that they would have a son. As great as that would be, how much faith would it take to believe that they could have a son at that age? A lot. Why? Because they had to wait twenty-five years before God fulfilled his promise! Twenty-five years! Yet, as is so common to man, they couldn't remain faithful to his promise. Eleven years down the road, they take matters into their own hands. They get the great idea that Abram should sleep with the maid. She conceived a son, and now, today, we are reaping the consequences of Abram's sin. Nevertheless, despite Abram's sin, God remained faithful. Fourteen years later, Sarah gave birth to Isaac. Now, the rest is history.
What a beautiful picture of grace! Sure, there were consequences to Abraham's faithlessness, or sin; however, God remained faithful and delivered on his promise. I don't know if there is anything specific God has promised you, but I do know a couple promises found in scripture. Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Romans 8:28: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
First, let me say what these verses do not mean. They do not mean that everything in your life is going to go great. They do not mean that you will be rich or win every game this season. Nor do they mean you'll have a big house, a fancy car, a 100k job, a hot spouse, perfect kids, fame, success, a 4.0 GPA, or a full ride to college. This was God's promise to people who were in exile. They were in captivity for seventy years. God was reminding them that he had not forgotten about them. God wants to remind us of the same thing. Do not take these verses to mean something they do not mean. These verses are true, but they were also true for Peter, who was crucified upside down; Paul, who was eaten by lions; and John, who was exiled to die on an island by himself. They were true for the early church fathers, many of whom were martyred. They are true for present day Christians in Asia, Africa, and South America, who are dying for their faith. For many people, the invitation to die to themselves and live for Christ includes having their head chopped off. That's not a gospel presentation you hear often: Accept Christ and you might get your head chopped off for it. But, those promises remain true. And God will remain faithful to those promises, even when we are lacking in faith, even when we stumble and sin.
What do these promises mean then? Joshua 1:5: "I will not leave you nor forsake you." God promises to be with us everywhere we go and in everything we do, whether that's ministering to orphans in a third-world country or being a celebrity living in Hollywood or living on a street corner barely making it through life. In the end, if you "delight yourself in the Lord, he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 34:7). When we do that, our desires change. Instead of being for material things, our heart begins to hunger for righteousness. We desire to be transformed into the image of his Son.
I don't know about you, but there are certain things that I feel like God has specifically promised me that I will get to do or experience in my life. But so many times, I feel disqualified. When I mess up and don't remain faithful to God (a.k.a. sin), he does remain faithful, because as Paul wrote "he cannot deny himself." Don't miss this! When we feel broken and unworthy of what God has in store for us, God doesn't change his plans for us. It is not like they are a carrot dangling in front of us bribing us to live correctly. Thank God for that. Thank God for his faithfulness. Now, this is not an excuse to fall short of God's standard. It's a reassurance and encouragement that when we do fail, he does not fail us. He does not leave us. He does not forsake us.
My prayer is that you really meditate on 2 Timothy 2:11-14. Spend time digesting it. Don't miss the grace that is revealed to us. My prayer is that we would always remain faithful to God. My prayer is that when we fail God in our relationship with him we would be able to draw on this verse and not let Satan discourage us and keep us wallowing in our failures. My prayer is that we would never forget that God is always faithful to his promises.
-Trace
The last couple weeks, we have looked a lot at grace, and we will continue that trend today. I do not think we fully understand God's grace. We might have a good head knowledge of it, but I think many times we wind up missing it's full impact on us. A lot of Christians have this misconception that when we do something wrong God is going to smite us. While there are consequences to our actions and sins, God's overarching plan does not end or change because we sinned. Want proof? Moses killed a man. Then, God called him back to Egypt to free the Israelites. Have you killed someone? Probably not. Hopefully not. Even if you have, take courage, because God used a murderer. That's funny because in our minds not much surpasses murder on the evil scale. David committed adultery. And then, had her husband killed. But God still used him to enlarge and prosper the kingdom. On and on, the examples go. The best example though is Abraham.
Abram and Sarai were seventy-five and sixty-five respectively and barren when God promised that they would have a son. As great as that would be, how much faith would it take to believe that they could have a son at that age? A lot. Why? Because they had to wait twenty-five years before God fulfilled his promise! Twenty-five years! Yet, as is so common to man, they couldn't remain faithful to his promise. Eleven years down the road, they take matters into their own hands. They get the great idea that Abram should sleep with the maid. She conceived a son, and now, today, we are reaping the consequences of Abram's sin. Nevertheless, despite Abram's sin, God remained faithful. Fourteen years later, Sarah gave birth to Isaac. Now, the rest is history.
What a beautiful picture of grace! Sure, there were consequences to Abraham's faithlessness, or sin; however, God remained faithful and delivered on his promise. I don't know if there is anything specific God has promised you, but I do know a couple promises found in scripture. Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Romans 8:28: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
First, let me say what these verses do not mean. They do not mean that everything in your life is going to go great. They do not mean that you will be rich or win every game this season. Nor do they mean you'll have a big house, a fancy car, a 100k job, a hot spouse, perfect kids, fame, success, a 4.0 GPA, or a full ride to college. This was God's promise to people who were in exile. They were in captivity for seventy years. God was reminding them that he had not forgotten about them. God wants to remind us of the same thing. Do not take these verses to mean something they do not mean. These verses are true, but they were also true for Peter, who was crucified upside down; Paul, who was eaten by lions; and John, who was exiled to die on an island by himself. They were true for the early church fathers, many of whom were martyred. They are true for present day Christians in Asia, Africa, and South America, who are dying for their faith. For many people, the invitation to die to themselves and live for Christ includes having their head chopped off. That's not a gospel presentation you hear often: Accept Christ and you might get your head chopped off for it. But, those promises remain true. And God will remain faithful to those promises, even when we are lacking in faith, even when we stumble and sin.
What do these promises mean then? Joshua 1:5: "I will not leave you nor forsake you." God promises to be with us everywhere we go and in everything we do, whether that's ministering to orphans in a third-world country or being a celebrity living in Hollywood or living on a street corner barely making it through life. In the end, if you "delight yourself in the Lord, he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 34:7). When we do that, our desires change. Instead of being for material things, our heart begins to hunger for righteousness. We desire to be transformed into the image of his Son.
I don't know about you, but there are certain things that I feel like God has specifically promised me that I will get to do or experience in my life. But so many times, I feel disqualified. When I mess up and don't remain faithful to God (a.k.a. sin), he does remain faithful, because as Paul wrote "he cannot deny himself." Don't miss this! When we feel broken and unworthy of what God has in store for us, God doesn't change his plans for us. It is not like they are a carrot dangling in front of us bribing us to live correctly. Thank God for that. Thank God for his faithfulness. Now, this is not an excuse to fall short of God's standard. It's a reassurance and encouragement that when we do fail, he does not fail us. He does not leave us. He does not forsake us.
My prayer is that you really meditate on 2 Timothy 2:11-14. Spend time digesting it. Don't miss the grace that is revealed to us. My prayer is that we would always remain faithful to God. My prayer is that when we fail God in our relationship with him we would be able to draw on this verse and not let Satan discourage us and keep us wallowing in our failures. My prayer is that we would never forget that God is always faithful to his promises.
