Joy

We started our Church's livestream and I felt an ache. Why? I wanted to be in Church with people. I ache for the time when I can hug people in person.

I was in the middle of working my way up to a great pity party when a verse broke in. Count it all joy my brothers when you encounter trials of various kinds. 

Is this prolonged season of distance fun? No. But can I count it joy? Yes. I can choose as I feel that ache to look to God and know that in the middle of this time He is working this for His glory and my best. When the longing for more connections comes in I can lift that up to Christ and rejoice that He is at work in my life. 

Lord, let me count it all joy when the ache to see people in person comes in. Let me count in all joy when I'm facing uncertainty about job and paychecks. Let me count it all joy when I'm tried of fighting the battle of discouragement and self focus. Let me bring honor to you out of this time. 

Don't Give Up During Quarantine

It's easy right now to think that we are stuck and can't do anything worthwhile. I mean we have to stay 6 feet away from total strangers. How could we possibly do anything encouraging?

I know I've thought these thoughts. It's easy to want to give up. It's easy to want to think we can't do anything with our faith when we can't reach out and touch someone. Might as well just go watch a ton of movies or check out from life. Might as well just try to forget about it and wait for it all to blow over. 

Friend, this is where Satan wants us. He wants us to give up. To numb the pain. To become ineffective for the Kingdom right now. 

I know that this week I have grown tired of the battle and tired of the distance. When I let my eyes wander, Satan had a foot hold. I wanted to be done with this time instead of embracing it. Thankfully there is repentance and grace.

God hasn't called us to give up in this time. We are called to rise up and reach out to the hurting. We are called to shine Christ's light in the middle of the darkness of fear. We are called to press on. Christ is the Author and Perfector of our faith. Let us fix our eyes on Him and keep running the race. 

I don't know what that will look like for you, but I can offer a few suggestions from how I feel that God is calling me in this time to keep running. 

Reach out to the unbelievers you know and see how they are doing. 

Take groceries to an elderly neighbor. 

Engage with your family. Take time to be with them and do things for them. 

Send letters of encouragement to friends. 

Be kind and gracious to all retail workers. 

Stay connected with friends and pray for them. 

Dig deep into the Bible and study the matchless God we serve. 

What's on your list? What has God given you to do? How has He called you to keep running? 

Do it my friend! Don't let discouragement drag you down. If you've stopped running, pray, repent, and then start again. Turn off the distractions and run toward our Glorious King. He is worthy of a well run race. 

To What Do You Run?

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We are all running toward something. 

We are all pressing ahead towards our dreams. 

When we are feeling down we run to what we think will make us happy.

When life doesn't go our way we want something to cheer us up. 

We want something to help with the pain. 

Whether it be a fantasy, a shopping spree, a food bindge, we want something to numb the hurt that threatens to overwhelm. 

Whatever you run to will control you. 

So run towards God. 

Run towards the only One that can satisfy.

Run towards our true Comfort.

Run to the God who saves. 

Run to Him. 

Let Him be all that you need. 

2 Years Of Loved Before Time

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Two years ago I had an idea. I wanted to share what God had been teaching me with a wider audience than just Facebook. I wanted to go deeper. I wanted to be more of the encourager that He called me to be. 

I went back and read the first blog post that I posted here. It was simple, yet it captures so much of my heart. 

Back then I was still reeling after a hard breakup the summer before. It had been a tough year. However looking back it was also the time that God was rebuilding me. My life had been shattered. What God has done since has been healing beyond what I could have imagined, grace like I have never known, hope anchored in His love, and the growth of my relationship with Jesus. 

All of this is hard to put into words. I've used so many on this blog to try and explain it. But sometimes I go to write a post about what He I doing and words fail me. I can't seem to find a way to tell you what is in my heart. It's too messy. Too muddled. Too raw. So I leave it in the draft stage until words come. Sometimes it takes weeks, but when they do come it's so great to write and release them into the blog world. Another assignment down. There's always another one to go. But that is part of the adventure of life with Jesus.

I've prayed about a lot of these posts. I want to type encouraging words, not just words. My prayer is that you would be encouraged and challenged to live life for the One who loved you before time began. Words are easy, living is another challenge all together. 

So today I want to go out and live what I write. I want to live fully alive and fully in love with my Savior. I want to enjoy Him and rest in Him. I want all of my life to be centered on the One who made me and loved me before time began. Let's get out and do it! Let's live loved! It's the best place to be.

