It has been 23 days since I last blogged. I apologize. Between mid-terms, Spring Break, and a couple ministry projects, I have been swamped. Now though my life is little bit more calm. For now. I know that will change come finals week, but I’m good to go at this moment.

God seems to teach me by blasting me with the same theme in everything I do for like two weeks straight. Everything I have been reading in the Bible, in other books, listening to… It is all leading to this same thought. I need to live a more spirit-filled and spirit-led life.

The Truth that Jesus Christ is in me is starting to click in my head. That has to be the most unique thing about Christianity. The belief that separates us from other religions. Galatians 2:20 says, “Christ lives in me.” Isn’t that kinda weird? From an outside perspective that makes no sense whatsoever. And I gotta be honest, it makes no sense to me either. But, it’s in the Bible, and therefor I believe it.

We are given the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. God literally resides in us! That’s CRAZY! It means that God is actually with us everywhere we go and is with us during everything we do. Does that fact change how you see your life? Does it change the things that you do? It is starting to with me. We are never actually alone. When we’re alone, God is still with us.

The Holy Spirit is often called Counselor in the New Testament. He (not “it”) is a guide in our lives. A way for us to live Christ-like lives. God calls us to a ridiculous standard of holiness, that on our own and in our human bodies really is impossible. I am beginning to realize however that with GOD IN US we can do anything and everything. I’m convinced of it.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12

Yes, you read that right. Jesus says we will do greater things that what He did. I can’t quite wrap my mind around that. How could we possibly do that? Wait, now I know how… Jesus Christ lives in us. I’m not there yet. I’m not even close to there. But I’m starting to understand.

Think about it.

There’s two things I’m learning today, and the last few days, that kinda go together.

The first is that I know I wanted to relax this Lent season and take a break from being online so much, and also from reading more than I can handle in terms of Christian/Theologically heavy books. Translated that means a little less Twitter, less blog-reading, less Facebook, less compulsive e-mail checking, etc. It’s been incredibly refreshing. I’m not pushing myself to stay “connected”. Really though, I’m more connected with my offline friends, the friends I have in the real world. I’m wayyyy less tired these last couple weeks than I was to start the semester off, and it’s AWESOME.

The second thing I’m learning is about the idea of “life“. As a sidenote, I’m doing an Old Testament one-year reading plan, while doing my own track for the New Testament, and I’m really starting to catch on that the themes are incredibly parallel between the two testament’s. Much more so then I ever before realized. Anywho, here’s what Leviticus 18:5 and 1 Peter 1:23 says, respectively:

“It you obey my laws and regulations, you will find life through them.”

“For you have been born again…This new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.”

See how the two go together yet?

New life, and life period, comes from God. From the Word of God. It wont come from other books, from blogs, from social media, from anything of this world. I believe that God is calling me to spend less time in other books and other people’s thoughts, and more time in His Word and His thoughts. He might be calling you to do the same also.

I want to spend more time in the Bible than I spend in blogs, books, e-mails, etc. I dont know if that will happen, but I definitely know I need a little bit of re-focusing. I haven’t read a book other than the Bible [and school books of course] for about a week and half, and it’s been so refreshing. Now, I’ll probably being reading again soon, and staying caught up on blogs again soon, but I’m hoping to do so with a little less intensity.

Dont get me wrong, I love being online, I love reading, I love all that peripheral stuff. But if it comes at the expense of less time with God and with real people, then maybe it’s an idol in your life. I realize those are strong words, but if they’re coming before God, then it’s true. I do it all the time, so dont feel like you’re the only one.

Spend a little more time with God this week and a little less time with your computer.

Think about it.

P.S. Justin Wise wrote a somewhat similar post this week on his blog, Be Deviant.

It’s been a week since I last blogged, not quite living up to the standards I set for myself about a week and a half ago about blogging three times a week. Here’s the deal though, that was a mistake. I’m gonna blog what I want, when I want. To put limits on it is just not possible right now with me being a student.

Today is Ash Wednesday, which means it is the beginning of this 40-day period known as Lent. It’s not a biblical tradition, but one that has been carried out by the church for hundreds of years. I think it’s cool. It gives us an excuse to really focus on God for 40 days. And in our busy lives we live, that sadly becomes kind of necessary.

Usually, people who celebrate Lent give something up for 40 days. Some of the more common things are chocolate, deserts in general, pop [soda], video games, etc. I happen to be giving up pop, because I drink wayyy too much of it. Mark Batterson however mentioned in his blog last week that it’s also a good idea to add something to our lives. Something that will benefit our relationship with God. I think it’s an awesome concept, and actually possibly more beneficial than giving something up.

