Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Something You Might Not Want to Read



 “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you.” Matt 5:44

            For a long time, I struggled with the Old Testament God that would massacre people. I struggled with the God that would tell his people to wipe out another nation. I even struggled with the God giving the command to destroy those who hurt or persecuted the Jews. Part of the Law of the Old Testament states “eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise” (Lev 24:20). This God seemed malicious and vengeful.
            Whether if you study religion or minister to a friend, it’s only a matter of time where this topic comes up. I wrestled with it a long time and just recently I have found that even Jesus addressed this same issue. He talks about this law in the Old Testament and says that he is giving a new commandment (talk about an authoritative statement). He says that we need to love our neighbors as ourselves. In that same passage, he mentions loving your enemies. We are not supposed to be vengeful or want harm for another person. We are supposed to bless those who curse us and do good unto those who hate us.
            Osama bin Laden was just recently killed and I was happy that he was no longer a threat; however, I was also sad to see my brothers and sisters in Christ celebrating his death. I am sad when I hear people talk about the terrorists in such rage and anger. I understand where they come from but it breaks my heart to see it. Instead of blowing up our enemies we need to love them. This is a bold statement that Jesus proclaims; however, if you look at history, what does violence accomplish? It brings about more violence. Instead of putting holes in our enemies, why not pray for them? Instead of spreading bullets, why not give out food and education? Instead of destroying buildings why not build schools? We need to change our outlook on the people that hate us. We should not pick up our highly advance weapons; on the contrary, we should pick up God’s word and follow the new commandment that Jesus gave. The Old Testament was for a different era, Jesus gave words for our day and it is something we should follow.
            Many of you might not agree with this and honestly, it is between you and God. I just challenge you to look up what Jesus says about this hate and the idea of war. I have a very hard time imagining Jesus behind a gun laying waste to those that hurt him. I can’t picture him firing a round in the head of Osama bin Laden. Can you? I challenge you to love those that annoy you, love those that make fun of you, and love those that want to destroy the very society you live in

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

The Blunt Statement of Faith



John 11:25-26
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

            This statement comes from the lips of Jesus. It is powerful and simple. He claims two essential things in this statement: First, if you believe in him you will live eternally, and second, if you believe in him while you’re living you will truly live. In other words, you will truly live life to the fullest. Now let me ask you something, what do you live for? What is the thing that you want most out of life? Is it love, money, cars, women, men, degrees, etc.? I am currently studying religion and when I find a believer in a certain faith; I ask myself why they are doing it. Why are they there believing this teaching? Many times it is for personal escape, comfort, peace, acceptance, and so on. Essentially, it is a lot of the time for selfish motivations.  I’m not trying to judge, just trying to observe. My point is that the selfish ambition is found not only in the secular world but in the religious one also. So once again, what are you living for? Does this reason for living, bring you life that is comparable to the life Jesus proclaims that you receive when you believe in him? Does it give you meaning and utter fulfillment or does it leave you empty inside? I just wanted to challenge you to look at yourself and your ambitions to see if you fall in this category.
            So what’s the purpose of this verse in this little spiel I have? The point is that this verse really is a blunt statement of faith. Jesus is stating who he is and what he does in a believer’s life. He give fulfillment and eternal life to an individual. He gives purpose and meaning.  So I must leave you off with the same question he does. Do you believe this statement of Jesus? Do you believe that he is the resurrection and the life? Do you believe that whoever believes in him will live after death? Do you believe that those who live for him will have fulfillment and true meaning? Or do you think that this statement is just a load of sun soaking cow manure?

Thursday, May 12, 2011

The Almighty Stomach Growl




"I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35

            If you ask someone about a certain characteristic that I have, they will probably mention something about food. I love food and the consummation of it. There is nothing like the feeling of a grumbling stomach being silenced. I love to run and exercise; however, there is an ulterior motive other than “getting healthy”. I also do it so I can eat more. When I run, it gets my metabolism going and it allows me to get that filling sensation.  Isn’t it true that the filling sensation after eating a hearty meal is so pleasant? =)
            This brings me to what Jesus said. “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” This verse has such a powerful truth. Jesus is proclaiming here that he is living bread and living water. If you partake in him, you will never go hungry nor be thirsty. I want to challenge you to this claim to truth. Is it really true? If it is then why do you become unsettled in God? Why do you get down and beaten by life? Why do you feel empty at times? If this verse is true, why in life does it seem that you’re not getting that “filling sensation”? The answer is easy; it is because YOU’RE NOT EATING.
            My encouragement to you today is to eat. Search God and seek him. Fill yourself up with his love. We all need to eat to get full, so pick up your Bible and immerse yourself in his word. Pray for others around you; in other words, focus on God. Take some time out of your day and feed your spirit with some soul food. This soul food, will make the almighty stomach growl grow truly silent.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Mirroring Jesus




"I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” John 5:19

           Being a church leader, I hear a lot of people question God’s will for their life. They don’t know what to do and some even feel lost. This is evident in periods of my life as well. Does God want me to be a teacher, or does he want me to be a professional tap dancer? I am terrible at the latter but my point is simple, what does God want us to do with our lives? Is there this huge calling or something simpler?
            
