Category Archives: God

My Word for 2017

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“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

2 Chronicles 16:9

For the past few years I have adopted the practice of selecting a word for the year. Last year it was new, the year before that it was steadfast, and the year prior to that it was sacrifice.

This year, the word I have selected is fully. My purpose in selecting this word was very simple: I want to be a fully committed follower of Jesus. The question I have asked myself is “What does it mean to be fully committed in —insert aspect of my life—?”

In other translations of the verse above, the word fully is written as perfect and can be defined as whole.

We can all relate to this image. Imagine if our level of commitment to the Lord was represented by this battery icon, what would yours look like?

In your relationships? In your finances? With your time? What does fully committed look like to you?

The Bible has a lot to say about the devotion of our hearts. Consider this sobering excerpt about the wisest man ever –

“As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.”

What did Solomon do as a result of this?

“He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.”

There are always consequences to our actions. What were the consequences in the case of Solomon?

“The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.”

So the LORD said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.

Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son.”

1 Kings 11:4-6, 9, 11-12

Consider the greatness of Solomon. Consider the wisdom of Solomon. Even he suffered the consequences of a divided heart. How is this possible?

Consider the consequences for King Asa in 2 Chronicles 16:9. His foolish actions as a result of partial devotion to the Lord resulted in serious negative consequences.

Consider the image below. A compass. When using a compass it is critical that you are pointing in the right direction. It becomes even more critical the farther you travel in the direction you choose. A minor mistake at the outset can lead you astray by a huge margin as you travel great distances.

Our lives are like that too. I think this is why the Lord is looking for fully devoted followers, because partial devotion still leads us astray as we travel great distances in our lives. It seems that partial devotion is really no devotion at all because you end up missing the mark anyway.

Imagine the story of Solomon as if your name replaced his. Imagine the idols Solomon fell prey to reflected more contemporary idols. For me it would read something like this:

“As Brian grew old, his earthly desires turned his heart towards money, status, selfishness and comfort. His heart was less and less devoted to the Lord and he missed out on all God had for him. He hoarded his money and spent it on selfish pursuits leaving his family wanting for his attention. His children suffered as their father neglected them, and his marriage was never what it could have been. He missed countless opportunities to have an eternal impact. At the end of his life, the Lord showed him how he had missed the mark and Brian died knowing that he could have lived so much better.”

Wow. Even writing that breaks my heart. I do not want that to be my story. Nobody does.

The good news is, there is hope.

Remember

“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him”

The Lord is looking throughout the ENTIRE earth to STRENGTHEN those whose hearts are FULLY His.

This year, and beyond, He is going to find me.

Journal Entry: October 9th 2016

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October 9th, 2016

In some ways, I have allowed politics to become an idol. Maybe THE idol in my life right now. I follow it incessantly, yet hardly pray for my country, or open my Bible. I KNOW the truth, and the truth is that my country is not what I want it to be. Our values are not what I want them to be.

But doesn’t that miss the point? Is God not sovereign?
The answer of course is yes, but my idolatry and obsession over this election means that I am living more like it is a “no”.
Humbling indeed.

Both of our primary candidates are so deeply and fundamentally flawed. I recognize we are all deeply and fundamentally flawed, but can you recall a time where both candidates are such a far cry from anything resembling submission to the authority of God? This troubles me, but probably not for the right reasons as I think about it.

It troubles me because it means that the America that I have in my mind, that I believed would be present in my future, is fading rapidly. This America had strong Judeo-Christian values, was proud of what it meant to be an American and all that came with that.

This identity is dying and it breaks my heart. But it also means that (selfishly) my life will be harder. Prosperity will be threatened, my values will be of the minority and maybe even censored before too long.

So what are the right reasons for being troubled by this? Obviously the moral decline of our leadership is indicative of the moral decline of our nation. Wayward morality always has consequences. History has proved this time and time again. Heck, you don’t even need the Bible to see it but I believe Scripture provides the most coherent explanation.

Say what you want about the Founding Fathers, because many say they weren’t Christians. I don’t argue that here, I will say that they did view the world with a moral framework. There was a starting point, a foundation of morality that they looked to for inspiration and guidance.

We are losing this framework. We have no foundation or starting point to look to. And like a house without a strong frame or a body without bones, we fall in on ourselves.

There will be suffering and more suffering. Physical, psychological, social, economic. This is probably the saddest part of this, but also the greatest opportunity because suffering forces us to ask some pretty big questions.

What is the purpose of this?
Why do I suffer?
Is there any hope?

It is here that I return, because the answers to these questions, and the example of our lives is where the Church is indeed Salt and Light.

Salt prevents decay. Light shines brightest in the darkness.

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16

The Gospel: Watch, Hear, Experience

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The Gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ and His redemption of our sins. I read this. I know this. I have said this and I believe this. But, what does it look like? Jesus arrived on the scene in human flesh 2,000 years ago, and has appeared in various mediums of art for the last 2,000 years. We have depictions of Him all over the world. What does the Gospel look like? What does it sound like today?

Change gears for a moment:

I appreciate artistic expression and I believe this is a manifestation of God in me. In all of us. The Creator of light, sight, sound, hearing, flavor, taste, colors and everything in between left his imprint on us. Being created in His image means so much more than appearance.

The art of communication is my preferred medium (those that have experienced the horror of me singing or observed my drawing skills will back me up on this). This art is increasingly robust in the Christian faith and with the technological advances of the last decade, we have access to SO MUCH great content. I have included some of my favorites below! I hope and pray you enjoy watching, hearing, and experiencing the Gospel in a whole new way!

