Blackout for Eternity? Not for me.

For those of you who don’t know, somewhere near 6 million people in AZ/CA/Mexico area experienced a massive blackout yesterday…people lost power for anywhere up to 8 hours. This is not a normal every-day sort of occurrence for us Southern-Californian-internet-and-television-dependent people. People were rushing grocery stores buying up as much ice as they could so they could preserve their food..Candles and flashlights lit up pathways in homes..schools in the area were posting updates about school being cancelled as a precautionary measure..it was a hectic night. Sirens could be heard every once in a while, car accidents littered the roads left and right, children could be heard playing in the streets of the neighborhood even as the sun set because there was no television, no internet and the houses were without light barring the occasional candle or flashlight. But overall, it was a very dark night. I looked out my window at an expanse of…well, pure black. No light to be found. It was eerie..strange to say the least. I kept thinking “People used to live like this, they didn’t have electricity!! I have no reason to complain!” So I did my best not to complain. (However, running into the coffee table twice and being unable to eat anything but dry cereal for dinner caused me to be a bit on edge with the idea of not having power for an undetermined  amount of time.) But as I sat on my couch, three candles in the room and everything else pretty much pitch black, I started to think of verses. Scriptures. Christ often referred to non-Christians, the unsaved, as those walking in darkness. In addition, He called His followers shining lights..people walking in the light. This blackout was forcing me to think of the massive amount of people currently on this earth walking in darkness. As I looked out towards the cities around me and saw dark..black..nothing..I became emotional at the thought that so many people in the world were not only sitting in the darkness because of a blackout…but they were sitting in the darkness of their sin..and they would forever be sitting in darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. It got me thinking.

Human beings are sinful. It is as simple as that. We are fallen and our desire is no longer to please God and do what is good/right, but to give in to the desires and passions of our flesh, to allow sin to rule our lives. Our sinful state separates us entirely from the perfect Father and we cannot pretend to live righteously, for we are nothing. The Bible refers to those who aren’t saved as “in darkness” or “without light” and even just “darkness” on it’s own. Sinful people are described as darkness itself! Isaiah 9:2 describes man as “people who walked in darkness.” Now we all know generally that walking in the dark is not a wise idea(those of us who had to do this very thing last night due to the blackout probably know more factually, but just go along with me here). There are things to trip over, run into and step on. From the first step of your stairs or the massive coffee table in the family room, to your dog’s chew toy, there is a lot of danger which becomes more prominent when you walk in the dark. Say you were in the blackout last night (if you actually were, you don’t have to imagine..just rememeber)..You have a flashlight sitting on the kitchen counter and you are about to make the dangerous trek from the kitchen to your room upstairs. You have the choice of whether to take the flashlight with you or not. You take it, right? I mean, I did. How unwise it would have been for me to leave the source of light behind and attempt to walk on my own in the darkness? (Now, granted I still found a way to trip on the dog toy and run into the coffee table, the point is that I probably saved myself a trip to the emergency room because I had a flashlight with me). So we can agree, walking in the dark is not a wise idea, correct?

Now let’s think about it Biblically. Walking in the darkness=walking in sin. Walking in the light=walking with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, abstaining from any type of sin and being made holy/righteous through Jesus’ blood. Praise be to God for the grace He has shown to us for giving us a chance to walk in the light, to be saved, to live eternally with Him in Heaven. But, the problem is..people have seen the option of the “flashlight” of Jesus Christ, and they have said “No thanks, I’m going to keep walking in the dark.” [NOTE: I am not going to get into a major debate/discussion about predestination and foreknowledge etc etc etc...the point is, God HAS chosen people to be saved, and some of them are seeing the flashlight of Jesus Christ, and denying it to take sin/darkness instead. Now if it is God's will for them to be saved, they will one day come to repentance and faith. But for anyone to hear about the truth of salvation and know they have a chance to no longer walk in darkness but deny it blows my mind.] Near the end of Luke 1, Zechariah speaks of his son John the Baptist, prophesying that he will make a way for the Most High, that he will clear a path and tell of the coming Savior…verse 79 tells us that Christ will come “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Darkness is the shadow of death [Matthew 4:16], but the good news is that a light has dawned on that place, a guide has been provided who will lead us into the path of peace. That light, that guide is Jesus Christ. He came to this earth, to be sacrificed on our behalf, so that we could be brought out of the darkness of our sin and walk in the glorious light of our Savior. We are made righteous because HE is righteous. We are made holy because HE is holy.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9 tells us that we are saved, we are made holy “that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of the darkness into his marvelous light.” We have been shown grace from the Father in Heaven, though we do not deserve it. We now live because God gives us breath, we walk because God allows us to, we do EVERYTHING because the Creator of the universe gives us the ability to do so. We have been brought out of the darkness of our sin and washed clean[Psalm 51:7], made white as snow[Isaiah 1:18], our sins have been forgiven[Acts 10:43], and we have been set on a new path, a narrow road[Matthew 7:14], leading towards eternity with the Father[Psalm 11:7].
So, we’ve been pulled out of the darkness of our sins, made clean in the blood of the Lamb, and we have eternity in Heaven to look forward to…right? Right! Okay, so that’s it? Awesome story……..Yeah, just kidding. That’s not it. Yes, all of that is true and praise be to God that we have been given a second chance through the sacrifice of His Son, but now, we need to live in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called[Ephesians 4:1]. Our lives need to reflect the salvation that we have received from the Lord and we need to live above reproach, with no hypocrisy, in a way that constantly glorifies God. But how do I do that? Glad you asked.

