Can We Break God's Heart?

"But I believe there is something here to be learnt of grace

'Cause I can't help but love you

Even with a heart that breaks"

The Widow-As Cities Burn

I remember listening the first As Cities Burn album a lot this summer and really just taking the time to digest the lyrics and think about what they meant in a Biblical sense. When I started thinking about this song I had just finished reading a section in Mark Batterson's book Wild Goose Chase, and I immediately asked myself "Is it possible to break God's heart?" The question was odd to me and it even seemed a little sacrilegious. I mean He is God how could we break His heart? But at the same time I felt like there was some truth to it.

Last night I was reading in Francis Chan's new book Forgotten God and he talked about having the same thoughts. It was crazy we had a lot of the same thoughts on the subject before we got into the Scriptures. Doesn't it just sound weird that we could hurt God. It almost makes it seem like we have some sort of power over Him, but we don't. No matter how strange or foreign it may seem to us we can break God's heart.

Isaiah 63:10

But they rebelled

and grieved his Holy Spirit;

therefore he turned to be their enemy,

and himself fought against them.

Ephesians 4:30

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Our sin affects God. It grieves the Holy Spirit. And we are commanded not to do this. I really like how Francis Chan put it, "And since He is the creator of emotions, I believe that the Spirit grieves more deeply than we can understand."

Does that change the way we look at sin? I know it transformed me. I realized that I didn't want to sin anymore because I love God and I don't want to grieve Him, and not just because sinning is wrong. It's so much more powerful than just not wanting to sin. The world would be a radically a different place if we were all aware of how our sin affects God. I believe it creates a reverent fear of God. Something we are definitely lacking. Our motivation shifts from not wanting to sin to fear of grieving our Savior who brought us out of sin and death. It's powerful stuff.

"I pray for a day when believers care more about the Spirit's grief than their own."

~Francis Chan

Because of Your Love

"Because of Your cross my debt is paid

Because of Your blood my sins are washed away

Now all of my life, I freely give

Because of Your love, Because of Your love I live"

~Phil Wickham

I just finished reading the third chapter of Crazy Love and watching the video that goes along with the study and I was completely broken at the realization and thought of God's love. One of my favorite verses has always been Romans 5:8 "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." That verse blows my mind. God loves us so much we cannot even begin to understand it. This is something I don't think about often enough, so I just wanted to take the time to remind all of us that God loves us. Remember the cross and that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

Jesus said in Luke 9:23 that "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." And my prayer is that when we pick up our cross daily we remember the love of Christ. We remember the blood poured out for us. For our sins. It's powerful and it is the good news. Christ died for us and rose again so that we could live with him forever. I don't get it. It's crazy. But I love God for it.

"Maker of the universe

Broken for the sins of the earth

All because of Your love

All because of Your love"

~Phil Wickham

Take some time to just meditate on God's love and all that it means.

P.S. The new Phil Wickham album is super good. You can pre-order it from his website and get the album a month early and it's totally worth it.

Child Like Faith

Mark 10:15

"Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

On Friday during Bible Study we were going through chapter 2 of Crazy Love. The title of the chapter is "You Might Not Finish This Chapter," and it's all about how are lives are fragile and short and we should be doing all we can to glorify God. One of the questions Francis Chan asked at the end of the video was "What would you regret if you died today?" And the majority of us, myself included, answered with a lack of boldness in our faith. The other big one was not loving like Christ did.

So today when I was driving to Tallahassee to meet my Mom for lunch and to pick something up I was listening to a sermon by Francis Chan. It was called "God Is Strong, Am I?" That junk was powerful. It was all about being bold in our faith. He talked about being young and going to Sunday school and then when he first really believed in God, and he felt like God could do anything. I remember being a little kid and hearing the story of David and Goliath, and just being amazed that a little kid could kill a giant with a stone because he had faith and courage in God. I understood that God could do anything, but over time this fades. In his sermon he talked about how people calm us down, because we have so much now we don't need to live by faith as much anymore. That's what they did. But is that right?

The story he referenced was the story of Caleb and Joshua in Numbers. I know this a lot to read, but it's such a good message that we need to hear.

Numbers 13:25-33

²⁵At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. ²⁶And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. ²⁷And they told him, "We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. ²⁸ However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. ²⁹The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan."

³⁰But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, "Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it." ³¹ Then the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are." ³²So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, "The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. ³³And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them."

Caleb and Joshua had faith that there God could do anything. They had courage and boldness that the same God who took them from Egypt and parted the Red Sea could overcome the inhabitants of the promised land, but some didn't believe. Some were afraid and didn't have faith that God could provide. The other 10 spies convinced everyone else that the land wasn't good and that they shouldn't go. Sound familiar. That happens to us it's real. I like what Rob Bell says about the Bible. "The greatest truth of the story isn't that it happened, but that it happens." People in our lives try to convince us that are God isn't that big or strong and we believe them. We lose that child like view of God that we once had. When we truly believed our God could do anything. But check out what happens to the other 10 and everyone else.

