Friday, September 19, 2008

Christianity, is not about the individuals salvation and their community, It is about a community of individuals who share a salvation with one another.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Holiness

I just came to a striking epiphany that will hopefully transform my life into one that is more worthy of the cause of Christ. As i read on the attributes of God and how he is Holy, not just perfect, but wholly Holy. Holiness wraps up all of who God is into one phrase, but at the same time he is so much more. All of God is summarized in the term "Holy". God is fully present in each of his attributes, indivisible from any one of them, with Holiness encompassing them all. This comes to my epiphany. I just thought to myself about how sometimes I look upon certain issues as not wrong, although i am not looking at it from the right angle. Surely some things are not wrong, or permissible by God, but that doesn't get to the point. It is not about what is right or wrong, it is about holiness. It is about being set apart from the things of this world, even if they are harmless or "not wrong". I think of many vices the world offers and know that they are not all bad, and even satisfying without taking it too far and reaching into sin. The point is to strive for holiness above worldliness. I hope this thought rings true in my ears for life. I want to be set apart, yet within the world. I want to be inside the world, but as someone who is in it to influence other's through being set apart. I never want to be come a Holier than though legalistic christian, i desire to be a Holy, loving, grace-filled, relevant individual who serves others for Christ

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Fear

Fear. A thought, an idea, a state of existence? In this life that we lead, it has become apparent to me that we are in a constant state of fear. I am not talking about the fear of spiders, snakes, vampires, or airplane crashes. Im not even talking about legitimate fears such as death. Instead i am talking about the fear of living life. What I mean is that we allow fears to hold us back from truly living. How is one to live if they are in a constant state of fear in some area of their life. Fear grabs ahold of our hearts and minds and holds us back from a life of abundance and freedom. As Christian's we must reject fear... all of them. The wrath of God is the only health fear one can have and truly live life. Common fears that hold me back from living a complete life is: the fear of rejection, the fear of God's will, and the fear of disappointing others.
If we hold back our passions, our hearts, in regards to ministering to others, what is the point of living. If we do not try to reach out to others hearts we are missing out on the gifts that God so longs to give us. I want to be in others lives actively and decisively in order that they and I may truly begin living in freedom from sin, that freedom that is found only in Christ. BY not fearing the rejection or failure of placing your heart into others, we miss out on blessings that could transform our lives into a bold faith that is afraid of nothing. This boldness is what is needed in the world today... passionate fearless faith that transforms lives and worships Christ without abandon. If we miss out on the will of God because we do not heed his calls, we are truly missing out on a special aspect of life. Many times i have rejected Gods call and begun to run the other way out of fear of how he could use me. The magnificence of being used by God should make one long for these moments. The problem comes in when we know we will have to give up parts of a lifestyle that we long to hold onto. The worst part is that we will be missing out on the most indescribable treasure one could ever receive. A treasure that holds more worth than anything this world has to offer. This treasure is the work of Christ that we can take part in if we decide to step out into His will and emptying our own will to be filed with Him alone. The problem arises when our selfish worldliness wants to hold on to sins or even things that are good, instead of allowing God to use us in His will. The ONLY way to be in God's will, is to reject our own will in order that God's will, will become our own. The fear of disappointing others could go along with the first fear, but i wanted to touch on it distinctly. If we fail, if we do not do what we think is expected of us, our lives will be nothing more than a life of slavery in which we are slaves to others indirectly. I have felt called to be a minister of God, yet i run from it constantly. Knowing that i could possible fail at anything keeps me in constant fear of doing something i am called to do. If i sit back and live in this fear, i will obviously fail. If you don't try, you have already failed to be who you are called to be. I must look past this fear of others disappointment and step forth into life with a boldness that says, "I may fail temporarily, but in the end i will succeed eternally" There is no need to worry about failing others b/c i am not perfect. I feel that sinning disproves my call, yet it proves it all the more. Because i sin, i am just like everyone that has lived on this earth, besides Christ. (who was perfect) Through Christ, my faith in Him has made me righteous, or perfect in God's eyes. This means that i am perfect in the future tense! Living with this in mind it becomes evident that i should not fear these things, particularly being who i am not by sinning. I am not the person who sins anymore, i am now a new creation who can live in freedom within God's will. This concept of freedom from fears can change people's lives and make them better. That is all i long for, is to change people's minds and provide the chance for them to see the glory of God through the life of Christ within me. Thats all i want. Do Not Fear.

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Old Truck (rough)


This morning i notice an old truck. Sitting under a tree, covered in lush vegetation and corroding away into a heap of worthless metal. This truck looks like a photographers dream. What once was a great workhorse, is now nothing more than a rust bucket, wasting away into oblivion. It makes me want to buy it, work on it from the inside out. Reworking the engine and replacing the dirty, unusable parts with new, clean parts that make the heart of the truck rumble and roar with enthusiasm. Then replace the busted threads and cracked dashboard. Soon the truck would run like a young steed, but it is still not a completed work. It will take many hours of painstaking sanding off of the rust and old paint, preparing the truck for a fresh coat to radiate its former glory in the bright hues (preferably blue) of choice paint. After many hours, and much commitment, the workhorse will be a thing of beauty to gaze upon and enjoy. As Christians, Christ comes in like the master restorer who chooses the old derelict out of love and transforms it into a glorious piece of machinery. Although this this truck (us) did not deserve to be saved, out of love and grace the truck is saved. Almost like the ongoing sanctification of our lives, this truck is molded into a shiny masterpiece that is renewed,vibrant and "made right". The beauty of this thought, is that instead of taking numerous man hours and millions of sweat beads, this "task" happens in an instant. When we agree that Christ is Lord (i say agree b/c he is Lord, no matter what we believe as human beings) we instantly are swept up into his arms and created into a new being. The old is gone, the new has come. We are made right (righteous) in God's eyes. Just as the trucks engine is restored to its original form, our hearts are brought to the state of life that we are called to and were originally created for. From this point of restoration to a rightness with God, we begin to be sanctified (made holy). This process will be ongoing until we pass from this life and then become truly complete in Christ, in heaven. At this point we are completely restored, topped with the fresh new coat of shiny blue paint. THis thought is brief, and i could expound on it more, but i feel like this is enough for now. There are many parts of our relationship with Christ and salvation in itself that i did not include.