So, I decided that I’m going to journal at the end of every day for just like 15 minutes. I want to institute a habit of reflection and prayer on my days. I dont want to become a drone, where the days just meld together and I have no meditation or reflection whatsoever. I’m quite excited. This also follows a recognition that I need to simply relax more. I had this goal of reading 50 books this year, but that seems to be a little ambitious for me with all my school work and extracurriculars. I’m sure I’ll revisit that in a while, but for now it needs to be put on hold. I ended up just pushing myself too hard and being tired every single day, and that’s not fun.

All in all, I’m hoping these next 40 days can really transform what my spiritual life looks like, and maybe it can for you too.

Think about it.

P.S. I tried to link to Mark Batterson’s blog, but apparently Safari 4 doesnt agree with WordPress. Here’s the URL to the post I mentioned. http://evotional.com/2009/02/what-are-you-fasting-for-lent.html

I’m speaking at InterVarsity Christian Fellowship tonight here at Drake U. We’re doing a “Sunday School Remix” series in which we take the most famous stories of the Old Testament that you learn when you’re little, and dig out the adult themes.

I’m speaking about Moses. I’m quite excited. What follows is pretty much an outline of what I’m talking about.

Moses gets credit for being one of the most Godly men that has ever walked the Earth. And for good reason. He parted the Red Sea, delivered the Ten Commandments and even wrote multiple books of the Bible. He was very human though. We often miss that part. When God first approached him about setting free the Jewish peopl, he wanted nothing to do with it.

• Ex 3:11 “‘Who am I to appear before Pharoah?’, Moses asked God. ‘How can you expect me to lead the people out of Egypt?’”
• 3:13 “But Moses protested, ‘They wont believe me.’”
• 4:1 “But Moses protested again, ‘Look, they wont believe me!’”
• 4:10 “Moses pleaded with the Lord, ‘I’m just not a good speaker. I never have been and I’m not now. Even after you have spoken to me, I’m clumsy with words.’”
• 4:13 “Moses again pleaded, ‘Lord, please send someone else!’”
• 6:12 “Moses objected, ‘How can I expect Pharoah to listen, I’m no orator.’”

He doesn’t feel like a leader. He doesn’t feel like he has the right qualities to be effective for God. He says he’s not a good speaker. He says “Why would they listen to me?”. He tells God to send somone who plays the part better. What’s cool though is that God could care less. He’s specially chosen Moses for this task. Just like he’s specially chosen us to do His work here and now.

We don’t need to have “leadership” qualities. It’s bombared into our head though isn’t it? We have leadership conferences, leadership books, leadership mentor programs.. We obsess over this idea. All these things are theoretically teaching us how to gain the right qualities in order to lead effectively. Take these characteristics x, y, and z and boom! Leader. Do all this stuff and you’ll be impactful and successful and powerful.

That can be kind of intimidating. What if you’re just not a born leader? What if you dont have charisma? What if you’re not naturally a “people-person”? Moses’ mentor was God. That was it. The good Lord gives us this incredible promise in Exodus 4:12. “Now go, and do as I have told you. I will help you speak and I will tell you what to say.” God promises to be with us, and all we have to do is “go”. If we give just a little bit, He will blow it out of the water and split the Red Sea [excuse the pun ].

Moses didnt look like a leader. He didn’t feel like a leader. Honestly, there’s probably a lot of us that feel the exact same way. We think we dont have the right qualities. God is with us though, and He is the only thing we need to be a great leader and to do amazing things.

God will use you no matter what personality traits you do or dont have. It’s not just those people who are born preachers who are called to change the world. Moses was a very ordinary man who did incredible things because he put faith in God to overcome his lack of charisma and speaking ability.

“Seek first His Kingdom, and all these things will be given to you.” Matt 6:31.

Think about it.

I’m hearing this repeatedly in blogs I’m reading, sermons I’m listening to, the passages of Scripture I’m reading…

How big is your God?

We have this problem in today’s world [and more specifically today's Christianity] of intellectualizing God. We try to explain God’s miracles using science and history. I’ve seen many a show on the History channel talking about natural disasters that might coincide with the Ten Plagues, therefor rationally explaining them. Or shows about the resurrection, saying maybe Jesus wasn’t dead, but just in a coma for three days. We want to have concrete answers for our faith. And by doing this, we lose the supernatural characteristics of God.

