Jesus

Higher Heights

/ Chris / 3 Comments

Recently, my family and I took my two cousins and my aunt (Mom’s sister Becky) out to the coast, near Malibu, California.

Just out of Malibu there is a massive rock that sits on the ocean side of the road in a very prominent place. Since it is at the point of a minor bay, it can be seen from quite a way off.

About half way between the beginning of the bay and the massive rock, is a sandbank that rises very high against a large, steep hill. We have climbed that sandbank in the past, but this time my cousin Lynnwood challenged us guys to try to scale even to the very top of the ridge. This is no easy task, as the cliff is about as vertical as it could get without actually being vertical. The cliff is made up of loose rock, sand, sagebrush, and small bushes, as well as cacti and yuccas.

So as all the other sand climbers took it easy and remained content with their view of the ocean, my Dad, Lynnwood, my brother Asher, and I took up the challenge to reach the ridge.

As I, in flip-flops, struggled up the hillside, slipping and sliding on the loose rock, my mind pulled itself out of its nothing-box and began to think.

Way down at the bottom were lots of contentedly happy and comfortable people who could see the ocean just fine, while we four crawled up the rugged hillside as if trying to imitate Frodo and Sam ascending Mount Doom. Yet every time I turned around and focused on the ocean, I was impressed by the beauty of the higher perspective. As I climbed closer to the top, my perspective of the ocean became more and more complete. I could see nearly the entire bay in one glance. When I finally summited the summit, the view was extraordinary. I could see the wooded green hills that extended farther beyond my ridge. I could see the blue ocean shimmering in the sunlight. I could see the massive rock saluting the opposite point. And I could see the little people far below enjoying their very limited perspective of this marvelous sight. They had no clue.

Such is life. Many people have a fine view of God. They are not sinning nor in rebellion toward God. They see Him and love Him, but because they are not willing to scale new heights and dive to new depths, their perspective of God remains limited and shallow.

Greater perspective of God takes greater struggle. Our hearts are drawn toward pursuing greater heights, but often we get so enamored with the sea level experiences that we do not do what it takes to experience God in greater ways. And sometimes, in our struggle, others can look at us, or we at ourselves, and think we are doing things wrong; but in reality our struggle is born out of our pursuit of a greater perspective of God.

The glorious characteristic of Jesus is the fact that He loves us no matter where we are at—even if we are running away from the “ocean” [God]. This characteristic intrigues us and compels us to pursue this awesome, mysterious God.

I am challenged to search my heart and identify what is keeping me from pursuing a greater perspective of God. I believe anything that obstructs my path to God is an idol and should be destroyed. Unfortunately, I not only am unable to destroy such obstructions on my own but I often hang onto them. I thank Jesus that He continually calls me and gives me opportunities to let go of those things which are too close to my heart. I want to continually surrender them and submit to His love for me and His love for His own glory.

As a Child of God, Heaven is the ultimate height I am pursuing. Heaven has the greatest perspective. Heaven is the only reality. One day, we, the Adopted of God, are going to wake up in Heaven and everything that happened on earth will be outshone by the brilliance of Heaven. It will be like waking up from a dream. We might not forget life on earth, but it will be of little significance compared to magnificent Heaven.

What amazes me, though, is that, from my understanding of the Bible, apparently seeing the face of Jesus will be so awesome that seeing my mom’s face will be a glorious but minor benefit. Now that will be an awesome experience. Let’s keep embracing struggle and pursuing greater perspectives of God. May God bless your journey.

C.D.

In Pictures

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Failure or Success?

/ Chris / 5 Comments

“I think our entire culture suffers to hear, ‘I love you whether you succeed or not. Whether you’re productive or not. I just love you.’”

– Donald Miller

Success. We all want to be successful, right? Our brains are trained to think that unless we measure up to such-and-such a standard, we will not make it—we will have no value in the world. When a business man invests in a company, he expects good dividends in return. Why would it be any different for a human? When teachers invest time and energy, isn’t it expected that the pupil will grow up and give back to the teacher by benefiting society? If not, either the teacher or the student has failed. If what we invest in does not return benefits to us in any way, it is a failure and not worth our attention. We are Westerners we are born and bred to think this way.

