Purity in Couple Relationships

   Now we are finally to the part where we talk about the purity that most people think of when they hear that word: purity in couple relationships. When you finally meet someone, you feel you can spend the rest of your life with, it will feel right. God created humans with two genders: male and female. He created their parts to fit together. He created sex.

   Before I go any farther discussing sexual purity, I want to put in a PSA here. I went to a public high school then a Christian college. In high school I learned about sex and how it works. When I got to college, some of the girls in my dorm went to Christian schools their whole life. Some of them did not know how sex works. They didn’t even know about their own bodies! When I asked them what they were taught about sex they said, “not much.” Most of them replied with the idea that they were told sex is icky and we shouldn’t talk about it.

   Mouth drop on the floor here. If sex isn’t good, why did God create it to be bonding? Why did he create it and make it feel good to do? Why did he make it as the way to reproduce? Sex is good, in the context of marriage. And yet, churches don’t teach that. Christian schools don’t teach that. Parents don’t teach their children that. In all my years serving as a soccer coach at a Christian college only one player who I have asked what she was taught about sex had a good answer. Her parents taught her that sex is beautiful in the context of marriage. That it should be saved for when a man and a woman love one another and are married. That’s what we should be teaching others. Thus ends my soapbox.

   Relationships nowadays are very different than relationships back in Bible times. In Bible times, there was no dating. Today we have dating, dtr, engagement, then finally marriage. And, there’s no set time as to how long each of those things can take. Thus, why staying pure in relationships can be so hard. You are spending time getting to know someone to see if you want to spend the rest of your life with them. The more time you spend, the closer you get. The closer you get, the CLOSER you want to be (if you catch my drift).

   This is when temptation comes into play. God has made it clear in his word that we are not to be sexually immoral. 1 Corinthians 7:2 says: “But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.” He doesn’t say each man should have a friend with benefits, a concubine, or a prostitute. Each man should have ONE wife. God has also made it clear the dangers of having sex outside of marriage. Each time you have sex with someone, you are bonding with them. You are connected. You are one. All this can be seen in chemical reactions in your brain. There is also the danger of STDs when you sleep with more than one person.

   Knowing all of this, how do we stay pure even when it is hard? Psalm 119:9 holds the answer. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” We have discussed how purity begins in the heart. If you have a heart for God, you will read his word to get to know him.  As you get to know him, you will not only have more of a heart for him, but you will also know his word more. His word can help you guard your heart. You can pray when you feel tempted or weak. I know it sounds like a simple answer, but it doesn’t mean it is easy. God doesn’t always ask us to do what is easy. He asks us to do what is right.

   So, are you pursuing purity in your relationships? How can you grow closer to God?

https://www.healthline.com/health/love-hormone 

https://youtu.be/ueX8bUxIFPQ

Mountains of Bloomsburg Introduction

   Dark. All you see is dark. You open your eyes, now you see fog all around you. You cannot see any other people or any other things. After you stand there for a while you decide to move on because standing there is not doing you any good.
   You keep walking and you see beautiful trees. They are some of the prettiest trees you have ever seen. Next there are creatures you have never seen before. There are lions with the heads of eagles, birds that look like they are on fire, men with goat legs, and so many more creatures. 
   After walking a while you come to a town. There are many children playing, people working, and people worshipping. You walk up to a man and ask, "where am I?" The man replies, "you are in the Mountains of Bloomsburg. I've never seen you here before, what is your name?" You tell the man your name and he shakes his head, "are you new here?" You say, "I've never been here before." Then you tell the man where you are from. The man says, "I've never heard of that place either but you are welcome to stay here. If you have any questions my name is Ron." You nod your thanks and walk on.
   Suddenly you see a lion with the bead of an eagle above you. You cover your head thinking that this is the end. The lion like creature lands and cocks its head at you, "who are you?" Your mouth drops open. This creature can talk! You finally get your voice back and tell the creature your name. "You are not from here are you?" You shake your head no. 
   The creature begins to pace while talking to itself, "very strange, what is he up to?" The creature stops pacing and freezes. You look around wondering if this is normal.
The creature glances at you. "I don't know what Gottes is up to but he says I am to take care of you and answer any of your questions."
   You begin to ask questions of the creature. You find out his name is Jordan. He is called and Engel and he works for Gottes. Gottes created this world. You look around and see a long, dark mountain range. You ask Jordan, "what is that place?" Jordan replies, "that is the part of the mountain that Ubel is contained to. The people of the village have decided to never go there lest they be tempted to betray Gottes." 
   You ponder that for a little then say, "I don't belong here, I'm from somewhere else." Jordan says, "I know you are from somewhere else but you were brought here for a purpose." "What is that purpose?" You ask. "I do not know, I do not try to understand Gottes." Jordan replies. "Would he be able to take me back?" Jordan nods. "Good then I'll ask him to send me back." Jordan smiles, "you can ask but you may not get the answer you want." You sigh, "is there anyone else who could send me back?" Jordan glances at the dark mountain range, "Ubel may be able to but he is crafty. He used to be an Engel but then he betrayed Gottes."
   You think about it then realize that you must get back. A plan begins to form in your head. You are going to go to see Ubel.
   If you actually came to this land would you want to leave? What other questions would you have asked the Engel? Would you trust Ubel? How does this story relate to the Bible?