-Trace
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Way: 27
I love sports. They are my favorite thing to do, to watch, and to talk about. Hands down. I especially love football. It's my favorite sport. And nothing else is even close. But I also love baseball, basketball, and soccer (hockey not so much, or at all for that matter). With all that said, last night, the New York Yankees won their 27th World Series, seventeen more than the team with the second most World Series victories. Since I love all these sports, I have teams I root for and teams that I dislike very strongly (since Christians are not supposed to hate anybody). And there is no team in baseball that I dislike more than the Yankees; however, there is no player I like more than Alex Rodriguez, their third baseman. For my money, he is the greatest player of his generation, if not ever. Yet, that does not mean that it is always sunshine and roses for A-Rod. Throughout his entire career, he has been scrutinized, but never more intensely than this year. As A-Rod said last night, "2009 has been a year of ups and downs." The season started for him by a news story being leaked that he had used steroids during the 2003 season, which caused a huge scandal. Then, within the first couple weeks, he injured his hip to the point that he needed surgery and missed 1/5 of the season. This was followed by the Yankees going 90-44 when he was in the lineup. He capped off his season with winning his first World Series and putting up ridiculous numbers. This was a season of redemption for A-Rod. This was a season of condemnation for A-Rod. Condemnation from media. Condemnation from baseball purists. Condemnation from Yankee haters and A-Rod haters. This was a season filled with grace for A-Rod. Grace from Yankee fans. Grace from A-Rod fans. Grace from some baseball fans.
Humanity is much like A-Rod. We started off with so much potential. So much promise. So much greatness (after all, what else was created in God's own image?). Then, we fell. The innocence was lost. That potential ruptured. That greatness was wrested from us. We were stained by sin. We were under condemnation. Romans 5:16b, 18a: "For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation....Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men." We were slaves to sin, ruled by Satan. As Augustine said, we were "non posse non peccare" (which means, not able not to sin). We "were dead in our trespasses" (Eph. 2:5; Col. 2:13).
But....
Romans 5:6-11: "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. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation" (bold added).
At just the right moment, God sent Christ to rescue humanity. And we have been. We have a new relationship with God. Romans 8:1: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." This gives us cause to celebrate, because we are reconciled back to God. That original relationship is being restored. The "old self," which was not able not to sin, is gone. It is replaced by the new. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Cor. 5:17). The slavery to sin was broken through the cross, and now, we are slaves of righteousness. Romans 6:16-18:
But also like A-Rod, we still face criticism. Persecution. Hatred. Accusation. Revelation 12:10 speaks of Satan as "the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night." Satan continually reminds us of our sins, both past and present. Satan, our adversary, "prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). He wants to keep us wallowing in our sin. He wants us to keep our mind on the sin we have committed. He even wants us to keep our mind on using our own willpower to overcome our sin. He wants us to keep our mind on anything but Jesus Christ, because it is then that we achieve victory and overcome sin. "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:57).
My prayer is that we would be like Paul. "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Paul knew that he was not perfect. He knew that he had not reached the point of full maturity in Christ. He knew that he still struggled with sin (check out Romans 7). But, he pressed on anyway. I pray that we would not fall prey to the schemes of the devil. I pray that we will embrace our forgiveness, which covers all our sins for all time and was given to us, not dependent on any merit of our own. I pray that we would truly walk as new creations, step in step with the Holy Spirit. And when we fail and fall and mess up because we are human, I pray that we would trust in that beautiful grace and mercy, which came to us on the cross, securing our salvation, our redemption, and our reconciliation. I pray that "when shadows fall on us, we will not fear, we will remember. When darkness falls on us, we will not fear, we will remember. When all seems lost and we're thrown and we're tossed, we remember the cost, we're resting in the shadow of the cross" (Shadows by David Crowder Band).
"Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible" (Eph. 6:23-24).
-Trace
Humanity is much like A-Rod. We started off with so much potential. So much promise. So much greatness (after all, what else was created in God's own image?). Then, we fell. The innocence was lost. That potential ruptured. That greatness was wrested from us. We were stained by sin. We were under condemnation. Romans 5:16b, 18a: "For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation....Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men." We were slaves to sin, ruled by Satan. As Augustine said, we were "non posse non peccare" (which means, not able not to sin). We "were dead in our trespasses" (Eph. 2:5; Col. 2:13).
But....
Romans 5:6-11: "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. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation" (bold added).
At just the right moment, God sent Christ to rescue humanity. And we have been. We have a new relationship with God. Romans 8:1: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." This gives us cause to celebrate, because we are reconciled back to God. That original relationship is being restored. The "old self," which was not able not to sin, is gone. It is replaced by the new. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Cor. 5:17). The slavery to sin was broken through the cross, and now, we are slaves of righteousness. Romans 6:16-18:
"Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness."
Just like A-Rod, we have gone through our own season of redemption. "And [all] are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24). "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace" (Eph. 1:7). "He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption" (Heb. 9:12).Now, we are in the stage that Augustine called "posse non peccare" (which means able to not sin) thanks to the Holy Spirit "who guides us into all truth" (John 16:13), whose fruit there is no law against (Gal. 5:23). Now, we are alive in Christ. And Christ is alive in us. "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20)
But also like A-Rod, we still face criticism. Persecution. Hatred. Accusation. Revelation 12:10 speaks of Satan as "the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night." Satan continually reminds us of our sins, both past and present. Satan, our adversary, "prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). He wants to keep us wallowing in our sin. He wants us to keep our mind on the sin we have committed. He even wants us to keep our mind on using our own willpower to overcome our sin. He wants us to keep our mind on anything but Jesus Christ, because it is then that we achieve victory and overcome sin. "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:57).
My prayer is that we would be like Paul. "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Paul knew that he was not perfect. He knew that he had not reached the point of full maturity in Christ. He knew that he still struggled with sin (check out Romans 7). But, he pressed on anyway. I pray that we would not fall prey to the schemes of the devil. I pray that we will embrace our forgiveness, which covers all our sins for all time and was given to us, not dependent on any merit of our own. I pray that we would truly walk as new creations, step in step with the Holy Spirit. And when we fail and fall and mess up because we are human, I pray that we would trust in that beautiful grace and mercy, which came to us on the cross, securing our salvation, our redemption, and our reconciliation. I pray that "when shadows fall on us, we will not fear, we will remember. When darkness falls on us, we will not fear, we will remember. When all seems lost and we're thrown and we're tossed, we remember the cost, we're resting in the shadow of the cross" (Shadows by David Crowder Band).
"Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible" (Eph. 6:23-24).
-Trace
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Love God, Love People
If you are a Christian you love God. It is pretty easy to love him, he has given us everything for nothing. So most of us don't struggle with this, but what about loving people?
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35
There are many different themes throughout the New Testament, but one that comes up quite a bit is love. But what is love? We tend to love many things. For example, how many times do you hear this, "I love this show" or "I love chicken fried steak"? We hear it constantly. People use love for everything. But what is Jesus talking about? What is he really telling us to do? To love people like we love chicken fried steak?
If I asked you if you love others what would you say? I think you would say yes of course I do. I love my mom, dad, brother, friend and family members. But what about the guy that is always picking on you or a friend of yours? Or the person that just gets on your nerves all the time? It is very hard sometimes to love everyone or people that you just don't like. As Christians we struggle with this. Many churches don't even have love for each other in the same church. We argue about pointless stuff or when someone enters our church we ask, "why is that person here?"
As Christians we are suppose to love everyone Christians, non-Christians, people you don't like, EVERYONE. It is funny to me when people judge non-Christians for their actions and just tell them everything they are doing wrong. Does that person think they are helping anything? If someone told me that I was doing all these wrong things and that I was going to Hell, I don't think I would respond very well. Yet, Christians all over this country do this every day. Loving others means genuinely caring about them and building relationships, not ignoring them and judging. Why should non-Christians have the same morals as Christians? It doesn't matter if a person that doesn't have Christ does a million good deeds or does zero that person is still going to hell. Instead of judging that person we should care about them so much that we don't want them to go to hell, so we do everything in our power to steer them in that direction.
Jesus wants us to love people because this is how the world will know that we follow him. If we love everyone and are ACTUALLY different than world, then the world will notice. I am sure it gets old to non-Christians to be told over and over again by Christians that they are going to hell or just flat out being ignored by people in the church. They are looking for something and we have what they are looking for. Why then do we act like we don't want them to know about it? We have the greatest news in the history of the world, we should constantly be sharing it and loving people like Jesus commanded us to do.