1 John 1:5-2:6 is a GREAT chunk of scripture which talks about the importance of living in a way that reflects our salvation. I won’t go through the entire passage verse by verse, but I would strongly encourage you to read it, study it, and apply it. Here is the passage just so you can know what I’m referencing:

“5This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (Chapter 2–>) 1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

Chatper 1:

Verse 5: God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Verse 6: If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

Verse 7: If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Verse 8: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Verse 9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Chapter 2:

Verse 3: And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

Verse 4: Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him.

Verse 6: Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Alright, I know I said I wouldn’t go verse-by-verse, but every single one of these verses (I feel) is important to hit the point of what it means to live as a Christian. It starts out with the basic truth..God is light, and there is NO darkness in him at all(verse 5). It isn’t complicated, it isn’t worded in a way that will confuse the reader. To be quite honest, this passage is pretty blunt! God is light, there is not darkness in him. John goes on from there to say that if we claim to have fellowship with him, but we walk in darkness, we are liars and we aren’t practicing truth(verse 6). On the flip side, we are told that if we walk in the light like He is in the light, then we are washed by the blood of His Son and we are forgiven of our sins(verse 7). To say that we have no sin is a lie and we deceive only ourselves(verse 8). On the flip side of THAT, if we confess our sins to the Lord, he is faithful and just to forgive us, cleanse us, and make us new. So just from Chapter 1, we can know that God is holy and perfect, there is no darkness, no sin in Him at all. In addition we read that it is not possible to have fellowship with Him while walking in darkness, but if we walk in the light, He is just and loving to forgive us. So the truth is laid out and we can understand what our requirement is: confess our sins, and walk in the light, not in the darkness. So that is summed up, I get it..why did I post the verses from Chapter 2, then? Because of the practical applications that reside in the first 6 verses of the chapter. We can know that we know God if we keep his commandments(verse 3). We will walk in the light if we walk in His ways. If we claim to know Him, but do not keep his commandments, we are liars and the truth is not in us(verse 4). If we claim to be Christians, claim to be saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and claim to walk in the light, than we ought to walk in the same way in which He(Jesus) walked(verse 6).

So, we know that we have an opportunity to walk out of the darkness and enter into the glorious light of the Father. Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins[1 John 2:2], our saving grace, and because of His sacrifice on the cross, we are blessed with a new life in the Lord and we are given a second chance to live for Him. Once we have repented and put our faith in Christ, it will be a constant battle to live righteously. In a world of darkness, to be a shining light is not easy. But if we claim to abide in the Lord, we will walk in the same way in which He walked. Luke 8:16 and Matthew 5:15 should both be verses which motivate those of us who claim to be walking in the light to be bold for the gospel; to walk in the light no matter what darkness tries to cover us. We are called to be holy as God is holy [1 Peter 1:16] and we are called to live in a manner worthy of the calling of Christ [Romans 12:1, Philippians 1:27, Colossians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:1]. Now that we have been brought into the glorious and majestic light of the Father, our lives need to be flashlights, no, burning lampstands, for those around us. People around us are walking in darkness and some of them have no idea that there’s a flashlight on the counter in the kitchen, ready to shine the way to safety. Let’s be bold for the Lord, proclaim His truths, and be a shining light to those around us.

 

~~Check out Tim Hughes’ song “Out Of The Darkness”…let’s just say I listened to it about 5 times while writing this blog! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzKoGj5_ruw)

Rotten judgement? No thanks!

“If there’s a prize for rotten judgement, I guess I’ve already won that. No man is worth the aggravation, that’s ancient history, been there, done that!” -I Won’t Say (I’m In Love) from Disney’s Hercules

 

While driving in my car on the way home from a friend’s house last night, I put in a disc without looking at the title and just figured I’d find out what I had picked. (I have somewhere near 60 cds in my car..I don’t like the radio and don’t have an iPod connector since my car is from ’99.) The first song came on and I started laughing. I heard Megara from the Disney movie, Hercules begin singing the classic song “I Won’t Say.” Although you may be wondering how that has anything to do with a blog, it was a few seconds later when it hit me. The first lyrics of that song are really meaningful. Basically, what Megara is saying is that she’s made mistakes in the past, and she deserves an award for having rotten judgement. Now I don’t know about the rest of you, but I hope to NEVER win an award for having rotten judgement!!! I would rather have the Most High God say to me: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” [Matthew 25:21] than having the Devil say to me: “Haha, caught you on that one! Look, your bad decisions landed you with a one-way ticket to my humble abode!”