   Proverbs 3:5-6

Ride the Wave

  We all go through them: seasons of stress. Maybe there are health problems in your family, maybe work is causing your eye to twitch, maybe someone in your family is making your brain explode. The list could go on and on but you get the idea. 

One time I was going through a season of stress a friend sent me a video. In the video someone was surfing a wave. The person fell as he was surfing. He went under the water. He was under the influence of stress. The problem is if we choose to wallow in that stress we will drown and die. 

The surfer got back up on his board and got ready to ride the next wave. The next wave was bigger but the surfer was more prepared. He was able to ride the wave. In life we can choose to stay down when stressful times come. We can have pity parties or we can get back up and ride the wave.

Psalm 118: 5-6 says "Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" It is important to remember that we cannot learn how to ride the waves on our own and in our own strength. We need to ride with God. When hard times come we need to call upon the Lord. Sometimes that's easy other times it is not so easy. We may feel so beat up that we question if it's even worth getting up. That's when we need to call on the Lord. He will lift you up. He will prepare you for whatever wave you face next. He will remind you that with Him on your side man cannot do anything to you. 

So, will you choose to get up and ride the wave with God?

x

Team Effort: Soccer Lessons

"You can't win a game by yourself. Soccer is a team sport."

   Once I had a player who was very much a me player. She felt she had to do everything herself. She would dribble up the field instead of passing to the open player. She would shoot from strange angles. And, if she did pass to her teammates, she would yell at them if they messed up. It just wasn't the greatest situation for her or the other girls on the team.

   I thought about what I could do to help her understand that soccer is a team sport. I enjoy doing what I call experiments at practices. If my team is having a problem I do an object lesson to help them learn a lesson. This time I asked for 4 volunteers. I set up goals on a small field. Then I had one player against the other 3 players. That doesn't seem fair does it? Well, it wasn't but I was making a point. The girl by herself lost. The 3 girls won. The 3 girls won because they worked together to score. They played as a team. The girl by herself had to play every position.

   It is the same way in life. If humans were meant to be alone God wouldn't have created Eve. We are relational beings. We don't all have the same abilities either. Romans 12:4-5 says: "For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." Just like in soccer there are many positions, there are many positions in society. Every position is important. If we didn't have sanitation workers everything would be dirty. If we didn't have builders we wouldn't have buildings to work in. If we didn't have assistants we wouldn't be able to focus on big projects.

   It's the same way in the body of Christ. Everyone in the body of Christ has different gifts. If we didn't have someone in the body then the body wouldn't be the same. We all work together to reach the lost for them to join the body of Christ. It is a team effort. One person can't reach all the lost. It is a team effort. I pray that we support one another as we do our work for Christ.

   So, are you trying to be a lone ranger and reach others on your own? What can you do to reach the lost today?

   Image from here.

The Love Triangle

   Once upon a time there was a young princess. She was told by all those that she knew that she was beautiful and she was loved by all the people in the land. Her father told her “you must remember who you are no matter what happens to you during your life.” For some time the girl did remember who she was but then she began to grow up.

   The girl grew away from her father. She started to dress in unflattering ways like the popular girls in the kingdom. She began to disobey her parents. The princess took her eyes off of her Father.

One night she found herself in an alley. Her dress was tattered, she was sick, and there was no one there to help her. All of her friends had abandoned her. The princess realized that she had forgotten who she was. She ran home. Then she burst into the throne room where her parents waited, sick with worry. The princess hugged her parents and told them she was sorry.

   She began to read her Bible more. The princess had a hunger for learning about her Father like no other in the kingdom. She had put her eyes back on the father. The princess also began to pray that her relationship with her Father would grow. And, that her future prince would keep his eyes on the father.

   In another kingdom there was a prince. He had thrown many parties, invited many women, and had wine there. He was not making good decisions. The prince loved the life of a bachelor. Until, one day, his parents decided to cut him off. For the good of their son and the kingdom they kicked him out of the castle.

   The prince could not understand why his parents would disown him. He asked his friends to help him. But, his friends wanted nothing to do with him. He joined a band of miscreants and began to lie, cheat, and steal. This went on for 2 years until one day he too woke up in an alley all alone. The prince felt a tug on his heart that day. He realized that he had forgotten who he was.

   The prince went home and begged for his parents’ forgiveness. His parents did forgive him. And, the prince began to read his Bible. His relationship with the Father began to grow. His eyes were back on the Father.

   The Father began to move the princess and the prince together. One day, while at a royal ball, the prince and the princess met. Both of them had gone through a lot, and they had been waiting a long time to meet each other. They began courting. And, one day the prince asked the princess to marry him. The princess agreed and they lived happily ever after.

