Rules, Rules, Rules

There are a lot of rules in our lives. From the time that we wake up, to the time that we go to sleep, we are subject to thousands of written and unwritten rules. The social rules; that say that we need to brush our teeth and look presentable. Go to work on time, be pleasant, and responsible. The legal rules; ones that say that we need to drive the speed limit (whether we choose to follow that one or not), drive safely, and even to not steal our morning coffee but pay for it. 

Yet we know that these rules have been put into place for a reason. If we drive dangerously, or on the wrong side of the road, we know that we are likely to cause an accident. We brush our teeth because we know other people expect us to if we want to engage in conversation. And it keeps up from getting cavities. If we decide to line up and drag race through town after church today, we may gain a reputation for being a fun church; but we would also be putting ourselves and other people at risk.

In this morning’s scripture, Jesus is again being confronted by the Pharisees. Always trying to knock Jesus down, this time they are trying to discredit him by highlighting that some of his disciples aren’t following an ancient ritual of hand washing before they eat. I believe that it’s important to say that in this context, they are not saying “Hey Jesus, your guys aren’t washing their grungy hands before they eat!”This is not the case. It’s not that the hands of those disciples were particularly dirty. Rather, the people were offended that these disciples hadn’t fulfilled a man-made tradition that was considered customary in the day. They felt CROSSED that these disciples had the AUDACITY to break the rules! To go against the grain. And though the Pharisees were in the midst of the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, they just could not get past it. They could not see what was going on RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM, because they were fixated on the rules, rather than what is possible with God.

Jewish tradition has been one of many rules; since long before Jesus. Hundreds of rules had been established at the time when Jesus physically walked alongside of us. Around 613, set, mainline rules had been enacted for members of the Jewish faith on everything from justice to eating food. These rules were set to maintain and accomplish purity among the people. To set the people apart. And so much of faith was determined by the rules you kept or didn’t keep. Utter devotion to the code was demanded.  In fact, the Pharisees of Jesus’ time spent a great deal of time debating the rules- and ascribing “weight” to them; based on the offenses. This is what it MEANT to be Jewish- what it MEANT to be a person of God. How you attended to the rules was to some regards the very essence of faith. But then God changed everything. And we can begin to understand those changes, by looking at how Jesus responds to their accusations.

As the Pharisees attempt to rip into Jesus on the rules, Jesus responds with a call for inner purity. Real purity….. Not obedience to rules, but for a heart that is truly right with God. That truly yearns to be with God.

The Jewish people had a good and thorough understanding of God. I would argue that it was better than many people today. They understood that God was pure, God was holy. Unblemished. Perfect. And they understood the need for atonement. For reconciliation for sin. And so the goal of the laws was to make themselves pure. Hoping that THIS would make them acceptable to God. This would pave the pathway to God and eternal life. In fact Jesus isn’t saying that the rules are necessarily wrong in their intentions. But they are misunderstood. Jesus is saying that God cares less about the fact that we are making all of the right motions and following a code, than he does that He has your heart. God doesn’t care that you are perfect in the eyes of other Jewish people. Or even today in the eyes of other Christians. The point is this: If we aren’t giving God our heart- our all- its meaningless. THAT is where he makes us right. That is where we gain our inner purity.

In that moment, they didn’t know the mission of Christ. They didn’t understand that the final sacrifice to put us right with God was on the horizon. Jesus was about to fulfill the law. Jesus demonstrated it again and again during his ministry. In Matthew 22: starting in verse 37 Jesus tells us: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A Second is equally important. Love your neighbor as yourself.”  He said that the most important law of all was a law of love. You want to find purity in God? Then you must love Him. Then you love His people in the same way.  That is how you come into the favor of God.

Jesus fulfilled the rules. It doesn’t mean that the rules have no purpose. They are there to guide us. But God changed everything through Jesus by demanding more- our hearts. Jesus took the rules to a new level.

Since I have made several analogies to driving, and the road this morning, I implore you to think of the rules that God asks us to keep as guardrails. God knows we are broken. That we are going to break the rules. They we will sometimes swerve to the right or left. So he gives us the direction that we follow in the Bible as a means of guiding us. Protecting us.

We know that on the other side of the guardrail, something exists that is worse for us than staying on the road. The guardrail guides us when we stray, when we get off course- whether intentionally or unintentionally. It keeps us safe from what is on the other side. And so it is so with the commandments. With the directions that we find in the Bible. The important thing- is that we don’t lose track of where we are going.

