The Provision of God

I preached my very first sermon about 3 weeks ago(and yes it was to an actual congregation, come on now). I preached off of Joshua, and God showed me some great truths from Joshua that I had to do some work with. One of them was a minor point, but one that has come up a bunch of times recently, and it has to do with God’s provision.

Joshua 5:12 “The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.”. I have fallen in love with this verse, and the implications from it. The point for my sermon I pulled from it was that they enjoyed the fruit of the promised land. That if you are where God wants you to be, then you will be enjoying it. But God has taught me a different truth, and at just the right time. See the thing is God’s provision changed for the Israelites. For 40 years he had provided manna from heaven to supply their daily needs. Every morning they gathered just enough for that day, and it was a steady, stable source of food. But now it was different. The Manna was no longer coming, and suddenly the Israelites needed a new food source. Well, God provided for them, even though it was different from before. He gave them the fruit of the land of Canaan, the same fruit the spies Moses sent out were going crazy over. They even brought some back! Now, after 40 years, God was using this same fruit to fulfill their needs,

Notice what didn’t happen. God didn’t forget about them, and just stop the manna, leaving them to fend for themselves. His provision changed. It may not have been manna, but it was still there. God will not stop providing, but it may look different than what you are used to. God showed me that he does fulfill our needs, but oftentimes it changes.

This has been crucial for me to know lately. For those of you who don’t know I am a freshman at Olivet Nazarene University. What does this mean? It means even though I was a top performing academic student in high school, I still owe money. The cost started at 41,000 a year. A steep price for an education. After scholarships it was 20,000 a year. After the FAFSA and loans it was 6,000. I then started college. I had $700 payments, and I was struggling. I had saved some money from the summer, but not enough for even the semester-actually significantly short. I got a job, but even then I was going to be close to $700 short on my December monthly payment-even if I got past November.

So there I was. No way to earn the money, and looking at being kicked out after the first semester. Even if I did get past December, there was $2,100 left to pay starting January. I was broken inside, and broke on the outside. I remember calling my mom almost in tears because there was no possible way I could do this. My mom reminded me that in middle and high school, I was always able to go on retreats-even the one that was priced at $300, and I had no way to earn it. I trusted God, took the opportunities given to me, and Jesus provided. This was just another zero.

But that zero was intimidating. It represented an amount I had never encountered before, and  was terrified. But I took a deep breath and decided to trust God. I would save everything I had, take the opportunities given to me, and trust him to cover it. Shortly after I received a love offering of $100 from a church I preached at. I was astounded, and grateful. I was able to earn a little money on the side and things were coming together. Then I got an email. Out of nowhere I had received work study. I thought that this meant that the government would pay most of my job income, and it allowed me a better chance at getting higher paying jobs. Today I received a letter. It was from the financial Aid office(never a good thing), but this was a revised award letter. I was being awarded $1000 a year from work study. $500 a semester-which after all my adding was how short I was going to be in December. I cannot explain what I felt. I was broken, I was grateful beyond words, and I was almost crying. Jesus hadn’t dropped me, and had given me Just What I Needed. Nothing more, nothing less. So today, I stand as a testament that God has not forgotten you. He hasn’t dropped you, and he will provide. Now what that looks like I don’t know, but sometimes it just takes faith the size of a mustard seed, and the open handedness to do your part. The truth is, God isn’t intimidated by your zero, or your depression, or insecurity, or living situation, or how healthy you are physically, mentally, or spiritually. He doesn’t care if you are too scared to leave your house, or feel empty inside as you walk around. He.Will.Provide. So get ready, because “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you. He will neither leave nor forsake you-do not be afraid, do not be discouraged” -Deuteronomy 31:8

Rebuilding

Currently I am reading about something in the bible that I have always loved- Nehemiah and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Nehemiah and the Israelite's had been in captivity, and through God they were able to go back home and start rebuilding their wall around Jerusalem. But it wasn't without opposition. The nations around them didn’t want this. They knew it was a step towards Israel independence, which posed threat to them. Yet through that,  “The wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in just fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard and all the nations who were around us saw this, they were greatly disheartened. They knew that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.” -Nehemiah 6:15-16 NET. Notice, that they rebuilt the wall, with God’s help. See I believe there are times of great rebuilding in our lives, the wall around Jerusalem was rebuilt in just 52 days. Unheard of without power tools. Now maybe in your life it doesn’t go that fast, (or that obvious) but it happens. God is always wanting to rebuild something in our lives.

