Crippled by Fear

I continued my reading this week in 1 Samuel at chapter 17, and something caught my attention as I was reading.  Goliath, the Philistine giant, comes out and shouts defiance before the armies of Israel.  The part that caught my attention is found in 1 Samuel 17:11 and 16.  It says, "On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified...For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand." And the Israelites, for forty days, did nothing but shrink back in fear!  It wasn't till David showed up that anything was done about this Philistine who was insulting the armies of the living God.

These two short verses reminded me of how easily the giants in our life can cripple us.  The moment that they appear too big for us to handle, the moment we believe that they are insurmountable, that is the moment that they defeat us and render us ineffective within the kingdom of God.  We must adopt the attitude of David.  We must believe that anything that stands in the way of us accomplishing the will of God is simply an insult to his power and his kingdom mission and vision.  We mustn't allow such things to go unchallenged or unchecked.

We must remember Scriptures like Matthew 19:25-26, John 14:12-14, Romans 8:37-39, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, and 1 John 4:4, just to name a few.  Paul says in Ephesians 1 that God's incomparably great power is available for those who believe.  What do we learn from David?  One thing we ought to learn is that we should never underestimate the power of God within the believer when we need him most!

May you realize the power of God that lies within you!  As a popular Christian author has simply said, "Face your giants!"

Blessings...

Heart Gazing

"This ole boy...he ain't what he used to be!"  Ha!  That little catch phrase has monopolized my mind and my heart on more than one occasion lately.  Just this last month, I turned another year older.  As with any birthday, it made me think of the days gone by...when I was young, when I had not a care in the world; and, of course, when I was in shape.  Without going into detail, let us just say that this ole boy ain't what he used to be.

Unfortunately we live in a time where everyone, most of the time, is judged by their outer appearance.  In our world, we are only as good as we look.  Our looks make us popular...our looks make us likable...our looks make us marketable.  Things haven't changed all that much.

In 1 Samuel 16, Samuel has gone to meet Jesse and his sons so that he can anoint the one who is going to replace Saul as king over Israel.  Jesse parades his sons in front of Samuel one by one.  Samuel, like many in our world today, falls prey to judging these young men based on their appearance.  As soon as he laid his eyes on Eliab, he just knew (based on what he "saw") that this young man had to be the Lord's anointed.  The Lord's response to Samuel should strike a chord deep within each and every one of us...

"Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord does not look at the things people look at.  People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  (1 Samuel 16:7)

Be honest with yourself for just a moment!  Have you ever been guilty of judging someone by their appearance?  I think we all have.  All of us, at some point or another, have decided that someone was not worth our time, our money, and/or our energy, because they simply did not look like they could be trusted.  To all of us the Lord would say, "Be careful!  Do not look at the outward appearance, look into the heart."  We should all challenge ourselves to give people a fighting chance.  Before we too quickly dismiss them, we should get to know them...we should get to know their heart.  The thing that scares me...I wonder how many truly great people I have missed out on knowing because I judged them too quickly!

Lord, forgive me for judging others.  Give me the eyes to see people as you see them.  Give me the patience to let them in, and the strength to invest in them.

Obedience is Best

Today I began reading in 1 Samuel 15.  Why there you might ask?  Well, I have bee thinking an awful lot about King David; you know, how he is labeled as "a man after God's own heart."  I wanted to spend some time studying his story - looking into the struggles that he faced, the mistakes that he made, the kingdom that he led.  Despite all the pressure that David was under as a king, he still managed to glorify the Lord and inspire a nation.  I just thought it would be interested reading...and who knows, I might even learn something along the way!

Although David is not mentioned until 1 Samuel 16, his story actually begins in chapter 15.  King Saul is given specific instruction by Samuel, a prophet of the Lord.  The Amalekites attacked and "waylaid" the Israelites as they came up from Egypt.  God intended to use King Saul and his armies to punish the Amalekites for their brutality.  To make a long story short, King Saul took matters into his own hands and simply refused to obey the Lord's instructions.  He chose to carry out what parts he wanted, and chose to rationalize his decision for ignoring the other parts he didn't want to carry out.  On the one hand, his rationalizations seem attractive simply because he sold them as sacrifice and worship to the Lord.  On the other hand, it was disobedience to the Lord's instruction - plain and simple.  The Lord's heart was broken and he was grieved that he had ever made Saul king.

Why did the Lord suffer from a broken heart?  The Lord God is trying to save humanity.  He has people like Saul in place to protect and carry out the mission.  As king, Saul has influence and is an example to a nation of people.  His decision to ignore the Lord's instructions revealed his weakness as a leader.  His heart was not complete surrendered to the Lord and his purpose.  That alone was enough for the Lord to remove him as king...removing his influence over a nation of people.  Some might say that was harsh...others might say that was necessary.  Like Saul's heart, people will be divided.

Either way, this got me to thinking - to doing some self reflection.  I am a leader, a pastor, and a teacher; not to mention a husband and a father.  God has called me to this place because he believes I have influence.  With this influence, he will instruct me and use me to inspire others to protect and carry out his mission - redemption of humanity.  It is stories like this that become a sobering reminder of the importance of this mission.  All of which caused me to ask a few questions of myself today.  I thought I would share and challenge you to wrestle with these questions yourself.  The truth is...we are all leaders; whether it is as pastors, parents, employers, friends, etc.  We are all leading someone!

First, where has God called me to lead others in his kingdom mission and vision?

Second, (and very important) am I even truly listening for God's instruction in this important position in which he has placed me?

Third, if and when I hear him, am I listening to his instruction, and can he rely on me to carry it out?

Some important questions for all of us to consider...in my honest opinion.

Journey Lorena's Fourth Gathering

Well, God just continues to bless our work in Lorena, Texas. We are still in the beginning stages of building a launch team. As such, we have still not done any PR or marketing in the area. Anything we have done up to this point has been strictly word of mouth. And still...God continues to send new faces and new energy our way! I am completely humbled at how God works in His people.

Last night we had our 4th gathering in our home at 111 Northern Star. We kicked everything off at 6:00pm. And only about 30 minutes into our evening, I began to look around the room and see that it had filled up rather quickly. We had 45 people in our home last night, all united together to worship the Lord and study from His Word. The crazy thing was that we had at least 7 that were out due to illness or having to work late. In the picture above, you can see how full our living room is at this point.