God cares that he has our hearts. We are his children, and he loves us. Yet we fall away. We drive through the guardrails. We worship other gods. We are idolatrous. Often our idolatry is not in the sense that we go to a strange temple and offer sacrifices to Malek, but there are indeed other gods in our lives that we worship! So Jesus calls the Pharisees of the past, as well as his people of today, to examine our inner purity. Our hearts towards God. To find out where we stand.

I would like to share some ideas on idolatry found within the book Living Our Beliefs: The United Methodist Way, written by Bishop Kenneth Carder. Carder describes some of the major things that are idolatrous, yet widely accepted by Christians and society everywhere. He talks about the three major “gods” of today. So let us examine and go through them to look behind the curtain of our outward faith, and determine where our hearts are:

The first god is Success. God bless America. Yet isn’t the “American Dream” synonymous with success? Millions of people focus on success to the detriment of everything else in their lives. As sad as it is- our society values PEOPLE in terms of possessions, having, titles, looks, degrees, or power. Yet this is not a theme of the Bible. Jesus emphasizes living as servants. Of dawning meekness. Undoubtedly when you apply the diligence and conservative principles taught to us by the Bible, you often come to have greater wealth, this is not the issue. The issue is when you make your success a bigger focus point in your life than God. Or your family. Or your neighbor. Do you know someone who might be worshipping success? 

The second god is Consumerism. Our market economy is completely based in consumerism. A god that contends that everything from goods, to people, to institutions is marketable. Sellable. Which reduces our relationships down to utilitarian function and cost-benefit considerations. Relationships are based upon what one receives from them. How is Consumerism a god, you might ask?  Let me throw a couple lines at you. I will start the sentence, and I want you to finish. So go ahead and shout it out or sing it with me if you know it-

“Everything tastes better, with a dallop of …..” (Daisy)

“A 1. A 2. A 1234- Give me a break, give me a break, break me off a piece of that ….” (Kit kat bar)

“I want my baby back. I want my baby back baby back. I want my baby back baby back ribs” Chilis, …. “ (baby back ribs)

This next one is a game. Hungry hungry Hippos, Hungry Hungry Hippos!

This one is coffee- “ The Best Part of Wakin’ Up- Is Folgers in your cup!”

We could do this all day. Want to know the crazy part? There are adults that were born after these commercials came out. The Kit kat commercial was from 1995, Chilis from 1995, Folgers from 1994. These commercials were from TWO DECADES AGO- yet we still know them by heart. How do you know if consumerism is one of your gods? When you remember jingles from two decades ago but can’t tell someone a line of the bible. Something from the word of God. I am not trying to make you feel guilty- If consumerism were a charge you could have locked me up and throw away the key.

The third god is Hedonism. I am sure everyone knows what that is. Well Websters defines hedonism as the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole of chief good in life. Statements like, “If it feels good, do it”. “If it feels right, it must be right” are examples of hedonism. Is pleasure wrong? No. But living for pleasure is dangerous. Its dangerous because ethics and morality become a matter of subjectivity. It limits God to being a celestial “Dr. Phil”. I believe that it is a driving force of why so many marriages are failing. If it is not going well, people just throw it out in pursuit of something that will "make them happy", rather than working towards biblical happiness and then sharing it with their partner. And as bishop Carder says, church becomes a “religious spa”. Being happy is not the problem, but the biblical understanding of what happiness is- becomes lost. Happiness in the Weslyan tradition is a by-product of our relationship with God. With feeling his blessing, and with participating in our relationship with Him.

So in reflecting together today, I ask you- “Where is your heart”? Has it been in a place of rules and duties that you have been following? Does your faith, that maybe at one time felt strong and alive, feel more like “going through the motions”?

Our God is a Holy God. A righteous God. A pure and unblemished God. But he is a loving God! He desires our actions, yes, but more than that- our hearts! He wants us to love him, and to daily follow Him alone! So let us live in that understanding. Put aside all other Gods, and put our intentions and focus back onto the one that is the giver of true life. Would you pray with me?