   Obviously, this is a fictitious story. But, the message behind it rings true. In order for a relationship to work it cannot be just a relationship between husband and wife. It must be a love triangle made up of husband, wife, and Jesus.

   In this story the princess and the prince were not anywhere close to meeting one another until they fixed their eyes on the Father. Before, one can meet their significant other he/she must have a relationship with God. Think about it: when you were in middle school or high school what were you like? If you would have met your spouse then, would you have gotten together? More than likely you would not have gotten together because you still needed to grow.

   The point of this story is to say that, if you are still waiting to meet your spouse you need to keep your eyes fixed on God. If you are not growing in him then God will not move you toward your spouse. And, if your spouse’s eyes are not fixed on God then you still will not meet. Thus, you must also pray that your spouse will fix his/her eyes on God.

   If you are married or with someone, you do not get out of this either. You need to continue to grow in God. It is just that now you can grow with each other. You should be holding one another accountable and should still have your love triangle with Jesus.

   So, do you have your eyes fixed on the Father? If you do not, what are you going to do in order to fix your eyes on the Father again?

   Hebrews 12:2, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Colossians 3:14

Love Your Enemies: Jesus Series

   Matthew 5:44 "Love your enemies and pray for this who persecute you."

   This is probably one of the most difficult things for humans to understand that Jesus said. Maybe it's not difficult for us to understand it; it's a bit more difficult for us to follow it. Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with this idea. A most difficult idea indeed.

   People back then had this idea that they were to hate their enemies. It semi made sense because God had the Israelites destroy almost anyone who was in their land so that they would not be tempted to sin. However, the Israelites forgot that God also promised, through Abraham, that God would bless all nations through them (Gen.12.3). The Israelites were God's chosen people but that doesn't mean that God doesn't love everyone else. If Jesus only died for the Jews many of us would end up in Hell.

   No, the Israelites were to show God's love to other nations. But they also showed that it's impossible to follow the law all the time. They needed atonement as well because they sinned.

Now we have Jesus saying we are to love our enemies and pray for them. Jesus loved those who railed against him. He died for Pilate, who sentenced him to death. He died for the Pharisees, who tried to get him in trouble many times. He died for the Roman soldiers, who nailed him to the cross. He died for Peter, Judas, and all the other disciples who betrayed him. He died for Saul, who persecuted his followers. He died for me, for you, and for everyone.

   Jesus so loved the world that he died for us so that we can be with him. We were enemies of Christ because we nailed him to the cross with our sins. Yet, he showed us the greatest love by laying down his life (John.15.13). If Jesus can show that kind of love, why can't we?

   So, do you show love to others? Do you love those who are mean to you? How can you show Christ's love today?

   Image from here.

Let Go: Jesus Series

   John 12:25 "To hang on to your life is to lose it. To let go of your life is to save it."

   This is probably one of the most confusing things Jesus said. But, in looking at the context, it makes sense. From John 12:20-36 Jesus is predicting his death yet another time.

He started out by telling another parable about a kernel of wheat. He says that if the kernel doesn't fall to the ground and die it is one seed. If it does die it produces many seeds (v. 24). Then Jesus says today's verse.

   If Jesus would not have died then we would not have eternal life. He had to be the sacrificial lamb to die for all of our sins, not just the Israelites. Jesus is the ultimate example of everything we hope to be/have. That's where this verse comes into play.

   I have found there is a series of books by Ted DeKker that explains this really well. The series is called The Circle Trilogy. In the series it emulates what we go through on earth and in our spiritual walk. However, how these people come to Christ is a little different. They have to drown. Yes, they must jump into a red pool, give up their life, and drown. When they do this, they wake up in the presence of God. God tells the person that he loves him/her. Then the person goes up above the surface alive in God.

   In this series the person literally has to give up their life to be saved. In our lives we don't have to do anything so drastic to become a believer. However, we do need to deny ourselves. We need to choose to say yes to Jesus and no to ourselves. We need to admit we are a sinner, then we can have eternal life.

   As Christians though, we must realize that there is a chance that we will be persecuted. Some Christians die because of their faith in Jesus. That's another part of what Jesus is talking about here. Jesus gave up his life for us. If we give up our life for Jesus, or for others, we are following his example. Others may see our example and come to faith. Others may see our example and realize they need to grow closer with Christ. Others may see our example and wonder why we did that.

   We must remember that everything on this earth is temporary. If we give up our lives here we will have eternal life with Jesus, if we know him as our savior.

   So, do you understand why Jesus had to die for us? Do you realize that the things of this earth are temporary? Would you be willing to give up your earthly life for Jesus?

   Image from here.

Are You Anxious?

How many of you have ever had a pet? I'm sure many of you have. You care for your pet and love them. You give them everything they need. Sometimes they are even spoiled. I can tell you that my dog Jak Jak is loved and probably spoiled. However, there is something that Jak Jak has that concerns me.

