And they'll Know We are Christians by Our Love

     It has been a very long time since I have written a blog, and the majority of that is do to finishing school.  It has been a long road, but I am just about finished with the journey I set out for almost 6.5 years ago.  I am now only days away from taken the test that is the key to it all, and for that I am incredibly thankful.  I have so many ideas for posts, and many of them are but a fleeting memory, but the most pressing one at this moment is Love.  

     I think we have been set upon a course falling away from Love since we fell from the grace of Eden.  It is now incredibly difficult to Love people, and yet God is pure love.  We are called to 2 things: Love God, and Love people.  I think quite often we fail epically at both.  We find it easy to love some, but not everyone.  The issue at hand is that we are all in the same boat, and we are all sinking.  The only thing that saved us is the life raft Jesus provided by dying on the cross for us.  I looked through my posts, and could not find any mention of my personal mission statement that I made even before I started this blog last year, but here it is: “I desire to Love God, and Love People by a complete surrender of my heart, mind, soul, and body so that I too may be a light in the darkness, and a ray of hope in times of despair.“ I can’t say that I am even close to what I want out of this, but I do try to point myself at it.  I think an issue arrises when we choose who we want to Love, even if Christ Loves everybody.  We must accept people as they are, and pour love into them.  This is the only way their hearts will soften enough to allow Jesus to change whatever needs changing.  This means not pushing people away if they are different then yourself, or have a life style you do not believe in.  I am not saying that if you yourself struggle with something, that you should dive right into surrounding yourself with others that struggle as well because you will be tempted, but if that isn’t the issue then why can’t we be “A friend of sinners,” a title Jesus was called, and which is all of us.  As a solitary person, and a church we are called to Love people, but we like to pick which people.  A song that I sang as a child has become the anthem of my heart, and the greatest inspiration to this blog.  

     I continually try to ask myself if people know I am Christian by my Love, not by what I say.  Actions speak louder then words, and unfortunately it is very difficult to completely practice what we preach.  Jesus was a servant, and we are called to serve everybody.   

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ - Matthew 25:40

     That is a powerful statement, and should be a challenge for how we treat others.  Another song that is more recent, and has been on the radio as of late is called “The Proof of Your Love.” It stems from 1 Corinthians 13:

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

It doesn’t matter how great you do anything for the Kingdom, it is Love that is the key.  Do you not only put effort into it, but do you point your life at it?  Do you Love and serve people no matter what?  This is different for everybody, but it is imperative that you figure out what this means for you and your family.  Love Jesus, by loving people.  I find that my life feels most complete, and most fulfilled the closer I am to this, and the only explanation I see is that this is when I feel the closest to Jesus.  

The Bridge of Faith

      It has been far to long in between posts, but here is the next one.  I have had this idea for a while, and have told many people about it.  It is based on the bridge we have formed across life.  Have you ever seen a bridge like this:

     After a lot of thought and processing I have come to believe that we are on a bridge of similar construction in our walk with Christ.  The center rope you walk on is faith.  This is the pinnacle of what Christ called us to. Faith that Jesus was the son of God, that he came and died for our sins, and that he was raised to life is what it is all about.  I did a search to find that faith is mentioned around 458 times in the bible.  It is crammed full of stories related to faith in God.  The ultimate element being that God is who he says he is, and will do all he says he will do.  The faith is what we walk on.  It is what supports our weight, and gives us a place for our feet.  The greater the faith, the thicker the rope.  The best part about this bridge we create with is that once we have faith, we are harnessed into the line.  We cannot fall off, and no matter how much the rope shakes, we can be sure that we will not fall to our death.  The only problem is that walking on a tight rope is very difficult, and therefore two more ropes make it better.


     The extra two ropes are derived from reading the bible and prayer I believe.  I think that if we walk onto faith, we are steadied by the bible, and by prayer.   It is when these 3 are twined together that the bridge gains stability, and the crosser is steadied no matter how much the bridge is rocking.  I think often we just try to have faith, and we are dismayed when it feels like we are crossing a tight rope.  Even then we try to just get away with only prayer, and not the entire set of ropes.