This also means our world that we tend to ignore and run away from high-risk situations. It seems absolutely foolish to do something when the odds are stacked against you. What if it’s an opportunity though for God to do something amazing? What if it’s a chance for one of God’s miracles that we seem to have lost our faith in?

God is so much bigger than our rationality. He’s so much bigger than the restraints of our minds. What if we chased odds-defying circumstances as an opportunity to see God work? Mark Batterson has an incredible sermon series and book called Chase the Lion. He talks about fear and overcoming odds, and I dont wanna rip him off too much without giving him credit.

Will you let God work in your life in miraculous ways, or will you intellectualize your faith and make God as small as your rational mind?

Think about it.

P.S. There are some changes coming to the blog this week! It’ll be mostly content changes, but I’m excited nonetheless. As I mentioned in the last post, there’s sooo many blogs out there that it’s hard to find a spot in the world and have something people will want to read that is fresh and unique. More details will come, but I’ll have a regular blogging schedule [3+ times a week minimum] and I’m also adding a few permanent pages. Get excited!

There’s been a recurring theme in my life the last few weeks. 

In my reading, the teaching I’m listening to, the conversations I’m having with people, etc. 

This is when God is trying to get my attention. 

“Then Saul gave David his own armor – a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. ‘I cant go in these,’ he protested. ‘I’m not used to them.’ So he took them off again. He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them in his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across to fight Goliath.” 1 Sam 17: 38-40 

Saul tried to make David something he wasn’t. He tried to make David fight with weapons that weren’t his to begin with. 

People ask us to do this all the time. They try to put us in armor that isn’t specially designed for us. Most of the time though, we go ahead and put on that clunky gear and march right into battle without even thinking. Sometimes, we even volunteer to put on Saul’s gear because we think it will make us look better. Or more prepared. Or more like the person we’re seeking approval from. 

God gave David great aim. Plain and simple. To kill Goliath with one rock, I’m guessing it would have had to hit him right in the temple. David wasn’t gifted with sword-fighting. He was gifted with throwing rocks. Have you ever thought about that in simple terms. He was good at throwing rocks. That’s what God gave him to do. Doesn’t that seem kind of ridiculous? 

Had David fought Goliath with the wrong weapons, the ones that weren’t his own, he would have failed. I’m sure of it. But he bravely took the stones and the sling. They weren’t flashy by any means, but it’s what worked. It’s what slayed the giant. 

Dont try to put on someone else’s armor. It’s a recipe for failure. Use the weapons that God has already given in to further His Kingdom. What are good at? What do you love doing? If you think your gifts can’t be used in a church setting, think about David. He had good aim with rocks. And God used it to create one of the greatest stories of courage in the Bible. You dont have to be something you’re not. That is not what God intended. 

God has been pounding it into my heart that I need to take time to reflect and discover what my true gifts and talents are. I dont entirely know yet, but I’m getting there. I hope that you can too. 

Think about it.

hello folks. It’s been about a week since I last blogged, but it feels like much longer. I’ve been a bit slow this week due to 2nd semester starting, and the dorm opening up [i'm an RA]. So, I have for you today some random quotes and little things. 

This first one is from Mark Batterson in a blog post earlier this week. It’s awesome. 

“I think the modern church has fixated on sins of commission. Don’t do this and don’t do that and you’re alright. But that’s not alright. Why? Because goodness is not the absence of badness. You can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right. That is why we’re more known for what we’re against than what we’re for. Christianity was never intended to be a noun. It was meant to be a verb. It is sins of omission, those things we could have, would have, or should have done for the cause of Christ, that grieve our Heavenly Father. We’ve got to quit playing defense and start playing offense. We need to quit fighting amongst ourselves and start loving our enemies. We need to quit pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Discipleship is so much more than the accumulation of rote knowledge. It’s a sanctified imagination that dreams God-sized dreams. It is a heart that breaks for the things that break the heart of God. It’s not enough to create our own sub-culture. We desperately need to raise up a generation that feels called to culture-shaping professions as God-ordained vocations. We cannot reduce the gospel to the forgiveness of sins. It’s about glorifying God by maximizing our God-given potential and serving our God-ordained purpose. It can’t just be about creeds. It’s got to be about deeds. It can’t just be about us. It’s got to be about others. We need the courage to stand up for what’s right in a culture where nothing is wrong. But we need to do it in a spirit of humility. We need the courage to incarnate the gospel in creative ways. But we need to do it in a spirit of authenticity. And we need the courage to preach the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth. But we need to do it in a spirit of grace.”