Now before we can rebuild something, we have to start with a foundation and refining that foundation to get ready for the work above it. Nehemiah had to be in a spot to hear from God to ask the King to leave. To get there, Nehemiah had to trust God on a deep level because the King could have easily executed him. His faith had to be refined. Before you can rebuild, you must be refined. A building whose foundation has not been tested, strengthened, or refined, will not stand up under the rebuilding. It’s the same way with our hearts. Jesus brings us through the fire, to prepare us for this very reason.

Once this refining has taken place, the rebuilding can be done. This can take many different forms and can happen slowly or quickly. Rebuilding is happening in my life as I write this very post. It won’t be easy. I’ve been hurt by my friends, by church, and by pastors I looked up to, and it shook my faith to its core. Yet through this, Jesus has done something new. He is rebuilding my faith, how I worship him, and how I approach friendships in my life. This process isn’t easy, and it isn’t promised like that. Opposition will always be there. While the Israelite's were rebuilding they had someone standing guard over every single builder. They were constantly on guard since their walls were down, knowing they had to work together in community to get it done. I believe this is key to rebuilding. I have a great friend, who has been that person standing guard many, many times. I call him my shield brother. Someone who watches you, and you watch them. Because while you’re rebuilding you need protection. If this friend needs prayer he gets it, even if I have no idea for what. Together, we have grown in our faith and started stepping into what God has for us. We have come alive. Remember, we were not meant to do life alone. So don’t. Find a friend, or two, or 5. Live in a community. If you don’t have that, search for it. Ask for it. Pray for it. Jesus wants to rebuild us, and he knows we can’t do it alone.

But even more than a friend, you need Jesus. The Israelite's only completed the wall with God’s help, and everyone around them knew it. Only he can rebuild the things in your life that need to be rebuilt. So let him. Partner with him. Let him transform you into who he made you to be. I know that’s my plan. Rebuilding can be a hard process, but in the end it reaps eternal rewards. So, when the offer comes, take a deep breathe, focus on Jesus, and dive into what Jesus has for you to rebuild. He WILL make all things new. He did it back then, and he will do it again.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.” -Hebrews 31:8

The Hills We Die On

     This blog post has been long in coming. For awhile now I've been struggling with something in my heart I've been unable to put into words. Trusting Jesus, I let it sit, and watched him unfold something in my life that has been sorely needed.

     In this rapidly changing world, we as Christians are constantly faced with issues that define the church as a whole. Culture, our governments, and leaders around the world pull us one direction or another   daily. Christians are finding it increasingly difficult to stand for what they believe in. But I believe standing is something that is vital for the church to survive and advance, as the gospel is intended to. We need places where we refuse to negotiate on what God calls us to do. I call these places the Hills we Die On. These hills are things we refuse to compromise on, and we will go to great lengths to defend them. But getting here doesn't just happen by accident,  it starts with passion.

     Everyone has a passion. Whether for the environment, gaming, or children in Africa, every single person on this planet has a passion. Something that excites them, gets them motivated to do something. With that passion comes the desire to stand for what you believe in. In the same way a gamer who loves a console will never admit a PC is better, or someone who cares for the Environment will never litter, we as Christians need personal passions in our faith.  Places where, at the end of the day, we refuse to compromise on. Because without that we are subject to every whim, trick, or plan of this world and what the enemy has to offer.