This past weekend at True North, Hunter Adamske preached a message about wisdom from Proverbs and he pointed out that wisdom laughs at us when our decisions and rejection of what is wise comes back to bite us [Proverbs 1:26]. Although in the moment, procrastinating on that summer reading and not opening your Bible first thing in the morning because you are sleeping over at a friends’ house may seem appealing, what are the chances that the Lord and Savior of your life will see what you are saying the same way that you do? When we reject wisdom while she calls our names, we are acting against God. Acting against wisdom doesn’t sound that frightening…Solomon paints wisdom as a woman who directs paths and shows wise ways to live, but acting against God? That sounds terrifying, does it not? Well the truth is, when we fight wisdom and choose our own paths, we are fighting God and rejecting His guidance. Matthew 1:21-23 is one of the most frightening passages to read in God’s Word in my opinion…Revelation may seem mind-blowing, but imagine entering Revelation and seeing the perfect Christ riding on the clouds with fire and hearing Him say: “I never knew you; depart from me you worker of lawlessness.” Now THAT is frightening.

If we reject wisdom, wisdom will reject us. To live in contradiction with her whom God has placed over our lives is to live in contradiction with God. But the truth is, living wisely is more than just obeying God to obey Him because we fear His wrath (although Theophobia is SO important!)…living wisely and righteously will benefit us! For example, being wise and committing to finishing that summer reading book before Revival 11 or doing extra chores before leaving for that friend’s house for the night or even avoiding a potentially sketchy or unrighteous situation will benefit me!! By committing to finish the book, I won’t have to bring it with me to Havasu, spend my entire bus ride reading it instead of enjoying fellowship and sit inside the room during free time to get as far as I can before the next game or skit night…by doing extra chores (or even DOING the ones my mom has asked me to do) before leaving for that girl’s house, I gain trust from my mother..and this way, the next time I ask to go hang out last-minute with some friends from church, she won’t have to check with me and make sure that I’ve done what she’s asked! By avoiding a potentially sketchy or unrighteous situation, I am glorifying God. We are told COUNTLESS times in God’s Word to keep our ways pure and avoid even the thought of sexual immorality [1 Corinthians 6:18, Ephesians 5:3, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:3]…if a situation causes us to stumble, chances are, we shouldn’t be involved. If that means not seeing a certain movie, or not hanging out with an unbalanced group of guys and girls, then so be it! Doesn’t matter how much you miss your friends, we need to be conducting our lives righteously and that means avoiding even a hint of impurity.

Living wisely will never be easy, especially in the corrupt world that we live in. You can’t turn a corner or open a door without having immoral things thrown in your face. But that is no excuse. That is even more reason for me as a child of the Most High God to make sure I am living righteously, despite the horrors which the Devil has so menacingly poured into our world. We cannot be wise on our own, and even attempting to be wise on our own would be a red flag of stupidity…in Christ alone can I make the right decisions, by His guidance alone can I walk the righteous path. Although we cannot accomplish it on our own, committing to making the wise decision with the help and guidance of our Lord Jesus Christ is the first step in actually being wise. Praise God that we have a guide who is willing to show us the path of wisdom. God is good!

Emphatic Fanatic or Straight Up Hypocrite?

“I’m a F-A-N-A-T-I-C, fanatic, I rep Christ ’till I D-I-E, fanatic, I’m not extreme, I’m redeemed with faith, to serve a God who’s extremely great, I’m a fanatic!”

The worship songs we hear these days aren’t “So I’ll stand, with arms high, but only sometimes! In awe, of who you claim to be..So I’ll stand part of my soul, Lord, to you surrendered, not all of me is yours!” and “Beholding your beauty isn’t what I long for..to worship you Jesus is only a chore. For this very heart you can’t shape for your pleasure, purposed to lift my name high.” Why aren’t the worship songs written like that? Oh, because that would be hypocritical and would give non-Christians reasons to call us out on our sin. But the problem is, we have half-hearted worship ringing through the church and pouring out of our mouths daily.

I had the privilege of attending a Hillsong concert this past Tuesday (3/1/11) at the Staples Center in LA. I have to say, I haven’t heard worship like that in my entire life…granted there were thousands of people there and the noise was echoing throughout the facility..but standing there, looking up at the stage and not being able to see the musicians because peoples’ hands were raised in praise to God brought me to my knees (figuratively) because I realized how half-hearted my worship is on a weekly basis. Sure, at Revival X and Revival: Winter Edition, I can’t hold back at worship night, and my arms are raised to Him, I’m completely surrendered and tears stream down my face as I worship Him with my WHOLE heart..but why is my worship not like that every day? Why am I a 100% Christian at camp, but only an 85-90% Christian at church every weekend? And maybe even smaller, a 65-70% Christian at home? “Oh well, you know..it was the Hillsong band that was so awesome! You’re fired up at camp because you are on an energy high and you have the Revival Worship Band!!” Um..that shouldn’t matter, that shouldn’t affect me. It isn’t energy or a band that I’m worshipping, it is an unchanging, everlasting God!

Recently I’ve been really convicted about how I’m worshipping God. Of course, it is an amazing blessing to be in the presence of so many people who are worshipping God, and having Hillsong lead us in worship for almost 3 hours was epic, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t worship the same way every week at church, and every week at small groups, and every day at home. I can praise God just as passionately at home at the piano as I can at RWE or a Hillsong concert. He isn’t changing..I am. I need to look at my life and make sure that I’m living it in accordance with His Word, always praising Him for who He is, and in full submission to His will. It is really easy to get caught up in the epic worship band and atmosphere of a concert, but I need to make sure that I’m concentrating on Him and who He is.

