Summer Time!

As we are finishing up these finals and getting ready for summer, I have an encouragement for each of you on how to grow in the LORD over the summer! It appears to be easier to grow over the summer, since you'll have so much more time, but in my experience it's actually been more difficult...

Luke 9:57-62
⁵⁷As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

⁵⁸Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

⁵⁹He said to another man, "Follow me."
But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

⁶⁰Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

⁶¹ Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."

⁶²Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

Wow! What a passage... we studied this passage in my IV Small Group, Candirú, last week... some of the thoughts have grown from a commentary at www.jesuswalk.com.

The first man approaches Jesus and says, "I will follow You wherever You go." Sounds legit, right? I mean, this has to be more than most people were saying as their first (recorded) words to Jesus! You would think Jesus' reply would have been to this effect: "great! Another follower! Praise the Father!" But no- Jesus saw this man's heart.

At first glance, Jesus' reply is a little harsh. "Foxes have holes and birds of the air..." He's basically calling this guy out and saying "you can't follow me", as He would later say to the Rich Young Ruler in chapter 18. The Bible doesn't explicitly say this, but from Jesus' answer it appears that this man was quite comfortable as long as he had a place "to lay his head"- the security of knowing that he could retire and rest up if necessary.

In 1 Peter 2:11-12, we are told that we are to live as "aliens and strangers" in this world, living such different ("good") lives that the people around us notice and praise the LORD! What is different about aliens and strangers? They have "no place to lay their head"...

This man's problem was that he was too COMFORTABLE. We, as followers of Jesus Christ, can never get "comfortable" where we are. Let me clarify: it's great to get a routine, especially when it involves getting up early and spending time with the LORD! But it's not great to be so stuck in that routine that you stop listening for the LORD's voice in your life and you become afraid of/against change. We must always be praying "LORD, what is Your will" and pursuing that, regardless of how "comfortable" we've become.

The second man is in a different situation, for Jesus CALLS this man, saying "Follow Me" (His initial command to the twelve). This is probably the phrase that has the most/deepest meaning contained in the shortest amount of words- "Follow Me".

The man's reply reveals a lot: "LORD, first let me go and bury my Father." What is often missed in this passage is that there's a good chance that the father wasn't even dead yet! Thanks to Luke Blackburn, of Candirú, for sharing a sermon he heard that explained the phrase "bury my Father" actually means (in the original language) "collect my inheritance". This man wanted to wait out his father's death so he could collect his money and then follow Jesus. For all we know, he could have wanted to give all of his inheritance to the poor! But this didn't concern Jesus.

When Jesus calls you, you MUST be ready to drop EVERYTHING (that should be dropped- ie, if God calls you to go to another country and you have a family, pray about it and after confirmation take your family with you- don't just drop them :-)). This man's problem was timing (as well as possessions), for when Jesus called him he wanted to wait...

For us, timing can be a big thing in the summer. I heard a few times this semester (and probably said it myself) "I'll begin doing that in the summer", and I can nearly guarantee that I'll hear "I'll start that when I return to a normal routine at school." Just as the man didn't want to follow immediately, so many of us hear the call of Jesus ("Follow Me") and say "Ok LORD! I'll do that... when I get back from vacation." NO! When the LORD calls us, after we've confirmed through prayer and petition that this is His will, we must act IMMEDIATELY. You don't know the "day or the hour" of His return (Matthew 24:42-44)!

Finally- candidate #3. He said "I will follow You, LORD, but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family." What?! A FAMILY man?! How great would this world be if more people were like him in his love for his family? He loved them so much that he wanted to tell them goodbye before embarking on this journey! This is probably the most puzzling, for you might say, "Come on, Jesus- let him go! He'll be back soon! If he loves his family so much, he's bound to love you too!" But this was the problem. His priorities weren't correct.

Matthew 10:37-38 say, ""Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me."

Jesus sees the man and his love for his family, but he also sees that this love for family is in the same stratosphere of his love for Jesus. This is the problem. Just a few chapters later, in 14, Jesus says this: ""If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple." (vs. 26) Are we to hate our family? Of course not! Just by flipping to the rest of the Bible you'll see that this is clearly not what Jesus is saying. He means "in comparison to your love for Me, your love for your family must be like a HATE." The third man's priorities were mixed up. How easy can our priorities get mixed up in the summer- even when something as great as family is the culprit!

When it comes to priorities, I think of it this way: Jesus is the number 1 priority, and number 2 is....... nothing. There should be NOTHING else on your "priorities" list. Jesus needs to be THE priority in our lives. When He becomes the priority, we will see everything around us in light of this and things like family will become more important in our lives. Because Jesus is the number 1 priority, we'll make more time for other relationships (and let the not-so-great ones fall away). We'll make more time for school (and let the wastes of time fade to gray). (Matthew 6:33)

So, in review, remember to never be comfortable where you are to the extent that you stop listening for the voice of the LORD and His will. We should get into a routine of spending time with the LORD daily, and each day we must be praying "LORD, how can I take up my cross for you today?" (Luke 9:23 calls us to do this daily) And when the LORD's voice is heard and confirmed, we must act immediately. The only reason I say "confirmed" is because I know I have been found to think something is from the LORD, but after talking to my Dad and praying about it a little bit I see that there are selfish ambitions under the surface (this can't happen- Philippians 2:3-4). And finally, make sure nothing comes even close to your relationship with Jesus this summer. There are plenty of things that will call upon (and beg of) your time, but don't give this excuse.