So if Christians do not bear so-called “fruit” (whatever that may be), they are failures right?

Wrong!

“When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father” (John 15:8). This is a promise, not a command. If we are Christ’s disciples we WILL bear fruit.

We have a mindset that says if something is a “failure” [that which does not fulfill our human-defined measure of success] it is worthless. This mindset causes us to look for success in others and try to copy it and we are rarely able to do so. We work and work to try to “measure up” to the talents, abilities, or success of others but we can never do good enough. We constantly fail our expectations. Why? Because our standard is falsely based on other individuals’ success, instead of God’s truth.

God created each of us individually and set us on separate paths toward success. Yes, He desires and plans for us to be successful. But what is success? Success is doing what we are expected to do, fulfilling our purposes. If someone is a mail man and he carries mail from place to place, than he is fulfilling his purpose. He is successful.

God made us with a purpose. He originally planned and still plans for us to individually worship and commune with Him. That is what we see with Adam and Eve.

So we have a function—a purpose: God created us to individually worship and commune with Him. This is our goal. This is what we fix our lives on, to fulfill that purpose. Knowing this we no longer need to measure up to the external doings of other people. When we focus on worshiping God we no longer pursue being noticed, or having such-and-such grades, talents, or status. We only pursue Jesus.

So what is failure? It is not failing a test, not getting last place in a competition, not lacking knowledge or experience, not failing in evangelism, not lacking money, or not lacking talent musically, physically, or mentally. Failure is lacking a relationship with Jesus Christ the King of Kings, the Creator, the Lover, the Savior. Jesus said “Remain in me and I will remain in you, for a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me“ (John 15:4). God does not measure our “success” by what we do, but rather by who we are.

Read this carefully:

God created you to worship and commune with Him. When you are a child of God, you are walking a path of worship and communion with God. Therefore if you are a child of God, you are a success in God’s eyes. And when you continue to pursue Him and walk with Him and open up your heart to Him, He finds you more and more successful. No amount of success is too little or too great in His mind, because He loves you and He LOVES when you are successful. It thrills His heart.

Success is not something you can emulate—copy. It is personal and individual and can only happen when you are in Christ.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Salvation is extremely simple, but it is the continued walk that can be hard. Do not worry about what you look like to other people. Focus on God. Discipleship cannot be faked, so don’t try to fake it. Just surrender EVERYTHING you have and are to Jesus—and He will do the rest. This is success.

C.D.

He Loves Me, Yes!

/ Chris / 2 Comments

I have found it healthy to now and then go back and remember life: to recall one’s thoughts and actions a couple of days, weeks, months or years ago. This morning I took the time to look back in my journal nearly three months. I came to November 4, 2012 in which I wrote about some personal struggles I was having. About half way through I penned these words: “I just wish I could feel and touch, see and hear Jesus.”

On Monday November 5, 2012, I wrote about what I might say at my brother Asher’s wedding reception on the 10th (which I did not actually say, then). I also described some good experiences we were having in Colorado. Life was relatively normal—even good, I would say.

[Turn the page.]

November 12, 2012: “My life has forever changed.”

I cannot bring myself to read November 12th. I read the first paragraph and realized that every fiber of my being loathes this journal entry, but every fiber of my spirit says that reading it would be healthy. It is like pulling off a bandage for the first time.

My left elbow got all chopped up by glass in the accident and the first gauze bandage that was put on, “healed” itself into the wound. This meant that if I wanted to take the bandage off, the scab had to come off as well. It felt like all the healing had been “undone.” But if I wanted a wound free elbow again, it had to happen.