Our original plan was to spend our time, until November, building our launch team and establishing various ministry teams. We didnt' plan on moving into the school until the first of November. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this plant growing so quickly. As such, we have had to move up our timeline...TWO MONTHS ahead of schedule. We have absolutely no more space in our living room! If we are going to continue to grow, we are going to have to make some adjustments. There are several families that have said, "I have some people that would come and check us out if I invited them, but honestly, where would we put them?" That is a great question ;-)

So, we have entered into an agreement with the High School, and we will be renting the High School Commons, or cafeteria. It is a sizable room that will give us quite a bit of time to grow and continue reaching people in Lorena and the surrounding communities. Last week, I was able to finalize our insurance and set the opening date for our first morning worship service on September 11th, 2011...our new 'soft lauch' date! GOD IS GOOD!

Now this creates some problems, but they are good problems to have. Since we are growing quickly and having to move into the school, we are now in need of items that we were not expecting to buy until middle to late October. So, we could sure use your prayers! Journey Lorena could use some additional funding. If you, or anyone you know, would like to help support the work in Lorena, please contact me by email: cory.journeylorena@gmail.com.

God is working in some amazing ways right before our very eyes. I am so blessed to be a part of this work in Lorena. I am also very blessed that God has sent those that he already has as partners with us in this work. I want to say a huge "THANK YOU" to the following families. They have officially committed to being a part of the Journey Lorena Launch Team! So "Thanks" to:

David and Melissa Middlebrook, Corey and Lindsey Freed, Rick and Gloria Cobb, Mark and Cassie Williams, Scotty and Bobby Jo Wilhelm, Nick and Crystal Radke, and Chad and Rachel Fineski.

I will continue blogging to keep you informed of all that is going on with Journey Lorena! We ask that you would continue to pray for our team; that God would watch over and protect each of us and our marriages and our families. Please continue praying that God would put people in our path who need to hear the story of Jesus. Please continue praying that God would open doors of provision for us as we seek to obtain the things that we need to begin meeting in the school come September 11.

Thanks to all of those who are already financially supporting Journey Lorena. Thanks to all of those who spiritually support us by praying for us on a daily basis. May the Lord shower you with his riches blessings of love, grace, and peace!

Journey Lorena's Third Gathering

I cannot wait till tomorrow! I had to write about our gathering tonight! I am so very excited about what the Lord is doing through Journey Lorena. I wrote briefly just a few weeks back about our first gathering. We had 30 people. It was awesome! Our second gathering was just as great, and we only had 15 people. Three families were all gone on that same weekend. However, they were all back tonight for our third official gathering. ;-)

Tonight was such an amazing experience. All three of those families were back tonight, along with a few new families that we didn't expect. We had a total of 40 people for our gathering tonight. We had three new families that joined us for worship and Bible study for the first time. What made it so very amazing, two of the families that visited announced that they wanted to be a part of our Launch Team...on their very FIRST night! God is so amazingly awesome. The third family hasn't committed yet, but they said they would definitely be back. On top of all of that, two other families from our original first group announced tonight that they were officially "IN" as a part of the Launch Team. This now makes 8 total families on our Launch Team! Wow! God is amazing.

We had a great time in worship tonight! As usual, David Middlebrook, our Worship Pastor, did an amazing job! He put together a great worship set tonight and everyone was engaged. We had a great Bible study from John 5. We all soaked up the fellowship after the Bible study, several families staying for quite some time. The numbers naturally guided our conversation to a vision for the future. If we are going to have 35-40 people on a consistent basis, we really need to consider a bigger space. Can you believe that!? We have only had our third official gathering and we are already talking about outgrowing our living room. Have I mentioned how amazingly awesome God is?

I love what God is doing! I love the people that he has already introduced us to! I love that they are on fire for God, and passionate about His mission! I love that fact that they already have a vision for the future! I love where God has placed me at this time in my life!

I would like to ask that you pray that God keep us focused on His mission. Pray that he gives us a heart for the lost. Pray that he protects our families, our marriages, and our ministries as we proceed with our planting plans. Pray God's richest blessings on Journey Lorena!

First Journey Lorena Gathering

Well, I promised a detailed description of how our first Journey Lorena gathering went...so...I will deliver!

First of all, I want to take a moment to say a huge "Thank You" to Mark and Cassie Williams for opening up their home as we begin our church plant in Lorena, Tx. Their generosity is overwhelming, and it is a blessing to have them share in this experience.

So, we met in a home for our first official meeting. We asked everyone to be there at 6:00pm, and the fellowship began immediately as everyone began to trickle in. From what I could tell, everyone seemed to connect with one another from the beginning. I saw hugs, handshakes, and many conversations taking place. It didn't take long to notice that we had 30 people gathered together for our first meeting, because the living room was shrinking as people continued to arrive. Out of those 30 people, there must have been about 10-12 kids - looks like a healthy future for Journey Lorena!

We began the evening by letting the kids go outside for some activities, while the adults remained inside. "Thanks" to Gloria and Leslie for volunteering to take care of the kids for the first evening together. The adults discussed the Mission/Vision and Core Values of Journey Lorena. We talked about what kind of church we sought to be, who we sought to reach, and how we hoped to get there. We also discussed John 4:27-42, asking God to give us the eyes of Jesus.

Following our study, we invited the kids back in for our time of worship! David Middlebrook, our Worship Pastor, did a wonderful job leading us in our time of worship. With his guitar on his knee, he lead us in some wonderful songs which helped us focus on Jesus, the one who loves us unconditionally. Great job, David! When the time came, Leslie led us in our thoughts for the Lord's Supper. She fittingly discussed the unity and fellowship of the first century church, focused on a resurrected Christ. A great way to start off Journey Lorena!

As we wound up the evening, it was awesome to see how no one was in a hurry to leave. There was still a lot of fellowship and relationship building taking place. I feel so blessed to be a part of this experience, and I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for Journey Lorena. Thanks to all of our financial partners, and thanks to all of those who are covering Journey Lorena in prayer!