Jesus hung out with the people that Christians today turn their noses up to. If we are following Jesus shouldn't we act like him? He always showed love to everyone it didn't matter if they were high up in the religious system or prostitutes. Therefore we should do the same.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35
Are you a disciple?
-Ryan
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35
There are many different themes throughout the New Testament, but one that comes up quite a bit is love. But what is love? We tend to love many things. For example, how many times do you hear this, "I love this show" or "I love chicken fried steak"? We hear it constantly. People use love for everything. But what is Jesus talking about? What is he really telling us to do? To love people like we love chicken fried steak?
If I asked you if you love others what would you say? I think you would say yes of course I do. I love my mom, dad, brother, friend and family members. But what about the guy that is always picking on you or a friend of yours? Or the person that just gets on your nerves all the time? It is very hard sometimes to love everyone or people that you just don't like. As Christians we struggle with this. Many churches don't even have love for each other in the same church. We argue about pointless stuff or when someone enters our church we ask, "why is that person here?"
As Christians we are suppose to love everyone Christians, non-Christians, people you don't like, EVERYONE. It is funny to me when people judge non-Christians for their actions and just tell them everything they are doing wrong. Does that person think they are helping anything? If someone told me that I was doing all these wrong things and that I was going to Hell, I don't think I would respond very well. Yet, Christians all over this country do this every day. Loving others means genuinely caring about them and building relationships, not ignoring them and judging. Why should non-Christians have the same morals as Christians? It doesn't matter if a person that doesn't have Christ does a million good deeds or does zero that person is still going to hell. Instead of judging that person we should care about them so much that we don't want them to go to hell, so we do everything in our power to steer them in that direction.
Jesus wants us to love people because this is how the world will know that we follow him. If we love everyone and are ACTUALLY different than world, then the world will notice. I am sure it gets old to non-Christians to be told over and over again by Christians that they are going to hell or just flat out being ignored by people in the church. They are looking for something and we have what they are looking for. Why then do we act like we don't want them to know about it? We have the greatest news in the history of the world, we should constantly be sharing it and loving people like Jesus commanded us to do.
Jesus hung out with the people that Christians today turn their noses up to. If we are following Jesus shouldn't we act like him? He always showed love to everyone it didn't matter if they were high up in the religious system or prostitutes. Therefore we should do the same.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35
Are you a disciple?
-Ryan
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Who do you serve?
"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15
Who do you serve?
In today's society it almost seems impossible to serve just God. We tend to let other things master us. Maybe it is school, athletics, friends or maybe you are a parent and it is your kids events, athletics, jobs, and so much more. We tend to put God aside when we get really busy and then maybe when we aren't busy we might decide to pick up a devotional book.
I am right there with you. I sometimes think that I am too busy for God. Now, I don't actually say this or realize that I am doing this, but if you look at my life I think you could see this attitude many times. I start to make excuses for why I don't do certain things like read my bible or pray. I say I don't have time or "I studied my bible for the lesson that I am going to teach on Wednesday that should be good for a week or so."
Who do you serve?
I love sports. I watch ESPN it seems like 24/7. I have a passion for sports and enjoy watching them. I can watch the same SportCenter 5 times in a row and never get bored. I hardly ever miss a day without watching ESPN. I am very faithful to it, I spend at least an hour (more like 3) watching ESPN. What is weird about this relationship that I have with ESPN is that it has never done a thing for me. In fact ESPN doesn't even know that I exist. But I am still very faithful to it.
Who do you serve?
It is a very simple question, yet a hard one to answer. It shouldn't be this hard it should be a no brainer right? Do I serve ESPN that doesn't care about me or a person that died for me so that I could go to heaven even though he knew that I was going to mess up every day? Easy Jesus Christ, but why do I struggle with letting things get in the way of my relationship with Christ? Now we could say, "well we are all human", but do you really want to live life that way, always making excuses.
What if not only did we decide who we were going to serve, but we told people who we served in everything we did? Not just our words, but also our actions. Talk is very cheap in today's world. My favorite example of living boldly is Peter. Peter is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. Now he does say some stupid things every now and then, but he is also the first person to take action. In Acts time and time again he is the one that speaks very boldly to the officials even through intense persecution. This is the same Peter that seemed to always be sticking his foot in his mouth in the Gospels.
In Acts 5, I think Peter sums up what it looks like to serve God and not anything else. The apostles had just been arrested for preaching about Jesus Christ. They were put in jail and during the night an Angel appeared to them, opened the prison doors and told them to go preach in the temple. Now I don't know if you understand what just happened or not, but basically the Angel busted them out of jail. The next morning the jailer cannot find the prisoners anywhere and then finally they find them preaching in the temple. Can you imagine how ticked off the chief priests were? To make a long story short the officials bring the apostles before a council and basically say we told you not to preach the gospel yet you are doing just what we told you not to do. This is where Peter stands up and says,"We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." (Acts 5:29-32)
What boldness and conviction Peter had! We must realize why we should serve God before we know if we serve him. God gave you everything you have and all he wants is for us is to live for him. It shouldn't be hard. Live boldly for your Savior and let him be your master in everything you do. "Obey God rather than men."
Who do you serve?
- Ryan
Who do you serve?
In today's society it almost seems impossible to serve just God. We tend to let other things master us. Maybe it is school, athletics, friends or maybe you are a parent and it is your kids events, athletics, jobs, and so much more. We tend to put God aside when we get really busy and then maybe when we aren't busy we might decide to pick up a devotional book.
I am right there with you. I sometimes think that I am too busy for God. Now, I don't actually say this or realize that I am doing this, but if you look at my life I think you could see this attitude many times. I start to make excuses for why I don't do certain things like read my bible or pray. I say I don't have time or "I studied my bible for the lesson that I am going to teach on Wednesday that should be good for a week or so."
Who do you serve?
I love sports. I watch ESPN it seems like 24/7. I have a passion for sports and enjoy watching them. I can watch the same SportCenter 5 times in a row and never get bored. I hardly ever miss a day without watching ESPN. I am very faithful to it, I spend at least an hour (more like 3) watching ESPN. What is weird about this relationship that I have with ESPN is that it has never done a thing for me. In fact ESPN doesn't even know that I exist. But I am still very faithful to it.
Who do you serve?
It is a very simple question, yet a hard one to answer. It shouldn't be this hard it should be a no brainer right? Do I serve ESPN that doesn't care about me or a person that died for me so that I could go to heaven even though he knew that I was going to mess up every day? Easy Jesus Christ, but why do I struggle with letting things get in the way of my relationship with Christ? Now we could say, "well we are all human", but do you really want to live life that way, always making excuses.
What if not only did we decide who we were going to serve, but we told people who we served in everything we did? Not just our words, but also our actions. Talk is very cheap in today's world. My favorite example of living boldly is Peter. Peter is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. Now he does say some stupid things every now and then, but he is also the first person to take action. In Acts time and time again he is the one that speaks very boldly to the officials even through intense persecution. This is the same Peter that seemed to always be sticking his foot in his mouth in the Gospels.
In Acts 5, I think Peter sums up what it looks like to serve God and not anything else. The apostles had just been arrested for preaching about Jesus Christ. They were put in jail and during the night an Angel appeared to them, opened the prison doors and told them to go preach in the temple. Now I don't know if you understand what just happened or not, but basically the Angel busted them out of jail. The next morning the jailer cannot find the prisoners anywhere and then finally they find them preaching in the temple. Can you imagine how ticked off the chief priests were? To make a long story short the officials bring the apostles before a council and basically say we told you not to preach the gospel yet you are doing just what we told you not to do. This is where Peter stands up and says,"We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." (Acts 5:29-32)
What boldness and conviction Peter had! We must realize why we should serve God before we know if we serve him. God gave you everything you have and all he wants is for us is to live for him. It shouldn't be hard. Live boldly for your Savior and let him be your master in everything you do. "Obey God rather than men."