Or maybe it is better described like my back, which was severely put out-of-place. Apparently the vertebral column is so smart that if put out-of-place, over time it will align itself with gravity so that your head will be straight again, even if your back is still out-of-place. So over November and December my back “fixed” itself and quit hurting. Then I went to the chiropractor and had it adjusted, and the pain was renewed. It is not that the chiropractor gave me a bad adjustment, it is just that my back fixed itself wrong, and it may continually need to be put back in place until the muscles get used to the normal positioning.

So it is with my soul. Over time it has coped and settled with the new reality of the absence of Mom and the grief and pain that accompanies it. But God comes along and, sometimes gently sometimes not—but always perfectly, gives me an adjustment.

Great pain is not something one can just ignore and still remain healthy. If I lightly burn my finger, I can live through the pain and my body will heal itself properly; but if I break my leg, it would be wise to immediately seek medical attention and to continually do so until my leg is fully healed, not necessarily made “normal,” but healed.

God is the Great Physician. It is fun to watch Him “do His thing.” It is not always fun to have him “do His thing” on you, but it is always worth it.

Most of the healing is not done through a grand miracle or a great remedy, but through the slow process of therapy; the process of going back, again and again for adjustments, learning how to walk again, or talk—or love.

So here I am: learning to “walk” again and to trust God. It is easy for me to get lost in the world between the pages of November 5th and November 12th; to wish for life before November 6th happened and to fantasize about how life would be had it not. But I am learning that reality has me in a pool of grief flowing from November 6, 2012. And the amazing thing about reality is that God wants to swim with me in my grief. He does not want to take me outside of the pool and have lemonade. He wants to soak up my grief with me and be there to teach me to swim in the deep parts.

I cannot do this alone. I need God. I need His peace to get me through. I need His love.

His love.  What an amazing thing. If I could only grasp a fraction of it, I would be content. But wait, I do not need to grasp His love. He gives it to me freely, and pours it unrestrained into my heart, and from this truth every lie flees. Because if God—the Almighty, the Holy Judge, the Sovereign King over everything—has given me His love without condition, and has justified me and placed me in Christ who sits at God’s right hand: who is there to condemn me? Who is there to keep me from peace? Who can stop me from being healed? No one, I say, because nothing can separate me from the love of God.

On the morning of Tuesday, November 6, 2012, I again repeated to Jesus those words I had written two days before: “I just want to feel you and touch you, to see you and hear you, Jesus.” Three days later as people filed passed my family after attending my Mom’s funeral, I realized that every single day since the 6th I had felt and touched, seen and heard Jesus in an amazingly wonderful and terrible way; because I had felt, touched, seen, and heard the Body of Christ.

He listened to me! And in a weird way, He used tragedy as an answer to my prayer. Yes. Yes! YES! He loves me!

It is because of this love that I can keep pressing forward (although I need daily reminders). It is the assurance of Christ’s affection for me that gives me hope, because I know that all things work together for good to them that love God. Why? Because He loves us.

The Love of God

Frederick Martin Lehman

The love of God is greater far

Than tongue or pen can ever tell;

It goes beyond the highest star,

And reaches to the lowest hell;

The guilty pair, bowed down with care,

God gave His Son to win;

His erring child He reconciled,

And pardoned from his sin.

–

O love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure

The saints’ and angels’ song.

–

When years of time shall pass away,

And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,

When men, who here refuse to pray,

On rocks and hills and mountains call,

God’s love so sure, shall still endure,

All measureless and strong;

Redeeming grace to Adam’s race

The saints’ and angels’ song.

–

O love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure

The saints’ and angels’ song.

–

Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill,

And every man a scribe by trade,

To write the love of God above,

Would drain the ocean dry.

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

Though stretched from sky to sky.

–

O love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure

The saints’ and angels’ song.

C.D.

The Soldier

/ Chris / 3 Comments

“Tell me a story, Daddy!” the little boy exclaimed.

Looking down at his son, the Dad did not see a little boy, but a future soldier. A man who was in training to face the battles of real life, someone who would one day face the world and need to be prepared for it.

So the Dad softly began the story.