See, we got Jak Jak when he was 3 months old. He was the first ever puppy, not dog, in my family's household. Thus, Jak needed more attention and care. He was like a baby. He couldn't do certain things like jump on chairs that were high up. He wasn't potty trained. And he obviously couldn't get food for himself (I enjoy pretending to talk like him and I say "I don't have opposable thumbs)." So, my family and I did all these things for him. Unfortunately, Jak Jak developed such an attachment to us that when he wasn't with someone he would whine. This whining and not having someone around developed into anxiety.

Here's the thing I couldn't understand. We love Jak Jak. We give him everything he needs, plus some things he doesn't. Why did my little boy have anxiety? I didn't know and I still don't. But this situation got me thinking: why are we anxious?

We are God's children. God is a loving God. He cares for us. He gives us everything we need and some things we don't need. Yet, we still are anxious about different things. Now, you may be saying "it's different. We have many more problems than pets do. We have to provide for our families. We have to deal with annoying people at work. We have to care for the children and our parents." Yes, we do have to do all that (though I would like us to get to the point where we say we "get to" do all those things but that's a blog for another time). But, we are not required to worry about all of that. In fact, we are told not to worry about those things.

Philippians 4:6-7 says: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Okay, the Bible says we are not to be anxious. Why? We are not to be anxious because we are to bring our concerns to God. What happens when we do that? If we let God handle our concerns, then we get peace. We don't get the peace where we have a spa day, a vacation day, or quiet. We get peace in our hearts to know that even in all the crazy of life, everything will be okay. Everything will be okay, why? It will be okay because God's got this. He has a plan. He cares for you. He loves us enough to be a part of our lives. He has a relationship with us, if we choose to have one with him. We just need to trust in him, instead of worrying.

So, are you worrying too much? What can you do when worries and anxieties come up? How can you do a better job of trusting God today?

Image from here.

Freedom Bought By War: Independence Day

   Many, many years ago America declared independence from Great Britain. That didn't mean that we were automatically free. We had to fight for it. We had to go to war. We fought for many years and we prevailed because we didn't give up. That's why we are a free country today. But, there is another battle many are still fighting today for freedom. I'm not talking about physical freedom, although there are people who still are not physically free. I'm talking about spiritual freedom.
   Many years before America was ever even thought about, there was another battle that happened. This was the most important battle ever in the history of Man. The battle was won, but the war isn't over (even though we know the ending). Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin. Jesus won the battle we couldn't ever win. Jesus fought the devil and won. He won all of our souls back. Now, we still need to choose him, but we are free to choose Jesus.
   I said the war isn't over because it's not. We know the ending (check out Revelation 19-22). Jesus wins. That doesn't mean that the Devil has given up. He still fights us every day. He tries to make us slide back into sin. He doesn't want us to follow Jesus. He wants us to stay in captivity of sin. He doesn't want us to be free.
   Jesus gives us freedom. He takes away our sin. If we accept/invite him into our hearts, if we believe that he came to save us from our sins, if we confess that we are sinners he frees us from sin.
   So, have you given your burdens to Jesus? Have you chosen to follow Jesus? What can you do to grow in God today?

   1 John 1:9, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 6:23

   Image from here. 

Be Strong and Courageous: Joshua

   I would like you to picture a time where you may have had someone you looked up to leave you. Maybe they moved, left your organization, or they may have left this world. That person may have been a great leader. The person may have had great listening skills, was caring, loved others, and was a godly person. Imagine having to follow in the footsteps of that person. That’s exactly what Joshua had happen to him.

   Moses was a great leader for the Israelites. Did he make mistakes? Yes, but he did his best to follow God. He did his best facing many unknown challenges in Egypt and the wilderness. Then he died. A leader had to step up. Joshua was that leader. Joshua had some large shoes to fill. I imagine he was feeling scared or nervous. He not only had to lead these people, he also had to take the Promised Land for his people.

   Did Joshua fret? Did he believe he could not face the people of the Promised Land? Was he afraid of the unknown? We don’t know. What we do know is that God spoke to Joshua and encouraged him. Joshua 1:1-9 is where we first see God encourage Joshua. God tells Joshua that he will be with him and will never leave him. God tells Joshua to “be strong and courageous” 3 times in these 9 verses. God believes in Joshua and tells him not to fear because God is with him wherever he goes (Josh.1.9).

   Could you imagine having this pep-talk from God? Well you should, because God would do the same for you. He loves us and is with us. He sent his Son to die for us so that he could have a relationship with us. When we face hard challenges, God says to us “be strong and courageous.” When we have to step up and be a leader, God says “be strong and courageous.” When we feel alone, or face the unknown, God says to us “be strong and courageous.” He says that he is with us wherever we go.

   So, when you face the unknown will you trust in God? Do you believe that God is with you wherever you go?

   Image from here.

How Are You?