Numbers 14:26-38

²⁶And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, ²⁷"How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me. ²⁸Say to them, 'As I live, declares the LORD, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: ²⁹ your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, ³⁰not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. ³¹ But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected. ³²But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. ³³And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness. ³⁴According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.' ³⁵ I, the LORD, have spoken. Surely this will I do to all this wicked congregation who are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall come to a full end, and there they shall die."

³⁶ And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land— ³⁷the men who brought up a bad report of the land— died by plague before the LORD. ³⁸Of those men who went to spy out the land, only Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive.

The 10 who convinced the rest not go died by plague on the spot, and the rest were told that they would never see the promised land. Only Joshua, Caleb, and the children. Do you want to be one of the 2 or the 10? I know I definitely want to be part of the 2, but so many times I see my life heading in the other direction. Why? Our God reigns. He is alive. He is all powerful. The Bible from cover to cover sings praises practically screaming about how powerful our God is. He created the heavens and the earth. But we lose sight of this over time. Our faith gets calmed down and more presentable. I want to be like like Joshua and Caleb. Their story still isn't over.

Joshua 14: 6-12

⁶Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, "You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. ⁷I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. ⁸But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God. ⁹And Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.' ¹⁰And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. ¹¹ I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. ¹²So now give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the LORD said."

The Lord was faithful and he brought Caleb and Joshua to the promised land. And even 45 years later Joshua is able to say I am as strong as I was then, because his strength and his courage come from the Lord. The Lord doesn't grow weary. Our body might fail, but our God never does. I want this sort of faith that grows exponentially over the years. Joshua is an 85 year old man and he is on fire for the Lord. Why do we let ourselves lose that courage that we had as a child? The faith we had when we first believed in God and we were confident He could do anything? Where did that go? Why do we let our stories end so early like the other 10? We have to receive the kingdom like a child, because a child understands the power of God.

The Holy Spirit dwells within us. The power of God dwells within us. We have no excuse to lack boldness. We have to live by faith and courage that nothing is impossible for our God.

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things style through him who strengthens me.

Do we believe that? If so, do our lives demonstrate it?

Spiritual Wisdom

Recently Colossians 1:9-12 has become one of my favorite prayers, and in verse 9 Paul prays for the Colossians to be "filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding."

So what is spiritual wisdom? It sounds nice. When I read it for the first time I was like man I want that, but I don't think I understood what this sort of wisdom was.

To put spiritual wisdom and wisdom from God in perspective check out what Paul says in 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 1:25

²⁵For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

This morning I was reading through James and I was in chapter 3 and the second half of the chapter is titled "Wisdom From Above." I've read and heard this verse before, but it never hurts to hear it more than once.

James 3:17

¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

Contrasted to wisdom from the earth.

James 3:14-15

¹⁴But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

Where does our wisdom come from? Recently I started reading Francis Chan's new book Forgotten God: Reversing A Tragic Neglect For The Holy Spirit and even though I've only read a chapter I can tell you that book is powerful. We need the Holy Spirit. For a number of reasons, wisdom being one of them. Wisdom from the earth is demonic. Those are strong words. Spiritual wisdom comes from above, from the Holy Spirit.

John 14:16

¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,

How can we receive spiritual wisdom and everything that goes along with it if we are forgetting about the Holy Spirit? If we pray for wisdom above shouldn't we also pray and lean on the Holy Spirit that is with us forever for that wisdom.

When I was looking at the characteristics of spiritual wisdom in James I was convicted. How often does my life display this sort of attitude? Oddly enough this is the chapter that starts out warning about stricter judgement for teachers. The true definition of wisdom is something I forget far too often, and that is why I am writing this. To remind us of wisdom from above so that we can rely on God.

Colossians 3:2

² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Distraction

Today I started reading through James and I've read through it before, but today I noticed something that I thought was pretty cool about the first chapter. James echoes a large portion of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount not only with subject matter, but also style.

Check it out

Matthew 5:11

¹¹"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

James 1:12

¹²Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

There are a couple others too like James 1:5 and Matthew 7:7-8. Anyways the allusions and stuff are all really cool, but they serve a purpose. I really feel like the purpose is to emphasize the second half of Chapter 1. In my Bible it's titled "Hearing and Doing the Word." James references perhaps Jesus' most famous sermon for a reason. And that reason is just simply hearing and knowing what Jesus said means nothing.

James 1:23-24

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For He looks at himself and goes away and at once what forgets what he was like.

How many times have we heard a really good church sermon, been reminded of Jesus' teachings, left the service thinking about it, and then at work or school on Monday it's like we never even heard a word that was said. I know this has definitely happened to me more than once. James goes on to say that if we hear these messages and fool ourselves that we are actually being changed by them that our religion is worthless. James says in verse 27 "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

The first half of the chapter focuses on remaining steadfast through everything, loving God through it all, so that we may be doers and that our religion will be pure. The verse that really hit me was 27 and really it was just one word "unstained" the NIV uses "polluted" and I think I like that better. I was convicted when I read that.