     To illustrate the importance of these hills, I would like to take a look back at the Old Testament. Israel is consistently told to not become like the nations around them. If you look at Joshua, he wipes out the nations, instead of letting them live, and he even asks for forgiveness when the Gibeonites trick him into a treaty he didn't pray about. God knew an important truth when he told them to not become the nations around them- If they were to be God’s chosen people, they needed to be set apart. Every other nation in the world had multiple Gods, but Israel introduced something new: a single overarching God. And they rejected all others. God knew that this wouldn't go well if they didn't separate themselves from the very nations they conquered, and he was right. From worshipping other Gods to marrying people in the nations they conquered, the Israelites continually disobeyed God’s direct order. Countless times in History, the Israelites got beaten, taken over, enslaved, and had to call on heavenly deliverance to be freed because they let themselves become like the nations around them.

     Now this may seem like me dredging up the past out of nowhere, but the principle remained in the New Testament when Paul urged his followers to set themselves apart, and to not follow the world. That theme is all over scripture, and I believe we need to come back to it with the modern church. In a world that is changing faster than we can blink, having a steady faith in a steady God will be vital to continuing the work of the Gospel.

     So find your Hills to Die on. Know where you stand. Find places in your life, in your faith, where you refuse to compromise.  Our God is a personal God, everyone's hill could be different, but find yours. Having a place where you refuse to compromise is important. If something needs to be brought before the church that isn't clearly laid out biblically, then please let it for the sake of unity, but make sure not to compromise your faith while discussing it. Being steady is biblical, because as the writer of Hebrews pointed out- Jesus is “The same yesterday, today, and forevermore” -Hebrews 31:8. Because if we do that we are letting Culture, Government, people, and things define a faith that is rooted in an unchanging God.

     “Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭16:13‬ ‭NET‬‬

Prayer, Warriors, and a New Way to Pray

     Prayer is one of the least understood concepts among today’s Christians. From
Hymnal prayers to rambling requests for a green light on our way to work, we’re desperately in need of a change. Jesus called us to be prayer warriors, so let's approach prayer with that mindset.

     Prayer is not to be taken lightly. As Paul says in Ephesians, we fight in the spiritual realms. This requires us to be active in them. We are called to a deeper prayer life than just dinner time prayers. Starting your meal by thanking God is excellent, but it shouldn't stop there. Prayer is a request to the highest level of authority that has ever existed. You are asking God himself to intervene in your life, and he actually takes time to listen.

     Just because God listens doesn’t mean he answers every prayer. I think the movie Bruce Almighty accurately demonstrates the reason for this when Bruce causes millions of people to win the lottery. But some prayers mean more, so why does it feel like God ignores our prayers? Sometimes they don't get answered. You don't heal, someone passes away, your heart gets broken. It feels as though God couldn’t be more distant. In reality, he is close to us, but there isn't a good reason as to why he doesn't answer these hard prayers, at least not one that I’ve heard. But a couple things I've learned in my life may help in our prayer lives.

     First of all, God didn’t give us prayer through the Holy Spirit as a “form” to fill out when we need a favor. He gave it to us to strengthen our relationship. God wants you to talk to him. A lot of times that takes the form of requests, but he just wants you to reach out to him. This is why he tells us to knock and we will receive. It's why he preached a parable about the persistent neighbor. It's why he spent all night in a garden praying, and why he taught the disciples how to pray. God wants us to pray, regardless of what we pray about.

     Secondly, sometimes God has a better plan. Maybe winning the lottery isn’t the best plan for your life, and God is protecting you from it. This gets harder to believe when something terrible happens. I can't answer why God doesn't heal your relative, or allows someone to pass away before their time. Trusting God to have a better plan is one of the hardest things to do. Yet that trust brings more freedom and opportunity for God to appear in your life than almost anything.

     In the same way we go through testing and trials to be refined, sometimes our prayers go unfulfilled. The point is that you did pray. You spending time with God, and relentlessly requesting something life changing of him is exactly what he instructs us to do.

     So never hesitate to pray big. Because you never know what prayer will be answered, and every prayer brings you that much closer to God.