   A typical greeting that my friends give me is "hi." Then I cringe inside a little because I know what their next question is probably going to be: "how are you?" Now, that's not normally a question people would cringe to. I didn't used to cringe at it either. Then I thought about the question and how people usually answer. That's what makes me cringe.
   Normally, when asked that question, people answer with "fine, good, alright, etc." Those answers are okay, if they are the truth. But, many times when you are asked that question do you answer honestly? I'm not saying you need to pour out all of your problems to a stranger or even a good friend; but if you don't answer honestly then you are not being real with others. You know how people say that Christians seem holier than thou or perfect? Well, this might be one of the reasons why. We are not truthful with others.
   Like I said, I'm not saying you need to say everything bad that's going on with you. But, if you answer that question by saying, "I'm not doing too well." That then strikes up a conversation. That person then gets to see a bit of you they may not have seen before.
   I'm not saying that we need to be pessimistic when we answer this question; and we don't need to tell our life story. What we can do is be real and lift up God at the same time. We can say, "I'm not doing too well but I know God's at work. Here's how I see him working..."
   That's not the only reason why I don't like this question. I also don't like asking it because I know I'm probably not going to get a real answer. I'm a coach and a teacher. I enjoy lifting others up if I can. I work with High Schoolers when I coach. High Schoolers have many problems and their answer to this question can change from hour to hour. I tell all of my players that when I ask this question that I expect a real answer. I'm there to help them grow in soccer as well as life. I want to build relationships with them because I remember how hard that time of life can be.
   I ask my players: "how are you, really?" I'm fairly good at reading people and if I can tell a player may not be telling the truth then I say: "are you really doing alright?" That's when I usually get the truthful answer. Then I try to help that player if I can.
   See, people need to know you care before they care to let you know. If you ask that question then move on, it seems like you don't care. Jesus told us the greatest commandment is to love God; and the second is like it: love others. If we are not willing to stop for 5 minutes and show someone we care then we are not doing what Jesus commanded us to do. People may not open up to you right away but if you keep showing you care they may eventually. Then we will be following Galatians 6:2 "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." We are called to encourage one another and love others.
   So, when someone asks you: "how are you?" Will you answer honestly? When you ask someone "how are you?" Will you actually care about the answer and help if you can? What can you do to show someone you care today?

   Philippians 2:4, 1 John 3:17-18, John 13:34-35

   Image from here.

Do You Feel Like You Don't Belong?

   I had a friend who was a really hard worker. She worked hard to help others. She worked hard to get better in her hobbies. She worked hard to follow her career path. And, she worked hard to show the love of God to others.
   She got a job where she encouraged her co-workers, cared about those she served, and worked hard to improve every day. Now, this friend was fairly quiet and did not speak up much in group settings. Because of this, she was fired.
   I couldn't understand why she was fired but she told me the reason she was fired was because she didn't fit in with the culture of the workplace. Just because she didn't talk much in group settings she was fired! Now, you have to understand this friend worked behind the scenes. She did not flaunt her success, she gave people gifts without telling them it was from her, and did many things to make sure the workplace ran smoothly without telling anyone she did it. That's what I call character! But, because she did that her bosses didn't think she did much to work with her team.
   This reminded me of a story where there were a lot of misfits: The Greatest Showman. In the movie Barnum, the main character, gets an idea to have a show of people who are usually outcasts. He wants to bring them together and show them they belong. It worked, he created the circus. Now, some people still called the circus people names and were mean to them. But, it didn't matter to the circus people because they now had a home. They had confidence in themselves. They had a place they belonged.
   What struck me in the movie is that the circus accepted anyone. They had a tall man, a fat man, dog boy, a small man, a bearded lady, and so much more. It didn't matter what these people looked like, where they came from, or what they did in the past. They were accepted into the family just because they were who they were.
   This is exactly how God's family is. Everyone in their life has felt like they don't belong at some point. Maybe you don't have many friends at school because you choose not to involve yourself in questionable activities. Maybe you don't fit in at work because you refuse to hurt others to get promotions. Maybe you don't belong in your family or your country because you believe in Jesus and they don't.
   We are all hurt by this world. We all feel like we mess up or we are inadequate. But, God loves us no matter what we do, where we come from, what we look like, etc. We belong to him. He created us and loves us. That's what we need to remember when we feel like we don't belong. It's what we need to remember when we work hard and still get fired. It's what we need to remember when we look different from others and are rejected. It's what we need to remember when our faith is tested in the fire.
   So, have you ever felt like you don't belong? What can you hold onto when you feel like you don't belong? How can you help someone realize they belong today (at work, school, or the family of  God)?

   Psalm 100:3, Isaiah 43:1, 1 John 3:1

   Image from here.

All I Want for Christmas Is You

   All I Want For Christmas Is You is a song about a woman singing all she wants for Christmas is a certain person. All she wants is that person. She doesn’t want any presents. Christmas is a time where we think of gifts. When we think of those gifts we usually think of things. We don’t usually think of wanting a person. However, this song proves that sometimes all you want/need is one special person.