He Is Risen!

He Is Risen!
I never get tired of saying this. Jesus is Alive! Death, the devil, and all of hell couldn't hold Him. Jesus conquered the grave and rose again victorious. He is Lord over all creation. He reigns over death and life. He is Ruler over all.
This is our King. This is our God. This is Christ the Risen Lord.
Let us celebrate that Jesus rose from the dead. Tell this amazing news wherever you go. Nothing in the world or hell could hold Him captive. He is triumphant over death and sin. He is alive! Amen!

Painting by Ron Dicianni

The Night Before

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There's something that seems so cold and sad about a grave. I've stood beside the graves of several people that I loved and cried. They have gone into another world free from pain and heartache. Where they once held a place in my heart, there's a void. It hurts.
From the vantage point of over 2000 years its easy to read about the death and burial of Jesus and not feel the weight of Saturday and feel the darkness of the night. Back then they didn't have the end of the story, they were living it. They were experiencing it in real time.
Stop for a moment and think about this: you have just seen a close friend die a bloody merciless death on a cross. His presence is gone. No more laughter or asking questions. No more meals together or enjoyable talks on dusty roads. Nothing. Just a void. You grieve at how you weren't there for Him when He needed you most and wonder if things would have been different. The finality of death fills you with pain. Tears of shame and loss come easy. You wonder if the sun will ever shine again.
What part of your story feels like its been dead and in the grave? What place in your life feels like a void where there was once life and happiness? I have them and you do too.
Can I tell you something? It's not over yet. As black as the night was for Jesus, death wasn't the end of His story. Whatever area in your life feels dead, it's not over yet. It's only the night before the best part of your story takes place.
Is it hard to believe that when all you can see is cold blackness? Yes, but God is not through with your story. He still has more to write. Believe in His power. Wait on the Lord. Wait for the best part of the story. It's coming.

Our Passover

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Tonight we celebrate the time when the Israelite's put blood on the doorposts and God passed over them. We also celebrate that Christ has come and covered us in His blood. This is a wonderful celebration and a time for us to thank God for His provision in the Son.
Friends Christ died the death that we should have died. He endured trials and interrogation like we will never know. He submitted to the worst death known to man. He did all of this to cover us in His blood. He went to the cross to redeem rebellious sinners to Himself and transform us into loving sons and daughters.
Today let us give thanks for His sacrifice that covers us in life giving blood. Let us remember His sacrifice and rejoice in what it has brought about in our lives. Let us remember the cost and praise the God who was willing to pay it.
We are free. We are redeemed. We are know and loved. We are covered. This is because of Christ. All praise, glory, and honor be to the King who conquered the cross. May all that I am praise and glorified the One who has covered me with His blood and redeemed me.

A New World

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Mark 13: 1-2 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” 

“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

I like the disciples. They are so real. It gives me hope that if God can use people like the disciples, He can use people like me. 

This moment comes on the heels of Jesus crying over the fact that Jerusalem has rejected the prophets and scorned the rest that God has offered them again and again. Jesus is sad as He leaves the temple. 

One of His disciples tries to cheer Him up. "Hey look at this. Isn't it nice?" I like the heart of this disciple. He's trying to help. He's trying to be a good friend. 

Ah, but Jesus has a different perspective. He points out that even though they are great buildings now, they won't last. 

It's easy for us to get caught up in what won't last. To chase a lot of things that will one day be destroyed. It's easy to do this because these things are real and we can see them. We can't imagine a time when they won't be there. But Jesus  comes alongside us and reminds us of the truth. These things won't last.

Does this mean that we shouldn't enjoy sunsets or beautiful architecture? No. We enjoy them and thank the God who created such beauty and made humans that could create amazing things. We enjoy them as good gifts.

Ultimately everything in the world as we know it will fade away. Everything that we cherish that's earthly will perish. 

What Jesus describes in the rest of Mark chapter 13 is the signs that will happen before He comes again. Great distress and heartbreak. Violence and betrayal. But then Christ will come and will recreate the earth. He will make everything new. 

This makes me happy. To think that one day my Savior will come and recreate a perfect earth that I will get to live on with Him makes me smile. The sights that blew me away on this earth pale in comparison to the beauty of this new earth. I get excited thinking about it. 

So the next time you are blown away by something magnificent, take a moment and remember this: Everything in this world will fade away. It is beautiful right now and meant to draw us closer to God. One day God will make a new heavens and a new earth that will be beyond our wildest dreams. Look at what's in front of you as what it is a tiny echo of the symphony to come.  