     Crossing the bridge is where things become interesting.  I have been one of these bridges, and no matter how safe they are, they still feel very unsafe.  They shake and bounce.  They require you to focus, and point yourself at the other side.  It is easy to look down, and become paralyzed with fear.  These things all equate to life.  Life is not easy, and it bounces all around.  It scares us to the core, and only faith in the rope (Christ) allows us to cross.  I have heard that community should be one of the ropes instead, but community in this example is the ability to look around at other bridges just like the one you are on.  It allows you to encourage those that are further behind you in their crossing, and also an example of people that are already further in their crossing.  After some thought my idea for sharing the gospel is catching the people that are not connected through faith, and sharing our faith so that they can be clipped in as well.  The key is that all crossings have heaven on the other side, and we are all crossing the pit of death and darkness.  I do not have much scripture to post for this one, because most of it is feeling.  Feel free to post scriptures which you think apply, and continue to encourage others crossing their bridges!
 

Mold Me, Make Me!

It was right around two years ago, that I prayed the prayer out of the words from "Change my heart oh God." It has been an interesting two years, and this is a reflection of that.

Change my heart oh God

Make it ever true

Change my heart oh God

May I be like You

Change my heart oh God

Make it ever true

Change my heart oh God

May I be like You

You are the potter

I am the clay

Mold me and make me

This is what I pray

Change my heart oh God

Make it ever true

Change my heart oh God

May I be like You

"You are the potter, and I am the clay; Mold me and make me This is what I pray." At the time I only had an inkling of what this prayer would actually mean. God does not instantly make you the person you are to become, just as a potter does not throw down a hump of clay and make a pot. The words of Jeremiah 18:1-12 ring true to the imagery of the potter:

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the LORD came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it."Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem,‘This is what the LORD says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’ But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.’”

We are marred, but the potter does his best to make a beautiful pot. I wanted to be the best man I could be at that time, and grow into the best man I could be in each role I could potentially fill in my life. I think that most of all I wanted to be a man that would be able to lead a family one day, but I wanted the fast track. Instead, God has used relationships to highlight and teach elements necessary to further my development towards the man he wants me to be. It is interesting how he used both singleness, and relationships to further my development towards this task. Recently my small group watched a series called "The New rules for Love sex and dating" by Andy Stanley. This series resonated greatly with me, and has really morphed my expectations of relationships and marriage. He presented the idea "are you the person your looking for, is looking for," and this kind of sums up the purpose behind it all. At first I was frustrated with the idea about spending serious amounts of effort into a continued molding of myself knowing that that there is the possibility that my future spouse has not put forth that kind of effort. He also put forth the idea that if you start running this track, and pursuing God, that while you are running you will happen to look over and see someone running next to you, running the same race, and it is at that point you find that person. It told several days for all of this to completely sink in, and it really took absolute faith to trust that this was indeed the best route.

Pottery isn't the only imagery provided, or the whole of the prayer I prayed. I desired also to be refined, and sifted.

"For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver." - Psalm 66:10.

"Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time." - Daniel 11:35

This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'" - Zachariah 13:9

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” - Luke 22:31-32

The dictionary defines refined as:

1. Having or showing well-bred feeling, taste, etc..

2. Freed or free from coarseness, vulgarity, etc..

3. Freed from impurities

4. Very subtle, precise, or exact.

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” - Luke 22:31-32

I don't think freed from impurities brings true impact to the actual process of refining. It requires continued melting at high temperatures with the slag and impurities being removed in the process. It is only this process that allows us to become 99.9% pure, and more often then not it feels as if we aren't even that close to being 100% pure. The interesting element to this is that Jesus is 100% pure, and covers us so that we appear to be 100%, but the difficult element is be as close to 100% pure on the inside as we possibly can manage. This refining and sifting process can be at times difficult or painful. I will be honest and say that sometimes the process felt like a slap in the face, at other times a swift kick to the family jewels, and the hardest of all feeling as if you have been ran over by mac truck and all of the traffic following said truck. It is out of these moments that God makes us into the people he wants us to be if we desire. It is not often that these moments are what they seem, but they do mold and make who we become. The only thing we can do is pick ourselves up, dust off, and continue on the path set out before us: pursuing God, as he continually pursues us.