It's so easy to talk about living apart from the world, but the littlest things distract us from God. Even if we aren't blatantly sinning if we aren't focused on God how are we able to love Him? It amazes me how quickly I forget about my Savior. Today I woke up with a headache and I was pretty tired throughout most of the day, and I let that prevent me from seeking after God. Francis Chan in Crazy Love talks about spiritual amnesia and how easily we forget, and it's so true. We forget which leads to us being polluted by the world.

So I guess my point in writing this is emphasizing that we are supposed to be doers of the word and that we are to remain steadfast. The gospel is supposed to transform our lives. The power of the Holy Spirit is way stronger than a headache and being a little tired yet we let the latter win. We concede. The Christian walk requires a deliberate lifestyle, and maybe that is why Jesus said the road is narrow. We are so easily distracted from the glory of God. We have to remain steadfast even through things that seem so minute, because the reality is if they are taking away from our relationship with God they are not little things.

Ministry

John 15:16-17

16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ¹⁷These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

Recently this passage has definitely taken on a new meaning to me. I have always wanted to teach, and recently more so teach people about the Bible and how to live like Jesus. Well today I realized I'm doing that in Gainesville. I have a ministry here. It's weird to say that. People come to me asking questions about faith and Jesus and the Bible. They ask me. Weird. A bunch of people I have never really talked to about faith are talking to me about Jesus and it's awesome, but it scares me at the same time.

I know this would not have happened at this time in my life if I wasn't ready, but at times I really don't feel ready or adequate. But God chose me. That's crazy. It's obvious all this stuff that has been happening in my life is due to God and it's awesome. I thank Him and praise Him for it whenever I think about it. But I am still broken. I still and will always have questions. So I guess I'm writing this entry to ask for prayer. I need more of God and less of me.

The first verse that came to mind when I realized this was James 3:1 and my next thought was dang.

James 3:1

¹Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

Which raises a whole a new group of questions. Judged by who with greater strictness? God? People? Both? Anyways it's scary but so exciting at the same time. It's a new thing in my life and I love it and it's definitely all from God. All this made me think of something I read in Rob Bell's book yesterday. " I see communities embracing their brokenness and the brokenness of their leaders, and healing is taking place." I don't really see myself as a leader, but I guess some people think otherwise. And I am thankful for that. But I am still broken. So again I just ask for everyone's prayers. If the Lord is blessing me and thinks I'm ready I must be. Praise the risen Son for he is working here in Gainesville.

I wish this thing could pass from me
But I’m wanting what You want
So bring me high and bring me low
Just hold me in Your love

Charlie Hall

Missions

So lately I've been reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. I'm not really sure how I feel about it. My initial reaction would be to say I don't like it, because it is challenging and it challenges things I believe. But I like a good part of what he says, and it has definitely made me start asking more questions which I think is great. Anyways I really liked his description of missions.

"Missions is less about the transportation of God from one place to another and more about the identification of a God who is already there. It is almost as if being a good missionary means having really good eyesight. Or maybe it means teaching people to use their eyes to see things that have always been there; they just didn't realize it. You see God where others don't. And then you point him out."

God is everywhere and His presence is felt everywhere. This is a theme echoed all throughout the Bible. I'm going to list just a couple of examples, but the Psalms are full of this theme.

Isaiah 6:3

And one called to another and said:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory!"

Genesis 28:16

Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said "Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it."

Romans 1:20

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

God is everywhere. His glory fills the earth. His attributes, power, and divine nature have been made clear to us. All of this reminds of C.S. Lewis' essay Transposition which argues that as Christians we recognize a higher power that cannot be understood by someone who hasn't experienced it. In the same way that if an orchestra piece is transposed to piano and someone who hasn't experienced the orchestral arrangement only hears the piano piece doesn't recognize that it comes from something much bigger and better.

Our job as Christians no matter where we are is to spread the gospel. That is what the Great Commission states. So if that is our job then we should point out the glory of God that is looming before us everywhere. Paul does this in Lystra when he is preaching to the people about the living God that is quite obviously present in their society.

Acts 14:15-17

"Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in the. In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness."

God is big. He is everywhere. He is alive. He provides. He does more than we can imagine...He is God. He even interacts with people that don't believe in Him. We cannot even begin to understand the mystery of God, but as we attempt to we get closer to the truth and even deeper in mystery.

Genesis 1:31

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

1 Timothy 4:4-5

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

Everything God made is good and it points to Him. Let's give glory to God by acknowledging that he is the source of beauty and truth and let's point people towards that.

God is big. I am amazed by the mystery more and more everyday.

Do I Have To Love God?

Matthew 22:34-38

³⁴ But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵ And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.³⁶"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" ³⁷And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸This is the great and first commandment.

Can you be saved and not love God?