     “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Trial,Testing,and Refinement

       There is a theme in the Bible that stays hidden to most readers. It comes in times of testing, and it’s defined as refinement. Yes, refinement, as in the process used to purify gold. God gives us times of refinement to draw us closer to him.

      We see it in the Israelites, who endured 40 years in the desert to bring a whole new generation up to follow God. We see it in David, who hid in the desert from Saul, and remained close to God even though he faced death. We see it in Jesus, who spent 40 days being tempted, and in Paul, who spent much of his time in prison.

      This refinement is tough to endure. When Job’s whole life fell apart, he “Tore his robe and shaved his head” -Job 1:20. David repeatedly cried out to God as he went through times of refinement. It’s hard. It’s not fun. But refinement is vital to growing in Jesus. Paul used the years he spent in prison to write letters that ended up in the Bible. Jesus overcame his temptation. David became a godly king, because he knew it was only through God that he was a king. Every time you are refined, you are being prepared for something greater.

     Think about it. Believing in God and following him is easy on Sunday mornings, when the worship is good and your fellow Christians are there to support you. But if you can follow God in times of trouble, you have a much more solid faith. A Sunday morning faith doesn’t cut it. Jesus wants us to grow deep roots in him, and build a foundation of rock to withstand the storms. If we can allow ourselves to be refined, we will be closer to Jesus than ever before.

     I have experienced refinement in my own life. About two years ago, the church I had been attending for years went through major turmoil. The two senior pastors confessed to being in an affair, and they were both fired. This started a journey that led to the discovery of huge financial debt and a loss of friends that were badly hurt. Eventually the church decided to close the campus we had moved to in order to attend. During this time, I struggled harder than I ever have before. I doubted who Jesus was, his faithfulness, and my foundation in him. I had lost so much and I was grasping at straws, asking God if he was, in fact, there.

      Then God spoke, softly. He said to me: “Hunter, I never left, and I am still in your heart. Your foundation hasn't changed.” In that moment, I knew I was okay. Jesus had never left; he had proved his faithfulness. What happened in those months? I was being refined. Jesus was letting me struggle to bring me to him. It wasn’t his plan for any of it to happen, but he used it for good. Now I have a more solid foundation in Jesus than ever before, and it is truly built on rock. Coming out of those months, which I would call the hardest time of my life so far, I am much closer to Jesus. I am able to fight for the things I need to fight for while resting in his power. This journey helped awaken my love and gift for writing, and this very blog was a result.

      Times of testing aren’t bad. They are, in my opinion, the most important times we go through. God will never abandon you, and will always prove faithful. You can count on it. It may seem hard now, but remember that you are being refined. To me, there is no greater honor than to be refined by my creator. Because if God is refining me, then I will become more who he created me to be. And if that is the result, I will gladly be refined.

  “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.’”
‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭13:9‬ ‭NIV‬

Love, Sin, and What Defines You

    In today's world, we are constantly trying to label everyone. Even Christians tend to label others. We define people who aren't Christians, or even one another, as sinners. While it’s good that we are humble about the reality of our sin, I believe it shouldn’t define us. I may sin, but I am not a sinner. I am wiped clean by the grace of God. My sin doesn’t define me, God does.

    If we believe that we have been saved by grace, we need to live like it. Because our sin no longer defines us. If we actually believe God saved us, we are changed. That brings us away from being a sinner and towards being a loved child of God. This shift is important. If we say we are saved but live as sinners, how can we really show Christ? If you label yourself as a sinner you will act like a sinner; it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. In all actuality, you are victorious. God has won, and he has wiped you clean. So live like it!

    This isn’t to say you’re perfect and don't sin. We are far from that. But there is a difference between little “t” truths and big “T” truths. A little “t” truth is something you do. You lie, you sin, you have pride. But a big “T” truth is something that defines you. You are a loved child of God. You are redeemed. You are wiped clean by the very grace of God. The real truth is that you might sin, but that doesn't define you as a sinner. If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then your record is wiped clean. This is good news. Your sin does NOT label you anymore! You are free from it.