Make Jesus the priority in your life, everything else will be seen in light of this beautiful fact and God will be glorified to the maximum amount. Hallelujah!

Joy in the Simple

One of my close friends and I are studying "The Cost of Discipleship" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (I highly recommend it) together in discipleship and we came across this line in Bonhoeffer's memoir:

"Bonhoeffer was as open as any man could be to all the things which make life beautiful... He rejoiced in... the greatest and the simplest things in life."

This struck me- "all the things that make life beautiful", "rejoiced in... the simplest things in life"? Wow! What a phenomenal testimony to the joy of the LORD in His life!

What are the big things in your life right now? Since many of us are quickly approaching Finals Week for our respective University, it's easy to get caught up in the exams and papers that are pressing. The economy and potential job-security issues might be on other peoples' minds, and all of these things can cause stress which can lead to a loss of joy! But when does the Bible say we should be joyful?

1 Thessalonians 5:16- "Be joyful always."
Philippians 4:4- "Rejoice in the LORD always; I will say it again: Rejoice!"
Psalm 118:24- "This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Some common themes running through these verses: ALWAYS. EVERY DAY. How is it possible when all of the responsibilities in life are weighing down upon us? Bonhoeffer had it figured out: by rejoicing in the simple things in life.

Paul learned to be content in every situation (Philippians 4:11-13), and because of this he could do ALL THINGS (ie find joy in every situation) through Christ who strengthened him. It didn't matter if he had little food, or plenty. If he was poor, or had great wealth. He could survive and be joyful in EVERY situation because He relied upon his Heavenly Father for strength.

I am SO blessed because I can always be thankful for a family that loves me- the best 5 immediate family members to ever live. Whenever I'm having a rough time in sports, I can thank the LORD for and find joy in having the privilege of playing organized sports and the ability to move! When I'm frustrated with a friend, I can be thankful for having a friendship in the first place. Friends and family ARE gifts from the LORD! We NEVER have an excuse not to be joyful...

No matter what your circumstances, you are called to be joyful always. Follow Bonhoeffer's lead: rejoice in the simple things of life, the things that make life beautiful.

The Artist's Canvas...

I sincerely apologize for the long delay in between blogs, but I have another one coming soon (Lord willing)! The Lord has still been teaching me great stuff, I just haven't made the time to write a blog... 

Today the Lord blessed me with this analogy:

Life is an artist's canvas. You have the privilege of having a portrait painted of yourself. You're given two options: one, you can paint it yourself (a self-portrait) or two, you can have Leonardo da Vinci (or your favorite portrait painter) paint it. Which would you choose? 

The obvious choice is da Vinci, for you're probably not as great a painter and the artist can see your appearance much better than you can. In the same way, we should let God, the Master painter, paint the portrait of our life. We think we can do such a great job when, in reality, we really can't see the big picture. 

So as you walk life, each day hand the brushes over to the LORD and say "God, You paint my life" and put your full trust in His perfect ability. This way, He gets the glory of the finished product...

Praise Him! 

Worthy You Are Worthy

This past Saturday I was in church (Commonwealth Chapel) and heard the Matt Redman song "Worthy, You Are Worthy" for the first time and really enjoyed it! It truly made me think, though... Yes, Our God is WORTHY and worthy to be praised, but how do we show this to the world?

Jesus said in Matthew 10:37-39: "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

The Psalmist writes (145:3) "Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom." (96:4) "For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods."

In my opinion, when we sing "God You are worthy of praise!" we should really be living it out, as well, so that the world can see (1 Peter 2:11-12)! So how can we show the world that God is worth it? In Matthew 14, Jesus deliberately sends his disciples and a crowd away so that he can pray to His Father. Jesus was showing His disciples that the Father is worth it to Him. Spending time with God is that important. Another great example is a good friend of mine, Kaitlyn Eimer, who is serving the Lord in Ethiopia. Although she spends a good amount of time in Bible Studies and reading spiritual books throughout the day, and although she's in Ethiopia with some free time at nights, she is committed to getting up at 6 am each morning so she can run and have her devotionals. She is proving to the people around her that God is worth it to her. God is worth losing some sleep in the morning so she can start her day off right. No one would know nor would people probably care if she just slept in until breakfast each morning, but she's going out of the norm and glorifying God by following Jesus' example (Mark 1:35). There's also the story of a former JMU IV student who, when JMU Basketball was really good (we're on the uphill climb!), would not go to basketball games because that was his time with Jesus. He loved basketball and already had quiet times in the morning, but he was showing his friends that God is worth it to him- He chooses God over basketball games. So a common element in these stories is sacrifice. Sacrifice of sleep, of exciting basketball games... also, just being joyful in these sacrifices! Jesus LOVED His time alone with God, as I know Kaitlyn does and I'm sure the other student did, as well. When the people around us see that we're sacrificing something not-normal and being JOYFUL through it all, that's when they will truly discover how worth it God is to us.

Hillsong United, in their song "Came to My Rescue", says "In my life, be lifted high; in my world, be lifted high; in my love, be lifted high!" It's a beautiful picture of total surrender: in our day-to-day activities (life), in how we interact with everything that happens around us (world), and in our relationships (love)... Jesus should be #1. So He says in Matthew 10:37-39.