Josh

Getting Back on Track

"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. -Acts 20:24"
Life is often compared to a race, and that makes complete sense. It is hard, and requires lots of effort. Most often it is compared to a foot race, but after some consideration I think it is closer to something like the Baja 500. For those who don't know, this is an off-road race in the desert that is 500 miles long. It is hot, dusty, and long. It is in the desert filled with rocky patches, jumps, bumps, and other obstacles.
I think Life is aptly compared, and expanded upon from the Baja 500. We are all on the track of life. We get a GPS, and have the option of a co-pilot. The thing is, we are all in our own class, and the course is different for each of us. It is full of various obstacles to navigate, and though it seems like some of them are impossible, they are not with the right GPS and co-pilot. Last, and most important piece is that no matter how many times you go off track (and you will go off track) you are still allowed back on the course.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3. God gave us his Holy Spirit to be the GPS of our race, and Jesus to be our best co-pilot. Jesus is suitably the best co-pilot, because he is the only one to complete his entire track without going off course. He knows how to navigate all of the obstacles, and if we listen we too will be able to navigate the obstacles.
Having your own class in the race is great, because it allows us each to complete the race we have set apart for us without worrying about beating out others. This also allows us all to help and encourage each other when our paths cross. It is all about getting as many to their finish line as possible
The course is different for each of us, and though sometimes the courses align, we still must complete our own races. The awesome part about each being in our own classes is that we have the opportunity to help everybody finish the race. If somebody is off the road, we can offer assistance, or encourage them on. Your track purposely crosses other paths, and it is your job to take the initiative to help them get or stay on their track.
The best part about the race is that you are always allowed back on. There are no disqualifications for going off track. As long as you end the race on the track, you finish. It does not matter how many times you leave your co-pilot Jesus on the side, he is waiting to get back in when you are ready. The incorrect track is easy to get onto, because sometimes that track looks easier then the one you are told to be on. The problem however is that it could easily become more difficult then the main track ever will be. The important part is getting back on track. Do everything that needs to be done, and start going the way you are directed. No matter how discouraging it may seem with each stint off of the track, one must just buck up and get back on track.
When I get to the end of my track I look forward to saying “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” - 2 Timothy 4:7. I am trucking along on my track going off daily, but I am committed to finishing the race; helping as many as I can along the way.

Prayer

One of the most important elements of any relationship is communication, and prayer is the primary method for telling God. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we do not need to pray that much, because God already knows it all. It still must come from us. I have spent all my life knowing I should pray, but I really feel that lately my desire to pray has grown greatly. Another big change is what I pray for, and why I pray for it. This whole pursuit is likely due out of prayer, and prayer is what God laid on my heart over the past few days.
Prayer is a very common them in the bible, and it is for that reason that it become vital. One of the first things that comes to mind is the middle of these verses:
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I find it so incredibly difficult to pray continually, but I have also found that when I feel in a near constant connecting with God is when I do the best pursuing him. I don't know how this might work for someone else, but I know that when I am in tune with it I feel that everything I think and say is what I am choosing to share with God.
The next piece of this pursuit is what I pray for. I have been to ask myself why I pray for things. Do I pray out of selfishness or selflessness. I have been reflecting on what I pray for over the last few days, and it has been very enlightening. I think that the selfless prayers are the ones most commonly answered, and the selfish ones are often not. I think my biggest new prayer has become: God help me follow the path you have laid out for me. I also pray something to the tune of: Help me pursue righteousness at all costs. The thing about the "at all costs" statement is that it has the potential to cost a lot. It is easy to say I will follow Jesus when it only costs a little, but when very difficult when you begin to see the true cost of such a prayer. When you truely surrender to God in this way you begin to see the costs start to add up, but you don't worry about how much it will cost. In the end you know it is worth it. Does it hurt? Yeah, and sometimes badly. I also spend a fair amount of time thanking God for all of the blessings, because when you look around there are always blessings to find. I pray for God's will, not mine. Jesus prayed this, and I think it is a great model for how to pray. Now the last element I find that is important is praying for his people. I am terrible at this, and I am working on it. I want to pray for people that need it, and don't know it. I know I need to put more of my prayer time towards this; Praying that people find God, and that the people of God are able to continue to follow God as well.
So what do you pray for and why? By all means pray for everything, but pray for things that follow the heart of God. Do you find yourself in true communion with God, or just on occasion? Why must we only pray at certain times? Why does prayer have to be hard? Are you will to ask God to pull out all the stops when it comes to your righteousness? Some of these prayers take great emotional effort to truly pray, but the value is beyond our comprehension. I want God to make me into the man he wants me to be, and lead me down the path that he has prepared for me at all costs, whether I like it or not. Will you?