New Beginnings

Well...to say it has been a while since my last post would be huge understatement. However, I believe that it is time to try and get back into this whole blogging thing. Why? Well, Leslie and I have recently accepted the call to plant a church in Lorena, Tx just south of Waco. This is just as good a place as any to share stories from our journey in church planting. So, I hope you might enjoy keeping up with us and what God is doing in and through our family.

To begin, we moved the first weekend of June to China Spring, Tx to live (temporarily) with my in-laws while we are trying to close on a house in Lorena, Tx. I will spare you the details of our experience in buying a house - for I do not want to bore you, nor do I desire to relive the frustration. In short, after many headaches we should be closing on Friday morning on our first house!

We have spent the last month making contact with several families, sharing the mission/vision of Journey Lorena, hoping they will become a part of the Launch Team. We also have spent a great deal of time incorporating Journey Lorena and non-profit, obtaining a Federal Employer Identification Number, and have now begun the process of securing Tax Exemption Status.

Leslie has begun her new teacher training for her new job at La Vega Junior High within Waco ISD. She found out she has 13 days of training before she begins her new job the second week of August. She feels like school has already started for her!

We are excited about what God is already doing...the doors he has already opened...the contacts we have made...and the blessings we have already received.

Stay tuned, I will share very soon how our first official gathering went in detail. It was amazing!

Be Encouraged

Why do we not study the Bible more? Why is it so easy to let our Bibles rest on the shelf, alongside all of those novels we promised ourselves we would read?

I ran across Romans 15:4 and it struck a chord with me this week. Paul writes, "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. Why do we not want to learn? We go through life asking so many questions, seeking answers, and getting frustrated when we come up short. It might very well be possible that many of the answers we seek are sitting in the one place we so often refuse to look.

Through endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope…Wow! What two things did Paul just say about the Scriptures, the Word of God? They have endured! After all of these years, the Word of God is still here…still being printed…still being translated into various languages…still available. After all of these years, this book is still changing lives for those who would risk opening it!

Paul also said that the word encourages! Very few people in my lifetime have ever mentioned reading the word of God and walking away discouraged. These pages are full of hope…full of promise…full of love…full of grace…full of, well, I could go on and on. Rather, I will let you find encouragement in these words from Psalm 34:17-18; 22…

"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit…The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him."

As the Scriptures endure…so shall we! As the Scriptures encourage…be encouraged! Read the Bible daily and discover the hope that it offers.

Blessings…

Priority Confusion #3

Part three and the final in this series. I have struggled each week with each one of these articles. I understand that they will not be popular for the most part. We generally do not like to be told that we fall WAY short of God's expectations. Although subconsciously we already know it, for that is why we need Jesus, it is still not comforting when are flaws are laid bare for all of the world to see.

This week's article deals with the many things that we put ahead of our relationship with God. When God said, "You shall have no other Gods before me," and "Do not make for yourself an idol," what did he mean exactly? Many are led to believe that as long as they do not have some little figure cast out of metal or wood sitting on their mantle, then they are honoring these commands. When will we realize that ANYTHING we place priority on over our relationship with God IS an idol?

For instance, how many parents go to great lengths to make sure their children do not miss practice (i.e. football, basketball, soccer, band, etc.), and many times, over going to church or a church sponsored event. As a minister I have often wondered how our churches might change if many parents were as passionate about their child's spiritual formation as they are their athletic development.

How many times have parents allowed their children to stay home and finish homework, rather than attend church? Don't misunderstand me here; I realize the importance of an education in today's world and culture. However, I am certain that all of the physics, chemistry, English, geometry, etc., is going to be a big help for the Second Coming Final. What about studying the Scriptures, growing in our relationship with God, and fostering relationships that provide strength and encouragement for daily Christian living?

How many times have we chosen to sleep in, or go home and rest, because we were just too tired to attend church? Sorry, but all I hear is, "I'm tired…and my rest is way more important than my time with God." I know you may have had a rough day. When I have a rough day, the one place I look forward to being…in church, among brothers and sisters, worshipping a God that loves me, promises to carry my burdens, and is the only one who can provide true rest and peace.

How many parents give their children the CHOICE to attend church? When I was growing up, attending church was not optional in my house. You can call that authoritarian, oppressive, mean, or whatever, but that has impressed something upon me. How? Well, when it is Sunday or Wednesday, you will always know where to find me!

I read this article this morning in the Christian Chronicle and I thought I might share it with you. This is to all parents who might struggle with whether or not it is imperative that you attend church as a FAMILY (in other words, "the attendance without an option", option). Colt McCoy, starting quarterback of the University of Texas Longhorns, was interviewed recently concerning his beliefs and the spiritual influences in his life. It was said of him, "McCoy is much more than a gridiron great. He rarely misses a Sunday service – even when his team returns late from an away game the night before." When asked about his influences when it came to attending church, he said, "We didn't have much of a choice when we were young. We were at church every time the doors were open – and sometimes when they weren't. It was not an option to miss church for anything." Reread that last sentence, then read this one, "Those priorities made a big impression on me and my brothers; being in worship was always a priority."

I know I have picked on parents a lot in this article, but I will not apologize for that. God entrusted us with our children for a reason. He gave us the task of parenting because he knew that our children were not spiritually mature enough to make those decisions on their own. And here we are, giving them the option of missing out on becoming spiritually mature. Does that make sense? Parenting is not a popularity contest. Requiring your family to attend church together will certainly not always make you the popular parent. BUT…It is not every parent that could release their child onto the campus of UT Austin and feel confident that they will excel spiritually. Colt McCoy has, and I would bet that parents, Brad and Debra, do not regret one minute the priority they placed on attending worship in their home.

Blessings…

Priority Confusion #2

Well, here we are for round two. I am going to try and keep this one short and simple. Let's discuss punctuality. Over the last several years of being a youth minister and now a preacher, I can assure you that this is not just a youth problem. As a matter of fact, I would say that kids are only modeling what they have learned from their parents. The adults are just as guilty, if not more.