I am seeking to glorify God through getting up early in the morning to pray, as well, though I am FAR from even being just really good at it. There are also other ways to prove it to the people around you that God is worth it! I challenge you to pray and ask God how He would have you impact the world around you (what you can sacrifice?) for His greatest glory by proving to the world that He is worth it in your life.

Ya Regreso! (I return!)

Praise the Lord for His glorious grace in our safe return to the States. What a fantastic week! It is definitely bittersweet coming home- great to be with the family, but my heart is already overseas in many ways...

The most common question asked after a break or a trip is "How was it?", and while there are plenty of good intentions with that question, to ask only that just doesn't cut it in my book. A question needed in addition is "what did you learn/how did God grow you?" during the trip, and the best one: "how did you become more like Christ because of this trip?" So, after a brief summary of the trip, I'll write a response to the week in light of the latter questions.

The DR Trip, "By the Numbers":

1 - Number of passports lost between customs in Miami and Richmond, VA. That would be my passport. Please pray that God's will be done in this situation- that either I'd know to just purchase a new one or someone would be moved to contact me and send me the found passport. May God be glorified!

2 - Number of airport/airplane employees that got a bit mad at me on the flight home.

3 - I had three grabs and/or catches as center-fielder in our baseball game with the Dominican kids. I also dropped one fly ball. It was a blast, though!

4 - The "showers" taken in the river, usually with a dog swimming beside us. We were oh-so-clean and fresh-smelling by the end of the week!

5 - The number of mornings we had eggs and salami for breakfast. Needless to say, we had our fill and were ready for a different morning food by the end of the trip...

6 - We found 6, count 'em: 6, tarantulas on the property of the camp. I only had the privilege of seeing two (and aiding in the death of one) of them, but we found and killed 6 in all.

7 - The days spent in the beautiful country of the Dominican Republic.

8 - The guys who had thrown up by the end of the trip. I had a stomach ache for half a day but, by God's grace, never hurled. We had plenty of other little illnesses, but God was faithful through it all and many were just for 24 hours...

9 - The hours spent (including lunch break) working each day- from 9 am to 6 pm.

10 - The sought-after number that victoriously ended a game of corn-hole (bean bag toss). This was one of the activities we'd indulge in after dinner each night...

...13 - The number of students that used their spring break to serve the Lord through constructing a sports camp for children of all backgrounds in the Dominican Republic. It was a phenomenal privilege to get to know the guys and I'm very thankful for how God allowed us to unify in our purpose and grow in relationship with each other.

We ended up clearing ground and constructing (minus the tarp and sand) a new volleyball court by the end of the week. The other, more prominent, project was continuing to build the dining hall. We mixed mortar and used blocks to build up the pantry and kitchen areas. See the video below for a guided tour of the camp...

What did I learn?
I was wonderfully reminded at how important a small word of encouragement can be. So I haven’t played baseball in a long time- I played t-ball and coach pitch but haven't even played a pick-up game since then (you can count the number of times I've played "catch" on one hand). I was cautious at the start of our game with the kids (because all of them are 100x better than me), but then the first pop-fly (a ball hit probably 50-60 feet in the air) came my way…… and I caught it! Praise the Lord! Wow! It was SUCH a rush! Haha… a very normal play for most baseball players, but for hardly playing at all, this was a fantastic feeling! I’m not seeking to boast in this (except in the Lord- praise Him for this blessing!), but building up the story to the climax: after that catch, one of my new friends from Penn State, JP, said “Great catch, Luke!” This is a guy I came to respect a ton because he worked very hard day-in and day-out and didn’t really join in with the other guys joking. So this is a solid guy, overall, and this small encouragement REALLY blessed me!

I say this because, amongst all of the wonderful moments on the trip, this small word of encouragement sticks out to me more than most (if not all) of my memories! So a word of encouragement can have a HUGE impact on someone’s day, week, trip, or even life! 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Ephesians 4:29.

How did I grow to become more like Christ?
The first few days of the trip, due to a phone without a charger and no alarm clock, I was not waking up early and because of always being around people (a semi-lame excuse), I didn't spend a lot of time with the Lord. This manifested itself in my going along with the "borderline" conversation and joking (the very thing I'm trying to avoid) and also just not being as encouraging as usual. I grew very sick and tired of this by the third day and discovered that some of the guys (Kent and Dan) were waking up early in the morning. Kent began waking me up before the sun came out and it was a night and day difference (literally) from how my other days were going (mindset-wise as well as verbally). I was reminded and encouraged that the time with the Lord in the morning (for me) is not just important, but necessary. Jesus set the example and we need to realize that His time with the Lord is what allowed Him to keep persevering day in and day out! I rediscovered my dependence upon the Lord- a true answer to prayer! Mark 1:35

I am forever grateful for your prayer and financial support on this trip. The last day we were able to play with the kids and to see the fruit of our labor really put into action. Many of the guys said "it really tied the week together" in the best way possible. Thank you all so very much.

I encourage you all to do your best to encourage all around you! You have no idea how much a small word can impact a person. Also- never forget that the time you spend with Jesus, whatever time of day it happens, is vital to your walk. We can never live this life the way we're called to on our own.

Please continue to keep the camp, school and kids in your prayers, as well as Jon and Alison Mittelman, the missionary couple that is serving at the camp. Enjoy the pictures and video!

In His strength alone...

