Are You a Poser?

   As previously mentioned, I enjoy playing games. I don't like losing games but there's something that's almost as bad in Just Dance: being called a poser. After each dance, in certain Just Dance games, they give you a name/attribute that you were in the song. Typically, I get smooth, energetic, or in rhythm. But, every once in a while if I'm tired or I don't know the song I will be called a poser. That means that I just did well on the big moves.
   As much as I dislike being called a poser in Just Dance there's someplace else in my life that I'd rather not be called a poser in: My walk with Christ. Vocabulary.com defines a poser as "a person who habitually pretends to be something he is not." Are Christians becoming posers? There are some signs that some Christians are becoming posers.
   1. We wear Christian merchandise but we don't know what it means. Some Christians wear verses but don't know where they come from or why they are important. I'm not saying that if you wear Christian merchandise you are automatically a poser, I wear shirts with verses too. What I am saying is that if you are just wearing it to fit in or impress someone without knowing why it is important to you or others, then you are in danger of being a poser.
   2. We go to church but that's as far as our relationship with God goes. You go to church because that's what your parents do/did. You may treat it like a club and don't actually listen to the meat of the message. Then you go home and you don't pray, spend time with God, and don't immerse yourself in the word. You are basically putting on a show for the people at church and that's it.
   3. We only admit we are Christian when it benefits us. You like someone who is a Christian, that's the time to pull out you Christianity card. You are interviewing at a place and you know the boss is a Christian. Ooo boy, it's time to show him/her how much you know about Jesus. But, if you are out with your friends and they don't believe in Jesus, you keep your mouth shut. How is that okay? Being Christian is not like wearing a T-shirt. We cannot just put Christianity on and off. Once we accept Christ it is our job to show him to others at all times. It isn't easy, but it's what we are called to do.
   People are looking for something, or someone, real. We are called hypocrites so many times nowadays because we are posers. We pretend to be something we are not. In essence, we are becoming like the Pharisees who crucified Jesus. At every turn the Pharisees chose to only follow laws if they benefited themselves. Yet, they would condemn others who were committing the same sins they were.
   I don't know about you but I want to be real. I don't want to be a hypocrite, poser, or Pharisee. I want to show the love of Christ to others no matter what. Yes, I mess up. But, that's a good opportunity for me to tell others, "I messed up, I'm sorry, I hope you can forgive me." That's how people will see there is something different about us. That’s how people will begin to question and become seekers.
   So, are you a poser Christian? What can you do to stop being a poser, or keep from being a poser? Will you choose to show God's love to others no matter the cost?

   John 14:15, 1 John 2:4, Matthew 7:21-23

   For more information on how to not be a "poser Christian" check out the book Jesus Swagger by Jarrid Wilson. 

   Image from here. 

A Pottery Story

   Imagine God is going into a pottery store. He brings an angel, let's call him Johans, with him to look. This is that story.
   God walks into the pottery store while holding the door for Johans, who protests God serving him. God's eyes fill will wonder and love as he looks around. There is a calming atmosphere inside the store. A small waterfall is running over in the corner. Some plants are hanging from the ceiling and are sitting on windowsills and shelves to add ambience.
   God smiles and thinks to himself that humans are very creative. That's one thing he loves about us. He walks around and sees many lovely pots and vases. There are many different kinds. Some are short, tall, skinny, wide, coiled, flat, brown, red, glazed, spotted, striped, and many more. As God walks by each he touches them. Then he looks at them as if he is deep in thought and moves onto the next one.
God and Johans reach the back of the store and they see the clearance area. God walked over and Johans smiled. God had a tendency to look in the clearance section. 
   God picked up a pot that was split almost the whole way down the side. Johans frowned, "Lord, why are you considering that pot? It is broken and cannot even be used to put food in." God nodded, "this pot has been broken by life. What you see now is only part of the story. This pot has been hurt by many people. But, with a little bit of work this pot can be useful. It still has a purpose." God handed Johans the pot to hold.
   God stepped over to the next pot. This one was painted but unglazed. Johans thought to himself, "this pot looks very nice but it cannot be used to hold any water since it is unfinished. Surely God will not choose this one." He knew better than to say anything to God though. God picked up the pot and looked at every angle of it. Then he handed it to Johans. "This pot is beautiful as is. However, it is unfinished. This pot is useful but, with some work, it can be better."
   There was one more pot on the clearance rack. Johans glanced at it. This is one pot he would choose on the clearance rack. It was decorated beautifully and had a glazed finished. God picked up the pot and looked at the outside. "This pot looks beautiful. Look at the intricate details. See the painstaking process the potter took to weave the coils. One must wonder why this pot is on the clearance rack." Then God showed Johans the inside of the pot. Inside the pot was black and burned. Johans would not want to put any food or water inside that pot. God smiled, "this pot looks nice on the outside yet on the inside it is corrupted. This is why I look on the inside not the outside. One would think this pot is beyond use. This pot may take more work than the others but it is still able to be saved. I may not be able to use all these pots now, but someday they will be unbroken, finished, uncorrupted, and most importantly know my love for them."
   God walked toward the cash register. Johans followed with a slight grin. That was why he loved the Lord. When others saw broken and unsalvageable God saw more. That is why he is God.
   So, what kind of pot are you? Do you see broken people and think they are not worth it? What can you do remind someone that they are loved by God today?
   Isaiah 45:9 and 1 John 3:1
   Image from here.

Hall of Faith Series Ending

   “Build a strong faith in God through daily commitment in reading and obeying God’s word” (Lailah Gifty Akita).

   Through this whole series I hope you were able to learn some lessons from people who had faith. One lesson I learned was that it is not easy to have faith. I knew that before I even started this series but it became even more evident as the series went on. The people in the Hall of Faith are there because even when things got tough they trusted God in the end.

   At the beginning of the series I invited you to check out the song Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns. In the song is says “Oh what I would do to have, The kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I'm in, Onto the crashing waves.” Peter was asked to do something crazy. It was something that was not possible in our human minds. Yet, he still did it. The song goes on to say, “The waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me… they keep on telling me time and time again, ‘boy, you’ll never win!” When Peter stepped out in faith and kept his eyes on Jesus he was fine. Then he looked at the storm going on around him and started to sink. This is the part where we say Peter failed.

   The people in the Hall of Faith were not perfect. Moses was a murderer, Rahab was a prostitute, Samson relied on his own strength, David was an adulterer, and they all made mistakes. Many times we feel bad and guilty when we mess up. We think that God may never be able to use us again or that he won’t forgive us. That just isn’t true. God can use our weaknesses for his glory. He changes our weaknesses into strengths. We just have to trust in him, grow in him, and have faith. We must listen to the Voice of Truth that says “Do not be afraid! And the voice of truth says, ‘this is for my glory.’” God loves us no matter what we do. The people in the Hall of Faith knew that and loved Him back. They reflected his glory.

   So, what lessons have you learned from this series? What can you do to strengthen your faith in God?

Hebrews 11
   Image from here. 

Trials: The Prophets Hall of Faith

   “Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of” (Charles Spurgeon).

   The prophets are the last group of people mentioned in the Hall of Faith. Thinking about the prophets a few come to mind: Elisha, Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, etc. Here’s the thing, all of these men lived a life many of us would not want. They lived in the wilderness, performed miracles, spoke to kings, and followed God. I am not saying we wouldn’t want to follow God or perform miracles but I am sure you would not want to feel like you are all alone in the world.

   Each of the prophets faced trials. They had armies and kings against them but it did not matter. The prophets knew that whatever they faced was worth it because God had a plan. These men told others the word of God fearlessly. They did countless things to reflect God’s glory.

   We may not face the kinds of trials the prophets did. We probably will not have armies against us, kings want to kill us, or be asked to lie on our side for many days. But, God will call us to do things. And, we will go through trials. We just have to be willing to walk through those trials with God and reflect his glory.

   So, will you be willing to do what God calls you to do? When you have to walk through trials will you walk through them with God?

   James 1:12, John 16:33, Luke 10:27

   Image from here.

Abiding with God: New Year's Blog

   As some of you know, each year I try to challenge myself with a spiritual resolution. This year I chose to challenge myself to spend more time with God. Many times we feel we are too busy. I know this year I was very busy with many different things. I could’ve used excuses and said “I’m too busy to spend time in the word.” But, each day I spent time with God. You could also say I was abiding with God each day. Abide isn’t a word that we tend to use much nowadays. The only time I have really heard the word abide used much is when someone says, “I cannot abide with that.” According to dictionary.com abide means: “to remain, continue, or stay.” I was remaining and staying with God all year.

   I chose this challenge because at the beginning of the year I read the verse John 15:4. The verse says: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” This verse is basically saying that we are like a branch. God is the vine. Without an attachment to the vine, the branch would not survive. The branch would not produce fruit. As Christians, we are called to produce fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). If we abide with God, then we will produce his fruit. We will grow in him and get to know him more.

   I learned a lot this year during the challenge. I had a few rough patches this year, and I am sure you did as well. However, this year when I went through these rough patches I knew the word better and I kept saying verses to myself. This helped me to get through tough times. Knowing the word made me feel like God was walking right beside me. I knew he was walking beside me in previous years; but knowing his word and abiding with him helped me feel closer to him.

   I encourage you, as 2019 ends and 2020 is here, to come up with your own spiritual challenge. If you don’t have one, then why not try spending time abiding with God? I promise you, you will learn a lot and you will grow in him.

   Image from here.