This is a question I have been struggling with a lot lately. On theological grounds it was easy for me to disagree. When we receive salvation it should transform our lives.

2 Corinthians 3:18

¹⁸And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Have we seen a transformation in our lives? I think one of the main problems of the Church today is that it's characterized by a lack of true salvation. We go around telling people that they are saved, because they prayed this prayer but they don't change. Does that mean that people are proclaiming Jesus and are far from his heart? The prophecies of the Lord from the Old Testament do not dry up. God said this to Isaiah in Isaiah 29:13 and Jesus later used it to describe the Pharisees in his time. That means that there are people in the Church today who are living far from God, yet they proclaim his name.

I'm writing this blog, because I don't think I was really saved until this past summer when I really took the time to think about what God's love really meant and I accepted it. I remember watching the Just Stop And Think video and my room and being moved to tears by the love God has for me, and it has definitely transformed my life. But I am definitely not perfect. Salvation is a word tossed around so frequently and dealt with so lightly in the Church today it scares me. Do we really take the time to think about what it really means.

1 Samuel 16:7

⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

We see the outside. People can deceive us, but they cannot fool God. God sees the heart. So if we cannot even see the heart is it right for us to go around telling people that they are saved when we have no idea? There are cases where we are pretty sure that this person or that person is saved, but do we have a right to tell them if they are living a dead lifestyle? To me that is false prophecy. It does more harm than good. We need to be honest with ourselves and other people, but at the same remember we do not see the hearts of others.

Reading through 1 Corinthians yesterday I found a verse that gives a concrete answer to the question I posed earlier.

1 Corinthians 16:22

²²If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!

Accursed comes from the Greek word anathema which is a strong word meaning excommunicated, cursed, exiled. The Bible says much clearer than many would like to admit that those who don't love God will not be in Heaven.

I didn't write this note to be criticize, but to warn my brothers and sisters in Christ that there are still Pharisees. Don't be fooled. We need to live a life transformed. We have a new identity. Let's not let God's grace go to vain. Let's show those who have not yet seen or understood God's love what it means, because that junk is contagious.

2 Corinthians 13:5

⁵Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

The good news is Jesus Christ died for our sins and then rose again. It's not too late to live a life

Don't be scared to test yourself. Questions aren't bad. If we aren't asking questions and testing ourselves then it is bad. In Velvet Elvis Rob Bell talks a lot about questions he says "Questions aren't scary. What is scary is when people don't have any."

If we aren't testing ourselves is it because we know where we line up and we are scared to admit it? Be honest with yourself, because the good news is Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead. It's not too late if you fail to the test to come to Christ. We are inadequate and unworthy, but through Christ we have been cleansed, purified, and sanctified. If you don't pass the test watch this video http://www.juststopandthink.com/ I promise you it will change your life. Don't pass it up this is the most important thing in life.

Loving God isn't optional.

Life Is Short

James 4:13-14

¹³Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"— ¹⁴yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Today I read through the second chapter of Crazy Love so I could start preparing the study for next week, and every time I read that chapter it hits me hard. The realization that life is a mist is something we choose to ignore and forget far too frequently. The stories Francis Chan shares and how these people young and old impacted the lives of people around them bring me to tears they are so powerful. Life is short and nothing matters except our King and God.

Colossians 1:16

¹⁶For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

We were created by Him and for Him. Francis Chan uses the analogy of life as a movie, and we aren't the main character. God is. God created the movie and us for Him, but on the average day we live our lives so caught up in ourselves. I really like what Francis Chan said in his video about chapter two. People say that they can't afford to spend the time necessary to focus on God, but in reality we cannot afford not to spend our focused on God. Our lives are about us rejoicing and making much of God, not the other way around. We are not the focus. Chan describes our lives like extras in a movie present for two fifths of a second. And we live our lives like the two fifths of a second makes the entire movie about us and our glory.

1 Corinthians 10:31

³¹So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Philippians 4:4

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.

These aren't just friendly words of advice Paul has given us. They are commands on how to live. To do everything for the glory of God and to always Rejoice in Him. We say God is our salvation, but we rejoice in our own lives and put them first. I can totally feel the vibes of some John Piper Christian Hedonism in this chapter in Crazy Love and he even uses some of Piper's same sentiments in God Is The Gospel. Piper's most famous quote is "God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him." In other words when we are Rejoicing in the Lord and truly acknowledge Him as the main character and all that matters God is glorified in our lives.

Death is something we don't like to think about. It's scary. It hurts. But in Ecclesiastes 7:2 it says "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart." If we really thought about the shortness of our lives and focused on God as the main character every day we would see a radical transformation in ourselves. I know every time I read this chapter I tell myself I won't forget, but I do. We need to live lives not caught up in ourselves and instead Rejoice in the glory of our Lord and Savior.

One of the coolest things about God is that he created us for Him. For a purpose and that purpose is to glorify God to live like Christ discipling people and bringing them to our Lord who is above all. One thing Francis Chan said he prays every day that I really liked was this, "God show me why I exist today."

