More than something to claim

      "Do you ever go to church?" I asked the 4 year old I was babysitting. Her answer shocked and surprised me, "Church? What's church?" When I proceeded to explain to her what church was her answer further shocked and saddened me, "who is Jesus?"

      "Who is Jesus!?" My mind reeled, "how can you live in America and not know Who Jesus is?!" Even at 4 years old  most of the children in America have at least heard of Jesus, even if they don't know Who He is, right? Wrong. This sweet girl is just an example of the many people world wide who haven't heard of Jesus. In the back of our minds we seem to think that everyone knows of Jesus, but the population of those who have never heard of Him is larger than we realize. With that being in mind how can we claim to be Christians yet sit around ignoring the cry of the world!?

 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.’  Matthew 25: 34-40 

       Our lives need to mirror HIS, we need to live as if we were serving. helping, loving and walking with Christ everyday with everyone we interact with. For He is in us and reaches out to others through us.

       Christianity is more than just a title, it is a life style.  It is more than something you claim. It's something you live by and share with others! Make a difference in this world. Live out your faith. Prove Who Christ is.

 "...The world has enough people, but not enough disciples...when will YOU decide to become disciples?" -Pastor Jeremiah Steepek

What is "normal?"

  So often we hear Christians say they "just want to live a normal life" or "why can't my life be normal?!"  But what is normal when you're a Christian? I mean, everything about Christianity is abnormal! Look at the creation of the world, look at the gospel, look at the Great Commission, are those normal!? Are any of our beliefs normal? Is it normal to believe in a 7 day creation, that man came from dust and woman from the man? That a carpenter was born of a virgin in a manger and grew up to become the Savior of the world: that He can heal the sick, raise the dead and died for all mankind? Is it normal that that same Man rose from the dead and now reigns forever as King of the universe? Further more is our commission considered normal, that we're to die to ourselves to live for Christ, to love and serve others, to suffer for Christ and to spread this strange gospel throughout the earth?

   No! None of this is normal so why then do we think we who are called by an abnormal calling, should be entitled to a "normal" life? We should rejoice in the abnormality of our lives knowing that we are called by Christ's name to be people of His love, rejoicing to live our lives for His glory, making His name known. In a world that is filled with crisis we alone can "rescue the perishing" so why do we hesitate? Why do we try to blend in with this world, to be "normal"?

   The world needs us to be abnormal, Christ calls us to be abnormal. When will we realize the blessings and weight of this calling and embrace it, stepping out to save the world?!

"The world lives in a time of crisis. Christians alone are in a position to rescue the perishing. We dare not settle down and try to live as if things were normal." A.W. Tozer

"For the glory of God!" 

Beautiful mess

    When I was little I used to look at life through the eyes of a child, and in those eyes the world was perfect; life was perfect. In my small mind I could not comprehend how a world so beautiful could be so wicked. Now, I understand. Shortly before I went to Zambia last year I went through a stage where I was so disgusted with the world that at 17 I was already done with this life and looking to heaven. There was even a time when I thought I did not want kids because I didn't want to bring them into a world like this. (I no longer think this. Now I want many children, to raise up Godly offspring to serve the Lord!) I thought this world and all in it was ugly. I was looking at the world through the eyes of a faulty and selfish human being.

     Then God stepped in. He stripped me of all I thought I knew of the world and radically changed my life. In the beautiful country of Zambia my heart was torn and bled for those people, and it was there that I learned to see beauty in the midst of all the ugliness, love in the midst of grief and healing in the midst of pain. As the tears fell from my eyes and my heart ached, I began to see God's heart for the world. I saw that life is not all ugly even in the midst of great tragedy. I was there to help those children yet unbeknownst to me, they were the ones who helped me.  I learned to love in a way I've never loved before; to grieve with the grief stricken, to cry with the hurting and laugh with the joyful. I learned to see joy amidst pain and likewise how to see God in the sorrow. Through those people I saw the good in the world and the Father's hand at work in this life. I now look at life through Christ's eyes. Through the eyes of LOVE.

    Yes, this world is a big, ugly mess, but life is in fact beautiful. It is the individual not the world that makes their life beautiful or ugly. This world is marred with sin and hatred as Satan lurks in the shadows seeking to kill and destroy, but the people of this world are beautiful beyond compare in the eyes of God. No matter how evil or how righteous they are, they are still loved by HIM which means we too need to love them. Life is a mess; a mess of many emotions, troubles and blessings. Life is a cherished mess, a beautiful mess. 

 "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?"

 Matthew 6:26

"For the glory of God!"

    
    

Leap of faith into arms of strength

Everybody has those times in their life when God leads us to stand at the edge of a deep body of water; a pool of sorrow, trouble or confusion. Whatever form that time of adversity takes, we know, and God knows, that this pool will test our faith and strength beyond what we feel we can endure. Yet we are not alone for God is standing in that pool waiting for us. As we stare into those murky depths He lifts His arms and says, "Come on. Jump. I promise I'll catch you." And He always does. Though we think we cannot swim and will surely sink, He looks deep into our eyes with reassurance and lifts those ever ready arms to catch us. In that moment we have to decide if we will trust that still small voice, or run in cowardice fear to avoid this adversity.

 
      As we overcome our fear our Father's face lights up with joy at the faith we display in Him and as our feet lift off the deck of comfort into the sea of the unknown, we find ourselves enveloped in the tenderest, most loving embrace we will ever know. That well known voice gently whispers in our ear, "Well done My child, I knew you could do it! You just had to trust Me." It is then that we realize, we will never have to face these situations on our own. For the arms that hold us now will carry us through to the other side and set our feet safely on higher ground. If we only trust Him, He will never lead us astray but will guide us down paths of uncertainty and adversity, beside rivers of joy. At the end of that adversity filled path we will look back on all that we went through, and be overjoyed at the outcome as we recognize God's will is better than our own, and only HE can use pools of adversity to bring such beauty into our lives and character. Don't be dismayed when you find yourself facing the unknown or adversity. Embrace it in faith and let God do His work in you.

“Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith.”-Margaret Shepard 

 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4 

"For the glory of God!"