    Jesus wants you to be free. He came and broke the chains of sin for you to live freely. He knows that a better life waits for you when you define yourself not by your sin, but by God and his freedom from sin. It's a distinct shift that this world needs. If we, as Christians, humbly admit our sin, but live by God’s grace, we will be more accurately showing Jesus. He didn't come to free perfect people, so let's stop acting like we are. But he also didn’t come just to leave us in the chains of sin. So let's throw them off and live free, defined by HIM.

    “Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:2

Serving, Passion, and your Grace Spot

     The Bible describes the kingdom as “forcefully advancing” (Matthew 11:12). When I read that, I think of warriors charging forward no matter the cost. I imagine great, heroic acts. Yet the last thing I would think of as forcefully advancing is the modern church. Most Christians live a Sunday morning faith, ignoring God for the rest of the week. The kingdom is not advancing as it should, as God calls it to.

     I believe this is for one reason: the warriors in the Kingdom of Heaven are in the wrong roles. In the same way a tank driver isn’t effective as an artilleryman, someone called to serve with children won't be as effective on the prayer team, or vice versa. This isn't to say they can't do those things, just that they are better suited elsewhere. Everyone has specific gifts and callings, but for some reason we aren't using them. God designed each of us for a specific purpose, so, with that in mind, let's go do the things he called us to do.

     For me, that's teaching, through writing these blogs, to kids or friends around me. God has gifted me in this area, and I intend to use these gifts to advance his kingdom. Maybe for you it’s being an engineer, or a janitor, or a waitress, living your life as a warrior in the Kingdom of Heaven. Sometimes it doesn't feel as important as teaching onstage, but the kingdom cannot, I repeat, cannot advance without you being in your spot.

     Maybe serving people food doesn't feel like it’s advancing the kingdom, but Jesus may have placed someone in your path to be served by you and loved by you. Maybe building a

bridge with integrity and honesty doesn’t seem to spread Jesus, but will impact someone's life. It doesn’t matter what you’re called to do, it matters how you do it. The truth is, you never know who around you needs to be shown Christ, and only you can impact those people. Jesus planned encounters for you to influence the people around you like no one else can.

     Being in your role, more commonly known as your grace path, really matters. Living the life God designed you to live with the gifts and passion you bring to the table is invaluable to the Kingdom of Heaven. If we want to change this world and be the light on a hill, as Jesus said, we must be on our grace paths. The kingdom cannot advance without it.

     The passions you bring to the table help advance the kingdom as a whole. WIthout your passions, the whole church is weakened. So be passionate, fill your role, and lets forcefully advance like the early church. Paul describes the church as a body; we need every part to move forward. 

     "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” -1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV

Brokenness, Love, and Your Worth

     Church feels like a perfect place. A group of Holy people coming together to pray, listen to the word, and give generously. In this world, Christians are often perceived as perfect. But how accurate is this? How perfect are Christians, and how perfect are they meant to be?

     I don't know about you, but I sin every single day. Lying, lust, insecurity, pride, gluttony. I sin, and I will be the first to admit it. People may perceive me as perfect, but I definitely make mistakes, and I imagine most Christians do as well. Truth be told, I have never met a perfect Christian. The proof is in the name: Christian. It means Christ-like. Did you read it right? Christ-like. Not perfect. Not Christ. But striving to be like him.

     The truth is that we fail often. Every day, to be exact. Nobody is perfect. If we were, we wouldn't even need Jesus to have died on that cross. Every Christian has sinned. Paul told the Romans that “All have fallen short of the Glory of God,” a truth that he knew all too well. He constantly wrote about his struggles with sin and the temptations he faced. Christians are never perfect. That's a truth Paul wanted to make absolutely clear.