Obedience

"Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?" - Romans 6:16

Obedience is a word that I have pondered heavily over the several months, and it is the basis for my first tattoo. It is also what seems most important to God, and it is more then outward obedience. It is obedience to the very core of a person, which I will say is extremely difficult to pursue. People seem to think that just outward obedience is all that is required, but why not let obedience permeate all the way to your heart so that righteousness is what you display. I use to think that faith was enough, and I would say that a fair majority churches teach that faith is all that is necessary. I ask the question: why do you simply want to believe in something life changing rather then have y0ur life changed. Why remain as a slave to sin, especially a sin cycle? It almost feels as if caught in a deep dark hole, and satan likes it that way. The only person that can pull you out of the whole is Jesus, and that is only because he has already been to the bottom of the whole himself. Jesus provided a great way to live, and it requires tremendous effort. God has given us a great gift through the bible as well so that we stand a chance at pursuing him, and having a better life. The call is to obedience! God gives numerous examples of what pure obedience looks like, as well as what the consequences of a lack of obedience. What obedience looks like for you is different then what it looks like for me.
God is whispering (in reality yelling) in the corner. I once heard that Jesus is like a man at a party. He is yelling in the corner, but there are so many people around that you stand no chance of hearing anything more then faint whispers to clear the room. The first step is to hear the voice, and believe that it is the most important noise in the room. Then it becomes a matter of clearing the room of all of the extraneous noise. This is the hard part, because in some ways you like some of the noises. This is the obedience part, and clearing the room becomes more and more important. In this world it is probably impossible to get the room completely clear of the noises, but with a mostly clear room you will be able to hear what Jesus has to say. Jesus can say what voices should stay, and which should be given the boot. So if you already have faith, why not be obedient? It might be hard, but it is better.
So after having a seemingly deep understanding of what obedience means to me, I thought it appropriate to a constant reminder of obedience. The better piece of the tattoo is that is mirrored, so that it is only read in a mirror, and that is why it was first. Obedience now describes what I want out of life. I deeply desire to be obedient to the calling of Christ, and I know that obedience to Christ will make every aspect of my life better. I think tattoos are a great reminder of our desires, and my next one will have as much value as my obedience reminder.

The Beginning

As I ponder all of the things I feel need to be said, I find it somewhat overwhelming. It is difficult to put so many thoughts into just a few words, and completely throw yourself out to a relatively unknown audience. I cannot even comprehend being a pastor, because they do this every week. Christianity seems so unbelievably complex, and so many people have tried to make it so much more then what it truly is. Christianity is simple: Love God, and Love people. The problem is that satan has so overwhelmed the human heart that this becomes a difficult task. This post is what I have learned about overcoming satan, and pursuing God.
It would outlandish, and irresponsible of me to lay out a step by step guide to following Jesus. It isn't even really necessary. Jesus takes responsibility for pretty much all of the work you will allow him to do. So here is where you start: Believe God is who he says is, and do what he says he will do. Now comes the learning piece, and more steps of faith. If you really start to take heart this statement, then learning what God wants to teach you is only a bible away. Pick one up and start reading it, but do not, and I repeat do not start at the beginning. That isn't the beginning of the relationship with Jesus, and though vitally important, has a much different meaning. If you have grown up in the Church I suggest you start with the beginning of the Church in Acts, but only if you feel relatively familiar with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Then just read a chapter a day, and add more as you feel called to do. I grew up knowing I should read the bible everyday, and I was terrible at it. I started reading everyday with one chapter about one and a half years ago, and increased to three just recently. I am just now almost getting back to the new testament. Let the words sink in, and let God work on your heart. Let Jesus conquer the things keeping you from climbing the highest peaks, and seeing the wonders God has done. Now conquering these things does not always happen instantly, so stop your whining. It is hard, but find people to help you. If you need counseling, get it. I don't ever think Jesus said check your crap at the door, and in fact I think he would have said "Let me carry it for you(Which he did, by carrying the cross)." I also suggest finding a community of believers to surround yourself with. Life was meant to be done together, and God uses people to draw others closer to him. If you are the reading type, I also believe that God has used many books to highlight how to pursue him further so find some good books to read. I hope to talk about the ones I have already read, as well as books that I am able to read in the future. So I suggest that you start somewhere.
Yours In Christ,
Joshua