Genesis 3:19

¹⁹ By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.

God is Awesome

I'm excited, because this is the first time in my blog I get to share with you what God has been doing in my life in Gainesville instead of just talking about stuff. The Kingdom is definitely here and it has been made evident to me in the past two days specifically.

It all started yesterday in my Stress and Anxiety Managements class. We had to make goals, and lately I have been afraid of talking too much about my faith and not acting on it so I had made goals to share my faith. I then proceeded to get out of class an hour early, and I went to the HUB to get some food. While I was walking through the HUB trying to figure out what I wanted to eat I ran into someone I use to hang out with in middle school and a little bit in high school and he asked me to eat lunch with him so I did.

In the beginning all we really talked about was school and how everything was going then we sat down to eat and he was telling me about building a beer pong table which didn't really excite me all that much, so I asked him about his plans after school. He told me he wanted to be a doctor, and then he asked me what I planned on doing. I told him I really have been feeling the calling to be a pastor of some sort after I graduate and eventually start a church plant, and then everything changed. He got really excited and asked me what caused the change in faith, and I explained the transforming power the Gospel has had in my life lately. For the next 45 minutes we talked about faith and he explained to me he knows what is right he just doesn't live that way.

It was awesome and I was completely happy with the talk we had yesterday. It was totally all God's doing it was just too perfect. Then today he texted me while I was in class telling me about a Bible study he was going to right after my class got out and he invited me to come. I couldn't pass that junk up so I went and we were discussing Philippians chapter 3. I was stunned God is definitely alive and working in my life and bringing people to his Kingdom in Gainesville. If you have been keeping up with my blogs or you have talked to me lately you know I have totally been all about studying some Philippians chapter 3 lately. When I spoke with Sam at fusion that was where my message came from. It was so perfect it blew my mind. Praise the Lord for sure. At the study we were able to talk for like 50 minutes about what Paul was saying, and although we were really only able to scratch the surface of it I hope and pray everyone got something out of it.

On top of all that in my life group at GCL we have been talking about discipleship, and the past two days I have really been able to help disciple this lost friend. It's so exciting. This is what Jesus called us to do in the Great Commission, and it so satisfying. Now I just need to have faith in the Lord and begin to disciple someone I don't know at all. Anyways I just wanted to share what God has been doing here in Gainesville and how He is definitely working within me. Praise the Lord for he is alive and working to build a Kingdom here on earth through us.

Identity

Tonight at GCL we are talking about how the Gospel has affected our lives. Last week XP asked me to think of something to share and I was totally down. Afterwards though I had no idea what I was going to say. I feel like there is so much to talk about how the Gospel has affected me recently it's totally awesome Jesus is definitely alive. Finally last night I settled on talking about my new identity in Christ. I think the most powerful experience of my summer was realizing that I was part of God's kingdom and that I had a new identity in him.

Galatians 2:20

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God."

That verse took on a whole meaning to me. It became personal. I can still remember clearly the moment I realized this too. I was sitting in my room crying out to God asking Him why all this crap was happening in my life and I said "Lord I have chosen you why is this happening?" And then it hit me. I have chosen Christ I am part of His kingdom and I have a new identity in Him. "I do not exist only You exist." I cannot describe the comfort and peace that came over me.

Identity is a powerful thing in this world and it's stressed everywhere in our culture, because along with identity comes status. And status can seem very alluring. We are enslaved to our identity of the world and striving after earthly status until we receive salvation through Christ. Paul in Romans talks about in Romans how we are slaves to the flesh and sin, but through Christ we are slaves to obedience and righteousness and above all God. With a new identity in Christ comes a sense that we belong wholly to God and His kingdom and with this comes a new status.

Romans 6:22

"But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life."

Identity and belonging to God leads to eternal life. That's way more powerful than an earthly status. Everything on this earth is fleeting. One day there will not be a University of Florida. There won't be a Gainesville, FL or a Niceville for that matter. One day the United States of America will cease to exit. But God's Kingdom cannot be shaken it endures forever.

Hebrews 12:28-29

"Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."

We have been given the free gift of salvation through Christ and this new identity all because of God's grace. We have done nothing. I'm not worthy anymore than anyone else, but our God is a consuming fire and I have been consumed. I cannot describe the joy I feel that I am dead to this world and the life I live I now live by faith in Jesus. I am part of something eternal. My citizenship is in Heaven. No identity or status on earth can even compare to that kind of eternal identity. This summer when I experienced that I feel like I understood for the first time what my salvation and dying to myself really meant, and for the first time I felt like my salvation was authentic. It was nothing I did on my own it was a free gift from God that was revealed to me through suffering and choosing to attempt to live like Jesus.

Anyways that's how the Gospel has been affecting me lately. It has been a really powerful experience for me to reflect back on what has been transformed in my life as of lately by the Gospel. I strongly encourage you all to talk about it. I would love to hear your story, but you don't have to tell me just talk about the Gospel and your life to someone it's empowering.

Christ's Bride

"I sometimes struggle with how to respond to God's magnitude in a world bent on ignoring or merely tolerating Him."

~Francis Chan

I've been reading through Crazy Love again for a book study I started here in Gainesville and this quote really jumped out at me today. I'm also reading through 1 Corinthians right now and I have been seeing many parallels between the problems within their Church and within the modern American Church: pride, sexual immorality, division, all characterized by an overall lack of identity in Christ. Paul even calls them unrighteous "adikos" in the Greek meaning they look no different than the unbelieving world. The American Church definitely has definitely heard some of those same things. Anyways I didn't write this note to criticize the Church, because I am part of it I just want to draw our attention to it so that we can change it by living lives consumed by the Holy Spirit.

I feel like the world's attitude of merely tolerating God has snuck into the Church. We take ourselves too seriously and we ignore God in the process. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Or do you not know that you body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." We are not our own. That is humbling. I was talking to a friend today about high school relationships and how in highschool our relationships were so serious and so important, and it only took a couple years afterwards to realize that the way we were acting was ridiculous. It was just highschool, but we thought we knew everything and had it all together. Do we want to live our lives taking ourselves so seriously and then get to the end and realize how ridiculous that is? Life isn't like highschool we don't get to laugh and joke about it when it's over. We do not belong to ourselves. I think it's relieving, because there is no way I could save myself.

Not only do we take ourselves too seriously, but the Church is Christ's bride and we are whoring ourselves out to whatever passes by. Manipulating the Bible and making idols out of what God has given us to justify what we want. Despite all of this Christ has set us apart. Despite the corruption at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 12:12 Paul is apologizing for burdening the church and says "The signs of true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works." God is definitely still working in our Church despite our adulterous behavior.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

⁹Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, ¹⁰nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

The unrighteous among us the "adikos" those resembling the unbelievers do not inherit the kingdom of God. But we have been made clean, sanctified, and justified through Christ. God loves us. That is crazy. Just stop and think for a second that the Creator of the universe loves you and made you clean with the blood of his Son. This sort of love deserves a response just as crazy (and that's the premise of Crazy Love.) Let's live for Christ and not continue to merely tolerate God. Let's respond to God's magnitude in love in such a manner that it awakens our Church to truth. We are clean and we belong to God.

"But know this: God will not be tolerated. He instructs us to worship and fear Him."

~Francis Chan

Proverbs 30

"If God has made us in his image, we have returned him the favor."

~Voltaire

Yesterday I was reading Proverbs 30 and I came across two passages that really challenged me. I really believe that they are something the American Church needs to hear, because I feel like growing up in it we have manipulated some of God's words into our own in order to justify our lives. In the words of Francis Chan we have created a "middle-class Jesus." We have created a Jesus that justifies our lives rather than a Jesus that gives us a new life.

Proverbs 30:5-6

⁵ Every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
⁶ Do not add to his words,
lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

Verse 6 really hit me hard when I started thinking about how we have added it God's words. That is being a false prophet. That is creating God in our own image. I don't mean to sound harsh because I struggle with this too since I am part of the church, but this needs to change. "Every word of God proves true," every single one not just the ones we like or the ones that justify our lives. It reminds of me of what Paul criticized the church in Corinth for in 1 Corinthians 4:7 "What do you have that did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?" We take the gifts God has given us to bless others with, and we act is we did everything on our own.

I just watched Sam's video and I loved how he started it I'm going to steal from him and change the first word to fit into the context of what I'm saying. Receive (Take) Bless Break Give. This is how Jesus lived, but many times we stop at the first step. We receive and then we hold on and credit ourselves the accomplishment.

Proverbs 30:7-9

⁷Two things I ask of you;
deny them not to me before I die:
⁸Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
⁹lest I be full and deny you
and say, "Who is the LORD?"
or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God.

I find this passage much more convicting and challenging. Do we pray like that? The only two things he asks for are being neither rich nor poor and for his daily bread and nothing more. That's a life that demands faith. Do our lives demand faith on a daily basis or can we get by not having to trust God for a single thing in one day?

Contentment

Yesterday I went to Rock The Universe to hang out with Billy, Josh, and Sam and it was awesome. I love them, and hanging out with them is always a good time. But whenever they have to leave or I have to leave them it sucks. Today was pretty weird and lame pretty much all day a lot like last Monday when Sam and Perry left. When it came to my quiet time I was rushing through my prayer, because I couldn't stop thinking about home and all the people I miss. It was awful.

So immediately after that I started writing in my journal and I asked myself "Is it wrong that the absence of my friends grieves me?" I don't think that it's wrong to grieve Paul said in Romans that he wished he could be with them and was looking forward to being able to see them, but when this grieving gets in the way of God it is wrong. I know this may sound crazy, but I think that's Biblical. I was reminded of Matthew 10:37 "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." That isn't a popular section of verses in the American Church. I don't like it, but I know it's truth. It's not wrong for me to love my friends and family, but it's wrong for me to love them and focus on them more than God.