     But is it so bad that the world has exactly zero perfect Christians? No. In fact, it's a good thing. If Christians are to show the love of Jesus to sinners, they must have received this love themselves. Ephesians describes Christians as messengers, sent to bring the news of God’s love and grace to the whole world. But how can you give a gift you haven't received yourself? How can you, as a Christ follower, proclaim him without knowing who he is? You can't. If the world was full of perfect Christians, Jesus would never be spread to anyone because he wouldn't ever be needed. To show God’s love to a broken person is to be a testament of God’s love for you, another broken person. 

     The lyrics of one of my favorite songs sum up how I want to live my life. “I'm not alright. I'm broken inside, broken inside. And all I go through. It leads me to you, it leads me to you”

     The truth is, I'm not alright. I'm broken, I'm hurt, I sin, and I’m definitely not perfect. I get mad, I want to hate instead of love, I don't want to be who Jesus calls me to be. Yet through all the pain, struggle, and fight, I am brought closer to Jesus than ever before.

 

     The struggle with sin brought me closer to Jesus. The next time you think that you or another Christian are perfect, remember that it's not true. That's a good thing. We all sin, and that's why we all need a savior. The truth is that you are not alright, and that’s okay. Because an alright Christian can't be saved. Only broken people need a savior, and, as Jesus said, it's only through him we get to the Father. So don't be ashamed of your sin. Know that only Through your sin can you qualify for heaven. Because, as Paul so bluntly put it:

“It's only by grace that we have been saved.” -Ephesians 2:8 NIV

     Without the need for grace, we can't be saved by it. A broken Christian isn't a bad Christian, but a Christian who knows that they have been saved. They know their worth is in God’s love for them, not the sins they commit. But more than that, they know that God’s love can never be taken away.

     “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” -Romans 8:38-39 NIV

     Now go and live as broken Christians, exactly how God intended.

The first rule

    “Rule number one: know you are liked and loved.” 

    This was the very first thing we would tell our kids during their service at church. Know you are liked and loved. We knew the importance of this. In fact, we held it in higher regard than listening to your leader or whoever was talking (the other two rules). We wanted our kids to know that this was a safe place, and they were welcome. 

 

    Unfortunately, Christians seldom remember this basic truth in today's world. We worry about offending our friends with The Gospel while missing something vital. We are also liked and loved, not just our children. In the same way we pour out love on children, Jesus pours infinitely more on us. He died on a real cross, went into a real grave, and took the price for our real sins. The result? A real love, proved in the most brutal way possible, intended to show us that we are indeed liked and loved. 

    But what's the point? Being loved is a weekly experience in Sunday school, but where's the deeper meaning? Think about this: a child in church will never open up about Jesus if they don't feel safe. The best way to promote a safe atmosphere? Help them feel liked and loved.

    The same principle can be applied outside of our children's programs. Adults will never believe the gospel if we, as Christians, don't live it. And if we aren't walking around as loved sons and daughters of Christ, other adults won't feel drawn to that love. We cannot spread the Gospel of Christ without first knowing Christ's love for us, for that love is where it began.

    “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son.” -John 3:16.

    Remember that you are definitely loved. When that truth becomes imprinted on your heart, the approval of people around you doesn't matter. Jesus did die for you and God does love you unconditionally, so let's start believing it and echoing Christ’s image like never before.

Love, Giving, and Wasteful Gifts

There is something in today's culture difficult to understand. Something Jesus told us to do-yet doesn't seem applicable. Jesus many times told us to love. He said to help the poor, and give your coat to the homeless, and be the light on the hill. Yet in today's modern age Christians seem to have drifted from this founding principle of Jesus’s love. We hesitate to give money to the homeless because we are concerned with how they might spend it(even I am guilty of this). But this doesn't really reflect Jesus. He never conditionally loved. He never said “give, as long as they aren't addicts”. Or “give, as long as they save up and tithe on it”. No. Jesus simply said to give, and to give generously.

Yet many times the question still arises “Am I throwing my money away, is it useless to give?”. Because people might waste it on drugs, the lottery, or other useless things. 

To answer this question I would like to bring us back to Jesus, the Apostles, and their ministry. 