My Whole Heart needs to be Into Praising him. (WHIP!) Psalm 86:12 says, “I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.” He sent his only son to die a gruesome death on the cross for me..he saved me from burning in Hell for eternity..isn’t that enough to get me on my knees in praise and worship of His holy name? I want to work towards praising Him yesterday, today and forever with a fully submissive heart and mind.

“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” Hebrews 13:15

 

Songs: Fanatic-Lecrae, *The Stand-Hillsong United, Lord of Lord-Hillsong United* <– those two are not the actual lyrics (obviously) but the REAL songs are really awesome worship songs. I would encourage you to check out Lecrae and Hillsong United as well..there are MANY more epic worship artists, but hey..it’s Him who we’re concentrating on..right? (:

Putting Effort Into Evangelism

“Kchhhhh…kchhh..! Attention, home base! Come in, Air Traffic Control! This is Flight 3400 calling, respond, ATC, respond!” Nothing. Dead silence on the other end of the two-way radio. “We’re going down, man!!! Emergency evacuation in progress, come in, control tower, come in!”

“Hurry! Leave your personal belongings behind, if you don’t jump now you won’t make it! GO GO GO!” It was like a stampede, people pushing and shoving, rushing towards the emergency exit. It looked like Black Friday at WalMart in here. “Ladies and gentleman, PLEASE STAY CALM!” A woman’s scream could be heard as she realized the danger of jumping out of a crashing airplane. “Ma’am, we’re going to have to ask you to jump!” “I can’t do it! I can’t!” she responded, terrified. If they don’t hurry up the evacuation, we’re going to be trapped. People shoved the middle-aged woman out of the way and jumped. She ricocheted off of the seats and hit her head on an armrest. She dropped to the floor. I rushed to her side to see if she was conscious and lifted her head only to find blood on my hands. She was injured, badly. She wasn’t going to make it. This was the woman I had been sitting next to on the plane; she had snobbishly brushed off my evangelistic attempts on the plane ride but she looked so helpless, I had to help her.

“Do you know where you are going right now?” I shouted to her as I cradled her injured head in my hands. She looked me in the eyes and tears dripped down her face. “PLEASE, don’t leave me here, young lady, please, take me with you!” she pleaded with a sense of terror in her voice. “Do you know who Jesus Christ is?” I questioned firmly. The tears began to flow more rapidly from her eyes, what I heard at that moment brought me to tears. “I know who He is..but He, He doesn’t know who I am. He wouldn’t want me anyway. I know how you Christians are supposed to live and I’m a horrible woman. Please, take me with you, I don’t want to die right now!!!” she finished with a wince of pain. I looked her in the eyes and pleaded with her. I told her the gospel, I reminded her that we are all fallen human beings, and it is better to learn the lesson now than not learn it at all. She looked me in the eyes and asked, “Do you really think He would want me?” I could see through her speech a pure and honest desire to know our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. She firmly believed that she was too messed up for the honor of standing in His presence. She looked at me and said with question in her voice, “Will he accept me if I admit to everything I’ve done wrong? I know I’m not a good person, but doesn’t he wipe away your wrongdoings?”

She committed her life to Christ moments after that part of our conversation. She requested that I bring her her purse and when she opened it, she handed me her wallet, her necklace and earrings, her golden watch and diamond ring. “Sell these and give the money to your church. I heard a message once that said Christians were supposed to donate to the church, and these will go to waste if you leave them here. Please, do this as my first and last act of kindness.” A smile spread across her face as I took the possessions from her and promised to do as she asked. “Young lady?” she sought my attention with a nervous voice. “Yes, ma’am?” I responded. “Thank you. I was a church-going woman all of my life, but I knew that God wouldn’t want me because I didn’t do what the pastors asked. Are you sure He’s going to want me, since I didn’t live like you?” she unknowingly pondered. “If you are sincere, and God has a room prepared for you, there is no reason that you won’t be spending eternity with our Lord and Savior.” I answered. “I don’t  know why He’s being so nice to me since I’ve been such a bad woman, but I want to thank you for questioning me when you could’ve jumped and left me behind. I don’t have to spend eternity in Hell because you stopped to help me.” she smiled with tears dripping from her eyes. She was losing energy and her speech was becoming slow. “I’ll see you up there, then?” she inquired with a smile. “I’ll see you in Heaven.” I answered, allowing a smile to spread across my tearstained face.

It shouldn’t take a dramatic situation like an airplane crash to get my evangelism into high-gear. I should be as passionate and dedicated to evangelism every day as I would on the day before Christ’s return (assuming we knew what day He was returning). I shouldn’t need a push, shove and kick from behind to get out there and talk about my Savior. No reservations, not letting anything hold me back, but getting up and SPEAKING for His glory. We have been warned on  multiple occasions in the Bible that living the Christian life will not be easy and that we should expect persecution! [John 15:18, Matthew 10:22, John 16:33, 1 John 3:13] If I KNOW that I’m going to be persecuted, but I KNOW that people will get saved because of God working through my evangelistic efforts, I have to realize the importance of their souls over my reputation, or go as far as saying even my life. Jesus Christ spared His life for my soul. If I take it to the extreme, shouldn’t I be able to spare my life for someone else’s soul? Christ did it for me, so what’s holding me back?

My prayer is that we would take on 2011 with an expectation for REVIVAL and hearts prepared to get out there and evangelize like never before. I need to get down to business praying for some serious results in our evangelistic efforts both on and off the campuses of Orange County. We were given mouths by the Creator in the beginning..let’s use them for His glory alone by praising and proclaiming His name to all of the earth.

OUR GOD IS GREATER. OUR GOD IS STRONGER, GOD YOU ARE HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER. GOD YOU ARE HEALER, AWESOME IN POWER, OUR GOD! OUR GOD!! And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us? And if our God is with us, then who can stand against??

(Incase it wasn’t obvious, that was a completely fictional story which I used to impress the seriousness and vitality of the situation on the reader’s mind before jumping into the subject of evangelism. I’m also hoping that it causes you to realize that it shouldn’t take dramatic plane-crashes to bring us out of our shells and open our mouths for evangelism.)

I’m done. It hurts too much.

It hurts. Tears drip down my face. Nothing fills the empty hole in my heart. “I’ll never be happy again,” I say aloud. I’m going to be one of THOSE kids now. Why me? He must not exist. If there is a God, he must hate me. I don’t care what they say, if there was a God, he                                                                     wouldn’t let me hurt like this.

Trials. Suffering. Pain. We all endure them. But WHY? I was living a perfectly happy life and then wham, no more. Get used to it, Megan. Clearly there’s no God because if there were he wouldn’t allow you to be in so much pain. These are all legitimate things that I personally thought, said and felt. My father had deserted me and no one seemed to care enough to do something. I was almost 14 years old, a Freshman in high school and my life came to an abrupt halt. I had grown up hearing about this amazing God who loves his children and cares for each and every one of them, and I believed it until April 10th, 2008. On that day I dropped my hands, looked up towards the ceiling and said, “You must not exist if you are letting this happen.” Numerous times since then I have said the same thing. Clearly this God guy doesn’t care about me because he’s letting my life fall apart. If he doesn’t care about me, then I’m not going to care about him.

I had this mindset of “He doesn’t care, so I don’t care either,” until I heard a message at True North, the high school ministry at Compass Bible Church. It must have been late November of 2009 and the youth pastor, Bobby Blakey, mentioned something about how God puts us through trials to bring us closer to Him. I didn’t let that sink in immediately, but I thought for  a second, “Huh..maybe He is real and He’s just busy making someone else’s life wonderful. Maybe he’ll come fix mine soon!” I had this hopeful, yet still doubtful mindset until February 6th, 2010. The high school ministry had taken a trip up to the mountains over the weekend and we had enjoyed a day of wandering in the snow, making a movie and hearing  a message about David & Jonathan. We had dinner, went back to the cabin and had an hour or so until this ‘epic worship night’ that everyone seemed to be talking about. My friends and I were hesitant and thought about staying in the room and just sleeping since the worship night went until 11pm and we weren’t really that interested. Eventually, my friend, Sarah, and I decided to go and that may have been the best decision of my life.

We arrived and were surrounded by black lights and glow sticks (I found it comical that they expected us to worship for 2 hours after an exhausting day in the snow.) I didn’t know a few of the songs (some were written by Ben Blakey, and others I had simply never heard) but those I did recognize, I sang along to. We came to “Jesus Paid It All” and I broke down. I felt idiotic because it was then that I realized that Jesus REALLY DID pay it all and this wasn’t some myth, and God cared about me and although I was enduring trials, He was watching over me! God showed me then and there that He was standing with open arms, waiting for me to realize the truth and come to him. I gave my life to Christ that night and since then, He has healed my broken heart, wiped the tears away from my face and given me a thousand things to be happy about.

When I look back and think “Why me?” I now have an answer: Because God wanted to make me His and I was stubborn. He did what he had to do to bring me to Him and if I had to go back in time, I would do the same thing over again. So many people have said, “Couldn’t God have done it some other way so that you didn’t have to endure so much pain??” and my only answer is, “I thank God on bended knee for what he did, because it saved me.” Of course, I wish I didn’t have to lose a father and live with a broken family, but I now have an eternal Father and a family of Christ who loves me and will never leave me. It has almost been 2 years since the day my father left, but it has almost been 1 year since the day my Father made His way in.

• John 16:33 affirms us that we are safe in His arms: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
• Isaiah 41:10 keeps me encouraged with the reminder that God is watching over me: “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
• Psalm 16:8 prompts me to go to God with everything and he will care for me: “I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.”

A few other verses which have helped me concentrate on Him are Psalm 55:22, Psalm 62:6, 1 Peter 5:6-7, Nahum 1:7, the whole chapter of Psalm 46,  and 2 Corinthians 1:3-7.

My prayer is that by reading this blog, you may have been reminded that no matter where you are, or what you are going through, Christ is there and his hand goes a mile further. He will never leave you, never desert you, and he cares for every part of your life. This isn’t some self-help blog, but a sincere and honest prayer that God will be the one and only place you run to in times of affliction and that you will depend on God no matter what it seems like he is doing or neglecting to do. God cares for you and wants every one of us to rejoice and be glad.

James 1:2-4 shows the blessings we can receive by concentrating on God in our time of need: “Count it all joy, my brothers,when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Where Were You When I Needed You?

About 6 months ago at the end of my Sophomore year, I gave a speech in speech class titled “Where Were You When I Needed You?” After hearing Pastor Bobby Blakey’s message this morning at True North, I thought of this speech immediately. I know that it is a long speech, I’m not asking you to sit down and memorize it. But take a second to think about your relationship with your brothers and sisters in Christ. The message Pastor Bobby gave was not only convicting, but it was encouraging as well. My hope is that some of you (like I was) are impacted by the Word of God and the commands He gives us. I’ll try to post a connection to his message once it is online, but for now, I thought posting the speech I wrote might be a little bit of a taste of the miraculous words of wisdom God has gifted Pastor Bobby with. The speech was inspired by one of his past messages and I hope it inspires you to get out there and build a real relationship with your brothers and sisters in Christ, consisting of more than just “Hey!” twice a week at church. Here’s the speech:

 

I walked into youth group today…looked around and saw friends gathered in circles, laughing & enjoying each-other’s company. I searched for anyone I might recognize, but I knew my friends weren’t there. I held a bit of hope in my heart, thinking someone would reach out and ask me to sit with them. I imagined we’d discover we had something in common. Alas, Nothing. The people in their groups stayed the way they were. I found a seat in the back right hand corner and sat down. Eventually the music started and the cliques sat down. I spent the entire service sitting alone, asking myself what was wrong with me? Why weren’t any of these “Christians” reaching out? Aren’t they known for their compassion and hospitatlity? Church ended and I walked out as fast as my legs would take me. I didn’t want to spend another minute where I was unwelcome. 10 words from the pastor’s sermon stuck in my head… ‘Church is the last place you want to be rejected.’” This story is one that is repeated too many times in the lives of teenagers today. They feel rejected in school, and rejected at home. They go to church thinking it’ll be a safe-house, where they will finally be accepted but they are treated as an outcast.

“I came home from school today to discover that my parents had had another fight. But this one was different. I walked upstairs to look for my mom. She wasn’t there. There was a note on my door. It was my dad’s handwriting, ‘Honey, I’m sorry for what happened, I want you to know it’s not your fault. I’ll call you and maybe we can go to dinner and talk. Love you, Dad.’ I was totally confused at this moment. I walked into my parent’s room and my dad’s closet door was open. I flipped on the light-switch and saw one of the most devastating images I had ever seen in my life. Absence. Emptiness. Not a sock, not a tie, nothing. My dad had moved out. I rushed to my parent’s bathroom. His toothbrush was gone. His razor was gone. I fell to the floor and began to cry, holding my legs close to my chest, I tried to squeeze the pain away. It was excruciating.” This story is an adaptation from Melody Carlson’s “Bitter Rose”.

There are many cases of teenage depression. Even if the teen isn’t “declared” to be depressed, he/she may still feel lonely, or unloved and certainly in need of Christ’s comfort, love, companionship. The sad fact is that these teens may never know that comfort unless someone who does know God’s love steps out of his/her comfort zone to tell them. Look to the person on your left. Don’t say anything, but ask yourself, “do I really know how this person is doing?” Is he/she suffering inside? Whether it be fear of rejection, alienation, family problems, struggles in school, or even cancer…do I REALLY know how _______ is doing today? How many times have you said “how are you?” Hundreds, probably thousands of times. How many times have you meant it? How many times did you wait to hear the response to the question you asked? We know when someone is genuinely interested in how we are doing. With the obstacles that fill everyday life, it’s critical to ask it, mean it, and wait for the truth. I know from experience that a genuine, “how are you” can change a day. Sometimes even a life.

Psalm 41:1-2 says “Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; He will bless in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.” We can find instructions like this one throughout scripture. Your friends may be suffering. I know for a fact that there’s at least one person in this room who struggles to smile through every single day without collapsing. Loneliness, rejection..these things can lead to horrible consequences, whether future problems with family, in relationships…or something more serious like thoughts of suicide..self-harm. This is not a light subject, and I don’t want to pretend that it is. But you, YOU can change a life, you could even save a life.

Some people have the heart to reach out …but may believe that they are too young, or they don’t know the right thing to say. Proverbs 21:13 says “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.” If you have the heart to make a difference, there’s no reason that you shouldn’t. But that verse is not only a command, it’s also a warning..if you don’t listen to their cries, your cries will not be heard. That’s why I’m speaking to you now..I want to inspire you to go out and make a difference! Pull one of your very best friends aside and ask him how he is really doing..and don’t stop there. We aren’t told by God to only reach out to our best friends. We are told to reach out to the needy.

I’m not asking you to walk up to a complete stranger and become their personal therapist..I’m trying to inspire you to open your eyes to hurting people and offer help. So many problems go unnoticed. So many teens feel neglected. Just reach out, care, show Christ’s love! Proverbs 14:31 says “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” You can be needy in different ways. Some people are just in need of a friend. And if you help them, if you show love to them, God will HONOR you!! I don’t know about the rest of you..but complying with God’s wishes is my #1 goal.

Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:12, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” He tells us this because He knows it is what is needed by hurting people. I’d like to share a story with you: “Last friday I was sitting in the park with my friend Elysia…we had been attempting cartwheels for a while when two guys walked by..the first thing I noticed were the tattoos …I immediately thought, “Oh, NO!”. They looked like trouble makers, so Elysia and I pretended to be deep in conversation in order to avoid any interaction. We heard one of them talking and he was obviously frustrated. Apparently they were trying to meet up somewhere. Finally exasperated he said, “Just go sit on the bench where the dead kids live.” Anger welled up inside of me. He was referring to the Coble family, whose three children were killed in a car accident about two years ago. Several emotions battled inside me. I was angry at their callousness and burdened at their blindness. I wanted to say something but I was afraid of their response, so I stayed silent. Once they left, I turned to Elysia and I said, ‘Have you ever had the feeling that you’ve missed the opportunity to reach out and tell someone about God?’ I was being convicted by God. I had ignored the urge to stand up and say something, and missed an opportunity to share God’s love. I still regret it today.” Following this experience I was inspired to spread God’s love so that no one would have to turn out the way those two guys had. We don’t always see how our words can encourage or inspire but being obedient to God’s nudge to speak will be fruitful.. A few months ago my pastor said, “When the end comes, you don’t want people that knew you to be looking up at you in heaven thinking, why didn’t she ever say something to me, tell me the truth? If she had only reached out, I might be with her today.” After I walked out of that message, I realized that I wanted to reach out and tell everyone I knew about God’s love. That’s my goal today, to inspire you guys to remember that you have a gift, and you need to share it!! God didn’t give us this gift to hide, He gave it to us so that we could share it with the world.

My mom gave me permission to use this story from Nursing School: “My name is Debbie Okada, when I was 18 years old and attending Nursing School I had an experience that shaped the way I interact with people to this day. I always sat next to Pat who was older than I, at 24, but also a first year nursing student. She had an adorable baby boy. One day during class, our professor handed her a note. She turned to me and said, ‘They’ve taken my baby to the hospital,’ and raced out of class. I don’t know why I waited, but as soon as class was over I went immediately to the hospital with the rest of my class behind me. I watched Pat enter the waiting room. She had a blank look on her white face. ‘My baby is dead.‘ she said…

Pat returned to nursing school almost a year after the death of her 4 month old son from SIDS or crib death. I approached her somewhat timidly and asked how she was doing. I will never forget her answer—it changed the way I lived the rest of my life. Her words to me were, ‘Where were you when I needed you?’”

We are commanded in Galatians 6:2 to “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” I challenge you to reach out to someone you know, and then someone you don’t know. Help them walk the trials of life. Don’t leave them standing alone. Christ didn’t.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

There are people that I know who have stepped out of their comfort zone and changed my life. I want you to know, that God has used you to comfort me. Being on this end of suffering and having received God’s provision in you, causes me to want to reach out to those around me. I didn’t realize how alone people were until I became one of them. My recent experiences have shown me that even in our deepest troubles, God will provide. No matter how far off safety seemed to me, God’s hand was a mile further. So when I think of my mom’s situation and her friend who asked, “Where were you when I needed you?” I think of the people in this room who were RIGHT there when I needed them most.

 

—End of speech—

I hope that we no longer take the relationships God has blessed us with so lightly. Having the opportunity to make friends with brothers and sisters in Christ at church has been one of the greatest blessings I have ever received. Don’t take yours for granted.

 

Blogging About The Boss

Who has bragging rights? (Other than San Casoro for winning the True North cup..until January, my friends!!) Anyway, back to business..so who has bragging rights?? There is not one man, woman, child or animal on this earth that has complete bragging rights. Yes, Neil Armstrong’s name will be remembered for centuries because he was the first man to walk on the moon. Sure, Taylor Lautner can have bragging rights because of that 6-pack he so greedily possesses. Of course, John MacArthur has a SERIOUS reputation because of the amazing books he has written and the complete commitment to God that we so evidently see in his every day life. But do you notice anything about these 3 men? Neil Armstrong’s name is remembered for walking on something that was created by God. Taylor Lautner has bragging rights because of his body which was created by God. John MacArthur has such an awesome reputation because of a passion for Christ given to him by the saving grace of God. They all have God in common! Although some of them may deny God as the Creator, and reject the idea of an almighty God, it is evident to Christians the connection these men possess.

If God is the only one that possesses bragging rights, then what is the purpose of Facebook, blog websites like this one, and YouTube? Every 5 minutes there’s an update on Facebook. “Blahblahblah is running a marathon!” “Blahblahblah just finished reading Dante’s Inferno.” Although it may not be intentional, almost every Facebook status I see contains the words ‘I’, ‘me’ or ‘us’. I don’t claim to be one of the few who don’t post about themselves, I know that I am imperfect. Blogging: I’ve seen a variety of blogs from updates on your favorite music artists, to photoblogs promoting the owner’s photography, to corporate blogs who are, well promoting their business. YouTube: don’t even get me started on YouTube. Half of the people on YouTube are people recording their voices, playing music, showing off their serious movie-making skills or bashing celebrities and promoting things like SNL and The Late Show. As sinful human beings, it is ‘only natural’ for us to brag about the things we’ve accomplished and show off our mad skills, right? WRONG. With God, all things are possible.