Since I was feeling kind of down and I really needed some perspective I decided to watch a video podcast of Francis Chan and I watched one titled "What do you need in order to be happy?" It was exactly what I needed to hear. Francis was preaching on Philippians which is probably my favorite book of the Bible and the topic was contentment. Contentment isn't about location or circumstance. In the beginning of the service they showed a video clip of these missionaries going to Indonesia and the father said "We need to live our lives in a way that demands an explanation." That challenged me. Then hearing about Paul writing this letter to the Philippians in jail that is consumed with joy I realized it was true. Paul's life and contentment deserved an explantion and it was Christ is enough.

One of the main verses of the sermon was Philippians 4:13 a verse we are all familiar with especially being a student at UF. "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." And Francis Chan talked about how this verse has been so misread and misused. Just back up one verse and read it in context, and we all realize the truth of the statement. Philippians 4:12 "I know how to be bought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need." Philippians 4:13 is the Paul's secret to life and it's not just for Paul. It's him stating his moment of clarity that Jesus is enough. I put plenty and abundance in bold, because so many times we think of this verse and Christ when we are in need or hunger, but what about when we have plenty and an abundance? When that happens do we still say above all Christ is enough, or do we hold on to our abundance and plenty above Christ?

I love the hymn Come Thou Fount because it speaks truth. "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love." Despite this God still loves us and wants us to realize he is enough. This is a hard message and something I have struggled with recently. I want to love my friends and family, and I'm supposed to. But I'm not supposed to love them more than God.

When I have an abundance many times I don't think of Christ above all, and that is crazy. Christ is enough. He is our source of contentment.

Remember The Gospel

The Gospel is not just for unbelievers. In fact I feel like the Gospel is much more important to believers. If we lose sight of the Gospel we have lost sight of Jesus. The Gospel is our salvation, and it's stressed all throughout the New Testament to remember our salvation and what Christ's death means for us. The Last Supper is in three of the Gospels for a reason.

Luke 22:19-20

"And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' And likewise the cup after they had eaten saying, 'This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.'"

Jesus told us to remember him and the new covenant, because he knows we need it. We need to be reminded of so many things daily. Why would the Gospel be any different? In Luke 10:17-20 the 72 that Jesus sent out returned after performing miracles and casting out demons in his name, and Jesus' response to their excitement is so simple, and probably anti-climactic to the 72.

¹⁷ The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" ¹⁸And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. ²⁰Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

They returned to Jesus and they were pumped, and so was Jesus. He saw Satan fall like lightning that's crazy. But verse 20 is the meat of this section. Do not rejoice that the demons are subject to you, but rejoice in your salvation. Rejoice and remember the Gospel. In Philippians 4:4 Paul tells us to "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice." How can we rejoice if we have forgotten the Gospel? How can we rejoice if we have forgotten that our names are written in heaven?

I strongly encourage anyone who reads this to go the Scriptures and read Colossians 1:21-23. Paul here summarizes the gospel in just a few verses and tells us not to shift hope from it. Also 1 Peter 1 Peter reminds us of our salvation and our call to be holy. This is something we can never hear too often. I can remember sitting in my room this summer watching Francis Chan's video "Just Stop And Think," and I just started crying when I thought about that God really loves me. It's crazy and that is the Gospel. It's defined by God's love for humanity. Just look at John 3:16.

I would definitely recommend watching the Francis Chan video. I'm going to put a hyperlink at the end of this entry, but I will warn ahead of time that it is like 15 minutes long. It's definitely worth it though. Anyways even if you don't watch remember your salvation, rejoice in it, and remember the Gospel. God loves us and we must love him back with everything that we have to offer.

http://www.crazylovebook.com/ Just Stop And Think is under the video tab.

You Say You Want A Revolution

"Let’s be the revolution
That lives for hold nothing back, nothing back"

~Phil Wickham

I've been listening to this Phil Wickham song all day called After Your Heart, and it really got me thining about what it really means to be part of a revolution. When you hear the word revolution what do you think? The first things that comes to my mind are war and radical. Specifically the American and French Revolution both of which were extremely bloody ordeals, but despite their violence I believe we can learn from them. These revolutionaries were radical and they were passionate. They were all united and devoted for a purpose, a cause of some sorts that they honestly believed would better their lives here on earth. We are called to have the same sort of passion, but in a different sense.

Ephesians 4:1:-7

¹I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ²with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. ⁷But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Like it or not we are called to be united in the Spirit Paul makes that pretty clear to us in Ephesians, and it's something I think we hear pretty often. What I think is missing from this discussion is talk about passion and a revolution. Jesus was a revolutionary. Jesus was a radical. Jesus loved everyone even if they didn't "deserve" it. In today's society that would be called radical. Loving and blessing your enemies is straight up radical to the world, and sadly it's radical for many Christians. This kind of love is necessary, and honsetly just Biblical. When I use the word radical I'm just referring to what the Bible calls us to do. Compared to the world and most Christians it looks radical, but when you get in the scriptures you can't deny what it says.