Who do you serve?
- Ryan
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Way: T.I. and J.T.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10, ESV). "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:8). Do these two verses characterize you? I mean really? Truthfully? Honestly? Because if I was honest with you, they don't. Yet they are at the core of who we are to be. People filled with joy and peace, who are living life to the fullest. And loving every minute of it. But Christians can sometimes be the most miserable people you know. Why is that? I know that in my life I feel that way because I don't measure up. Everyday I fail God. Everyday I sin. And I hate it! I totally feel like Paul in Romans 7 (read it if you don't know what it says).
Do you feel the same way? I always tell myself, "Well, this time I won't mess up. This time I'll try harder and do better." Have you ever said that same thing to yourself? What if I told you that that was a wrong way to think? Would you believe me? Would you agree?
Regardless of your answer, that is the wrong way to think. There is no amount of trying or effort or willpower on my (or your) part that can work to overcome sin. And that is a liberating idea. As Paul wrote to the Galatians in chapter 3, "Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" Christ's death, which we are partakers in, freed us from sin. But so often, we try to take over the second part, which is our sanctification. How ludicrous is it that we, who could not save ourselves by our own power, would think that we can rid ourselves of sin after we're saved. Paul puts it another way in Philippians: "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). See! It was never about us, and it will never be about us. So how do we overcome that sin in our lives that depresses us and makes us feel like we don't measure up?
Two of my favorite theologians put it this way: "That part of me left yesterday. The heart of me is strong today. No regrets. I'm blessed to say, the old me dead and gone away....oh hey, I've been travelin' on this road too long. I've been tryin' to find my way back home, but the old me's dead and gone, dead and gone." That is courtesy of T.I. and J.T.
As funny as that might be for me to quote, they nailed it on the head. When Christ died on the cross, we were "crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:20). Because of this, Paul writes, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Cor. 5:17). So, we see that our old selves and our sin nature is gone. Just as T.I. said, "That part of me left yesterday. The heart of me is strong today...the old me dead and gone away."
As Francis Schaeffer once said, "How should we then live?" We should live with great joy and in great freedom. "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (Gal. 5:1). But what are we free from? What is the yoke of slavery? The law. All of it, including the Ten Commandments. We're free from it all. We're free to live in the Spirit and in God's great and marvelous grace.
Before you condemn me as a heretic, check out the following verses: Romans 3-8; Galatians 2-3; Ephesians 2:14-15; Colossians 2:20; 1 Timothy 1:8-11; and Hebrews 7-8. The one that sums it up best though is 2 Corinthians 3:7-9:
Instead, the law has been replaced by grace and the Holy Spirit. "And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:16-17). Some people are worried that this would lead to a lack of self-control and an increase in sin, but Paul has this to say:
"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:1-4).
However, that is not a problem, because walking in grace means walking under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, which as Paul says:
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law....But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;AR)"> against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:16-18, 22-23).
My prayer is that if you struggle with a performance-based faith as I have for so long you would be free of that. All that does is strangle the joy from our walks and lives as Christians. Instead, let us shift our focus back to Christ, who not only saves us but is the one who grows us spiritually. No strivings or amount of willpower will free us from sin. Only a true relationship with Christ and the Spirit can do that. And only then will we walk in true joy, for sin has lost its power over us.
"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:56-57).
-Trace
Do you feel the same way? I always tell myself, "Well, this time I won't mess up. This time I'll try harder and do better." Have you ever said that same thing to yourself? What if I told you that that was a wrong way to think? Would you believe me? Would you agree?
Regardless of your answer, that is the wrong way to think. There is no amount of trying or effort or willpower on my (or your) part that can work to overcome sin. And that is a liberating idea. As Paul wrote to the Galatians in chapter 3, "Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" Christ's death, which we are partakers in, freed us from sin. But so often, we try to take over the second part, which is our sanctification. How ludicrous is it that we, who could not save ourselves by our own power, would think that we can rid ourselves of sin after we're saved. Paul puts it another way in Philippians: "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). See! It was never about us, and it will never be about us. So how do we overcome that sin in our lives that depresses us and makes us feel like we don't measure up?
Two of my favorite theologians put it this way: "That part of me left yesterday. The heart of me is strong today. No regrets. I'm blessed to say, the old me dead and gone away....oh hey, I've been travelin' on this road too long. I've been tryin' to find my way back home, but the old me's dead and gone, dead and gone." That is courtesy of T.I. and J.T.
As funny as that might be for me to quote, they nailed it on the head. When Christ died on the cross, we were "crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:20). Because of this, Paul writes, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Cor. 5:17). So, we see that our old selves and our sin nature is gone. Just as T.I. said, "That part of me left yesterday. The heart of me is strong today...the old me dead and gone away."
As Francis Schaeffer once said, "How should we then live?" We should live with great joy and in great freedom. "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (Gal. 5:1). But what are we free from? What is the yoke of slavery? The law. All of it, including the Ten Commandments. We're free from it all. We're free to live in the Spirit and in God's great and marvelous grace.
Before you condemn me as a heretic, check out the following verses: Romans 3-8; Galatians 2-3; Ephesians 2:14-15; Colossians 2:20; 1 Timothy 1:8-11; and Hebrews 7-8. The one that sums it up best though is 2 Corinthians 3:7-9:
"Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory."
Instead, the law has been replaced by grace and the Holy Spirit. "And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:16-17). Some people are worried that this would lead to a lack of self-control and an increase in sin, but Paul has this to say:
"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:1-4).
However, that is not a problem, because walking in grace means walking under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, which as Paul says:
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law....But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;AR)"> against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:16-18, 22-23).
My prayer is that if you struggle with a performance-based faith as I have for so long you would be free of that. All that does is strangle the joy from our walks and lives as Christians. Instead, let us shift our focus back to Christ, who not only saves us but is the one who grows us spiritually. No strivings or amount of willpower will free us from sin. Only a true relationship with Christ and the Spirit can do that. And only then will we walk in true joy, for sin has lost its power over us.
"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:56-57).
-Trace
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
What are you doing?
It is funny how, as Christians, we know what we are suppose to do, the right answers and what is important, but for some reason we don't always reflect these beliefs in our lives. For instance we all know that the Bible is very important and is inspired by God himself, yet how many of us read it on a normal basis?
Growing up in a Christian home was great for me. I have very Godly parents and they were a big help in me growing up. I am so thankful for them. However, growing up in church I tended to memorized answers, I always knew the right answer to every questions. I was an all-star at playing church. My dad was the pastor so I knew my books of the bible, I knew scripture, and I even knew big fancy words that could impress people during prayers. The only thing that was missing was a good Christian walk with Christ. I was a Christian, but I was not doing anything for Christ. I got my salvation and grace, but I did not give anything back. Their was no sacrifice for me. I definitely did not "take up my cross daily". (Luke 9:23)
I fear this is how most students and kids grow up in church. I have known and met so many people that tell me they really didn't get Christianity and what a relationship with Christ looked like until they got out of high school. What are we waiting for to get serious about our walk with Christ? Maybe you are waiting until you settle down for marriage, maybe you are just "building your testimony". Whatever the case is why not start now? I am pretty sure there is not a scripture in the Bible that says, "Get saved at 6. Go to church for 14 years then start to get serious about your walk with God." In Romans 12:1 Paul says, " I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living SACRIFICE, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Paul tells us to be a living sacrifice. Normally when something is sacrificed it dies.