Luke

PS The church service previously mentioned consisted of a baby dedication, 13 baptisms, a wedding reenactment (that included wedding cake), a time of worship, a sermon, and an intermission. All in all, a 3 1/2 hour church service! T'was a wonderful experience... worshiping the Lord with the Domincans. I can't WAIT for Heaven!

Our work in progress- the new dining hall.

Andrew Elgert, Evan Balaber, Will McAuliffe- JMU Dukes on a mission.

The basketball court and present-dining area.

The Uruk-Hai of the DR: Me, Joe, Dan, and Jeremy.

(Video Coming Soon, Lord Willing)

Guided Tour of the SB2W Dominican Republic Sports Camp!

Safe!

Many thanks to everyone who has been in prayer... please continue!

We have arrived safely and on time, by the glorious grace of God, and have already put in a solid day's work and had the church experience of a lifetime! I'll be sure to post more about it later...

Please continue to pray that God is glorified through us... things have gone VERY well so far. All glory be to God!

Abounding love in Christ (Philippians 1:7-9)...

Luke

¡Oración! (Prayer!)

Dear family and friends, brothers and sisters in Christ...

We are leaving in around 13 hours to fly to the Dominican Republic! We are all SO excited at the opportunity the Lord has provided us to serve the orphan children of the DR as we continue to construct a Sports Camp for the kids to enjoy themselves in their difficult lives. At this camp, which is modeled after Summer's Best Two Weeks in Pennsylvania (www.sb2w.org), the kids will be able to try out just about every kind of sport while hearing the Gospel! It's a fantastic ministry and it's been a privilege for me to be involved the last few Spring Breaks. We're still trying to raise money for construction costs (around $300), so if you feel led, please send a check made out to Summer's Best Two Weeks and put DR Trip in the subject line. You can send it to my school address:

Luke Sjogren
805 S High Street
Harrisonburg, VA 22801

Thanks for everyone who has already supported this trip! We're also going to need a great amount of prayer. Here are some prayer requests for the trip (in no particular order):

Team Unity- 6 of us from JMU are meeting 7 other college students from around the East Coast (including 4 from Penn State) and then Kent Biery, the SB2W representative (and a good friend of mine) and Ryan Koptish, a JMU Alum. So it's quite a mixture of guys, but we all have the same heart (passionate after Jesus Christ) and purpose (glorifying Him in all of our thoughts, words, and actions wherever we are- for the next week, in the DR!). I'm looking forward to building relationships with these new guys! Please pray that Jesus is at the center of everything we think, say, and do...

Health- I'm still suffering from *possible* bronchitis (suffering is a loose term- more coughing a bunch but feeling pretty well overall) and Evan B has a healing wrist (he broke it three weeks ago), so please pray that God's will be done with our health as we travel and while we're down there. May His will be done!

Encouragement- reflecting Christ is something I'd love to see happen not only from us to the natives, but from us to each other. I'm looking forward to seeing how Jesus grows us all closer to Him! Please pray for joyful hearts and for the inspiration to encourage each other! Hebrews 10:24- "and let us spur one another on towards love and good deeds"! Amen!

Dependence upon the Lord- I have a bad tendency of trying to do things on my own, especially when I *think* I can do it easily (why would God bother with something so small as this?). But that's not good- please pray that I'm fully dependent on the Lord for strength, joy, love and everything else.

Rest- physically, we'll be working in the sun (yes!) and getting a good amount of exercise, but more mentally and spiritually. At school, it's easy to get so caught up in all of the responsibilities of classes and ministry, so I, personally, am looking forward to resting in my Savior. Please pray that my soul will truly rest in Jesus this week and I'll be refreshed and ready to go at all the wonderful opportunities I have to serve here at JMU when I return! Praise Him!

And finally- just God's will to be done so that He is glorified to the max in everything. The last two years we've had problems with planes, but I'm confident that even if it happens again, it's all a part of God's perfect, timely plan. So pray for patience as we rest in Him!

Thanks for each and every one of your prayers... I can't WAIT to see and share with you all of the Amazing things God is going to do on this trip!

In His strength alone... by His grace... and for His greatest glory...

Luke

PS Names of the guys:

Luke Sjogren (that's me!)
Evan Balaber
Ben Blackmer
Andrew Elgert
Will McAuliffe
Luke Blackburn

PSU
Dan Saxton
JP Peno
Jeremy Buyer
Joe Buyer

Other schools
Ben McGeever
Jon Sabol
David St. Cyr

Kent Biery
Ryan Koptish

For the glory of God alone...

Joy in the Clean

I was cleaning my bathroom today for the first time in a long time (and by long, I mean too long. WAY too long), and the Lord blessed me with two thoughts. I share:

1) When King David says in Psalm 51: "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me", he is asking quite a big thing! Many times we look at this Psalm as simply a "confessional" Psalm, one that we should pray when we have sinned. While that is true, this captures the essence of the word "repentance", which means to not just confess, but to turn from your ways! To do a complete 180 from the direction you were headed (in your sin) and turn towards the Lord, walking the straight and narrow! Wow!

When David asks the Lord to create in him a pure heart, he's asking the Lord to take away ANYTHING that would not be pure in his heart. Still not grasping it? Check it out: think of all the "fun" things in life that are kinda borderline worshiping the Lord/not worshiping the Lord. David is asking them to be taken away. David wants to live an active pure life, not just passively trying to avoid dirtying his heart. What a request. A good friend of mine recently said, in response to a Jonathon Edwards quote: "Resolved, never to do anything which I would be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.", that a part of her doesn't want to get to the point Edwards did because of the selfish nature vying for ownership in her life. I completely concur when looking at David's request to the Lord, for in asking this I'll be asking Him to remove all impurity in my life, and that would involve things that I find "borderline", for God's not at all about the borderline. No, He spits out "lukewarm" water (Revelations 3:16). This is where we have to take that leap of faith and say "God, I am COMPLETELY Yours. Create in me a pure heart and renew a spirit that is steadfast for living a pure life..." There are no eternal downsides to taking this step. Let's do it.

2) When I first looked at my bathroom and saw the gross dirt and grime everywhere, I was not looking forward to the job.

To be perfectly honest, the previous occupant had clogged the toilet, unbeknownst to me, so when I flushed the toilet a tidal wave of disgusting water invaded our already terrifyingly repulsive bathroom floor. As I rushed around, grabbing what I could (while preserving the "purity" of my bathroom towels) to stop the onslaught of horrifying wave, I came to the realization that I would have to clean the floor finally.

I began the task with a heavy spirit, for I was about to leave to work on a project and wasn't planning on using my time in this way. But as the task was being completed, I had a growing excitement at the beauty of the (significantly more) clean bathroom. What a difference a half-hour of time can make in a bathroom's cleanliness!

All of this I'm paralleling to our lives and the way Jesus cleans us "whiter than snow" (Psalm 51). What a joy I found the clean bathroom to be! I believe that Jesus has the same joy whenever we repent of our sin and He cleanses us "whiter than snow". Sure, the task looks tough in the beginning and we may not particularly want to (His prayer before His arrest: Luke 22:42), also, we see that the bathroom will get dirty again, probably very soon (we sin even after we're cleaned). But when Jesus cleans us of the "dirt" and "grime" in our hearts, what joy He must have knowing that we are now ready to serve Him in purity and holiness, with a clean heart.

Be encouraged! And pass it on.

Mindgames

I've been dealing with thoughts that are clearly not of the Lord lately (well, lately being the last decade or so), and I've come to the point where I've had enough. For real.

The Bible says we are "set free from sin", yet I accepted that my thought-life is just something that happens. Certainly, because as Jesus was tempted yet never sinned (Hebrews 4:15) I have found comfort in the fact that although the temptation to lust, covet, etc. may come, I am able to call upon Jesus to help me in my temptation (Hebrews 2:18). But I have had these tempting thoughts and never given a second thought as to why they may be entering my thought life. Yes, I do have the human flesh that will tempt me in many ways, but why does my mind still drift to these things that are not at all of the Lord?

One of the things that has impacted me most in my strive for holiness in the last year came via my boy Heiden Ratner of the JMU Men's Basketball team. He and I are both on FCA Leadership here at James Madison and one night before FCA we were talking about something and when I said "yeah, I'm gonna try to do better in the future" he challenged me by saying (paraphrased) "why not now? When you learn that you're doing something wrong, don't wait in changing, start changing now!" The way I have been impacted is that when the Holy Spirit convicts me of something wrong in my life, instead of waiting around to see how bad it really is or how much in my life I need to change, I now just start changing.

Clarification: of course I'm not perfect in this by any means- whatever good I am doing is Jesus Christ in me. But it's a whole different mindset from how I had been thinking previously. Don't just talk about changing- do it. Back to the thought-life...

In my pure disgust of how my mind has been filled "lately", I began to think of why it has become this way. Yes, the fall of Adam and Eve had something to do with it, but on a more present-day, practical level, why am I thinking the way I am? Does it have anything to do with what I put into my mind?

Luke 11 talks about the eye being the "lamp of the body", and if your eyes are good your body will be good. But if your eyes are bad, your body will be bad, as well. So question #1 I asked myself: how beneficial are those "funny" videos I find on the internet? And the movies and TV shows I watch (in the little bit of free time I have)? How do they affect my thought life?

Question #2: yeah, it's a "grand" time when all my friends and I are making those jokes that I KNOW don't fall in line with Ephesians 5:3-4 (no sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking), but how are they affecting my thought life?

Have you ever stepped back and thought to yourself "why are the top rated comedies these days filled with obscenities, sexual immorality, and coarse (dirty) joking?" Well I have. We've been on a downward slope especially over the last few centuries and will just continue to go in that direction unless WE, the body of Christ, dig in our heels and cry out "I choose eternal life over temporary enjoyment", for Ephesians 5:5 says "No immoral, impure, or greedy person- such a man is an idolator- has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God".

So enough is enough. I'm through with these crude, immature, immoral thoughts and, in the Lord's strength, am seeking to cut them out. Would Jesus enjoy those top rated movies or "funny" videos on youtube? As the Psalmist said:

"Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?

I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:21-24)

The Lord has seen the offensive way in me, and now I'm learning the way everlasting. It's a narrow gate, but a glorious one, for sure. So this, friends and family, is an encouragement to check your own thought life and, if you find "any offensive way", to repent without delay and "learn to do right". But even moreso, it's a call to hold me accountable- if you hear "unwholesome talk" (Eph 4:29) come out of my mouth, you'll know I haven't been thinking about "whatever is true... noble... right... pure... lovely... admirable... excellent... praiseworthy" (Philippians 4:8). Please immediately pull me aside and call me out. I desire to hate what Jesus hates, but I cannot fight this battle alone. With the body of Christ at my side and Jesus Christ as my Lord, I know "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers... Amen." (Galatians 6:18)

Do Work (Construction)

1 Corinthians 3:10-23 speaks of "foundations" and how to build on them. I did a biblegateway.com search for the word "foundations" and these are some interesting different types of foundations I discovered:

"Costly foundations": Joshua cursed the land Jericho was built on, saying that anyone to rebuild its 'foundations' would lose his firstborn. And it came to pass- 1 Kings 16:34.