   If you were to sing this song, who would you sing it about? Would you sing it about your child, significant other, or a relative that lives far away? Hopefully, some of you see where I am going with this. The only person that we need in our lives is Jesus. All of the things on earth are temporary. If we don’t have Jesus we will perish.

   John 14:6 says: “Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" There is no other way we can have eternal life. We should be singing All I Want for Christmas Is You about Jesus. If we are not singing it we are going to perish. God loves us so much that he sent his Son to die for us. John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God loves us that much that he would give us the greatest gift. He gave us his Son.

   This Christmas I encourage you to think about what God has done for you. He has blessed you with everything you have. He has also given you eternal life. All you need to do is choose to accept his gift.

   All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey (video here).

   Image from here.

Choosing Sides

   So many times we feel like we need to fight against each other. I'll give you some examples:  men vs. women, street smart vs. book smart, pro-life vs. pro-abortion, Christian vs. Atheist, etc.

   You get my point. Many times we think we need to choose a side. We fight against each other in many ways. My question is why? 

   John 13:34 says "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." We are to love others like Jesus loved others. Did Jesus go around fighting his brothers and sisters? Yes, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees. He calmly told them the word of God and left it at that.  

   You may be saying: "I'm not Jesus. I'm not perfect. I lose my temper." Yes, we lose our temper, but our goal is to emulate Jesus. We will never be perfect and Jesus still loves us. However, we are to try to grow to be more like him each day. 

   Does that mean we are to be tolerant of sins? No, at least not in the way the world thinks tolerance means. We are not to just sit back and say "your truth is your truth. My truth is my truth." We are to spread the Gospel as Matthew 28:19 says "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." That doesn't mean we should get out our bibles and thump people over the head with them. It means we should spread the Gospel in love as Jesus did. We serve others as Jesus did. 

   Sometimes I think we forget that Jesus came because he loves us. He came to defeat sin so he could be with us. I have been saying, in some of my blogs, that we are at war today. Our battle is not with each other. Our battle is against sin and Satan. The bad news is that some people try to fight this battle on their own. The worst news is that some people embrace sin and Christians try to fight against those people. Yes, we should not accept when others sin. But, many times we tend to judge those who sin. We are not the judge, God is. We can hold one another accountable but we are to do that in love. If we don't do it in love how are we to spread the Gospel? People will not want to be a part of something where they feel judged. We can say, "I don't approve of what you are doing, here's why (show bible verses). But, I still love you because Jesus loves you.  

   Now, lest you think there is only bad news, I will tell you there is good news. The good news is we don't need to fight against each other; and we don't need to fight the battle against sin on our own. The great news is that Jesus has already won the battle. We don't need to fight against sinners. We don't even need to fight against Satan on our own. Jesus fights with us and he already won for us. We can choose to rest in that and use his word, as he did, to fight battles we face. Because, we still have our own battles to face.  

   That's why I'm saying I think it's time for us to stop picking sides. We are all human. We all mess up. We all sin. We don't need to fight against each other to make that worse. What we can do is lovingly keep one another accountable. What we can do is encourage one another. What we can do is spread the Gospel through his love. 

   So, are you fighting against your brothers and sisters? Do you lovingly keep others accountable? Are you spreading the Gospel in love?

   Image from here.

Don't Doubt

   As a soccer coach I have the experience of not only dealing with my emotions but also the emotions of my players. After a game I may be feeling happy, sad, or angry. But, I have to push aside my feelings and help the girls with their feelings.
   One time my team had just lost a tough game 6-0. All of my girls were down but there was one who just wasn't acting like herself, let's call her Kathy. Kathy came over to get one of the coolers to put on the bus. I asked her, "are you okay?"  She said she was "fine."
   Now, my players know that when I ask that question I expect an honest answer and I will help them if I can. I knew this girl wasn't telling me the whole truth. I pulled her aside and I said, "you know what fine means right? Freaked out, insecure, neurotic, and emotional." She laughed. 

   Then I asked her again, "what's wrong?" She started to cry as she told me about how she felt she didn't play that well and that the team started to yell at each other. I encouraged her and said, "yes we have a lot to work on but give it some time." Then I encouraged her and told her not to doubt her abilities.
   We went back to school and she came over to me. She hugged me and said "thanks for being a great coach." I gave her a look and she said, "what?" I said, "I'm not sure I'm such a great coach." She said "don't doubt yourself."
   I have had a lot of experiences like this. I like to encourage others and make them laugh. But, I have insecurities as well. I doubt my abilities because I listen to the voices in my head that tell me, "you are not good at this. You should have done it this way. You are a failure." I'm sure you've had this happen to you at some point as well.
   That's when I need to look at God's word. He tells me I am beautiful, worthy, and loved. If he knows this and tells me it, why can't I believe it? I think the issue isn't that I don't believe it. It's that I remember at times and forget at times. During the God high times, I am able to help others more and feel confident. Then I begin to slack in my time with God or go through a hard time and I forget who I am to him.
   If God loves us enough to die so he can have a personal relationship with us, why do we doubt the abilities and talents he's given us? It's because the devil reminds us of our shortcomings. It's because we are still sinners and imperfect. But if we stand on the promises of God, then we will remember who we are in God.
   So, do you doubt your abilities? Do you believe God loves you? Will you choose to believe in yourself in God?