We are to give God all of us, to not hold back anything. We must trust him in every situation, no matter what the situation is. If you hold parts of your life back you will struggle much more than you will if you give everything to God. Wouldn't it be great to see God one day and he tell you, "You messed up some and were disobedient, but you were a living sacrifice you gave your everything for me."
If you grew up in church and you know all the right answers, but you feel like your relationship is hardly there then I can try to help you out. I don't know the answer to change everything, but I can tell you were to look and where to start. As a Christian you must be reading your Bible. It is God's word. We have it for a reason. Spend time talking with him, praying, you can't have a relationship with someone without talking with that person. Lastly, be a sacrifice for him daily. Wake up each morning and die to yourself, your ways and surrender to God fully and follow him. This might take swallowing your pride, but His ways are far better than your ways.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isiah 55:9
-Ryan
Growing up in a Christian home was great for me. I have very Godly parents and they were a big help in me growing up. I am so thankful for them. However, growing up in church I tended to memorized answers, I always knew the right answer to every questions. I was an all-star at playing church. My dad was the pastor so I knew my books of the bible, I knew scripture, and I even knew big fancy words that could impress people during prayers. The only thing that was missing was a good Christian walk with Christ. I was a Christian, but I was not doing anything for Christ. I got my salvation and grace, but I did not give anything back. Their was no sacrifice for me. I definitely did not "take up my cross daily". (Luke 9:23)
I fear this is how most students and kids grow up in church. I have known and met so many people that tell me they really didn't get Christianity and what a relationship with Christ looked like until they got out of high school. What are we waiting for to get serious about our walk with Christ? Maybe you are waiting until you settle down for marriage, maybe you are just "building your testimony". Whatever the case is why not start now? I am pretty sure there is not a scripture in the Bible that says, "Get saved at 6. Go to church for 14 years then start to get serious about your walk with God." In Romans 12:1 Paul says, " I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living SACRIFICE, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Paul tells us to be a living sacrifice. Normally when something is sacrificed it dies.
We are to give God all of us, to not hold back anything. We must trust him in every situation, no matter what the situation is. If you hold parts of your life back you will struggle much more than you will if you give everything to God. Wouldn't it be great to see God one day and he tell you, "You messed up some and were disobedient, but you were a living sacrifice you gave your everything for me."
If you grew up in church and you know all the right answers, but you feel like your relationship is hardly there then I can try to help you out. I don't know the answer to change everything, but I can tell you were to look and where to start. As a Christian you must be reading your Bible. It is God's word. We have it for a reason. Spend time talking with him, praying, you can't have a relationship with someone without talking with that person. Lastly, be a sacrifice for him daily. Wake up each morning and die to yourself, your ways and surrender to God fully and follow him. This might take swallowing your pride, but His ways are far better than your ways.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isiah 55:9
-Ryan
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Way: Desert
The Israelites were funny people. One second they sought the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. The next second they were bowing down to false gods and graven images. We all know the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt into the desert to take over the Promised Land. In Exodus 13, God leads the Israelites supernaturally with a pillar of fire at night and with a pillar of cloud during the day. In Exodus 16, God gives them manna and quail, every day. Yet in Numbers 11, they complain about only eating manna and even wish that they could go back to Egypt, where they had fish, vegetables, fruits, and spices. Seriously? Did y'all forget that you were slaves there? It gets better though. In Numbers 13, they send out spies. This is to be the triumphant time where they take over the land and fulfill God's promise. Upon return the spies had this to say:
"We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are."..."The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them." (Numbers 13:31-33)
But God had promised that they would overtake the land. Did they forget God parting the Red Sea? Or God drowning the pursuing Egyptian army? Or his supernatural guidance with the pillars? So how did the rest of the Israelites respond:
"Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, 'Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?' And they said to one another, 'Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.'" (Numbers 14:1-4)
Can you believe that? How stupid must they have been to forget what God had done for them before? Did they really think that God didn't know that there were giants in the land? Hello! He created them. Well, we know how it ends. It ends with the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years before getting a second chance to enter into the Promised Land. Once there, they conquer the land and eventually become the largest and most powerful kingdom in the world. Yet, for the rest of their existence they would exemplify 1 Chronicles 5:25: "But they broke faith with the God of their fathers, and whored after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them." In Jeremiah, God uses the word whore to describe them eight different times. Constantly, they turned their backs and forgot what the Lord had done for them.
When I was a child, I would laugh at the Israelites' stupidity. I thought to myself, "I will never forget what God has done for me." How wrong was I!
Francis Chan once asked, "When was the last time you stopped and thought, 'I should be in hell right now...but Jesus.'" See, we really should be in hell right now, if it wasn't for God's grace. It's by God's grace that I my heart is still beating long enough for me to write this (which takes even longer than it does to read it, sorry it's so long.) It's by God's grace that he sent his only begotten Son to die on the cross and take away the sins of the world. But how often do I allow that to dominate my thinking? How often do you allow that to dominate your thinking?
So often, I fail. I completely understand and identify with Paul's words in 1 Timothy 1:15: "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost." Day in and day out, I forget what Jesus has done in my life. What he has saved me from.
My prayer is that we would be people who are consumed by remembering the cross. By remembering what God has done for us. By remembering where we would be now if it wasn't for his love. I challenge you to dwell on Francis' words. To remember the grace that we have been shown, which was not given to us to give us the ability to continue sinning but to stir us on to more passionately follow Christ. Never forget.
-Trace
When I was a child, I would laugh at the Israelites' stupidity. I thought to myself, "I will never forget what God has done for me." How wrong was I!
Francis Chan once asked, "When was the last time you stopped and thought, 'I should be in hell right now...but Jesus.'" See, we really should be in hell right now, if it wasn't for God's grace. It's by God's grace that I my heart is still beating long enough for me to write this (which takes even longer than it does to read it, sorry it's so long.) It's by God's grace that he sent his only begotten Son to die on the cross and take away the sins of the world. But how often do I allow that to dominate my thinking? How often do you allow that to dominate your thinking?
So often, I fail. I completely understand and identify with Paul's words in 1 Timothy 1:15: "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost." Day in and day out, I forget what Jesus has done in my life. What he has saved me from.
My prayer is that we would be people who are consumed by remembering the cross. By remembering what God has done for us. By remembering where we would be now if it wasn't for his love. I challenge you to dwell on Francis' words. To remember the grace that we have been shown, which was not given to us to give us the ability to continue sinning but to stir us on to more passionately follow Christ. Never forget.
-Trace
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Way: Moments
Every journey is memorable; however, it is the moments along that journey that define it. Think about a time you went on a family vacation or a roadtrip. My first roadtrip is synonymous with my first speeding ticket. Or when the Border Patrol agent asked where my kindergarten teacher was when I passed through the check point. You'll find the same in your own life. In your own experiences.
And so it is in our spiritual journey. There are moments. These moments define who we are, who we are becoming, and who we will affect. Today, was the most glorious, awefilled moment of my life. Before we get into that, let us pause. Pause and reflect on those who have gone before us. Have you ever put yourself in their shoes? Have you ever stopped to think that Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Isaiah, Peter, Paul, etc. were humans just like you and me? They had fears. Joys. Pains and sorrows. Dreams and aspirations. They felt. They bled. Just like we do. And just as we have defining moments, so did they.
These defining moments, as far as I have experienced and seen in my life and the lives of others, are marked by an overwhelming sense of purpose, an exhilirating and inexplainable feeling of humility, and an ignited/renewed passion. But don't take my word for it.
Isaiah 6:1-8: "In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:
Can you imagine the sheer magnitude of coming face to face with Almighty God like that? How must Isaiah have felt? How would we feel? We see in the passage how he felt: unworthy, humbled, purposed, and passionate. He says, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips." Now, if you would allow me to step out a bit, I really think that Isaiah had this on his mind: "Why me? Why would you give me this vision? I'm not worthy. I don't compare to you. You are everything, and I am nothing. But. You must be up to something. There is something greater than me going on here. God, let me be a part of it. God, choose me. I know I'm flawed and unworthy, but you have a purpose for this. I long to be a part of that. It's all I can think about. It's all I want in life. You and your purpose." This was Isaiah's defining moment. It set him on his way. We see that purpose, that humility, and that passion. "Here am I! Send me."