On average, I would say that adults and teens are at least 15-20 minutes late to Bible class/church on Sunday and Wednesday. On Sunday mornings the most common excuse… "I just couldn't get up in time" or "I just couldn't get ready in time." Really? We start Sunday morning Bible class at 9:30am. Worship at 10:30am. The average student and adult must be to school and work by 8:00am. So, are we really trying to make the argument that we can be ready and to school and work by 8:00am 5-6 days a week, but we can't make to church on time; which starts an hour and a half later? Or, if it is just worship, two and half hours later?

No one wants to be late to work and face an upset or angry boss. No student wants to be tardy to school and face detention or possibly even Saturday school. But who cares if we show up late to church. God is merciful, forgiving, and gracious, right? God is not at all offended or hurt when we show up late on the day we have set aside to worship him.

I know, I know…you are thinking that I am too harsh, too blunt, or too personal. Well, I do take it personal; and not because I am a preacher. No, I take it personal that we would rather give more priority to our own personal lives than to our spiritual lives. It never ceases to amaze me when I watch so many give so little to their own spiritual growth and formation, then to seem so confused when their relationship with God is weak and their spiritual lives are in so much disarray.

Priority confusion…How would our churches change if we were hungry for God? What if we showed up early to pray with friends? What if we showed up early to greet guests? What if we showed up early, just because?

Priority Confusion #1

Okay, here is the first thought in a series of thoughts on priority toward our spiritual formation.

There are 24 hours in a day. 7 days in a week. So, there are 168 hours in a week. If we work an average 8 hours a day for 5 – 6 days per week, then we work on average 40-48 hours per week.

This leaves us with 120 – 128 hours. If we follow the recommended pattern for rest, then we get 8 hours of sleep per night. This leaves us with 64 – 72 hours for personal, family and/or leisure time.

For the purposes of this discussion, the average "dedicated" churchgoer attends church, or church related Bible studies, about 4 hours per week. 4 hours! Out of 64 – 72 hours, only 4 of those are devoted to church. Comparatively speaking, that is a very minimal amount of time to give to the one who created you, saved you, and loves you.

Okay, I am serious here. I recently received a complaint from a member of my church that the service was too long. Seriously!? On average, our Sunday morning worship runs about 1.5 hours. The member that complained, very seldom if ever comes to worship. Dare I say I can't even remember the last time I saw him/her in a Bible class. So, in short, out of a whopping 64 – 72 hours left over in his/her week, 1.5 hours was too much to devote to worshipping God. Is that asking too much, really?

Priorities…how can we ever expect to deepen our relationship with God if we can't even worship him for more than an hour per week!? The sad part…this isn't the first (nor will it be the last) time I have heard this complaint from a member of my church.

Change: I need it!

I realize that it has been quite some time since my last post on this site. I guess in many ways I have been struggling with whether or not the things I write mean anything to anyone but me. That is one of my greatest downfalls in life. I have for many years struggled so much with what others think of me. That little nugget of realization and confession has caused me more unnecessary grief than you can possibly imagine.

This blog is going to change. I have put myself under so much unnecessary stress in an effort to write "articles" that I believed people would be interested in reading. Only to find out, I am really not a good consistent writer. I am more of a random thinker. So, in that same spirit, I want to change "Tidbits for the Road". Who knows what will pop up on here? It may be a Scripture for the day, for the week...it may be a joke or a story...it may be a poem...it may be a video or audio clip...it may be an "article." Who knows? What I can assure is that I will only post it if I believe it has something to do with our spiritual journey as followers of Christ. You may enjoy reading it, and you may not. My prayer is that it will benefit those who read it in some way, form, or fashion.

With that being said, I am about to begin a series of posts (undetermined in number) entitled "Priority Confusion." I invite you to follow and read the series. I invite you to share your own thoughts and insights. Each one of these does affect our spiritual journey, so feel free to share your tidbits concerning the topics of discussion.

Deny Thyself

In Mark 8:31-33, Jesus informs his disciples that he is about to suffer many things, be rejected by the leaders of Israel, and be killed. After three days he will rise again. Peter, expecting the warrior Messianic King, does not like this news and he decides to pull Jesus off to the side and rebuke him. In turn, Jesus rebukes him in front of all of the disciples. Then Jesus has some interesting words for all who are thinking about following him…

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

Jesus has just told them that he will give his life for the sake of the gospel. Now, he tells all who want to follow him that they must be ready to give their own lives for the sake of the gospel. “Deny ourselves”… our lives are not our own. If we, in an attempt to save ourselves, choose a life of comfort, ease, security… a life without risks… then we will ultimately lose our lives. However, if we are willing to sacrifice our lives for the gospel of Christ… living dangerously, courageously, and boldly… then we will ultimately live forever (immortality at its finest). Jesus’ message to those who would follow him, “Life without Jesus and the gospel… zero dollars. A life lived following Jesus for the sake of the gospel… priceless.” Erwin McManus nailed it when he described accepting the call to follow Jesus as living “the Barbarian Way.”

It is high time for us to step out of the comfort and complacency of our Sunday morning experience and truly live. We must stop waiting for people to take a risk and come to us. Jesus asked his followers to take the risk. Jesus asked those who would follow him to step out in faith. Jesus was crucified because he was seen as a threat to Jewish leadership of his day. His movement was making waves. People wanted to follow the way of Jesus rather than the ways of old. I have to ask myself, very convictingly, is the Christianity of today a threat to the leadership of today? Actually, the leadership of our world today is stomping out Christianity. Why? It is happening…slowly but surely. What are we as Christians going to do? Will we sit in our pews comfortably every Sunday and Wednesday offering our sacrifice of praise? Will we live our lives quietly minding our own business, afraid to disturb someone else with our Jesus? Will we continue to tell others that if they want Jesus they must come to us?

I often like to dream about how this world might change if we actually understood what Jesus meant when he said, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me (to death)”… parenthetical words are mine, of course. I am just as guilty. I sit in my office each week preparing for the next class or the next sermon. I realize that at the end of the day… I have risked absolutely nothing for Jesus or his gospel. What have you risked today?

I will close with these words from Thomas a Kempis… “Jesus has many who love his kingdom in heaven, but few who bear his cross. He has many who desire comfort, but few who desire suffering. He finds many to share his feast, but few his fasting. All desire to rejoice with him, but few are willing to suffer for his sake. Many follow Jesus to the breaking of bread, but few to the drinking of the cup of his passion. Many admire his miracles, but few follow him in the humiliation of the cross.”

May the Lord grant me the strength and the courage to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow him. May I live dangerously for the sake of Christ and his gospel.

Perspective

I read something today that has really got me thinking. It spoke to me and wanted to share it with you. When I first read it, it made me kind of angry, defensive. I had to go back and re-read it several times. Then I had to put the book down and think on this for a while. I had to consider the possibilities. I had to put it into perspective. The more I thought, the blurriness of these words began to come into focus. The more perspective I gained on these words, the more I began to understand why they made me a bit defensive. These words convicted me. What about you? Take a look at these words taken from Rob Bell’s book, Velvet Elvis…

“The Bible is not pieces of information about God and Jesus and whatever else we take and apply to situations as we would a cookbook or an instruction manual.

And while I am at it, let’s make a group decision to drop once and for all the Bible-as-owner’s-manual metaphor. It’s terrible. It really is.

When was the last time you read the owner’s manual for your toaster? Do you find it remotely inspiring or meaningful?

You only refer to it when something’s wrong with your toaster. You use it to fix the problem, and then you put it away.” (p. 62)

If you are like me, you have used the owner’s manual metaphor when referring to the Bible. Surely I am not the only one that has told someone that God’s word is like an owner’s manual…instructions for living. While it is true that there are instructions for living within the Bible, think about what he is saying for a moment. As you are contemplating these few words, take note of the very next sentence he writes (p. 63)…

“We have to embrace the Bible as the wild, uncensored, passionate account it is of people experiencing the living God.”

Oh man, I am going to be praying with all that I am that these words convict me. The Bible is alive. It is inspiring. It is meaningful. This story (the Bible) is my story. As I read, may I experience the living God. As you read, may you experience the living God.

Blessings…

Crazy Love

Love…it is one of those words in our culture that we have devalued. In our world today, we toss that word around far too easily and carelessly. In our own selfishness and sinfulness, we have weakened the impact of love. I get confused today when I hear parents tell their children, “You don’t even know what love is.” Even though that may be true, I struggle with this because I believe there are many adults in our world today who do not even know what real love is. For many in our world today, love is such a relative term. We say “I love you,” so easily, but what we really mean is, “I love you as long as it is convenient for me.” When pain surfaces, when restlessness sets in, or when it just no longer feels right, then we believe we have the right to quit. We convince ourselves that we have the right to choose to love someone else.

That is not the way love was meant to work. Over 2000 years ago, love made is greatest move; love gave its greatest demonstration. Love as it was intended was defined by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” That is love, “crazy love.” It is so simple and has become so common that I am afraid we are missing the total and awesome impact of what this verse it actually saying. The only reason we know what love is, the only reason we have a clue, is because we have seen it in Jesus Christ. This love is insane, foolish, and it turns our world upside down. This love is so crazy that the world cannot grasp it, does not understand it, and does not promote it. Unfortunately, I am afraid that even Christians are beginning to lose their grip on the impact of God’s crazy love. My prayer is that all followers of Christ, all over the world, will be re-enlightened to the crazy love of God. For us to once again appreciate the awesomeness that is God’s love, we must understand a few things.

First, may our hearts be enlightened to the crazy love of God. Check out these passages of Scripture (Romans 5:5-10; 8:35-39; Ephesians 3:17-19 look this one up in the New Living Translation if you have one available). At just the right time, while we were still sinners, enemies of God, Jesus Christ gave his life for us on the cross. That act was God’s greatest demonstration of his love. In Jesus’ death, God poured out his love into our hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit. That is “crazy” love. Paul explains that very rarely would anyone die for a righteous man. Some might even consider dying for a good man, someone they believe is worth their time. Who, though, in their right mind would die for a selfish, inconsiderate, and sinful, enemy? Jesus did! Paul also explains that if Jesus has gone through all of that for us, then we can be sure that there is nothing in this world, or even beyond this world, that can separate us from the love of God. In Ephesians, Paul prays that our roots would go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous, God’s crazy love. He prays that we might experience the love of God, even though it is so crazy that we will never fully understand it. As we begin to understand the crazy love of God, it will change the way we love God in return.

We should have a crazy love for God. As we come to understand that God’s love is undeniable, unconditional, and unchanging, how can we not love God back? Jesus said in Matthew 22:36, “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your mind.” It is so simple that I cannot for the life of me figure out why we try to make it so complicated. Jesus didn’t ask for our time, money, possessions, or our position. He didn’t ask for those things because he knew that if he could get our hearts, our crazy love in return, he would get all of those other things as a by-product of our love. For God so loved the world…and all he wants is for the world to love him back. Here are a few simple questions to answer that will help determine if you have a crazy love for God. Who dictates your schedule? If you have a crazy love for God, you will use Sunday and Wednesday to schedule your other appointments instead of allowing your other appointments to dictate whether or not you are able to attend church. Who dictates the prioritizing of your time? If you have a crazy love for God, you will be early for worship rather than late; and it will not bother you if worship takes one hour or even two. With a crazy love for God, you will want to soak up every single minute worshipping the Lord and fellowshipping with his church. Who dictates your finances? If you have a crazy love for God, you will make absolutely sure that God gets the first fruits of your labor rather than the leftovers. As we receive God’s love and practice giving that love back, it will change the way that we love others.

We should have a crazy love like God’s. This is by far that most difficult for us to practice. It is much easier to love God sitting in the building and singing praises to him than it is to have God-like love in the world for every single human being. This is not a new problem. Take a look at these New Testament passages where even some of the first disciples of Christ were struggling with this same issue (Galatians 5:6; Ephesians 5:1-2; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8; John 13:34-35). Jesus knew how difficult it was going to be for us to move ourselves aside and love others with the love of God. He indicated that in the second greatest commandment, “Love our neighbors as ourselves.” Ahhhh! That is a problem for us, though, isn’t it.

We all have those lines in the sand when it comes to loving others. Because we are human, we judge others based on our own style, our own tastes, and our own standards. We are willing to love others up to a certain point, but then we make rationalizations for not going any further. We shy away from them because they don’t match up with our standards. For some it is tattoos…for some it is body piercings…for some it is drinking and/or smoking…for some it is dirty, ratty, or tattered clothing…for some it is what side of the town you live on…for others it is race (yes, unfortunately many are still there)…and for some it is what church they attend (have you ever wondered what Jesus really thinks when he looks at this world and notices how many different denominations we have divided “his” church into).

Praise be to God that Jesus doesn’t love us this way! Aren’t you glad he doesn’t love you based on conditions or standards. Jesus is perfect, holy, righteous, blameless, and sinless. If Jesus loved us on those conditions and standards there is not one of us that stand a chance of ever seeing eternity. With God’s crazy love there are no limitations. God’s crazy love is unconditional. It is refreshing and calming to know that no matter how imperfect I may seem in the eyes of the world, I am always perfectly lovable in the eyes of God. We will have a crazy love like God’s as soon as we admit and accept the fact that we are just a bunch of imperfect sinners just like the rest of the world. The only difference between us and them is that someone took the time to tell us about the crazy love of God. Doesn’t the rest of the world deserve the same chance?

Live with Crazy Faith. Hold on to your Crazy Hope. And love with world with a Crazy Love.

Crazy Hope

"Hope"...this is another word in our culture that has really lost its meaning. In many ways, we have really devalued the word hope. We use the word now when we speak of things that we believe to be beyond our control or our power. For example, we say things like, "I hope I get that promotion"... "I hope I pass that test"... "I hope the falling stock market doesn't completely destroy my retirement." It really breaks my heart to hear people use such a powerful word in such an unpowerful way. For believers, hope is not uncertian at all. On the contrary, hope is certianty. Hope is confident expectation. Hope is the fulfillment of God's promises to his people. Hope is what God gives, and hope is what sustains.

There are two different aspects of Christian hope. For us, our hope is a definite, present reality. And, hope is a confident, future anticipation. Within both aspects there lies a power from God that is very real, yet because of our humanistic worldview, for many of us it is not fully realized. We as followers of Christ need to recapture the extraordinary, remarkable aspect of hope we have in Christ. We must reclaim our "Crazy Hope" so that we may find the strength and courage to persevere within a fallen world.

Read: Ephesians 1:13-2:10

Our crazy hope is rooted in a crazy powerful God! Paul speaking to the Ephesians (and to us), is reminding us that as we believed in the gospel we were marked with a seal. That seal is the promised Holy Spirit which guarantees our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession. The Holy Spirit is our mark of hope. In this hope, Paul prays that we might also come to realize the riches of his glorious inheritance and his incomparably great power. What about this power?

Well, this power is the same mighty strength exerted by God when he raised Christ from the dead...placed him in the heavenly realms at his right hand..."far above" all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given...the same power that put everything under the feet, under the lordship of Christ. The idea here is that no matter what kind of god or celestial being you and I might believe exists, no matter what kind of god or celestial being we might be able to dream up, no matter what kind of god, being, or thing we might believe deserves our worship, none of them could ever have, or will ever have, more power and authority than Christ.

Here is the best part! Notice in vv. 22-23 of chapter 1 where all of that power and authority is being concentrated. It is all given to Christ for the church! The church is us, right!? That same power that raised Christ from the dead, seated him next to God in the heavenly realms, and placed everything under his feet; that same power lies within you and me. That power is ours for we are the fullness of Christ and Christ fills everything in every way. It is Christ that we serve, and it is his church he fills! Because of the incomparably great power, we rejoice in some amazing blessings that are already fully real.

Our crazy hope is a present reality! There are promises of God that have already been fulfilled. There are blessings from God that are already a very real part of our everyday lives. These promises and blessings provide for us a present hope that gives us a confidence and certianty that all of God's future promises will be reavealed. Take a look at the following verses (Eph. 1:3, 5, 7-8, 13-14; 2:5, 6, 10). Pay particulary close attention to verse 6 of chapter 2. Paul writes that we are already raised with Christ, we are already seated with him in the heavenly realms. Paul reassures us that as the church, Christ is in us and he fills us in every way. If Christ is in us and Christ has already been raised and seated with God, then in some sense we too have already been raised and seated with God. Our reservation has been made! Our hope is already secure! Our eternal home is a sure thing! With these blessings and Christ's power, Satan cannot take away what Christ has already shed his blood for! So, just tell Satan to back off in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ! We do have great blessing that are completely and fully real, but we also eagerly anticipate some amazing blessings that are not yet fully realized.

Our crazy hope is in our future glory! With a strength and power that is beyond the world we live in, we are able to overcome each day's struggles as we realize what has already been done for us. We are also able to live powerfully for what lies ahead because of the confident expectation of what we know will also be done for us. As human beings we must deal with the present reality of the world that we live in. As disciples of Christ, we can long for, dream of, and hope in a future glory that far outweighs anything this life has to offer. Look at these verses (Eph. 1:18; 2:7). Beyond this life lies the riches of his glorious inheritance. Beyond this life lies the incomparable riches of his grace. As followers of Christ, we have have grace beyond grace, love beyond love, wealth beyond wealth, and life beyond life. We too should pray daily that God lay on us his Spirit of wisdom and revelation that we might know him better. We too should pray daily that the eyes of our heart are enlightened that we may understand the hope that we have, as well as the hope to which we have been called.

Believers in Christ rejoice in a new life in Christ, but we await eternal life at the feet of Christ. We know that we have been raised with Chrsit, but we eagerly await the final resurrection. We know that we have been saved, but we are awaiting our salvation. We know we have been adopted, but we anticipate the day we are fully revealed as sons and daughters of the King. We know we are transformed, but we are waiting to be fully changed. Each day we experience the glory and power of God, but we anticipate the day when God's full glory and power will be revealed. What a God! What a hope! May prayer is that all believers, every day, will be able to live confidently because they have a "crazy" hope in a "crazy" powerful God.

Blessings.

Crazy Faith

I started a new series this Sunday entitled "Crazy." Over the next three weeks we are going to look at what it means to have Crazy Faith, Crazy Hope, and Crazy Love. I must say, I really loved this Sunday morning. The worship was amazing, I really felt the Spirit moving through me as I shared my thoughts on Crazy Faith. I can't speak for anyone else, but I thoroughly enjoyed this Sunday.

Crazy Faith...why "crazy." The meaning of a word can change, and has changed, with each passing generation. For example, when my parents were kids, the word "bad"meant just what you might think it should mean; not good, spoiled, or rotten. When I was a kid, the word "bad" meant something totally different; awesome or amazing. The word "crazy" has gone through a similar transformation over the years. At one time, the word crazy meant that something or someone was insane, ridiculous, or foolish. Now, crazy has come to mean that something is exceptional, extraordinary, or even remarkable. So, the idea is that as followers of Christ, we must exhibit a crazy faith as we learn to live within a fallen world.

Paul was probably the greatest example of one who lived a life of crazy faith despite his circumstances. Read: 2 Corinthians 4. Twice in this passage (v. 1 and v. 16) Paul says that believers should not lose heart. We should not lose heart even when what is seen leads others to believe that our faith is "crazy." Paul did not lose heart when his message and his ministry were rejected. Many thought Paul was crazy, or foolish, for preaching Christ. For, the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. Paul did not lose heart when he faced pressures, set-backs, persecution, and even death. If anyone had reason to lose heart, it would have been Paul. Notice all that he went through for the sake of the gospel and those he preahced the gospel to...read: 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. All of these we may very well face in life and ministry. If we cannot focus on anything else but the bad economy, unemployment ratings, falling stock market, nuclear threats, and excessive government spending, then it would be easy to see why so many preach a message of gloom and doom. It is easy to see why so many are discouraged and hopeless. In fact, by worldly standards, if we focus on only what we can see, we have been pretty unsuccessful as of late.

But Paul says, "we do not lose heart" because it is what is unseen that convinces us we must have a "crazy" faith. Paul recognized what he had in the gospel of Christ. He considered the gospel to be his treasure. It was that threasure that got him through all of the struggles, set-backs, and persecutions in his life and ministry (ref. 2 Corinthians 4:7-12). Paul was remarkably confident in the future that existed for him beyond this life. We, like Paul, must not allow our present circumstances to overshadow our future glory. Paul calls himself, and us, jars of clay. Clay jars were probably the most common household item of the day. There was nothing special or spectacular about the jar itself. No, what made it special was the contents within it. We, too, need to realize the treasure that lies within us. We must find our strength in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have been redeemed by the blood of a crucified Savior! Our future has been secured by the life of a resurrected Lord! Because of that, we can live a life of confidence, certainty, and sureness, just like Paul...using words like "I know..." and "I believe..."

As followers of Christ, "we do not lose heart" because our "crazy" faith is the result of a "crazy" faithful God! Paul lived unashamedly for Christ. His testimony to the world is that he didn't measure his success by the same standards with which the world measures success. He says, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Paul lived a crazy faith because he understood he had a crazy faithful God. Notice what Paul says about God in 2 Corinthians 1:18-22. No matter what promises God has made, they are all "Yes" in Christ Jesus. That is why we too can live a life of Crazy Faith. We press on for the inward strength, joy, and peace that he has promised us if we stay connected to him. We press on because of the certain future destiny we have in Jesus. We live out a crazy faith as shining examples of patient endurance, sharing the treasure that lies within us, because we serve a crazy faithful God!

Ever Been There?

Wow! It has been forever since I have used this blogsite. In many ways I have even forgotten that I had it. I could probably come up with a million excuses for why I haven't been on here in a while (and I have some good ones). Honestly, however, that is all that they are...excuses.

I thought I would just throw out some randon thoughts today. I am about to explode, so I had to find a place to expel what's on my mind. This seems like the place for me to do that...although I might come to regret it later.

I recently have taken on a new role in my job. I am no longer just a youth minister (haven't been for quite some time). I am no longer an Associate Minister. I am now the Preaching Minister at my church. I truly feel called to be where I am...but I in no way was truly prepared for the task that still lays before me. I can't even begin to express how frustrated I am with the work that I have taken on. I am sure any other preachers out there will understand where I am coming from. I took over this position within a church that has seen its fair share of struggles. I was, and still am, convinced that the Lord called me to this position. However, I am still trying to figure out how in the world that God is going to, or possibly could, use me to make a difference.

Our church has experienced a split, a church plant, and an earth-shattering change in leadership...all within the last four to five years. I must say that no church should ever be asked to endure so much in such a short amount of time. As a result, we have lost somewhere in the neighborhood of 100-150 members. Not all of those left in the initial phases of each experience, but if you have ever done any work within the church, you will understand how the after-shock of each event still seems to claim its victims. No matter how hard I have tried, there still seems to be a lingering since of frustration and resentment with some. There are times that I still wonder if I am even making a difference. Ever been there?

I have kept quiet about this as long as I possibly can. I have tried to keep it to myself, but I can no longer do that. I am hurting...I am stressed...I am frustrated...I am constantly seeking God's guidance and direction because I know, and have always known, that the task of rebuilding this church is far beyond any skills, ablilites, and talents that I might possess. In many ways we are working from the ground up...rebuilding, redirecting, renovating. It has become a much bigger task than I have ever imagined. I am still up for the challenge, but something continues to haunt me. Over the last year, I have watched various leaders cut their ties with our church and move in different directions. All of them have their share of frustrations with the way things have seemed to go over the last few years. All of them wishing that things never happened, believing that things could have been avoided, wanting things to be different. I have always wanted to ask, but never wanted to hurt anyone's feelings... Why not stay and lead, helping us to improve the things that need improving? Many of these people are my friends and have no desire to hurt them; and that is why I never asked the question. Ever been there?

I have been in ministry for almost 12 years now. All of that time I have only worked within four churches...in this particular church for 8 years this summer. I know that four churches is not that much in the big scheme of things. However, I can honestly say, even through all that this church has been through, there is not a more loving, generous, and caring group of people in the world (understanding that this is solely my opinion). I know that we have been through a lot. I know that I am tired, frustrated, stressed, and at other times depressed; but I know what this church is made of. I know what it was, and am confident of what it can be again. In the midst of all my frustrations, I can't help but love these people. All I want is to inspire them beyond our present pain. All I want is to motivate them to accept the ministry with which they have been entrusted. All I want is to see them make a difference in the lives of others. I want them to discover again the joys of mercy, grace, and forgiveness. Ever been there?