   James 1:6 and Matthew 21:21

   Image from here.

Fighting with Our Swords: Independence Day

   In 1776 when men made the courageous decision to declare independence from Great Britain we began a war. It was a physical struggle. Many men lost their lives fighting for freedom.

We are also in a battle. It's not a physical battle like the Civil war was. It is a spiritual one. The Devil attacks every day. Some days it may feel like we've had great victories. Other days it feels like we fail and fall in battle.
   The Devil uses many tricks to attack us. I have found that many times he attacks by using words. He tells us what we want to hear. He says we should take that candy. He says we should lie to get what we want. He tells us many more things. Then, if we listen to him, he tells us we are not good. He says God could never forgive us.
   Whoever said "sticks and stones many break my bones but words can never hurt me" must not have been thinking about the words our brains say to us. Many times our minds tell us what we want to do then we battle back and forth. "Yes I should do it because...." "No I shouldn't do it because..." Eventually one side wins.
   How do we combat this battle with words if it is in our head? I'm glad you asked. We combat them by fighting back with words. The Devil fights with words. We need to defend and attack with The Word. We need to know the word of God so that when the devil says, "you are really hungry why don't you take your sibling's (parent's, child's, spouse's) piece of candy?" We can say: "the Lord commanded us not to steal. Plus, man does not live by bread alone."
   Fighting this fight isn't easy. Memorizing the word isn't easy. But, if we want to defeat the devil we must know what God says. God fights for us. He loves us and wants a relationship with us. In order for that to happen we need to abide with him. We need to get into the Word and pray to God so that when the devil does attack we have the armor of God to defend us.
   So, what spiritual battles are you facing today? How can you defeat the devil? Are you spending enough time with God? What can you do to encourage someone who may be fighting a battle today?

   Hebrews 4:12, Matthew 4:4, 2 Timothy 3:16-17
   Image from here.

Sharpening Your SWORD

   This week I was at Camp YoliJwa (YOuth LIving Jesus WAy). Their theme this year is SWORD. In Hebrews 4: 12 it says: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

   At Camp we talked about how important it is to know the Word of God. One activity we did really hit home for me. Each year we have a different memory verses to memorize. There are usually 5 to memorize (5 days in the work week). However, some people pointed out that usually after we memorize them we forget them quickly so it’s not really memorization.

   One of the teachers there said she doesn’t call it memorizing, she calls it a heart verse. Many people don’t try to memorize the Bible because they think they will always have it. However, I have been in multiple situations already where I didn’t have my phone or a Bible and I was trying to think of a verse that was applicable. It’s not easy to do, especially if you are under pressure. Also, people don’t memorize scripture because the references are so confusing, and I’m kinda with you on that one.

   This teacher said she doesn’t try to memorize she keeps these verses in her heart. If she doesn’t get the whole thing right word for word that’s okay (as long as she doesn’t add or take away from the meaning of scripture). I thought even that may be tricky and I’ve grown up in the church my whole life.

   On Friday, we did an activity where we had a list of situations. Each situation was different and evoked different emotions. We were challenged to not use the Bible but instead our memory to put scripture we could use in each situation on the page. It wasn’t easy but it wasn’t terribly hard either. I was honestly shocked that I knew many verses for the situations. I may not have known the reference but I knew the gist of the verse. It was a good activity because now I know some verses to use if I ever get into those situations and I will not feel pressured.

   What about you? Do you know the Bible well enough that if someone had a list of situations you could put a verse to that situation? If you do not, I encourage you to try to spend more time in the word. Try to put certain verses in your heart so you will have them when you face trials. If you are not good at memorizing, that’s okay. Just spend some time meditating on those verses you find. Ask God to show you some verses you need to see in situations you are in now.

   Hebrews 4:12, Matthew 4:4, 2 Timothy 3:16

   Image from here.

Love That Person Unless....

   If you know my  family, you know we have a pretty interesting dynamic. My sister and I, in particular, have a very interesting relationship. She's 8 years younger than me, we share a room, I'm her coach for soccer, and we're so close that we know what the other is thinking most of the time. Like all siblings we have our fights, but we always make up fairly quickly.
   We were not always that close. When she was little she was super annoying but now it's like we are on a team together. In fact, we are on a team together. We are on a soccer team but we are also on Christ's team. We both have the same ideals because we both know Christ as our personal savior. I'm not sure there's someone on earth, other than maybe my mom, who knows me as well as my sister does.
   However, there's someone who knows me better than I know myself. God knows my every thought. He is my friend, father, and savior. He knows my every quirk. He knows everything that may make me annoying to people. He knows every mistake I've made and he still loves me.
Sometimes I think Christians put too much of an emphasis on the judgement of God. We think that we need to "hate the sin and love the sinner," which isn't in the Bible by the way. We think that we need to be in the world but not of it, which is true but we take it too far sometimes.
   The Greatest commandment and the second greatest commandment are basically to love God and love others. It's funny how that commandment doesn't say "Love others unless they are committing adultery." It doesn't say, "Judge others instead of love them." It just says to love them. Yes, there will be people in our lives who we see sinning; and, in love, we will need to go to them to try to keep them accountable. But, that doesn't mean we are to stop loving them if they don't listen.
   Jesus spent his time with sinners and the sick. We are all sinners. We've all been there. Why is it so hard for us to remember it's not our place to judge? It's not our place to go to a sister and say, "Hey, I noticed that you've been gossiping a lot lately." And, if she doesn't change her ways, say to ourselves I'm not going to spend any more time with her. Yes, we need to be careful we don't fall into sin, but God will help us to not fall into temptation if we trust him. Even if we cannot spend time with that person anymore for different reasons we should still pray for her. If she needs help we should still help her. Jesus didn't always save people who believed in him. He saved sinners; he came to save us all. Why can't we show that kind of love to others too?
   So, will you love others like a brother and a sister? Do you show God's love to others? Are you too judgmental at times?

   John 13:34-35, Matthew 22:36-40, Galatians 6:1-2

   Image from here. 

What Would You Sacrifice? A Father's Day Blog

   It's that day when we honor our fathers. There have been many fathers throughout time. One father was asked to do something I'm sure many fathers would have never dreamed of doing: sacrifice his son.
   Abraham had waited years for God to fulfill his promise to him. He was promised land, children, and blessing. Now, God had blessed Abraham and protected him. Abraham did have land but it wasn't all the land he was promised. He finally got a child, Ishmael, but that created problems for his family. Then God gave Sarah and Abraham a child when they were very old. Isaac was born. Abraham loved Isaac. He tried to be a good example to Isaac. Then one day God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.
   Hold up, wouldn't a loving God want this child alive? Since when did God ask for human sacrifices? This probably seemed crazy to Abraham. Yet, Abraham had seen that God is faithful. Thus, in faith, Abraham took Isaac up the mountain to be sacrificed.
   Now, imagine being Isaac. You are young, trying to follow your father's example, and all of the sudden your father ties you up. Isaac was strong and much younger than his father. He could have easily overpowered his father. But, Isaac chose to trust his father. This shows that Isaac had faith in his father because he knew that Abraham had faith in God.
   In the end, Abraham didn't have to sacrifice Isaac. More than likely those men left the mountain changed forever. They saw the power of faith. They saw that God gives and takes away for a reason. Isaac took that experience and understood that he needed to follow God in faith no matter what.
   That's what I call a fatherly example. What kind of example are you setting for your children? Do you spend time with God? If God calls you to do something do you follow him? Do your children see your faith in action through how you treat them and others? If you answered no to any of these questions I encourage you to think about what you need to change to be a better example. This includes if you don't have children, because children are watching all adults. No, we are not perfect. But, we can try to be a good example for those who will come after us.

   Ephesians 6:4 and Proverbs 22:6

   Image from here.

GPS: God's Personal Saving

   When I was in college I worked at a sub shop called Jimmy John's. It is a place where subs are made fast, the ingredients are fresh, and the delivery is freaky fast. When I applied they were looking for delivery drivers. That was the last thing I wanted to do, because I like to know exactly where I am going, but I became a delivery driver. That meant that my GPS and I became BFFs.
   I was working in an area I didn't know that well. Many times I would have to go into business and try to locate a person who ordered from JJ's. There were a lot of unknowns in this job. Many times I could rely on my GPS to get me where I needed to go. However, sometimes my GPS wasn't updated or didn't know the place I was in. That's when I had to figure out things for myself. Many times that meant calling the store, calling the person who ordered, and possibly driving around for a while.
   During one of my trips I was thinking about how thankful I was for my GPS. Then a thought came into my head... why is it easier for some people to trust a GPS than it is for them to trust in God? I relied on that machine more than I relied on God sometimes. There are also many people out there who rely on technology more than others and more than God.
   Here's the thing about GPS: it will fail. It may not be right away but someday that GPS may not know where you are, it may take you the wrong way, it could take you into heavy traffic, or it could die. Meanwhile, God never fails. He won't die or lead you the wrong way. He always knows where you are at. God is always with you. You may not understand his plan but it is good. You may question why things are happening in the world at times but if you rely on God as much as you rely on that GPS what would happen? God walks with you; you just need to trust in your God's Personal Saving machine.
   So, do you rely on things other than God? Do you trust that God has a plan for you? Will you choose to walk with God?

   Proverbs 3:5-6 and Romans 8:28

   Image from here.