John 3:16 – The Story of Love

G.O.S.P.E.L.

The Story of God

Comment below with some of your favorites and I will be sure to watch, hear, and experience the Gospel again!

Why We Need Community

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I love golf. I have been playing for about 22 years now and the game has taught me a lot. Golf is unique because it is an individual sport. I have been on golf “teams” but even then we are just the sum of our individual contributions. This tendency to try and “go it alone” leaks into my walk with Jesus and the consequences are unsettling.

Here’s the thing: Following Jesus is not an individual endeavor. The Church does not function well when we fly solo. I do not function well as a member of the Church when I choose to fly solo.

I need community. We all need community.

But first, what is community?

One definition of community is “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.”

A second definition is “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common”

For our purposes, our definition of community is a combination and simplification that is best understood as “a committed group of Christ followers navigating life together.”

Seems simple enough, right? Yet I still struggle in isolation. We still struggle without community.

Why is that though? Why is it that I struggle when I am isolation? Why do I need community?

In Scripture we discover some answers to these questions –

  • Built for Relationship

So God created mankind in his own image,

in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:27

Being created in the image of God truly means something. We carry His imprint whether we like it or not. The thing about God is that He is relational. His relationship with the Son and Holy Spirit was always there.

Just think, the idea of relationship always was.

As carriers of His likeness, we are wired for relationship. Relationship with Him and with others around us. The context for this relationship is found in a community setting.

  • Better Together

Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down,

one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls

and has no one to help them up.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 – 10

Allow me to share an illustration most of us can relate to – Have you ever gone to a theme park alone? Ever been to a movie alone?  I have done both and I can honestly say that my experience was not nearly as fulfilling as any time I went with someone else. Life is a lot like that as well. When I go to theme parks, my motto is the more the merrier because it is so much fun to experience theme parks with a host of friends! We are better together!

A life lived in community is fun, but it also has some other very real benefits.

Consider this illustration – Have you ever witnessed a friend making a bad decision that you knew would result in pain/suffering?

You know what I am talking about. This person is convinced they are making a good decision and are blind to any alternatives. Or maybe you have been that person. I know I have. I know I have had the blinders on and when I crashed I inevitably said “well I didn’t see that coming”.

But you know who did? The people that knew me best. My close friends and family in many cases.

We all have blind spots. A community can protect us from those blind spots and help us to make wise decisions.

  • Community Needs You

Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:12

When I was in Basic Training, I learned very early on that I was no longer an individual. The Army has a way of beating that out of you. Any action that can be perceived as an individual action was met with swift punishment. We always did things as a team. The smallest unit was a group of two and your partner was called your “Battle Buddy”. My battle buddy was a guy named PVT Addison. We both learned early on that we had to rely on each other. I needed him, and he needed me.

The Church is like that.

I need community, and community needs me. There are blind spots that I can clear. There are bits of wisdom and insight that I can share to save someone pain and suffering. And then there are wonderful experiences that we can celebrate together!

You are the same. People need you. You are valuable. Jesus can and will use you.

Resurrection Today

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I have followed Christ for about 15 years now, but in the last few years I have gained a better understanding of one of the dichotomous tenets of Christianity: the idea that sometimes death is a good thing.

I have not been around for long, but I have been around (followed Christ) long enough to know that death is not the end. Death is not always a bad thing. This is one of the core tenets of the Christian faith. In fact, our faith is based on Christ, a man that died.

Good news: God resurrects routinely.

In John 11 we see an example of physical death and resurrection. The story of Lazarus is familiar for most people raised in the Church (this guy, *raises hand*).

Here are the highlights:

  • Lazarus becomes sick.
  • Jesus is informed, and He proclaims that this illness will not result in death, but will be used for the glory of God.
  • Lazarus dies.
  • Jesus waits a few days, then returns to Bethany (where Lazarus and Co are).
  • Mary and Martha express faith that if Jesus had been there, He could have prevented the death of Lazarus.
  • Jesus is moved, because He loves them.
  • Jesus asks to see the tomb.
  • Jesus asks them to open the tomb.
  • Martha objects due to odor.
  • Jesus responds with this question – “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
  • The people open the tomb.
  • Jesus commands Lazarus to come out of the tomb.
  • Lazarus comes out, a resurrected man.

Good news (for Lazarus especially): God resurrects routinely.

Like many of you reading this, I have witnessed death in the physical sense. Certainly more in the non physical sense though. We have all seen hopes, dreams, friendships, and relationships die. This happens quite a bit it seems. Not surprising since we are called to die to ourselves daily. Still, it is tough to see things die.

As I reflect on the story of Lazarus, I recognize a few principles that have carried me through deaths I have endured in the past –

  1. Jesus loves you –
    1. This cannot be overstated and we cannot be reminded of this enough. Jesus loves you and sometimes that means withholding from us what we think is best.
  1. He can and does resurrect –
    1. He has the power to resurrect and redeem any situation. Your hopes, dreams, and desires may need to die so that He can resurrect them for His purposes and in His time. Notice in the story of Lazarus, Jesus waited before He went. Those days must have been agonizing for Mary and Martha. For us, the period could be years or decades even. In that time, flex your faith muscle. Wait well, and believe.
  1. For His glory –
    1. Know this, the act of the Lord bringing the dead back to life is most certainly for His glory. When it happens in your life, make sure you give thanks!

You will face death in all areas of your life, just remember the good news (for all of us!) –

God resurrects routinely.