“Once upon a time there was a soldier, who served a mighty king. One day, the mighty king called all his soldiers to battle. Like a good man, our soldier responded and headed for the battle.

“The enemy was fierce and terrible. It was said that the enemy was as fierce as a roaring lion. At first this intimidated the soldier, but he pressed on because the king had called him.

“The fighting was intense and many men died. The enemy ravaged the towns and villages of the countryside, burned buildings and killed families. It was brutal. But still the soldier fought on, knowing his king would not let him fight alone.

“At one point, the enemy fought especially hard. It seemed like there was no way for the kingsmen to live out the fight. Some soldiers fled, but our soldier sent a petition to the king and the king sent reinforcements that drove the enemy away—but not after a long night’s fighting. During the night, the enemy made a surprise attack and our soldier was injured. The kingsmen took him aside and comforted him, but eventually they all went back to their fighting.

“The soldier felt all alone. It was dark and he could hear the screams and horrors of the battle. He almost despaired, but just then he felt a firm hand and heard a friendly voice say, ‘I am with you, soldier! Don’t give up; you will be healed if you make it through the night!’ It was the army’s great physician, who had come to help!

“The soldier was encouraged and able to tolerate the darkness a little more after this. But it was still so very lonely. He could hear the enemy making a great noise and he was intimidated.

“Soon the sun began to rise. The soldier could see the glimmer in the far eastern sky. Already the soldier could tell that whatever the great physician had done was healing his body. He sat up and looked around. By now the fighting was over, and had moved to a different place, but the destruction was obvious. The enemy had killed and destroyed, burned and plundered, what hope was left?

“The soldier wondered if there was hope. He saw the destruction from the battle and wondered what good could come from it? Could anything beautiful ever arise again? The soldier looked at his arms and legs, all bruised and bloody: could he ever live normally again?

“Questions and doubt plagued his mind. At first he resigned to the destruction, realizing there was no way around it. This was reality. But as the soldier crawled through the dirt and the ashes, he became angry. Why hadn’t the king responded sooner? Why did the king allow the army’s numbers to become so depleted? Hadn’t the king failed?

“But just then, the soldier looked up, and right there, right in front of him stood the king.

“‘The enemy has been routed and the nation has been saved,’ the king said.

“The soldier was ashamed at his thoughts and anger and looked down mournfully. ‘I am sorry to doubt you,’ said he.

“‘Do not be ashamed, sir,’ said the king. ‘But come and arise, we are victorious!’ And with that the king grabbed hold of the soldier’s shoulders and hoisted the man to his feet.

“‘There is nothing to fear because I will always protect you,’ affirmed the great king. ‘You will never be alone, but always safe under my protection. So go now walk in my joy because you are my victorious soldier.”

The Dad looked at his son who was now fast asleep. It was his story: the Dad was the soldier, and Jesus was the king. One day the little boy was going to face the same experience and the same struggle. He was going to be hurt and would need healing; he was going to doubt, and would need renewed faith. But until then, he would sleep in the safe and loving arms of his dad.

Safe

Phil Wickham

To the one whose dreams have fallen all apart And all you’re left with is a tired and broken heart I can tell by your eyes you think you’re on your own But you’re not alone

Have you heard of the One who can calm the raging seas Give sight to the blind, pull the lame up to their feet With a love so strong it never lets you go No you’re not alone

You will be safe in His arms. You will be safe in His arms The hands that hold the world are holding your heart This is the promise He made, He will be with you always When everything is falling apart, you will be safe in His arms

Did you know that the voice that brings the dead to life Is the very same voice that calls you now to rise So hear Him now, He’s calling you home. You will never be alone

You will be safe in His arms. You will be safe in His arms The hands that hold the world are holding your heart This is the promise He made, He will be with you always When everything is falling apart, you will be safe in His arms

Cause these are the hands that built the mountains,

the hands that calm the sea These are the arms that hold the lame

and they are holding you and me These are the hands that heal the leper

pull the lame up to their feet These are the arms that were nailed to the cross

to break our chains and set us free

You will be safe in His arms. You will be safe in His arms The hands that hold the world are holding your heart This is the promise He made, He will be with you always When everything is falling apart, you will be safe in His arms

C.D.