• He can humble the most prideful man on earth.
• He can encourage the most timid and self-deprecating young woman.
• He can remind the weary that someday, we’ll all be perfect, and striving for perfection on this earth should not be our main goal

We, as followers of Christ, need to make sure on a daily basis that we remember this is nothing of ourselves, but all of Him. I as a follower of Christ, need to make sure that I am living daily like He is the only one. (He is, after all, the only on that matters.) Accountabilibuddies. Ever heard of one? I remember the first time I heard Pastor Bobby Blakey reference accountabilibuddies..I laughed so hard and I thought it was the most ridiculous idea on the planet. Why in the world would anyone want to share their deepest secrets with another person? “I can pray for myself” was something I thought on a regular basis. When God saved me, when I became a Christian, I longed for an accountabilibuddy like you cannot believe. We have brothers and sisters in Christ for this very reason! I am SO thankful to God for providing me with the people He has provided. Some of the most amazing leaders, some of the most amazing brothers and sisters in Christ. Mmm. Going to leaders and sisters in Christ for accountability is uncomfortable at first, but one of the most amazing ideas ever. I need to remember to go to Him and go to them(accountabilibuddies) to ask for guidance, humility and encouragement.

So, if God is the only one that possesses bragging rights, then what am I doing here? Why am I blogging when clearly, blogging is an outlet for self-promotion and pride? My prayer is that through blogging, not only I, but anyone that reads this blog, will learn a lesson that it doesn’t have to be all about ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘us’.

Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “For by grace you have been saved, through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

I need to remember on a daily basis that my salvation is nothing of my own doing. Absolutely NOTHING is of my own doing. I am not here on this earth because of my own doing; I am not able to read and write because I taught myself to. God alone is the reason for my existence, salvation and every day life.

I was encouraged to start this blog by a friend who reminded me that all I have to do is write about what I love. I love Jesus Christ, how hard could it be? I’m beginning to think it may be a little dangerous that I have this place to constantly write about Him, because I have a feeling I’m going to have an idea for a blog, and put off that Chemistry test or English paper so I can write what I’m really passionate about. Seeing more and more high school students starting blogs has been SO encouraging. If you think about 12 high school students with blogs, most people’s first reactions would be, “Oh great, now they have ANOTHER outlet for their immature and inappropriate ways.” But these guys and girls, these people I have the privilege of calling my friends, they have LEGIT blogs! Writing all about Him and what He’s done in their lives…I strongly and I mean STRONGLY encourage you to check them out.

Here’s links to a few of them:

Cameron Baxter: http://cmbaxter.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/i-cant-get-no-satisfaction/

Wesley Wong: http://wesleywmw.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/taking-joy-in-trials/

Steffen Eriksen: http://steffeneriksen.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/a-heart-of-flesh-a-heart-made-anew/

Spencer Camp: http://spencercamp.wordpress.com/2010/11/22/creation-cries-out/

Katie Knudsen: http://theweeklyword-katieknudsen.blogspot.com/

Alyssa Smith: http://alyssasmith116.wordpress.com/

Let’s promote dying to self and living for Him. Who is with me?!

[[[God, remind me to blog about YOU and nothing else.]]]

When You See The Waves

Hardships. Trials. Midlife Crisis. When the walls come crashing down, my instinct is to run. Fear causes us to flee. If a child touches a hot stove, his first instinct is to pull his hand away and scream for mommy; we as humans automatically respond to suffering, pain and grief with tears, anger and uncontrolled feelings. But how does God want me to respond to the hardships of life? How am I called, by the Bible, to react to sad news, family breaks and stress? James 1:1-8 paints a clear picture of how God wants his servants to respond to trials.

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (ESV)

These verses are a chastisement to the followers of Jesus Christ who run in fear at the sight of trials. When a surfer awaits that perfect wave and finds himself facing a gigantic 30ft. monster instead, fear flushes through his body and his first instinct is: RUN. As Christians, we are called to go to God when we see the waves. Call out for help from the One who saves. Experience has taught me that running to a friend, or squeezing my ribs as tight as I can doesn’t empty that feeling of pain, at least not for long. But there is something, or someone, rather, who CAN take away that feeling forever: Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Every single thing in my life is under God’s control. That doesn’t mean, however, that my life will be bliss and happiness. The Bible does not once say that a Christian’s life will be easy and care-free. In fact, we are reminded on multiple occasions that as Christians we will face many trials[James 1:2-3; John 15:18-20]. God does not claim to make Christians’ lives perfection, He does not even claim to make them easy! But He does claim to take control of the reigns and allow us to rest, He sits in the driver’s seat and makes His own directions.

When I saw the waves, I ran. I sought comfort in anything I could find but always refused to even try Jesus Christ. He doesn’t claim to make life perfect and worry-free but He does remind me on a daily basis that when I see the waves, I can turn to Him, ask for help, and He’ll be there to stand up and rebuke the waves[Luke 8:24].

Matthew 10:26-31 is an amazing reminder that God has my back, I am worth more than sparrows to Him, and I need to fear nothing but God my Savior. I don’t have to freak out when I see the mountain-sized wave coming towards me because I have Jesus right here, walking me through. God alone can rescue and save those with troubled hearts.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)

“To the one who’s dreams are falling all apart. And all you’re left with is a tired and broken heart. I can tell by your eyes you think your on your own but you’re not all alone. Have you heard of the One who can calm the raging seas? Gives sight to the blind, pull the lame up to their feet. With a love so strong he’ll never let you go, oh you’re not alone.

You will be safe in His arms!
You will be safe in His arms!
‘Cause 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.” Safe by Phil Wickham (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juptsGuP3oE&feature=related)