"Earth's foundations": they are the Lord's: 1 Samuel 2:8.

"Weak Foundations": they are easily destroyed: Job 4:19, 22:16.

The more important ones, though, were very revealing:

The wise builder builds his foundation on rock- Luke 6:46-49.

The foundation of God's throne is "righteousness and justice"- Psalm 89:14, 97:2.

The way to lay a "firm foundation" is "to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share." Living like this will allow you to "take hold of the life that is truly life." 1 Timothy 6:18-19.

So what is there to learn from all of this? Paul was writing to the people of Corinth and challenging them on what they were building their foundations. He first of all clarifies "no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." (3:11) He then goes on to talk about those that use "wood, hay, and straw" on top of their foundations, much like the foolish builder Jesus mentioned. Whatever we build on top of the foundation of Jesus Christ will go through a "trial by fire" on the Day. "...the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work." (13b)

Paul goes on to talk about how we are "God's temples" and if we destroy our temple, God will destroy us. Also, the wisdom "by the standards of this age" is mentioned in the later verses. How many people today try to become so street and/or book smart and consider this to be a 'firm foundation'? Too many.

The good news, though, is that there will be things that survive the fire test! "If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward." (14) So it's not all bad... there are good things we can build on top of Jesus Christ! What are those good things? According to the Bible: "righteousness", "justice", and being "generous and willing to share". These are things that will survive the trial by fire, because they are what Jesus did on earth.

Just reading this passage caused me to ask myself: what am I building on top of the firm foundation of Jesus Christ? While I seek to live righteously and do justice as the Lord commands and while I seek to be generous with the what the Lord provides, I think the things that will stand the test of fire in my life most are the people I'm discipling. In discipling these young men, I'm making an investment in their lives that will go beyond just my time with them. All the glory be to God! To have the privilege of living out Jesus' command "go and make disciples" (Matthew 28:19) is phenomenal- it is SUCH a blessing! I am not only aiding (in the Lord's strength) in the development of brothers in Christ but also developing myself, for there are few things more challenging than discipleship. When Jesus ascended into heaven, what remained? His disciples. Through the people He invested in, His words, teachings, and principles remained.

So the question of this blog is: what are you building on top of the foundation of Jesus? Will it burn, or remain?

Valentine's Day Massacre?!

Interesting title for a post, I know... but please just hear me out.

This past Valentine's Day, I recognized many of my friends "celebrating" it in a variety of ways, from cursing the holiday, to complaining about it's commercial nature, to just saying "I hate Valentine's Day" and, my favorite, to calling it "Single's Awareness Day". The reason I have titled this post in such a way is because the true meaning of Valentine's Day has been lost. Destroyed. Massacred.

Why curse the holiday? And why hate it? It's all about love! Who could hate that? Oh yes... I'm sorry. I go to a school where the ratio for girls to guys is 60/40 and so all of the single women are complaining about the lack of guys at school and the single guys are complaining because there are so many girls and they can't seem to find the one for them! Hmmm... so you're single, right? Me too! I consider it the greatest privilege in the world, for there is SO MUCH to be done in this time until (Lord willing) I find God's best for me. Where does cursing the holiday get you except a bad attitude? Do you really want to celebrate such a wonderful holiday with a terrible attitude?

To you who complain about it's "commercial nature", look around you. What HASN'T been tainted by this problem? To complain about Valentine's Day and all the businesses that want to sell stuff is less convincing than the argument for Christmas. But oh wait- all Christmas season all I hear is "remember the REAL meaning of Christmas!" What happened to this saying being repeated on Valentine's Day? And Easter, for that matter? We need to remember that we celebrate this day in part due to one of the early martyrs: Saint Valentine, who was killed because he refused to stop marrying Christian couples when the government forbid it. Saint Valentine sought to glorify and honor the Lord through promoting love, and he was loving both God and the couples he married throughout this process! So HE understood the true meaning of this holiday...

And finally- why call it "Single's Awareness Day". I can see how this would make all of you bachelors and bachelorettes feel better about yourselves, but just like calling Christmas "Xmas", it takes away the true meaning of the day!

Valentine's Day is NOT about seeking love from others, but sharing the love of Christ with those around you. It doesn't matter if you're single, dating, married, whatever! Does the Bible say the First Great commandment is to "be loved by the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength"? And the second- "be loved by your neighbor as you love yourself"? Absolutely Not! We are called to LOVE the Lord and to LOVE our neighbors... where did this get lost?

To clarify: the only reason we are able to love at all is because "God is love" (1 John 4:8) and because He "first loved us" (v. 19). If we try to do it on our own, we'll probably disappoint not only ourselves but also the person we're trying to love. You who go about doing things without the love of God are like "resounding gongs" and "clanging cymbals", and after reading what you all had to say on facebook and other ways, this verse came alive to me! Each day we can rejoice in the love our Father has lavished upon us so that we can spread it to those He has placed around us.