Bread and Water

/ Chris / 1 Comment

I love water. My tongue delights at the touch of water. Without water my body would shrivel up like a peanut and die. Water is very important to me. I also love food. Food gives me strength and satisfies the every groaning of my poor stomach. Without food I would become a useless noodle.

So is life. God created our bodies to need sustenance. Without carbohydrates, protein, minerals, vitamins, oxygen and such things, we would die. Hands down.

When Jesus said that He is the Water and Bread of Life, He wasn’t just being romantic or poetic—He was being real. He was giving us the answer to our deepest questions and longings. He was telling us that if we want love and peace in our hearts and strength to make it through the toughest of days—if we want life—then we have got to consume Him: Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We must eat the Bread and drink the Water if we want the Life! It is imperative, mandatory. True peace, hope, love, and joy can only come from Jesus; even as physical energy, strength, and health can only come from food and water. Hands down.

Right now I am sick, and my body is worn out from needing to protect its self from evil pathogens and the likes. It works hard and I try to help it every way I can so that I can get back to normal life. (I don’t like being sick, you see.) But what about my spiritual health? Do we just let our souls fight sickness on its own? Or do we continually return to the Water and Bread of Life to keep our Souls healthy? We eat, He works. Feed and drink on Jesus Christ and consume His “nutrients”. There is no such thing as a spiritual glutton, take in as much as He gives—which everything.

“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. . . . . The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us. Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He.’” – John 6:13-14, 25 “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.’” – John 6:35 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” – John 15:4

C.D.

What Makes Me Angry Infuriates Me

/ Chris / 2 Comments

I am angry. I am angry at the fact that thousands of people die every day and enter into an eternal state of complete separation from God. From God who is the source of all that is good. I am angry at the fact that slavery is still very much alive in our country and that my city is in the center of it all. I am angry that sin and immorality are rampant in the world. That people—even children!—all over the world are without clean water and humane living conditions.

That makes me angry, but what really infuriates me is that so many Christians are doing nothing about it. It infuriates me that the only thing many Christians think about is themselves. It infuriates me that many guys cannot reach beyond their own weaknesses. It infuriates me that many Christians are so self-conscious that they are not willing to abandon all to follow and obey Jesus. It infuriates me that Christian men tear families and churches apart because of their pitiful beliefs. It infuriates me that personal convictions have become a bigger issue than the Gospel. It infuriates me that godly people throw themselves into useless head-butting discussions on social networks knowing that their arguments will not change anybody. It infuriates me that Christians care more about their rights then they do about the souls of their fellow humans. It infuriates me that people are content with their shallow lives. It infuriates me that many people think rightly, but actually do very little.

It infuriates me that I see much of this attitude in myself.

So many Christians are chasing the wind. So many men think their only job on earth is to provide for their families and be comfortable, and so many young people are obsessed with their next date or party: all they think about is themselves. I wish I could ask them if they are really content with the shallowness of their lives? Don’t they want to make a difference in the world? To utterly spend their lives for Christ? Or is their selfish flesh and peer pressure so great that it keeps them from having any meaningful life at all?

It is easy to look at shallow people and judge them, but what about those who are religiously shallow? Do young people simply walk away from God? Or could it be that personal convictions and doctrines become too important and regulated that they strangle any life out of church? Are the particular beliefs people hold dear so important that they are willing to sacrifice the souls of young people, and the souls of those who have never even heard the Gospel?

I hope not.

The only thing that matters in life is that we have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Any conviction, any social work, any significant choice should be born out of that relationship. Jesus is the holy, perfect, just, loving King of the Universe. We are sinners completely lead astray and deserving of Hell. If we want a relationship with the perfect King, we, the very imperfect humans, must play by His rules. Let’s read the Bible and obey it! Let’s not try to reason it all out, legislate it, add to or subtract from it, just obey it. Let’s remember that Jesus is holy and perfect, but vehemently loves you and continually forgives you when you repent. Let’s remember that our purpose as Christians is to proclaim the Gospel. To do anything “Biblically” yet forsake the Gospel is worthless, but to proclaim the Gospel and forsake the Bible is like trying to run a business without money.