Because Jesus reached out to the poor, homeless, and broken everywhere he went. 

The paralyzed man through the roof, the women by the well, and the man by the pool are all examples of Jesus healing someone, and reaching out to the broken, homeless, and poor. But you find one interesting thing about these miraculous events: Jesus healed a specific person. The man by the pool had been there for 38 years, and Jesus was on his way to a party when he stopped and healed that man, yet we never hear one word about the other people by the pool. There must have been dozens of people at least, yet Jesus never healed them. The women by the well got water alone, yet Jesus sought her out, even as she was trying to stay hidden. The paralyzed man was lowered into a crowded room, yet Jesus stopped and healed that man, while dozens of people watched, and waited for him to get back to teaching. 

Jesus went after a specific person, and healed them. He showed love-yet He never let his gift be wasted, He knew who needed to be healed and exactly the right moment to heal.

Jesus always knew exactly what needed to be done. He healed, forgave, and called people up at just the right moments. Yet we hesitate to give as He did, or love as He did, or be that light Jesus calls us to be. To answer the question we struggle with of “is my gift going to waste” I would like to point you in one direction: Jesus. See, Jesus always knows, so we need to always ask Him. Because if He tells you to give-then there's a bigger plan going on you don't know about. If he tells you to buy that person a drink, or hold that door open a little longer, then He is using you for a higher purpose. If, as Christians, we just listened to the nudges of Jesus about when to give, our gifts will never be wasted. If we spend our time praying and asking God to point us in the right direction and following it, we could truly love as Jesus did. 

The truth is Jesus never called us to love conditionally. In fact, it's just the opposite. He called us to love unconditionally. It's why He forgave the sins of the women caught in the act of adultery. If we are to follow Jesus, we must follow His commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself”. So if He says to give-we give, generously. If He says to love-we love, unconditionally. Because if we follow Jesus, the world will see Him clearer than ever before.

John 15:12 “My command is this, Love each other as I have loved you” NIV

Defense, self-confidence, and retaliation

Easter was a couple weeks ago, and happy Easter to all! Jesus rose up from the grave, and conquered sin and death. Leading up to Easter, in the previous couple of weeks, God showed me something about defending yourself that connects very well with the Easter story. See I get a lot of verbal abuse from a coworker, and from a few people at school. As a man of God I've been asking this question of him: how do I appropriately defend myself, and still be an ambassador of Christ? This is a tricky situation that today's culture has only made more confusing by the day. But defending yourself can mean two things. One, that you are standing up for your beliefs, and two, that you are standing up for who you are. I believe Jesus wants us to tackle each part a little differently, and he provides excellent examples in scripture for us to point to. The first part-standing up for your beliefs. In today's culture especially it's important that you know how to do this, because Jesus doesn't compromise. He never once compromised his beliefs to avoid "offending" someone. Yet he didn't throw it in their face either. Jesus showed us, in the way he approached the disciples, followers, religious leaders of the day, and the countless sinners and broken he encountered how to be solid in your beliefs, yet show his love. Jesus calls us to love, and to love like he does. This is the first key, if you are saying anything but love-it's not coming from a Christ-centered standpoint. Even as he was convicting people, and telling them to turn back to God, you always could see Jesus's love in it. This is best shown in the tears Jesus had overlooking Jerusalem going into the last week of his life. He loved them so dearly, and just wanted them to see God. See Jesus never once compromised, he stood for something radical, but he never stopped loving, and that proves the difference in defending your beliefs and forcing them onto someone. Take your defense from a standpoint of love, and you may get a better response. If you don't know how to Jesus ask him to show you HIS love, and it'll come naturally.