Anointed

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Mary poured fragrant oil on Jesus. Nothing held back.
As shocking and wasteful as this scene appeared to the disciples and dinner guests, Jesus accepted and loved beautiful lavish gift. He smiled at the heart that didn't hold back.
This is how I want my life in Christ to look. Poured out at His feet in loving devotion. This is where I am whole and complete. Where I hold nothing back. 
What does this look like? It looks like me getting lost in worship. It looks like me spending time with Jesus without needing anything in return. It looks like giving away something I could use to help someone else.   
Lord, let my life we wholly Yours poured out at Your feet. 

Jesus Teaches

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The bulk of the Gospels is Jesus teaching. Teaching us how to live a life that honors God. Teaching us what the Father is really like. Teaching us what He is like.
John 1:17 (NIV) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
I love this. Jesus wasn't a second Moses that is expounding on a law that we can't fulfill. He fulfills the law and offers us a new life in Him. He offers to give us a transformed heart that wants to love God and others.
Now I can look at His teachings not as a checklist to do, but an invitation to new life energized and empowered by Christ.
As I think about Jesus teaching in the temple, I am amazed. His audience consisted of the hardhearted Sanhedrin, confused disciples, the poor and the lame, and others who had followed Him. Yet without hesitation He taught the truth. He told parables. He shared grace. He invited many to come into the Kingdom. Only few chose to follow Him.
The same is true today. Jesus words ring out into a broken hardhearted world. We can choose whether to accept or not.
Today let us heed the invitation of our gracious King and live a life that honors Him. Energized by His power there is nothing that we can't do. We can love Him extravagantly. We can reach out in grace to those around us. We can live life to the full. It's possible because of who He is. Praise be to God and Jesus Christ.

Jesus Cleanses

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He's just come into Jerusalem on a donkey. The people have received Him gladly. Jesus goes into the temple and proceeds to forcibly clean out all those who were buying and selling. Unapologetically He uses His authority to clean out a den of robbers.
At first this Jesus is harder for me to comprehend. It's easy to think of Him riding on a donkey happily going into Jerusalem. It's harder to picture Jesus whipping people out of the temple and throwing tables over.
But what if this was yet another expression of His love? What if He was revealing how much He hates the sin in our lives and how much it damages and destroys the very places where we are meant to worship Him? What if the only way to bring us back is to forcibly kick out the junk we have allowed in? What if through this dramatic demonstration He is showing us that we must be cleansed from the inside out in order for us to enter a right relationship with Him?
Jesus is not only the God of peace, rest, and tender care, He is also the God of fierce jealousy, awe-inspiring power, and incredible majesty. God is greater than we can imagine. He is more than we can wrap our brains around. Yet He calls us into relationship with Him. A relationship that we are called to take up our cross and follow Him.
This journey is not for the faint of heart. This is for those who swear to follow Him no matter the cost. This is for those who will be with Him in the moments of happy triumphal entry and an uncomfortable and hard cleaning out of the temple. This is who He is. This is the road He has called us to. Will we follow Him through all the ups and downs and times that we don't understand? Or will we take the easy way of the crowd and only hang around so long as it benefits me?
The choice is yours. The choice is mine. I choose to follow Him. What have you chosen?   

Jesus Has A Plan

Jesus came into Jerusalem on a donkey. He fulfilled scripture and gave hope for a better future. The people, like so many of us today, were looking for a king to make their earthly lives better. They wanted someone to oust the Romans and usher in a glorious reign.
But the True King had a different plan. He wanted to do something far better than just make things better for a few days. He wanted to show us how far His love will go. He wants to change us from the inside out. He wants to clear the path for us to live with Him, not just in this life, but forever!
So many of the people who cheered for Him that day couldn't have even imagined this plan. As it is how often do we imagine this plan? How often do we look at the story only in terms of how it makes life a little better for me or what Jesus can do for me?
I'm so guilty of this. I look at Jesus through the eyes of what He did for me. I read the Bible through the lens of what I can get out of it that day. But what if I started looking at the Bible and Jesus through the lens of His greatness and that His plans are so much greater than I can imagine? The God who would author such a plan to save and redeem rebellious humanity to transform them into loving sons and daughters deserves my worship and praise.
This week I want to focus on how amazing and wonderful He is. I want to remind us of His amazing character and how He lived it out in this last week before His resurrection. Let's go!