And we could do this for all great men of God in the Bible. Noah and his ark. Abraham and Isaac. Moses at the burning bush. Joshua standing outside the Promised Land. David and Goliath. Peter at Pentecost. Paul on the road to Damascus. Need I go on? In the words of the author of Hebrews: "And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah." Great for them. That's wonderful. But maybe, they aren't the only people God wants to use to accomplish his plan. In fact, they aren't. God is inviting us in to this. Have you had that moment yet?
I have. Today, I walked into Catalyst '09, a leadership conference for pastors and leaders of churches. And it hit me. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I walked into the room filled with 13,000 other leaders God wants to use and is using. I was about to hear (and be 20 yards away, because we had sweet floor seats) some of the greatest men and leaders of the Christian faith in the 21st century: Matt Chandler, Rob Bell, Andy Stanley, Francis Chan, Tony Dungy, and more. And all I could do was stand in silence, while people passed me on the steps down to their seats. At that moment, I was overwhelmed by humility. That God would want to use me. Me?! God, I've failed you so many times, but you're calling me? I'm not gonna lie to you. I have a strong conviction that God has called me to do something large for him. To think of the audacity of that claim is ludicrus. Look around at the 13,000 other leaders, and you want to do something huge through me? No way! Yet again, I was at that point reminded of that purpose. That purpose that I don't understand. That purpose that feels too large for me (because it is, and that's how God wants it). And that passion. That sweet, driving, all-consuming passion for his glory.
Now, I ask you. Have you felt that? Have you? My prayer is that you have. I long for that. Whether you know it or not, God has something great for you to do. He has a role for you to play. And he is asking you, "Will you give your life up for something so much greater?" My prayer is you will. God wants to use us to leave a mark. You see, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Have you surrendered your life to be all that God wants?
Life is made up of moments. Moments define lives. Have you had your defining moment? There is nothing you can do to prepare for it. To make it come faster. But be watching, be waiting. You never know when it will come, but you will know if you have missed it. Don't miss it. Please. Please don't miss it. Be on your mark.
-Trace
And so it is in our spiritual journey. There are moments. These moments define who we are, who we are becoming, and who we will affect. Today, was the most glorious, awefilled moment of my life. Before we get into that, let us pause. Pause and reflect on those who have gone before us. Have you ever put yourself in their shoes? Have you ever stopped to think that Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Isaiah, Peter, Paul, etc. were humans just like you and me? They had fears. Joys. Pains and sorrows. Dreams and aspirations. They felt. They bled. Just like we do. And just as we have defining moments, so did they.
These defining moments, as far as I have experienced and seen in my life and the lives of others, are marked by an overwhelming sense of purpose, an exhilirating and inexplainable feeling of humility, and an ignited/renewed passion. But don't take my word for it.
Isaiah 6:1-8: "In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:
'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!'
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: 'Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!' Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: 'Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.' And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me.'Can you imagine the sheer magnitude of coming face to face with Almighty God like that? How must Isaiah have felt? How would we feel? We see in the passage how he felt: unworthy, humbled, purposed, and passionate. He says, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips." Now, if you would allow me to step out a bit, I really think that Isaiah had this on his mind: "Why me? Why would you give me this vision? I'm not worthy. I don't compare to you. You are everything, and I am nothing. But. You must be up to something. There is something greater than me going on here. God, let me be a part of it. God, choose me. I know I'm flawed and unworthy, but you have a purpose for this. I long to be a part of that. It's all I can think about. It's all I want in life. You and your purpose." This was Isaiah's defining moment. It set him on his way. We see that purpose, that humility, and that passion. "Here am I! Send me."
And we could do this for all great men of God in the Bible. Noah and his ark. Abraham and Isaac. Moses at the burning bush. Joshua standing outside the Promised Land. David and Goliath. Peter at Pentecost. Paul on the road to Damascus. Need I go on? In the words of the author of Hebrews: "And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah." Great for them. That's wonderful. But maybe, they aren't the only people God wants to use to accomplish his plan. In fact, they aren't. God is inviting us in to this. Have you had that moment yet?
I have. Today, I walked into Catalyst '09, a leadership conference for pastors and leaders of churches. And it hit me. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I walked into the room filled with 13,000 other leaders God wants to use and is using. I was about to hear (and be 20 yards away, because we had sweet floor seats) some of the greatest men and leaders of the Christian faith in the 21st century: Matt Chandler, Rob Bell, Andy Stanley, Francis Chan, Tony Dungy, and more. And all I could do was stand in silence, while people passed me on the steps down to their seats. At that moment, I was overwhelmed by humility. That God would want to use me. Me?! God, I've failed you so many times, but you're calling me? I'm not gonna lie to you. I have a strong conviction that God has called me to do something large for him. To think of the audacity of that claim is ludicrus. Look around at the 13,000 other leaders, and you want to do something huge through me? No way! Yet again, I was at that point reminded of that purpose. That purpose that I don't understand. That purpose that feels too large for me (because it is, and that's how God wants it). And that passion. That sweet, driving, all-consuming passion for his glory.
Now, I ask you. Have you felt that? Have you? My prayer is that you have. I long for that. Whether you know it or not, God has something great for you to do. He has a role for you to play. And he is asking you, "Will you give your life up for something so much greater?" My prayer is you will. God wants to use us to leave a mark. You see, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Have you surrendered your life to be all that God wants?
Life is made up of moments. Moments define lives. Have you had your defining moment? There is nothing you can do to prepare for it. To make it come faster. But be watching, be waiting. You never know when it will come, but you will know if you have missed it. Don't miss it. Please. Please don't miss it. Be on your mark.
-Trace
Thursday, October 1, 2009
The Way: Part 3
You know those moments. You know which moments I'm talking about, or at least I hope you do. Those moments where you know that you're in the presence of Almighty God. Those moments that send chills up your body, and you cannot do anything but be amazed at the majesty and grandeur of God. I had one of those tonight.
It's funny, because earlier today I tried to blog but to no avail. My thoughts were jumbled and all over the place. I knew God wanted me to write about something else. So, I'm driving to Chicken Express to get dinner, and it happened. I drive off campus, and as soon as I look up, I see a crazy lightning show. Three or four lightening bolts every second it seemed like. As this was happening, I was listening to "Soon" by Hillsong United, which talks about Christ's return. And I was silent. Chills running up (or down, however you want to say it) my body. I was struck by the thought of how great our God is. How could or why would God choose us and love us, so wrecked and ravaged by sin? He loved us enough to give up Christ, so that we might receive grace? And then, I was wrecked by the lyrics of Soon:
Soon and very soon
My King is coming
Robed in righteousness
And crowned with love
When I see Him, I shall be made like Him
Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon
I'll be going to the place He has prepared for me
Then my sin erased, my shame forgotten
Soon and very soon
I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I'll see Him
There my soul with be satisfied
Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon
See the procession
The angels and the elders round the thrown
At His feet I'll lay
My crowns, my worship
Soon and very soon
I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I'll see Him
There my soul with be satisfied
Soon and very soon
Though I have not seen Him
My heart knows Him well
Jesus Christ the Lamb, the Lord of heaven
I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I'll see Him
There my soul with be satisfied
Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon
You know that, right? In the early days of the church, they lived every day believing that Christ was coming back the very next day. Christ is coming back one day. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But someday, he's coming back. How often do I live like that? Heck, do I live like that? Ask yourself the same question. Do you live with that kind of an urgency? The apostles did. Daily, they took with themselves the message of reconciliation. They had seen the risen Lord, and it consumed their very being. I pray that you and I would live with that kind of passion.