The next part is, surprisingly, easier. Defending yourself is clearly answered in the bible-and by Jesus himself. Go back to the Sunday before Easter. Jesus rides triumphantly into Jerusalem on a donkey, talk of rebellion is in the air, and he is hailed as King. Fast foreward 6 days. Same road, same people, but this time Jesus is walking, and he's carrying a cross. After hours of brutal whipping, being falsely accused, and condemned to die. This time the people aren't hailing him as King, they're throwing rocks, jeering, laughing, looking for blood. Now I know I haven't experienced this level of attack on my personal character, and nobody has been God then been shouted at that you weren't-even when a week earlier they said you were. Jesus faced a personal attack unlike any of us has ever seen. Not only was he facing one of, if not the, most brutal death in history, but the same people he came down to show himself as God to-didn't  believe him. Yet Jesus never shouted back. Never threw down the cross in anger and stormed off, never cursed them-or ran at them to hit them. Jesus didn't even plan little death scenarios and create certain little lakes of fire for them to go to!(Even though it was very possible). No, Jesus silently went on, and I can imagine him praying all the way to the hill. All the way until he was hanged, and all the way until he said "it is finished". Now none of us have the strength to do this-Jesus was in fact God, except for one particular thing. The same night Jesus was arrested-he was desperately praying in a garden, asking God for the strength to do this. Jesus relied on God to not retaliate, even as the crowd told him to get off the cross if he was really God. See Jesus tells us to love, and emulate him, and I've never seen a more God centered-love filled approach to dealing with a personal attack. But how does this connect? See when someone attacks me, I just move on, without responding, for a very big reason. First of all I don't want to inflame the situation. Second of all I know whatever anger they possess is not toward me, but the result of something deeper in their heart. Thirdly, I don't have to let their voice define my life. Only Jesus does that. So whatever insult, angry word, or attack they do does nothing to me. To quote Taylor Swift "just shake it off". Yes I realize I just quoted Taylor Swift, but she makes a good point. But to quote someone much much wiser,  here's a verse from Proverbs that could have been my whole post. 

“Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.”

Proverbs 20:22 NIV

So maybe, next time someone attacks you-ask God to show you his love for them, and look deeper. Know that you can follow the words of Solomon, and wait for the Lord to "avenge" you. That you're identity is in Jesus, not what someone else says about you. Now go and love like Jesus did. 

Why I hold a door open for a Woman

In today's date and age of feminism, equality, and rights for all, something as simple as holding a door open has become, to some, an insult, rather then respect. Woman, who have been underestimated, beat down, and undervalued for centuries, are out to prove to the world they are just as capable as men, which I wholly believe they are. Yet even though I believe this, I will still hold the door open for the woman to walk through first, every. single. time. This isn't because I believe she can't. On the contrary I completely understand she can in fact open the door for herself. I hold the door open out of honor. Woman have been held down for centuries, and I want to honor her place in the world. I want to show her how valuable she is to me-by letting her step foreward first. In the same way we have Black History Month, or Labor Day, or take a moment of silence on 9/11 to honor hose before us, I will hold open the door to show value. I have no question a woman can open that door herself, or carry all the groceries, or cook, or anything, I just want to show her that I value her enough to not make her do that alone. Yet this isn't just honor for her.  This is honor towards God. Because I believe Eve was the crown of creation, everything built up to her-even man. I believe she was the grand finale, the masterpiece of creation, and embodied God himself in a way no other living or non-living thing could do. I believe God went overboard, and created such beauty that man has gone crazy over her since the beginning of time. I believe God created her to be the partner to a man, to me. I know she can do it alone, and many times does, but I also know she is vital, and will be vital to my future marriage. She is invaluable, as creation intended. Because of this, I want to honor God, so I hold open that door. I hold open that door because I know the beauty she holds, and the unique place she has in the world. I hold open that door because I know man would be lost without her, that together can they chase God on new levels not seen when they are alone. I hold open that door because it shows that I will honors Gods creation, without fail. I hold open that door because I understand that, "Woman were not created to do what men can, but in fact created to do what they cannot do". I'm not sure who wrote this but I agree. I know I couldn't do half the things women do, so the next time I, or another man holds open that door, remember that it may be because we want to honor you, and God, and not because we want you to feel inferior about yourself(or your ability to open a door). 

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV