God’s Word

Do you ever find yourself reading a book, chapter, or verse that you have read a hundred times before? The other day I was reading John 9. Now I know that I have read this chapter many times before, but this time I picked up something completely new! In this particular chapter, Jesus healed a blind man and the Pharisees are trying to get to the bottom of it. I’ve always thought the Pharisees got a bad rap in the gospels. I mean, sure they opposed Jesus at every turn, but they weren’t really doing anything different from the rest of the Jews, or many of us for that matter. Anyway, I guess I’ve always assumed that the complete truth of Jesus being the Messiah was somehow hidden from them…that God in His infinite wisdom prevented them from realizing that Jesus was the Christ they were desparately seeking. However, the story in John 9 makes it crystal clear that it was of their own willful choice that they chose to deny Jesus…who He was, what He could do in their lives!

This principle is the same for all of us. When this life is over we will have nothing to hide behind, no excuses, if we stand before God without having believed in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 4:12

Out of Sync

Do you ever have those morning (days, weeks, or even months) when you just feel out of sync? The world is moving all around you just as it always does, but for whatever reason you just can’t pull it together? My iPhone sometimes gets “out of sync” and it won’t work (at all) until I connect it with iTunes and sync it. Jesus tells us in John 15 that the only way we can be productive as Christians is to remain in Him. The relationship example he gives us here is of the vine and its branches. If I am truly honest with myself, I start to get out of sync when I neglect my daily time to “sync” with Jesus through meaningful prayer and reading the Bible.

How do respond when you are out of sync?

Blogosphere

I have decided to use my blog as a way for myself and other people to help hold me accountable. I very much need this right now in my life to keep me seeking primarily in God’s Word for the “what’s next” in my life. The format for my posts will be “diary” like and will simply document my journey. Feel free to join in! I will be following the daily reading plan found at youversion.com.

Isn’t it ironic (don’t you think)

It’s like RAY-E-AIN…

I know, lame. It’s still a good song though, and soooo true. We serve an ironic God. I am amazed at the number of instances in my life and throughout the Bible of how God chooses and chose to work…it was ironic, that is all you can say. For instance, why did God have Noah spend over a hundred years building a boat in a world that hadn’t yet experienced rain, much less a flood. I mean, couldn’t He have just given them the ability to walk and live on the water? Why 40 days; why Noah…the list goes on and on.

If you are finding yourself asking, “Why?” just remember that God has always chosen to work in ironic ways. Is it because the only opportunity you are giving Him to work is after exhausting every other possible scenario? Slow down. Take some good theology from one of my favorite bands from way back, God is alive and working!

For a little humor today, I found a very ironic blog post. Check it out. Email me if you find this as crazy ironic as I do (or if you don’t have a clue, I’ll fill you in).

Driving to Work

With two young children, my house under construction, and two jobs, my morning drive to work is often times my oasis. It is an awesome time to talk with God, be completely silent, or rock out to the radio! Recently, KLOVE has become availiable in Morehead, KY. This has been a great addition to my morning commute. This morning as I was entering “downtown” I pulled up beside a guy in a forestry truck (this is an ironic detail because the my truck is a “retired” forestry truck affectionately known as Seaweed). The guy in the truck was also rocking out and I’m sure singing very loud because I could read his lips. He was singing the same song that I was listening to on the radio!

This may be one of those “you had to be there” kind of funny stories, but I found it to be hilarious! I also found it encouraging. I didn’t know this guy from anywhere. And even though we never acknowledged each other, I found a common bond as we both rocked out to: “Here I am to Worship,” Phillips, Craig & Dean style.

Short Memory

Yesterday during my “God Time” (this is what I title the time I spend in God’s word and prayer each morning on my “to-do” list) I read Judges 2-3. As I read about the schizophrenic tendencies of the Israelite nation with their devotion to God I found myself thinking, “what in the world was wrong with these people?”  If you don’t have time to follow the link here is a quick recap of what happened in Judges 2-3:

The Israelites followed God, then they didn’t. They faced the consequences, then cried out to God and He healed their land. Then after awhile they got tired of God again. They began worshiping other Gods. They faced the consequences, then cried out to God and He healed their land. REPEAT over and over again.