Finally: Galatians 5:14- "The entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbor as yourself." 1 John 4:21- "And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." So by looking at Valentine's Day as a way to receive love from the people around you, you are not wholly following God's command. You are called to "love your neighbor as yourself", regardless of how you're treated.

So while this holiday has just passed, I pray that these words will be stored in your heart for not only next February 14, but for every day that we are privileged to live and breathe on God's earth. If it's a command for every day, then why is Valentine's Day any different? Because we get to CELEBRATE being loved by an Amazing Father and loving those around us for His greatest glory :-). I'm excited! Are you?

Sensitivity (or lack thereof)

My heart is right,
as the Lord is my witness,
But my methods fall short
of my intended purpose.
I see a need,
my desire is to fix it,
But why haven't I asked
if my help is requested?
I am thankful to the Lord
for His work in mi vida (my life),
That He has grown me,
made me who I am hoy día (today).
Yet this portrait is far,
far from being complete,
And the Great Transformer
is far from finishing this feat.
As I run this race
shedding all that hinders me,
Light my path, O Lord,
and open my eyes to see.
Forgive me for the times
neglect has led the way
And ignorance reigns supreme,
y todavía yo no sé (and I still don't know).
Lord when the time comes...
well... it happens every day,
As I strive to bless,
to You these words I pray:
Reveal to me your methods,
Your wisdom, I want it all,
And at the heart of my heart,
may Your love rule sin igual (without equal).

7.2.09- inspired by God.

The Lord revealed to me this past weekend during a small group meeting at the IV Winter Conference that I am not a very sensitive person. No- I'm not referring to the "talk about my feelings" sensitivity or anything like that, but more the Ephesians 4:29 and Philippians 2:3-4 type.

In Ephesians 4:29, it says "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." And finally, Philippians 2:3-4: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each one should look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."

The Lord has blessed me with a great desire to bless and encourage everyone I meet, but I have been doing this on my own terms and in my own way. What God desires out of me (and everyone) is that we are sensitive to what the people around us need- be it encouragement, help, etc. I may want to give them a gift, but they, in fact, would much rather have a hug or a word of encouragement. And most importantly, sometimes someone may not even want a word of encouragement or blessing from you! This was, to be quite honest, a very helpful but tough-to-swallow truth I learned- that sometimes people might not want that from me! "Love your neighbor as yourself"- the second greatest commandment, according to Jesus (Matt 22:39). There are definitely times when I just need to be alone or would rather someone just listen to me rather than offer a word of encouragement...

So I will seek to reflect Jesus to the people around me by being more sensitive. He was always sensitive to what the people needed, whether it was calling out a woman at the well (John 4) or feeding the multitudes (Luke 9) or some other way. Dear Jesus, may You lead and guide my sensitivity... that I may reflect You to the world and glorify You in every area of my life... Amen.

Change of Thought

How many of you are in accountability and/or discipleship relationships? And in those relationships, how often do you seek to honor the Lord through holding each other accountable in an area such as purity?

In my personal experience, a common question I ask in these relationships is "How are you doing purity-wise?" I'm beginning to discover, though, that that's missing a huge aspect of how we should be encouraging each other...

While purity and living righteously are both very important, I have been thinking about these topics in the wrong way. By asking "how is your purity?" or "have you been struggling lately?", I'm encouraging my friends to abstain from sin. This is not bad by any means, but it misses the part about living a holy life to please God!

My Dad speaks about two different ways of getting to heaven: 1) walking away from hell (in the direction of heaven) and 2) walking towards heaven. Two blogs ago I wrote about "fixing your eyes on Jesus", and this is obviously the second way to get to heaven. When someone is walking away from hell, they are saying to themselves "Hell is a terrible place, I don't want to go there. Oh man- I better not sin! Sinning is bad, so as long as I don't sin, I can get to heaven." Whereas walking towards heaven sounds like this: "Jesus, how wonderful and Awesome you are! I want to glorify You in every possible way here on this earth so that Your name and fame will be spread throughout the nations!" They both seek to avoid sinning, but with two different mindsets.

I may be the only person that asks that question in accountability relationships, and now I propose a different question be asked: "How are you reflecting Christ in your life?" (be it in your bf/gf relationship or just regular friendships, etc) In asking this, you are encouraging your friend to think and worry less about not-sinning and more about what you can do for God's kingdom on this earth. We will also approach relationships with a totally different mindset! Instead of doing our best to not mess-up, we will be doing our best to shine Jesus.

How can we shine Jesus? Through serving each other as Jesus served everyone around Him (John 13). Through forgiving and loving each other. Through blessing each other.

Remember- in Galatians 5, Paul didn't just say "the acts of the sinful nature are obvious" and list them out. He also added "but the fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control..." We are not called to just abstain from sin, but also to live holy and God-honoring lives. Think of what this change of mindset can do for the body of Christ world-wide!

How are you reflecting Christ to those around you?

Oh Lord, be honored through our lives, not just in abstaining from sin, but also in living to please You. Amen.

Obedience...

In my quiet time I was blessed with the words of God through Isaiah the prophet...

Isaiah 1:10-20
Hear the word of the LORD,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the law of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!

11 "The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?" says the LORD.
"I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?

13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your evil assemblies.

14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.

15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;

16 wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,

17 learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed. ^[a]
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.