Let’s focus on Jesus. Just love and obey Him.

C.D.

Perfect People

/ Chris / Leave a comment

There is no such thing as a perfect person–and no, I have not be listening to Natalie Grant.

So often I am consumed by trying to make my life look good. Making sure all my failures and downfalls, insecurities and faults are hidden from the rest of the world. I make an attempt (a futile attempt) on my own, to lift myself up, to appear like what I am not.

I go through life trying to make every area exactly how it seems–or I am told to be done.

I pursue ideals. But the ideals I pursue are a mirage. I can never reach them. They are forever out of my grasp.

I ruffle the seas of my life, trying to steer a boat in the direction I want it to go. And out of my struggle to make my appearance and my relationships bright and shiny, I only create larger and bigger waves.

And God just steps back and says, “Ok, if that is the way you want to go, go ahead. But I’m here whenever you need me.”

So out of my rebellion and pride I continue to struggle on. I tackle the imperfections of my life–and off in the distance God still stands waiting for me to give it all to Him.

Imagine with me for a bit.

We are out in the middle of… … …well, let’s say the Sea of Galilee, it is known for its storms. But only this time, let us call it the Sea of Life, and the boat you are in is called, Your Life. You have sailed this sea up and down and all around–the fact is, you are the master, the expert on the Sea of Life. You know which exact routes are the best, which islands are the nicest. You even know which ports are the most convenient to dock at.

But this particular night wasn’t so great. It was a BIG mistake to set sail tonight. And now you are out in the very center of a great storm. Waves are toppling over the edges of your boat every second. The wind howls around you, close to hurricane speeds.  But you do not despair. Having always been a good leader you take complete command. “Do this! And do that!” you shout to the crew. But no matter how many times you change course, or how many times you bail water out, things just get worse and worse.

But then as you are leaning over the rail with your pail in hand, exhausted and resting from the long night’s work. You notice that a light has appeared behind you, thinking it strange for the sun to be up so early you turn around. And you come face to face with the full glory of the light. Out in the dark horizon stands a cross. A distinct cross–a stark contrast to the night sky. And on this cross of light hangs Jesus, looking down into your eyes. And you hear Him whispering–

Just leave your imperfections to Me. It is already done, I have taken care of it. Let Me make you and break you, guide you and keep you. Mold you into the perfect shape I have planned for you.

And so I rest on this comfort. I don’t need perfect relationships. I don’t need a perfect life. I don’t need a perfect church. All I need is God–and He is perfect! 😀

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you.” – Psalms 55:22a

C.D.

This Is What I Call–Fail

/ Chris / 3 Comments

Is this really what we have come to? As I scroll down Facebook lane, the only meaning I see, now, is that it is the weekend…and weekend means party. The only thing I see during the week is longing for the weekend. Then we party, and then on Monday the course starts all over again. Are we this shallow? Are people really satisfied with this, this fakeness?

Am I really that weird to long for something deeper?

ALL WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO IS THE LATEST TOP, BOX OFFICE MOVIE!

I think I finally get it…I finally begin to see the devil’s trick.

Are we really going to accept defeat? Are we going to let Satan laugh and claim victory over our lame lives? WHY IS THERE NO MORE PASSION?

It breaks my heart that this is what we call, great. Success.

You wanna know what I call great? I call people like Bruce Olson (Aka, Bruchko), who went to South America to be a missionary when he was NINETEEN! I call the five heroes of 1956–who were speared to death for their passion–great.

I call people being saved by Jesus, success!