This next one is from the book Prayer by Richard Foster: 

“The question is not whether we will fail – that is a given. The question is whether over a period of time we’re developing a practiced habit of divine fellowship.” 

I might be adding a books to read section.. We’ll see. I’ll probably add a books I’m currently reading section, because I’m hoping to do a lot of it this year. 

Thanks all for reading!

Luke 6:27-29 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.” 

This is a great story from National Public Radio: 

—Julio Diaz has a daily routine. Every night, the 31-year-old social worker ends his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early, just so he can eat at his favorite diner.

But one night last month, as Diaz stepped off the No. 6 train and onto a nearly empty platform, his evening took an unexpected turn.

He was walking toward the stairs when a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife.

“He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, ‘Here you go,’” Diaz says.

As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, “Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you’re going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm.”

The would-be robber looked at his would-be victim, “like what’s going on here?” Diaz says. “He asked me, ‘Why are you doing this?’”

Diaz replied: “If you’re willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money. I mean, all I wanted to do was get dinner and if you really want to join me … hey, you’re more than welcome.

“You know, I just felt maybe he really needs help,” Diaz says.

Diaz says he and the teen went into the diner and sat in a booth.

“The manager comes by, the dishwashers come by, the waiters come by to say hi,” Diaz says. “The kid was like, ‘You know everybody here. Do you own this place?’”

“No, I just eat here a lot,” Diaz says he told the teen. “He says, ‘But you’re even nice to the dishwasher.’”

Diaz replied, “Well, haven’t you been taught you should be nice to everybody?”

“Yea, but I didn’t think people actually behaved that way,” the teen said.

Diaz asked him what he wanted out of life. “He just had almost a sad face,” Diaz says.

The teen couldn’t answer Diaz — or he didn’t want to.

When the bill arrived, Diaz told the teen, “Look, I guess you’re going to have to pay for this bill ’cause you have my money and I can’t pay for this. So if you give me my wallet back, I’ll gladly treat you.”

The teen “didn’t even think about it” and returned the wallet, Diaz says. “I gave him $20 … I figure maybe it’ll help him. I don’t know.”

Diaz says he asked for something in return — the teen’s knife — “and he gave it to me.”

Afterward, when Diaz told his mother what happened, she said, “You’re the type of kid that if someone asked you for the time, you gave them your watch.”

“I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right. It’s as simple as it gets in this complicated world.”—

I could not have said it better myself. Brings a new meaning to ‘love your enemy’ doesn’t it? This guy took it literally. What if we all did? 

Think about it.

This video has been posted on a few blogs I frequent, but it’s too good to go unrepeated. 

It is never too late to start fresh. The New Year happens to be a great place to actually do that in our lives. 

God calls us to live in the present, not the past or the future, even though looking at each is very important. 

We all have regrets. Things we wish we would have done differently. That’s part of being human. The key to resolution though is learning from those mistakes and moving beyond them. Dwelling on them does no good, because God has forgiven us. If the God of the universe can erase and forgive, then we should also be able to. I admit that it is obviously much easier said than done, but it is truth nonetheless. 

Learn from your regrets. Don’t let them go to waste. 

Think about it.

The New Year is upon us. Almost. 

What will 2009 look like for you? 

Here’s at least a hint of what it will be for me:

• I will conclude my junior year of college and start my final year. I cannot believe how fast it has gone. 
• I will have an internship at Lutheran Church of Hope in Des Moines this summer. Hopefully it the glorious beginning to a life in ministry. I can’t imagine a better way of getting my foot in that door. 
• I will turn 21. Weird. Haven’t decided whether or not I’ll drink. My family has a history of alcoholism, so I’m slightly apprehensive, even if I dont necessarily have to be. 
• I will have to begin planning for my life after school. This includes both my girlfriend and my career. I’m really excited for this part, even if it’s scary to hash out details and really be on your own and out of the reality break known as college. 

Here are some things I hope 2009 holds for me: 

• I pray that God blesses me with a full-time job for after college by the end of the calendar year. 
• I hope to become someone who lives a life in constant prayer and communion. 
• I pray that I will not settle for mediocre, but that I fully tap into God’s Spirit in my life and step out on some limbs. 
• I want to become better at intentionally cultivating relationships. They inevitable take work to be healthy…I’m bad at that part. 

I pray for you, the audience, that you will take some time to think about the upcoming year. What plans do you have? What goals do you have? How do you hope to grow in your relationships, whether with people or with God? 

Think about it.