My favorite line of that song is the bridge, which says, "Though I have not seen him, my heart knows him well." Yes, the apostles had seen him after his resurrection, which was the birth of their passion; however, we can still know him well. I pray that you do. I long for that day that we can stand in Heaven together and see our God and our King, our Lord and our Savior. But for know, we still live like Paul describes in 1 Cor. 13:12: "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."
Let us always eagerly await the day of his return, as we live with an urgency to carry the message of reconciliation everywhere. 1 Corinthians 2:2: "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." May that be said of us.
-Trace
It's funny, because earlier today I tried to blog but to no avail. My thoughts were jumbled and all over the place. I knew God wanted me to write about something else. So, I'm driving to Chicken Express to get dinner, and it happened. I drive off campus, and as soon as I look up, I see a crazy lightning show. Three or four lightening bolts every second it seemed like. As this was happening, I was listening to "Soon" by Hillsong United, which talks about Christ's return. And I was silent. Chills running up (or down, however you want to say it) my body. I was struck by the thought of how great our God is. How could or why would God choose us and love us, so wrecked and ravaged by sin? He loved us enough to give up Christ, so that we might receive grace? And then, I was wrecked by the lyrics of Soon:
Soon and very soon
My King is coming
Robed in righteousness
And crowned with love
When I see Him, I shall be made like Him
Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon
I'll be going to the place He has prepared for me
Then my sin erased, my shame forgotten
Soon and very soon
I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I'll see Him
There my soul with be satisfied
Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon
See the procession
The angels and the elders round the thrown
At His feet I'll lay
My crowns, my worship
Soon and very soon
I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I'll see Him
There my soul with be satisfied
Soon and very soon
Though I have not seen Him
My heart knows Him well
Jesus Christ the Lamb, the Lord of heaven
I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I'll see Him
There my soul with be satisfied
Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon
You know that, right? In the early days of the church, they lived every day believing that Christ was coming back the very next day. Christ is coming back one day. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But someday, he's coming back. How often do I live like that? Heck, do I live like that? Ask yourself the same question. Do you live with that kind of an urgency? The apostles did. Daily, they took with themselves the message of reconciliation. They had seen the risen Lord, and it consumed their very being. I pray that you and I would live with that kind of passion.
My favorite line of that song is the bridge, which says, "Though I have not seen him, my heart knows him well." Yes, the apostles had seen him after his resurrection, which was the birth of their passion; however, we can still know him well. I pray that you do. I long for that day that we can stand in Heaven together and see our God and our King, our Lord and our Savior. But for know, we still live like Paul describes in 1 Cor. 13:12: "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."
Let us always eagerly await the day of his return, as we live with an urgency to carry the message of reconciliation everywhere. 1 Corinthians 2:2: "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." May that be said of us.
-Trace
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
How many of you have had or have role models? Probably all of us. When I was younger there was a person that was a couple of years older than me and I wanted to be exactly like him. I dressed like he did, combed my hair like he did, and I even tried to talk like he did. I thought he was the coolest person in the world, I put him on a very high pedestal.
One day I was around him and I heard him cuss. Most of you are like no big deal, everyone cusses, but I was very surprised I didn't think he was like everyone else. I thought he didn't sin, I guess I thought he was perfect. I kind of shook it off and thought well that's not that bad. I then started to hear that he drank and he did this and that. Everything changed in a matter of seconds. I had put so much faith in this one person, and he had let me down. I was devastated, I had tried to be exactly like this person and it turns out he wasn't any different then anyone else.
I learned a valuable lesson that day, be careful who you imitate. Once you start imitating someone you become that person. The only problem with that is people mess up and let you down.
In Ephesians 5:1-2 (Read It) Paul tells us exactly who we should imitate, God. Who better to imitate than someone who can't sin. God will not let you down and he will always be there for you. As Christians we must imitate our heavenly father. In 3 John 1:11 it says, "Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God." We must "walk in love" like Christ did. If you are imitating God you are going to be different than the world. You won't hate people, get drunk, have premarital sex. God didn't do those things, so why would someone who is trying to imitate do those things.
We are to give God everything just like Christ did. Christ gave his life for us, so we could have eternal life. The least we could do would be to live our lives according to God's will. Romans 12:1 tells us to present our bodies as living sacrifices. Not to just give him the parts of ourselves that we really don't like, but to give him even the stuff we do like. Our addictions, the things we treasure most, so that nothing is greater than God in our life. Until we do that we can not have a relationship that is pleasing to God.
Take a good look at your life and ask yourself who are you imitating? What does God want you to give up? What is holding you back in your relationship with him?
-Ryan
One day I was around him and I heard him cuss. Most of you are like no big deal, everyone cusses, but I was very surprised I didn't think he was like everyone else. I thought he didn't sin, I guess I thought he was perfect. I kind of shook it off and thought well that's not that bad. I then started to hear that he drank and he did this and that. Everything changed in a matter of seconds. I had put so much faith in this one person, and he had let me down. I was devastated, I had tried to be exactly like this person and it turns out he wasn't any different then anyone else.
I learned a valuable lesson that day, be careful who you imitate. Once you start imitating someone you become that person. The only problem with that is people mess up and let you down.
In Ephesians 5:1-2 (Read It) Paul tells us exactly who we should imitate, God. Who better to imitate than someone who can't sin. God will not let you down and he will always be there for you. As Christians we must imitate our heavenly father. In 3 John 1:11 it says, "Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God." We must "walk in love" like Christ did. If you are imitating God you are going to be different than the world. You won't hate people, get drunk, have premarital sex. God didn't do those things, so why would someone who is trying to imitate do those things.
We are to give God everything just like Christ did. Christ gave his life for us, so we could have eternal life. The least we could do would be to live our lives according to God's will. Romans 12:1 tells us to present our bodies as living sacrifices. Not to just give him the parts of ourselves that we really don't like, but to give him even the stuff we do like. Our addictions, the things we treasure most, so that nothing is greater than God in our life. Until we do that we can not have a relationship that is pleasing to God.
Take a good look at your life and ask yourself who are you imitating? What does God want you to give up? What is holding you back in your relationship with him?
-Ryan
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The Way: Part 2
Last week, we talked a little about our new theme verse for RAC. This week, let us look a little deeper. Paul begins the passage by talking about the new v. the old. Before we can get to that, though, we must take a step back. We must talk about God reconciling the world unto himself (v.19). Why was this necessary? Again, we must take a step back. A large step, all the way back to Genesis.
Genesis 1:31: "And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day."
Pause here and read Genesis 3.
Look at the difference. Just two chapters earlier, God saw all that he had created and said it was very good. One indiscretion later, here we are today. You see, we were created to have intimate and personal relationships with the Father. God was walking in the garden with Adam and Eve for crying out loud. We were created as eternal beings, to live forever. We were created to be innocent, not knowing pain, suffering, or embarrassment. Life was to be very good, as God himself had said earlier; however, how many people would tell you today that "Life is very good."? Sin entered the world and wrecked all that was created and all that we were created to be.
I have a shirt that has this saying printed on the front: "T-shirts did not exist before sin." Haha, very true; however, it's what is on the back of the shirt that is really interesting: "Neither did cancer, or murder, or rape, or AIDS, or pain, or death. The cause of the world's brokenness is sin." Not as funny as the front of the shirt, but just as true though. Paul says much the same in Romans 8:19-22: "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now."
See, Jesus Christ's death took place so that God could restore not only us but also the earth, as we read in Romans. By accepting his sacrifice, our relationship with him can be reconciled. It can be all that it was intended to be. We can be all that we were created to be. "[T]hat is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." God is extending his hand to us to join him in his work to reconcile the whole earth unto himself. To join him to proclaim the gospel so that the sons of God may be revealed. At that point, there will be a new earth, and we will have a new body. The world will truly be restored. But first, we must join him in carrying the ministry of reconciliation as his ambassadors.