"Heroes of Faith" - Moses

Faith and determination can inspire us to do some pretty amazing things. The king of Egypt was growing increasingly threatened by the growth of the Hebrew nation. He was afraid that they might grow large enough, organize, and eventually overthrow him and his kingdom. He ordered that the Hebrew nation be forced into more harsh labor to kill their spirit, and he ordered that all male Hebrew infants be killed at birth. Two people had enough faith and determination to ignore that order, spare their son, and hide him from the king for three months. Their act of faith would prove to be just the thing the Hebrew nation needed to break the power of the pharaoh’s reign and open the door to their rescue.

Moses’ parents understood that faith triumphs over fear! Despite the king’s edict that all Hebrew male infants were to be killed, Moses’ parents believed that he was destined for great things. Josephus, the first century writer of Christian history, seems to believe that Moses’ parent received a direct revelation from God that Moses was destined to be the leader of the Hebrew nation. They saw he was no ordinary child…Moses was an extra-ordinary child. Like Moses’ parents, we need to believe that our children are destined for greatness. I have heard, on more than one occasion, parents say that they would not want to have to raise their children in today’s world. Why? I would say that now more than ever, our world needs strong, believing parents raising strong, believing kids to become the leaders of tomorrow. We have the ability and freedom to influence our children for the sake of Christ. We need to teach them whose they are, what they have been called to, and what reward awaits them if they faithfully answer that call. We must constantly take advantage of the opportunities to convince our children that because God lives in them, they are destined for greatness.

Because of the influence of Moses’ parents, he grew up understanding that faith triumphs over power. It is a given that because Moses’ mother was employed by the pharaoh’s daughter to nurse him and help raise him that she was taken advantage of every opportunity to remind him of his destiny. He became so confident in who he was, and what he was to do, that he realized he didn’t need anything from the pharaoh. He refused all of the pleasures and treasures of the palace. He refused to be recognized as the son of the pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to identify with his Hebrew brothers and sisters for the sake of Christ. He chose suffering, slavery, and hardship because he was looking ahead to a greater reward. Like Moses, we must understand that we are children of a greater king! We are part of a much more royal family with a greater name, and a kingdom that fights for a much greater cause. We must believe that we have the rights to a greater treasury far beyond anything this world can offer. If we can come to believe this, then we can come to realize that this world has nothing to offer us.

Because of Moses’ influence, the Hebrew nation came to understand that faith triumphs over time. Moses fled Egypt because his own people did not, at that time, understand who he was and what he was to do for him. The whole time he was away from his home and his family, Moses never lost sight of his calling because he was able to see him who was invisible. God continued to reveal himself to Moses in his own way; constantly encouraging and uplifting Moses until the time was right to send him back to Egypt. When he returned, his faith and reliance on God inspired a nation to move against a system that had oppressed them for years. Like Moses, we must learn to see God, even when we can’t physically “see” God. We must believe that our acts of faith can and will inspire others to act in faith. We must believe that our faith can inspire a nation into action. Our faith in God can and will make a difference.

Our present circumstances are not a recipe for defeat, but an open door of opportunity. We have been called by God, rescued by Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. We too are destined for greatness. One man’s faith inspired a nation and caught the attention of the world. Do you believe that your faith can make a difference? If we are going to influence the world for Christ, you must believe that your faith makes a difference. In you, people need to see a God worth getting to know. In you, people need to see a God that can make a difference. In you, people need to see that God is never going to abandon us, but is going to give us the strength and endurance necessary to stay the course and rise to the occasion. We press on because like Moses, we know what treasures await us. Be a hero of faith…

"Heroes of Faith" - Noah

The writer of Hebrews defines faith as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” (11:1,2) The writer would also say later, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (11:6) In Hebrews 11 we are treated with an extensive, but not inclusive, list of men and women who truly were “Heroes of Faith.” These men and women faithfully and willingly walked with God when no one else would. They believed in God, and they were sure that God would provide for them just as he promised.

In Hebrews 11:7, the writer tells us of Noah: “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”

If you have time, brush up on the story of Noah by reading all of Genesis 6. Mankind had become so selfish and sinful that God’s heart was literally broken. God is love! God created the human race so that he could share this love. Many of us, at some point or another, know exactly what it feels like to love someone with all your heart only to be crushed when you realize that they do not love you back. It is devastating. Humanity had become utterly sinful. Our sin is destructive and devastating. It separates us from the presence of God (Isaiah 59). We had become so evil that God’s heart hurt and he wished that he had never created us. He was completely ready to wipe us from the face of the earth. Jesus’ interpretation of this time in history is found in Matthew 24:38, 39: “For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.” Everyone in that day was living by the philosophy, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow will take care of itself.” What if there is no tomorrow? You see, sin is not breaking God’s law; it is breaking God’s heart.

Just when God was feeling completely rejected, he caught a glimmer of hope in the life of Noah. We are told that Noah was a righteous, blameless man, and he walked with God. One of the things that caught me in this story was the fact that God had lost hope. Many times we don’t think of God as one who is capable of losing all hope. However, when we look closely at the story, we see that this is the case. Mankind had become so selfish and sinful, that God was ready to wipe them, and all other creatures, off the face of the earth. He obviously felt defeated. He obviously felt that there was no way that humanity would ever live completely for him. And just when he was about to follow through on his plan, he saw this man named Noah. Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Noah’s righteousness was a reaffirmation of God’s love and patience. When God saw Noah, it reminded him of all the reasons why he continues to love us and wait on us. Noah’s faith and perseverance had given God hope.

Just like Noah, we must walk with God when others will not! We must believe and not doubt. Noah believed, trusted that the flood would come just as God said that it would. What are we sure of? What are we certain of, even though we cannot see it? Jesus promises us a resurrection. We have not yet seen it, but in faith we believe it is coming. We believe it is coming because we believe in Jesus who died for it. Remember, in faith we believe he exists and that he will reward those who earnestly seek him. We continue to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, even when others may not follow us, because we believe that our faithfulness will be rewarded in our resurrection and eternal home in heaven. Life lived in the eternal presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Even if we are standing alone, we must never believe that all hope is lost. Our faithfulness gives hope and assurance to God.