18 "Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land;

20 but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword."
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

The running theme here, in my eyes, was that the burnt offerings and sacrifices just weren't cutting it for God at that time. Although Sodom and Gomorrah had already passed, Isaiah had just referred to the rulers of Israel as a few "survivors" away from being like Sodom and Gomorrah (verse 9). So now he rebukes the Israelites as these people...

The Israelites, upon hearing what Isaiah had to say, were probably wondering "what's the problem with our offerings and sacrifices? They have worked before!" But God goes so far to say "The multitude of yoru sacrifices- what are they to me? ... I have no pleasure [in them]... Stop bringing meaningless offerings!" God rebukes their sacrifices but more importantly rebukes their "New Moon festivals and... appointed feasts". He says "my soul hates" them!

So the actions that the Israelites were doing were meaningless to the Lord because they weren't backing them up with giving the Lord 100% of their lives. This truth was also revealed through Samuel to King Saul when he said "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22) King Saul was about to offer a sacrifice of the best of a conquered town's animals, but only after the Lord had specifically commanded him to "totally destroy everything that belongs (to the Amalekites)". Just as Saul had only displayed partial-obedience to the Lord and was then trying to sacrifice, so the Israelites were only partially obeying God by making sacrifices while also having "New Moon festivals" and other unGodly events. They weren't living for God 120% and were blatantly breaking God's commandments given through Moses.

God continues and goes so far to say "When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen." (v. 15) This is awful! I would hate to hear that God doesn't listen to my prayers at all! So how can they rectify the situation?

"Stop doing wrong, learn to do right." I believe this to be something we all need to hear, especially in the darkest parts of our sinful lives. God doesn't just say "stop doing wrong" and therefore define a Godly life by "not sinning" (walking away from hell, as my Dad would say), but also "learn to do right." It's so comforting, too, to know that God knows doing right to be a "learning" process. He could have said "Stop doing wrong, do right." That would leave no room for error and we would always fail. But because He says "learn to do right", He is telling us to be "willing and obedient" (v. 19). Whenever you learn to do something, be it a sport, and instrument, a skill, you will always stumble at certain points. God understands this and so commands us to "learn to do right."

So how can we apply all of this to our lives? If someone were to betray you, speak very poorly of you behind your back, and seemingly do everything he could to ruin your life, and then sent a birthday gift to you with a nice note, how would you react? Would you accept it without thinking twice or about his motives? In the same way, why should God hear our prayers or accept our worship offering when we don't do anything else to glorify Him in other areas of life!? Jesus commanded us to "reconcile" with our brother before offering a gift at the altar (Matthew 5:23-24), for why should the Lord accept a gift from dirty hands?

We will never be perfect, but as long as we show God that we are "willing" to "learn to do right" and strive for "obedience" on top of with the offerings we seek to give (be it playing in a worship band, leading a Bible Study, or going on missions trips), He will be pleased and glorified through our offering.

Fixing my gaze straight ahead...

Hebrews 12:1-2a
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus… who for the joy set before Him endured the cross…”

A father and his young son were both in awe of the beauty of the snow that had recently fallen in their yard. The father offered a friendly challenge to his son, asking him to make a straight line through the snow to the nearest tree. The father and son started towards the tree, with the young boy staring down at his feet, making sure to put one foot directly in front of the other. Every few steps he would look up and see that he was going in the wrong direction, and once he righted his wrong step, he would just begin going in another wrong direction. When he finally reached the tree, he looked at his line and saw how absolutely crooked his was. His father, standing beside him at the tree, had made a near perfect straight line to the tree. When he asked his father how his line was so straight, the father replied “I fixed my gaze on the tree and walked straight towards it, with out looking up, down, left or right.”

This story is a perfect example of what the first three verses of Hebrews 12 are encouraging us believers to do. We each have a race “marked out for us” by our Heavenly Father and we’re called to run it with perseverance! If this race (life) were a cross-country race, would we want to put obstacles that don’t need to be there in our way? Absolutely not! We would want our path, although it is destined to have some obstacles in the way, to be clear of any controllable obstructions in our path.

So it is in our faith! It is easy to fall into sin, and the “race” is so long! The author is encouraging us to “throw off everything that hinders” us… if you have some sort of addiction to the internet, install blockers or just stay away from the internet! If you have a problem with something food/drink related, don’t even go near that section in the grocery store! These are the hindrances that lead to us falling way behind in the race…

Just as the son couldn’t walk in a straight line by staring at his feet, so we can’t walk the “straight and narrow” by constantly checking our own walk, being so concerned about stopping a certain sin in our life that we soon discover another sin. The Bible calls us to “fix our eyes on Jesus”! The father walked in a straight line by staring straight at the destination. Living as Christ did is our goal (1 John 2:6), so how else can we walk the straight and narrow? Stare at the destination! Also, Jesus endured the cross and all the trials of this life because of the “joy set before Him.” If you are having trouble trudging through this life, be encouraged! We have a hope and joy set before US- eternal life with the greatest thing to ever be in this earth: Jesus Christ.

I encourage you all to ask God in His mercy and grace to reveal in your life any controllable hindrances that you need to “throw off” so you can run this race in a straight line with perseverance! Also, don’t worry so much about walking a perfectly straight line; focus on Jesus and the “joy set before” us and you will walk as straight as you possibly can. To God be all glory, honor, power, and praise… forever and ever… Amen!