The devil would love to see us, especially young people, just partying our way through life. Satan’s whole scheme is to suck the very life out of us. And you can see it. He wants us to spend time on Facebook, rather than reading the Bible; he’d rather have us watch the latest, violence filled, immorality endorsing, time-wasting movie, over spending time with people.

Don’t tell me it doesn’t affect us!

We are the product, I am the product.

If our lives are this shallow, we must be doing SOMETHING wrong.

So what do you say, shall we accept this defeat? Shall I sleep in until lunchtime tomorrow? Shall I eat pop-corn and drink soda, and just say “Such is life”?! Please tell me this is not the way it must be. Please tell me there is something deeper. If all my security, my life, my all, depends upon the next party, then there is truly no meaning in life.

It DOESN’T have to be this way!

But it starts with us, with me, with YOU! Pull yourself out of the muck, and call yourself a man! Life doesn’t need to consist of such shallow wandering.

When I get through life, what will I look back on? Will I look back on a life of trying to desperately grasp what I could have easily held on to while growing up? Satan would love to see us go through life and accomplish nothing.

So, is the weekend all I have to look forward to? I think not.

C.D.

The Cross

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” The cross is where true purpose lies.

Satan would love to see us go through life and accomplish nothing.

Go, and Sin No More

/ Chris / 2 Comments

*Haha, I just noticed that little flower beside the title!! Very ‘manly’ there. 😉 But that is okay cause I like the layout, and flowers are cool too. *

Just last night I read a very inspiring little story. One which condemned me, and also relieved me.

I am sure many of you are familiar with it. It takes place in John 8:1-11, which, in my Bible at least, it says that most ancient Greek manuscripts do not include this passage. (I have no clue what that is supposed to mean, but I would assume it means that there is doubt in its authenticity. But, like I said, I do not really have any idea what it means.)

In case you are not familiar with the passage, or need some refreshment of the memory, I will insert it below. If, by some rare chance, you have it memorized, or if you know it well enough, then feel free to skip the quote.

Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

“No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

When I read this last phrase, it slapped me on the face. It made me perk right up. It registered in my brain. It hit me like an asteroid hitting a planet!

“Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” Is it really that simple?

Right away, I knew in my heart that it was God’s way of telling me, “Get up, keep going, it’s alright–go and sin no more!”

When I fail, and it seems like I do a lot, God can forgive me. When I do something wrong in God’s eyes, it is not the end of the world. I merely must repent, and he will tell me, “Go, sin no more!” It almost brings tears to my eyes to think about Jesus saying that to me.

It did not help that when I had first opened my Bible, it had opened right up to Proverbs 12, which starts out just splendidly, “To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.” Oh, great! I am about to learn something here! Ook, well let us check it out–cautiously, of course.

“The Lord approves of those who are good, but he condemns those who plan wickedness.”

Oh, ouch.

“Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots.”

Mmm, good advise.

“The plans of the godly are just; the advice of the wicked is treacherous.”

Ugh, stab.

“The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives.”

Huh, s’more good advice. “The wicked die and disappear, but the family of the godly stands firm.”

Where am I at, I wonder?

“A sensible person wins admiration, but a warped mind is despised.”

Okay, let’s be sensible.

“Better to be an ordinary person with a servant than to be self-important but have no food.”

Okay, sensible–but ordinary.

It would be rather long if I would put all the verses in here, so if you have an interest in reading them, see Proverbs 12

“The wicked are trapped by their own words, but the godly escape such trouble.”

“Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards.”

“Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.”

Ooo, another correction. I shall take it.

“A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted.”

OW!! Stop talking about me!

“An honest witness tells the truth; a false witness tells lies.”

“Deceit fills hearts that are plotting evil; joy fills hearts that are planning peace!”

Mmm…

“No harm comes to the godly, but the wicked have their fill of trouble.”

Talk about making me feel so warm and fuzzy!!!

“The way of the godly leads to life; that path does not lead to death.”

Whoever wrote this book was wise!! Good note to end on.

So now I am all down, feeling condemned, and needing to get back on the ‘way of the godly’.