Luke 6:35 Butlove your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

We are called to be part of this revolution Jesus started. Jesus turned the world upside down with His love, and he literally gave us life through it all. Our passion should be about the greatest commandment Mark 12:30 "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:31 "The second is this 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Man can you imagine a church body passionately pursuing this kind of love. That would be revolutionary. That would change the world. So let's be united by these great commandments.

This revolution isn't about making life better here on earth like so many other revolutions. This is about life and death. This is about Heaven and Hell. This revolution is about love and salvation through Christ. This junk gets me so excited. Call me idealistic if you want, but I truly believe if we held nothing back and joined the revolution of Christ it would change the world. Christ's love rescued us how can we not turn around and share that love? What is holding us back from joining Christ and rescuing people from darkness?

I remember hearing a sermon last year at fall retreat for CRU at UCF and it was titled "Lover's Tell." Just think about how true that is. When you are in love you want to shout it from a mountain top. We tell people we hardly even know, because we are so overcome with emotion. If we are truly in love God why don't we join together in spreading this love no matter what. I really like the chorus of the Phil Wickham song I started this entry with. He says to "live like you see it," and "love like you mean it." Live with confidence in faith in the living Son of God, and love with the heart of Christ. That is such a simple way to put it, and it's exactly what we should do.

Jesus' life is the perfect example of this lifestyle. Jesus was passionate about life and living for the kingdom and he loved everyone no matter their condition. This is powerful stuff. I've been excited all day just thinking about being part of revolution devoted to spreading Christ's love and the eternal. I hope and pray that you all share the same excitement. This is supposed to be a joyous revolution.

Jesus is alive! Let's join the revolution he started. Let's live like we see the kingdom. Let's love like we mean it. Let's be radicals to the world. Let's be joyous and excited to spread the word and love of Christ.

Are We In The Light?

"If we are going to fulfill our ancient commission, we need to get out of the comfortable confines of our Christian ghettos and invade some hellholes with the light and love of Christ."

~Mark Batterson

Surprsingly I don't really have a huge topic to talk about today, but this quote was brought to my attention by Perry and I feel like it's a lot to chew on. Are we spreading the light and love of Christ to the darkness like we are called to do or are we just going to where the light already is? Are we stuck in a rut of comfortable Christianity? All these questions go along with my earlier entries, but they are definitely relevant on a daily basis. Christianity is a daily fight and we must be deliberate and conscious of our actions. We are called to rescue people from the darkness. How can we rescue people like Christ did if we are too busy staying in the light?

Today I finished reading Hebrews and the final chapter speaks of this kind of behavior and calls us to imitate it. Hebrews 13:7 "Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith." We are called to remember those who called us out of the darkness and spread the word of God among us, so we can do the same. Chapter 12 is entitled Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith, and it is the essential that we remember that he is the founder and ultimate leader of our faith. The one whom we should be imitating always. Hebrews 13:8 follows up this commandment to imitate leaders by reminding us that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Reminding us that our true leader the light sent down to us from heaven to bring us forth from darkness is constant. Therefore we are called to be constant in our imitation.

I was talking with Nikki today about what Christians in America should look like. And after reading all this it's quite obvious Christians in America should look the same as Christians everywhere. We should be constant in our imitation of Christ and bringing light and love to the spiritually and physically poor. The coolest thing about being in America is God has blessed our counry with an abundance of resources, but are we personally giving those resources back to God to bless his kingdom?

I've talked about this passage before in some of my earlier suffering entries Hebrews 13:12-16, but is monumental that we grasp this when we think of what living a life that displays the gospel looks like.

¹²So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. ¹³Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. ¹⁴For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. ¹⁵ Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. ¹⁶Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Christ was crucified where they sacrificed animals, and we are called to follow him. To deny this world, because we acknowledge the city that is to come. To endure as Christ did. All these are tasks impossible to us, but made possible by a living God who has a relationship with us and interacts with us. In America I believe this lifestyle that displays the gospel looks like giving up our blessings to bless others. That is offering a sacrifice of praise to God that is sharing what God has given us and that pleases God. Don't we want to please our creator? We have the comfort and security of eternal life with Christ in heaven what else do we need to motivate us to do good and share what God has blessed us with here? If we know what is to come why is there any need or desire to hold on to what we have now, because we know we cannot take it with us.

Mark Batterson in his book shortly after the quote I have listed in the beginning of this entry says, "As we grow, God gives us more difficult things to do." What difficult things are we being asked to do?

"And if I didn't have You as my guide, I'd still wander lost in Sinai

Or down by the tracks watching trains go by

To remind me: there are places that aren't here.

And I had a well but all the water left,

So I'll go ask Your forgiveness with every breath,

And if there was no way into God,

I would never have laid in this grave of a body... so long, dear."

~Aaron Weiss