Will you?
-Trace
Genesis 1:31: "And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day."
Pause here and read Genesis 3.
Look at the difference. Just two chapters earlier, God saw all that he had created and said it was very good. One indiscretion later, here we are today. You see, we were created to have intimate and personal relationships with the Father. God was walking in the garden with Adam and Eve for crying out loud. We were created as eternal beings, to live forever. We were created to be innocent, not knowing pain, suffering, or embarrassment. Life was to be very good, as God himself had said earlier; however, how many people would tell you today that "Life is very good."? Sin entered the world and wrecked all that was created and all that we were created to be.
I have a shirt that has this saying printed on the front: "T-shirts did not exist before sin." Haha, very true; however, it's what is on the back of the shirt that is really interesting: "Neither did cancer, or murder, or rape, or AIDS, or pain, or death. The cause of the world's brokenness is sin." Not as funny as the front of the shirt, but just as true though. Paul says much the same in Romans 8:19-22: "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now."
See, Jesus Christ's death took place so that God could restore not only us but also the earth, as we read in Romans. By accepting his sacrifice, our relationship with him can be reconciled. It can be all that it was intended to be. We can be all that we were created to be. "[T]hat is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." God is extending his hand to us to join him in his work to reconcile the whole earth unto himself. To join him to proclaim the gospel so that the sons of God may be revealed. At that point, there will be a new earth, and we will have a new body. The world will truly be restored. But first, we must join him in carrying the ministry of reconciliation as his ambassadors.
Will you?
-Trace
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Movin' On
I don't know how many times people have come up to me and told me that, "Ryan I know that God forgives me, but I don't think I can ever forgive myself". Every time I hear that it just makes me sad. It is almost as if that person, without them realizing it, is saying, "I realize that God, creator of the universe that created everything I see and knows all, forgives me, but me, a person that cannot even predict what is going to happen a minute from now and the only thing I have ever created was something out of Legos, cannot forgive myself." There is something wrong with that picture.
How come God can forgive us, but we cannot forgive ourselves? It can be a very hard thing to do. At times I feel like there is no way that God has called me to do certain things in ministry. Did God forget what I did last week? In a way yes. In Jeremiah 31:34 it says, "For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Now I don't believe that God actually forgets our sins, because he knows everything, but he has forgiven us and has moved on. We should also move on.
If we continue to dwell on our sin and continually worry about everything we have done, it becomes harder and harder for us to do work for the Kingdom. We begin to think that we can't be an ambassador for Christ because we have done this or that. If that was true then Jesus would be the only person that could have ever done anything for God. We all sin, no one is perfect.
We are better than our sins. God gives us grace and forgiveness so that we can become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Accept his forgiveness and move on from your sins. We are new creations and must be constantly renewed in the spirit of our minds. Start to think of yourself as a new creation and not as a sinner. Our identity is in Christ, act like it.
This week at RACTASTIC I will be talking about what you must do once you have become a new creation, the things you must put off and what you must put on.
-Ryan
How come God can forgive us, but we cannot forgive ourselves? It can be a very hard thing to do. At times I feel like there is no way that God has called me to do certain things in ministry. Did God forget what I did last week? In a way yes. In Jeremiah 31:34 it says, "For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Now I don't believe that God actually forgets our sins, because he knows everything, but he has forgiven us and has moved on. We should also move on.
If we continue to dwell on our sin and continually worry about everything we have done, it becomes harder and harder for us to do work for the Kingdom. We begin to think that we can't be an ambassador for Christ because we have done this or that. If that was true then Jesus would be the only person that could have ever done anything for God. We all sin, no one is perfect.
We are better than our sins. God gives us grace and forgiveness so that we can become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Accept his forgiveness and move on from your sins. We are new creations and must be constantly renewed in the spirit of our minds. Start to think of yourself as a new creation and not as a sinner. Our identity is in Christ, act like it.
This week at RACTASTIC I will be talking about what you must do once you have become a new creation, the things you must put off and what you must put on.
-Ryan
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Welcome
Hey guys...Ryan and I are so pumped to start this. I really hope you guys enjoyed last night. Ryan's message was RACTASTIC. Cheesy and corny, I know, but I love it. Like he said last night, we are called to be ambassadors of Christ, who have already been reconciled and are carrying out that message. That is why we are now known as RAC. Our hope and prayer is that you latch onto this vision. Meditate on 2nd Corinthians 5:17-21. Own the vision.
Again, this is a place where we will be talking about a lot of different things; however, one thing will always remain the same, the purpose. The purpose of this blog is that we become more informed about our faith and how to live it out, in order that we might be his ambassadors. On Tuesdays, Ryan will be giving us an inside look at what he's preparing for Wednesday night. On Thursdays, I will be talking about....who knows? What we do know though is my Thursday blog will be called The Way. So, with no further ado, thanks for coming along on this ride. Let's get started.
The Way:
Week 1- September 17, 2009
You know, when the church was first starting, it wasn't known as Christianity. It was known as The Way (Acts 9:2; 19:9,23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). As a matter of fact, the term Christian is used twice...in the entire NT! We are left to believe that they were named The Way as a reference to John 14:6, in which Jesus claimed that he was "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." I love the name The Way and wish that we, as Christians, were still known by it. For so many today, Christianity is just a religion. A show. A concert with lights and a great speaker. Dead and filled with hypocrites. The Way stands in sharp contrast. The Way indicates an active faith. A journey toward the Father, through Christ, and with the Spirit's help. A path filled with hope. A relationship that existed in the beginning, that was wrecked by sin, and that has been reconciled through Christ's death.
That's why I love 2nd Corinthians 5:17-21: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
The beautiful thing is that God is reconciling the world to himself and he has asked to be a part of that. He sent his Son. Christ died for our sins. Now, he has made us new creations. That intimate relationship that Adam and Eve shared with God in the Garden, where he walked and talked with them, has been restored. And that should pump us up. That should control our mind and shape our worldview. That should be our passion. Take this message of reconciliation everywhere you go. Join The Way.
-Trace
Again, this is a place where we will be talking about a lot of different things; however, one thing will always remain the same, the purpose. The purpose of this blog is that we become more informed about our faith and how to live it out, in order that we might be his ambassadors. On Tuesdays, Ryan will be giving us an inside look at what he's preparing for Wednesday night. On Thursdays, I will be talking about....who knows? What we do know though is my Thursday blog will be called The Way. So, with no further ado, thanks for coming along on this ride. Let's get started.
The Way:
Week 1- September 17, 2009
You know, when the church was first starting, it wasn't known as Christianity. It was known as The Way (Acts 9:2; 19:9,23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). As a matter of fact, the term Christian is used twice...in the entire NT! We are left to believe that they were named The Way as a reference to John 14:6, in which Jesus claimed that he was "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." I love the name The Way and wish that we, as Christians, were still known by it. For so many today, Christianity is just a religion. A show. A concert with lights and a great speaker. Dead and filled with hypocrites. The Way stands in sharp contrast. The Way indicates an active faith. A journey toward the Father, through Christ, and with the Spirit's help. A path filled with hope. A relationship that existed in the beginning, that was wrecked by sin, and that has been reconciled through Christ's death.
That's why I love 2nd Corinthians 5:17-21: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
The beautiful thing is that God is reconciling the world to himself and he has asked to be a part of that. He sent his Son. Christ died for our sins. Now, he has made us new creations. That intimate relationship that Adam and Eve shared with God in the Garden, where he walked and talked with them, has been restored. And that should pump us up. That should control our mind and shape our worldview. That should be our passion. Take this message of reconciliation everywhere you go. Join The Way.
-Trace
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