Then I flip through my Bible some more, and it comes to the passage in John. And I am like, “Okay, looks interesting, I’ve read it before, let’s read it again.”

And then I read verses 10-11.

“Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

“No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

My heart seriously skipped a bit. It was like, wowzers. God can really talk! He wisely let’s me read Proverbs, then brings me here. He breaks, and then repairs–correctly.

That little phrase is so powerful! -Neither do I condemn thee. Go, and sin no more- Precious words indeed.

“Neither do I condemn thee go and sin no more! Precious words divine…”

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!”

Another lesson from the passage of John, is that of which the Pharisees received.

Who are we to judge? Are we not the same as the one we are judging?

“Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”

I don’t know about you guys, but I should be the first to receive the stone! Nobody is perfect, none of us is worthy to throw the first stone. Only God is. And the ‘problem’ with Him, is that He forgives–even my enemies. Not only the sinners I am stoning, but my enemies.

I can just picture it.

I’ve raised my hand to throw the stone, and Jesus walks up, stops my arm as I begin to throw, and says, “Here, let me have that.” But then he takes the stone and tosses it away, turns and lifts the condemned to his feet and says, “Go and sin no more.“

C.D.

To Die Is Gain

/ Chris / Leave a comment

“For to me to live is Christ, to die is gain.”

NKJV “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” – Philippians 1:21 (NLT)

I wonder how many times I have said that. And if I have, did I really mean it? Would I really find it a gain to die? I know in my heart that it is, but when it came down to it–would I really rather die–for Christ, mind you–then to live? (I would not want to die for anything but Christ..which might include dying to save another.)

And do I really live as Christ? I really have to compare myself to this verse sometimes. I have great admiration for Paul. Because, half the time, I think I end up living as myself, and to die is loss.

I have been reading out of the Martyrs Mirror (also titled Bloody Theater), about how each of the apostles, and people shortly after Jesus’s crucifixion, were persecuted, and eventually martyred. (And these stories are only a fraction of the book, there are hundreds of stories–or at least it seems so. It is about as thick as two and a half Bibles.)

Anyways, it has really challenged me.

These men were devoted to the faith. At least three of the apostles crucified, one of which was Peter who requested to be crucified upside down because he did not deem himself worthy to die like Christ. (His crucifiers were happy to oblige him of course, because it would increase the pain.)

And Andrew, Peters brother, was crucified in a different fashion than Jesus or Peter. (See picture below.) But he was not nailed to the cross, but rather, tied to it, and he hung there for three days instructing the people around him.

(See pictures below for third apostle crucified.)

And of course we all know what happened to Paul, and it is no less significant than any of the others–he was beheaded. James the greater was martyred in the same fashion.

Mark, or John, also John Mark, was “dragged out of the congregation, through the streets  and out of the city; so that his flesh everywhere adhered to the stones, and his blood was poured out upon the earth, until he, with the last words of our Saviour, committed his spirit into the hand of the Lord, and expired.” Martyrs Mirror, page 78.

Christians in general were not martyred by any less cruel ways. Many had pitch and such substances poured on them, then tied to stacks and used as torches! And that is only one way in which Nero persecuted them.

James the Lesser was thrown off the top of a building and then stoned. And as he was being stoned (for the fall had only broken his legs) he prayed the words of Jesus as he was dying. “Lord, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Hearing this a priest called out for the stoning to stop saying, “What do ye? the Just is praying for us. leave off the stoning!” But someone took a club and hit James over the head with it, killing him. (See page 75 of the Martyrs Mirror.)

And of course, Stephen was stoned to death, which is also no little way to die.

Luke the evangelist, and physician, was hung by the neck on a tree.

(And there are still hundreds of later martyrs and other apostles whom I have not the time to write of. Plus more that were never recorded.)

All these men, died for He who first died. They followed His footsteps to the very end. Some not only followed His footsteps, but spoke His words.

Even today there are persecuted men and women. And yet I sit here in comfy America.

“..to live is Christ, to die is gain.”

C.D.