Author Archives: Brian

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About Brian

The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.

Youth Camp 2012

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My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. 
Psalms 71:15
I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you. 
Psalm 22:22
They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. 
Psalm 145:6
I sit here and am in complete awe at what I saw this week.  Truly, words will not do justice.  I will fail to capture the things I saw this week, but I will do my best.
Youth Camp 2012. Monday-Friday.  On paper and on a calendar, that’s what this week was. At least on my calendar that’s what it read. 
And that was my expectation, that it would be a standard Youth Camp week. I mean of course I knew it would be a good week, but my expectations were not very high. It could be said that I held a small view of God.  I came into the week with a faith that could be described as stagnant in many ways.  And I can sit here and list all sorts of excuses for why that is, but the simple truth is that I have just lacked discipline and faithfulness in the little areas in my walk with Christ.
So I wake up Monday, roll out of bed, eat my breakfast and hop in Asa’s car on our way to the church. As I said, my expectations were for a “good week”.
I was wrong. And I am a fool. 
Looking back on it now, I feel like Job when God speaks to him in Job 38
Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:
 Who is this that obscures my plans
    with words without knowledge?
  Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me. 
Job 38:1-3
You see, I had such a small view of God.  How insane is that? How can you have a small view of the Creator of the Universe?
This week was not just a good week, it was a week that changed lives for eternity.
I saw young men and women building lasting relationships.
I saw young men and women respond to message after message by Dr. Ergun Caner.
I saw young men and women respond in praise and adoration during worship lead by a band that was on fire for Christ.
I saw young men and women stand in obedience to God’s call on their lives.
But most importantly I saw young men and women kneel in brokenness before the Cross and call on Christ to redeem their souls by His blood.
And what a beautiful site it was.
For me personally, this week was also a blessing. I honestly believe I am out of my mini funk that was just a result of a lack of discipline on my part. I have established men to keep me accountable on this because I don’t want to go back to where I was.   
What does this look like on a practical level? Well I am renewing my focus on writing, so expect to see more blogs. I am refocusing my efforts in Bible study so that it is not just a “Check list mentality”.  I am redoubling my efforts in reaching the lost. And finally I am returning to the basics in my walk with Christ. Which for me is marked by simple communication to my Father and Friend. 
 
I am surrounded by truly great men of God.

 Ergun Caner. A great warrior of the Faith but an even better man, husband, and father.
 My boys in room 114. Great guys. 
That is all for now. Glory to God for the things He has done and will continue to do.
– B.

A Time for Everything

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 There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:
   a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot, 
     a time to kill  and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build, 
     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
   a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away, 
     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak, 
     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Today is June 3rd.

For 22 years of my life, June 3rd was just another day.
Now, June 3rd carries the distinction of being the anniversary of my Mother’s passing.
And for the last year, every day has been viewed through the spectrum of her absence. The pain and sadness associated with her absence.

As I reflect on this day a year ago, all I can recall is how it happened so fast.
I woke up, my mom passed away, I went to sleep.
The weeks immediately following her passing were hectic and surreal. Life went on in many ways, but stood still in a sense. I wrestled with the emotions and tried to determine how healing would occur and what that would even look like. Time was an important component, but I knew that wouldn’t be enough. I would need to actively engage the hurt and allow emotions to run their course. I never set a timeframe for when I would be “healed”, I just figured I would know when the healing process had run its course.

Interestingly enough, healing came about through the most painful moments.
The last year was not measured in hours, days, or months. It was measured by first times without mom. It was measured by significant events where her absence was notable. Birthdays, Anniversaries, Graduation, Christmas, New Years, Mother’s Day, etc.
Each one of these events was painful, but therapeutic.

But before I share much more, I have to make an important statement.

This is not about me. I have been so selfish this last year. It is very easy to internalize things and make them about ourselves. Humans are very good at that. I have been very good at that. And for that, I apologize.  

So here I am. A year later. A year older, but decades wiser it seems.
I can honestly say that I am well on my way to being whole again. And that’s not to say that my mom can be replaced, because we all know that she can’t. But it is to say that I am letting go of some of the things that I held onto this year. Some of the sadness and emptiness that I held onto up until this point.

If I could share any bit of wisdom that I have gathered from this experience, it would be that a right view of death profoundly influences life. 

For Christians, death is viewed as a good thing. A great thing in fact. We get to see Jesus Christ and spend eternity in His presence. The impact that this has on life is nothing short of profound. In my case, it has freed me from the sadness associated with my Mom’s absence.

I am comforted by the knowledge that there is a time for everything. Thank you Lord for that.

– B

P.S. Take a listen.. This song captures my perspective perfectly.
Heaven Song by Phil Wickham

Love

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Today is Valentine’s Day.
The day that is supposed to represent love. In many relationships, this day is very special. But I would argue that this is the exception, not the rule. Valentine’s Day, in so many ways, represents cheap love. A love lacking depth. A love lacking commitment. A love lacking substance.
In reality, it represents something that is not truly love.

I mean, think about it- Valentine’s Day is full of roses, chocolate, jewelry, dinner, etc. And that is love? Really?
If someone does all of those things on this one day, then they truly love you?

You’ve got to be kidding me.

And people wonder why their relationships fail over and over again, why divorce rates are so high, why they get hurt so often, etc.
We toss the word Love around like its a toy. When in reality it has tremendous power and meaning.

By this point, you are probably thinking- “Wow, this guy is really critical. If he is so smart, then why doesn’t he offer a definition of Love.”