Fast forward to yesterday at the park with my little boy Riley. It was such a beautiful day so I decided to park a little farther from the playground than usual. This way we could walk by the creek and over the bridge; get the most out of our time together. Along the way we would have to cross a road or two, so I made him hold my hand. I explained to him (as much of an explanation as you can give a two-year old) that this was to keep him safe and that if he didn’t hold my hand we couldn’t go to the playground. He was completely fine with this for the first couple of minutes, but then about every minute after that he would he would try everything in his power to get out of my grip.

In those moments when I began to get frustrated I was reminded of Judges 2-3 and how much this experience was a picture of how Israel treated God. His convenant with them was for their ultimate safety and quality of life just as by holding Riley’s hand I could steer him clear of any danger.

The kicker to this whole experience was that God wasn’t just teaching me how Riley was being like the nation of Israel. In reality, He was showing me how that He takes care of me in the same way as I do my little boy; how that what sometimes feels like restriction is really freedom to live the most adundant life possible! Jesus told us in John 10:10 that He came so that we may have life, and have it more abundantly!

Earn Free Stuff

As I was driving to work this morning, I saw a sign on one of our local grocery stores that read, “earn free stuff.” That immediately set my mind spinning. Let’s think about this; if something is truly free, should you have to earn it? I mean if I have to “earn” it then I have done or gave something in exchange for the “free stuff” and therefore it is not free…maybe you won’t pay physical money for it, but there are several other ways to pay for things. Take a healthy, physically fit person for example. They eat right, they work out, avoid all-you-can eat buffets…when they take their shirt off at the beach (speaking of men only here…) and you see that six-pack and muscles everywhere that wasn’t free, they’ve earned it!

So many people believe the same is true of God’s free stuff. Although it is free, we must do something to earn it. This is a lie from Satan. Satan is so deceitful and most of the time will only distort the truth. He did this with Jesus in the wilderness, with Adam and Eve in the garden, and he does this with us in this lie as well. Yes, you must do something to receive the free gift…you must accept it! In the same way as you must remove the wrapping paper from a Christmas gift, you must accept and receive God’s gifts of forgiveness and grace for them to be applied to your life. God’s free stuff is free, but not automatic. However, earning forgiveness and grace is not even remotely possible. Isaiah 64 proclaims that all of our righteous acts are as filthy rags to God. In Galatians 2:21, Paul declares that if righteousness is the law, then Christ’s death had no purpose!

My dad always told me growing up that nothing in life is truly free. This is very true. Somebody somewhere has to pay for it, right? When you get a free t-shirt for coming to Crosspoint Church it is free to you, but someboby paid for it right? The same is true of God’s free gifts. They are free to us, but they cost God everything! He gave His only Son that we might have access to Him!

Birthdays

Birthdays mean different things to different people. To some, birthdays remind them that they are another year older…or even worse, that they are yet one year closer to you know what! Yesterday was my 28th birthday. While it did remind me that I am getting ever closer to the big 3-0, yesterday my birthday reminded me of how truly blessed I am! God has blessed me to be apart of an awesome move of God through Crosspoint Church, given me lots of wonderful friends, and most of all He has blessed me with a wonderful family!

Just think, I got to experience all of that AND the second-greatest Chinese Buffet around…all in one day!

That fresh cut smell!

Yesterday evening I mowed my front yard for the first time this season. I must admit that the chore that becomes such a burden during the dog days of summer was quite enjoyable! It was a change in the routine; it made everything look nice…and I love the smell of fresh cut grass! In fact, during the summer when I would rather punch myself in the face than mow, that smell is the only thing that gets me out there.

I can’t help but draw a parallel from yesterday to my own spiritual life. Every time I get to a new book of the Bible (I am currently following the ESV Daily Reading Bible plan) or a new study to go through, the intial few days are always such a rush. But, before I know it the newness wears off and the joy fades into habit and habit into burden. Yesterday helped me to renew my commitment to not let my daily time with God become routine. I will pursue the sweet fragrance God’s presence brings to my life in the same way as the smell of fresh cut grass!

Why a Blog?

To me a blog is a cool thing. I like to think I am a cool guy…thus, I have officially made the decision to become a blogger. Although my blog will never be as cool as PD’s, I hope to share some meaningful insight about life, love, and everything in between. Happy 0th Blog Birthday Adam!