The answer to the above question is both. God does have a plan for your life. He has called you to do something that was just made for you. You are a part of this complex and divine plan of brining his will and love on this earth. It is a job that was made only for you; however, you might not yet know what that job is. Here is where it gets easier. Just because we are not sure of God’s calling does not mean that we should sit on our butts and play with our thumbs. God still has something detrimental for us to do. He wants us to mimic him. We are called to do something great; however, we are also called to reflect Jesus on every aspect of our lives. That verse in John shows that Jesus was just mimicking his Father; likewise, we are adopted sons of God and we should be trying to reflect Jesus.  
            
Someone still might say, “How do we do this? How do we reflect and copy Jesus? This task is still so difficult.” This person is correct, it is hard. In our world today, there is so much temptation out there. We are tempted with lust, greed, gluttony, laziness, etc. It is so easy to turn on the television and loose our sense of time .The whole day can pass us by without us being aware of it. It is so easy for a young person to indulge in the overabundance of sex in their society. This is especially true for the westerner. So how do we figure out what we should do? The answer is again easy; What Would Jesus Do? I love that phrase, and I must say that I wish I was the one that came up with it. W.W.J.D covers every base of our lives. If we run every thought or desire through this filter, most of us would find the answers we seek. Should I help the homeless guy down the road? Well W.W.J.D. Wow, my mother just freaked out on me for not cleaning my room. I have an answer, W.W.J.D. I know this answer might sound simple, but it still is true. Sometimes the solutions we seek in life are not as complicated as we imagine. So today, I want to encourage you to just breathe and think of this phrase: What Would Jesus Do?


Saturday, May 7, 2011

Don't READ!

Hosea 6:6 – “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.”

I was thinking today about what to write to you guys. What could I possibly say to everyone. Should it be some biblical commentary or maybe a strange thought that precedes from my cranium? Then I thought, of a better idea....

For those few people that read this blog, I would like you to stop reading today and do something. Do something that will change a persons life. Don't just read your bible or pray, do something with your actions.

So right now. I wish you luck and I pray that God blesses you with numerous opprotunities to help someone. I pray that you can show the love of Jesus to another individual. It is important to read, sing, and pray; however, it is even more important that you serve God though your actions.....

Isaiah 29:13 - “The Lord says: These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”

Do something =)

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Powerful Statement




"I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? -John 5:41-44

            This statement from Jesus is really powerful. I just wanted to give you some food for thought. In the time of Jesus, there were many thought of Messiahs; however, Jesus’s statement is right. Most of them “came in their own name” or someone else declared them as the Messiah. Anyway what I really want to challenge you with is the last verse
How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? - John 5:44
            What praise are you really searching for? Are you looking for praise from people or a community? As a person, is that what your focus is? Or are you looking for something more? Do you want praise that comes from a higher source? Do you want praise from God? To be frank and as humble as possible, my life’s ambition is to honestly make a difference in this world for God. I struggle with people accepting me, but when I get to heaven I long for God to say “Hey Mark, I know you looked down on yourself, but you tried. Good job.” In the end, God’s approval is truly all that matters in my life. Now if you’re a Christian and reading this devotion, do you have the same aspiration or are you longing for approval from people? If you are not a Christian and reading this, in the end, what good does approval from man have? We are all going to die and in the years after our death, most of us will be forgotten…..

Monday, May 2, 2011

The Humble Worker


The Humble Worker
“I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.” John 4:38


            I never really realized this verse before. Jesus said this to his disciples and I think it really carries some heavy meaning. Sometimes when we work or serve God, we look at our actions and we think really highly of ourselves. It might be with helping the poor, or giving power to the impoverished. This is especially true when we help get a problem solved in an individual’s life, or see them come to know God. However, Jesus says that there are other people that could have worked on that same soul. Maybe someone worked hard in their life to show them the love of God. Maybe a family member of friend spent a lot of time in prayer and fasting for that individual, yet we are the ones that “reap the harvest”. We need to remember, that it is not you that does good works, it is all of us. We all work together for a common goal. Some take time to really plant the seeds while others remove the plant. Realizing this can really humble a person.
            This verse also encourages the hard worker: the planter. You might be really striving to lead someone to God or just show love to an individual. Your work is not in vain. You might not see the harvest, but have confidence that one day there will be a harvest.

The Humble Worker


The Humble Worker
“I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.” John 4:38


            I never really realized this verse before. Jesus said this to his disciples and I think it really carries some heavy meaning. Sometimes when we work or serve God, we look at our actions and we think really highly of ourselves. It might be with helping the poor, or giving power to the impoverished. This is especially true when we help get a problem solved in an individual’s life, or see them come to know God. However, Jesus says that there are other people that could have worked on that same soul. Maybe someone worked hard in their life to show them the love of God. Maybe a family member of friend spent a lot of time in prayer and fasting for that individual, yet we are the ones that “reap the harvest”. We need to remember, that it is not you that does good works, it is all of us. We all work together for a common goal. Some take time to really plant the seeds while others remove the plant. Realizing this can really humble a person.
            This verse also encourages the hard worker: the planter. You might be really striving to lead someone to God or just show love to an individual. Your work is not in vain. You might not see the harvest, but have confidence that one day there will be a harvest.