Well, here you go. This is my working definition of Love-

Love is an act of the will accompanied by emotion that leads to action on behalf of its object.
Credit Voddie Baucham
Take a moment and consider that definition. Do you honestly believe that Valentine’s Day captures the meaning of Love? I dont think so. 
Now, what conclusions can we draw out of this definition? 
Here are a few of mine- 
  1. Love is active
  2. Love is a choice
  3. Love includes emotion, but is not completely emotion
  4. Love is sacrifice
  5. Love has a focal point

As a Christian, I believe that the perfect example of Love is found on the Cross.

Moving forward, I urge you to evaluate your definition of love.

– B

Who Are You Following?

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The wonderful world of Twitter… 

A place where we can follow anyone (if they allow us of course). When I talk to my fellow Twitter users, I am often asked some variation of this question: Who Are You Following?
You see, you can learn a lot about a person by the people/organizations they follow on Twitter. 
I believe the same can be said about life. You can learn a lot about a person by who they follow in life. Who influences them, who leads them, who inspires them etc. 
Before I go any further, I want you to consider this fundamental leadership principle: 
Everyone is leading someone 
And
Everyone is following someone.
Whether you consider yourself a leader or not, the reality is that you are leading someone. Could be many people, could be a younger sibling, could be a friend.. Could be anyone. 
In addition to this, you are following someone. Even the President of the United States has individuals who have shaped his thinking over the years. 
This begs the question- Who Are You Following? 
Paul said it best in his first letter to the Corinthians.
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. 
1 Corinthians 11:1 

As followers of Christ, we must legitimately follow Christ. And as followers of Christ, we must look at the people that we allow to influence us.
With that being said, I encourage you to take a moment and ask yourself- Who Am I Following? 

Reflections on Passion 2012

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Passion 2012 concluded last week. How can 4 days feel like an eternity and a blur at the same time? I don’t know, but somehow Passion did. It all happened so fast, but the days leading up to Passion seem like a distant memory.
Anyway, I now have some time (to attempt) to digest Passion. The lessons I learned, some insight I gained and my perspective moving forward.
My prayer for this blog is that it would:
  • Glorify God 
  • Be rooted in truth
  • Bless those who read it
  • Lead to action
People Matter Most
This is a lesson that I was reminded of while at Passion. It is a lesson that I have learned time and time again, but God seems to remind me of this simple truth on a consistent basis. 
Consider this for a moment- 
·      27 Million slaves worldwide. 
·      Millions (maybe billions) who have never even heard the name of Jesus Christ. 
·      Billions of people who are lost and need Christ.

Look no further than the Cross to see the value that God places on people. Jesus came and died for the whole world. He did not come so we could receive salvation and then keep it locked up until we die.

Wherever we are, whatever we are doing.. This truth remains. People Matter Most.
Emotion Does Not Last
What happens when you toss gas on a flame? 
– It flashes and burns up instantly. 
How long does this flame last?
– Just a moment and then it dies down. 
Well, the same principle holds true for our walk with Christ. We can not base our walk with Christ (flame) on emotion (gas). It simply doesnt last. Often times we go to an event like Passion and reach a spiritual high so to speak. Great worship, great fellowship, great speakers etc. This creates an emotional experience that just can not be sustained. Question- If you base your walk on emotion, what happens when the emotion fades? Or becomes negative? Will you waver then? Will you think God has abandoned you?
I wrote about this very thing last year. (Found here- http://bjamos.blogspot.com/2011/08/coming-down-from-mountain.html) 
Synopsis- Our walk with Christ must be based on commitment. Emotions will come and go, but a commitment of our heart, soul, mind and strength will sustain our walk with Christ.
 Importance of the Word 
                   I know you are thinking, “Duh, this is a no brainer.” And you are right, but do we do it all of the time? Are we in the Word daily? I know that prior to Passion I was in the Word sporadically. The discipline of reading God’s Word is not easy. Thats why its called a discipline. This lesson was perfect for me as I have committed to read the Bible in a year. And that will take discipline, but fortunately I got off to a good start at Passion. 
Size of God 
  1. Wow. Thats all I can say. This point will be short. When Passion began and the giving began, my prediction for the total was $1.8 million. Maximum. Well, God proved how foolish I am. And He showed a glimpse of how large and powerful He is with a total of over $3 Million.  (Which is funny, because I prayed that I would catch a glimpse of His size and power- Mission Accomplished) 
  2. I also reflect on what John Piper (I believe it was him) said about the supremacy of God. And He talked about how our sins and the issues that grip us, pale in comparison to the awesome size and power of God.  I know this and have been experiencing the truth of this in a very real way recently.
Challenge the Comfortable Life 
“As if the goal of life is to be comfortable.” When  Christine Caine said this, it really resonated with me. And it continues to. I sit here, at BOLC for the Army, and I am reminded daily how comfort is not what Christ has called us to. Actually, in my time with the military, this truth has been drilled into my head on a consistent basis.  I heard a saying once a few years ago from my Drill Sergeant that I will never forget- Comfort Kills. In combat, if you are seeking “comfort” you are often times not alert and not in a position to defend yourself. Hence- Death.
In order to legitimately follow Christ, we must challenge the comfortable life. The comfortable house, comfortable social setting, comfortable environment etc. 
Consider what Christ said in Luke 9:23- 
Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Did you catch that? Take up their cross daily… The cross, an implement of torture so terrible they had to create a word to describe the pain one experiences while on it (Excruciating). Passion is just another awesome experience if we do not learn from it. It is nothing more than that if we are disobedient to God’s call on our lives. Moving forward, I encourage you to consider where you are right now… Where God has placed you. And I want you to think this one simple thought- 
“THIS IS MY MISSION FIELD”
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. 
Matthew 28:19-20