Heavenly father,

We praise and thank you. For coming down into this world, and making something new of faith. For taking our hearts of stone and replacing them with hearts of flesh and love. We are yours alone, God, and today we rededicate ourselves to your word and your way, chasing after you, as you have been chasing after us. So use us, Lord. Guide us, and keep us in your everlasting arms- this day and everyday. And its in our gratitude of the sacrifice of your Son Jesus that we pray, Amen. 

Spiritual Transformation: Part III- Sustenance

                                          “Sustenance”

By Alan McCormick 8/14/2015

Well good morning again brothers and sisters! And thank you for joining us on this 12^th Sunday after Pentecost, that day so long ago when God set his spirit upon the people and the church was born. We are in week three of a series on spiritual transformation. A necessary component of our lives if we want to truly experience God in new and exciting ways. What we need to do if we want to break free from an anemic faith. To look for and discover what God calls for us and wants for us to be. And to not only experience all that is found in God and through Jesus Christ, but to sustain it- to hold it close, and keep it; always. 

In week one we talked about that “one big obstacle that we need to overcome”. The demon or demons that each of us need to conquer to begin to turn our lives in a direction that leads towards God. This was a lesson on what we must do, to experience a transforming faith. 

In week two we talked about taking steps into becoming what God wants and has called us to be. We took a look at the scripture in Ephesians, at spiritual gifts, and examined ourselves to ask: “Where do I want to be?” “What kind of relationship to God can I aspire to?” We talked about taking tangible steps to move towards God, and what that might look like in our lives. 

This brings us to part three- the final part- about sustaining and keeping our promise and commitment towards our relationship with God. For those of you who have been in the church circle a long time and know all of the “church lingo”, you could call today “backsliding prevention”. 

Let me start by saying that it is great to be a Christian. can I get an amen on that? I talk a good game about being a Christian. I encourage everyone to become Christians. Why? Because having faith in Jesus Christ changes lives. I have been a Social Worker a long time now. I have witnessed transformations (small and large), but I can say that I have NEVER witnessed transformation in my secular job like those that I have witnessed when someone embraces Jesus Christ and starts living for him. There is nothing like it!

But- and there is always a but- It is not easy to be a Christian. And it’s getting harder and harder too. Being a Christian will right countless wrongs in your life- and you WILL be blessed by it. But you will never hear me preaching a prosperity gospel up here. If you accept Jesus, imitate him and live out his gospel- your life will not suddenly become only rainbows and you will receive every new truck you like at the dealership because you are now blessed by God. That’s not how it works. Will your life improve? I’m sure of it. But like the military, once you are in- you have a duty to do. It’s tough! Sometimes it feels like the world is on your shoulders. And a lot of times- somebody’s world IS on your shoulders. And then we Christians have a tendency to wear each other down on top of it. Concerning ourselves with details and trivial nuances- attacking each other over such little things- fighting a microscopic civil war- when just outside our church doors is World War III. A battle for souls! A Battle for love.

 So it’s easy to cave. It’s easy to throw in the towel. It’s easy to back out; you stumble into a hard rock on your journey of faith, stub your toe; then cry out “I’m NOT PLAYING ANYMORE!” When you lose your job, your car breaks down, or even worse, you lose a loved one. Someone dear to you- who was your rock. When life must go on but it hurts just to get up in the morning. What do you do THEN?  What will you do? And the truth is- we can’t make it through these parts if we aren’t always and continuously seeking God. Seeking his sustenance. Putting our weights and troubles on Him, and trusting that he will deliver.

We are talking this morning on a piece of scripture that quotes Jesus on a remarkable statement. A statement that is profound, and was even alarming to the people listening to him. This morning Jesus says, starting in the book of John in Chapter six, beginning in verse 51:

                                    “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.

                                    Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread,

                                    Which I offer so that the world may live, is my flesh”

This is a PROFOUND thing to say. This is why it fired the people up. Jesus links himself to the manna that the Israelites ate while in the wilderness. The manna that needed to be sought after and collected every day. Manna that sustained people during the hard times. 

My best friend, Paul, has been delivering a sermon series this month on this statement alone. It is loaded. A lot can be taken from it. But where I am going with it is this: we need to understand the manna. If we want to have a remarkable relationship with God, and be “full grown” in faith, we must approach our faith as the Israelites approached the manna:

The first thing that we need to know about the manna, is that it was food given freely to the Israelites during the time that they were awaiting the promised land. It sustained them, and was given out every day from the heavens.

Second, it couldn’t be saved. If they tried to collect extra manna and store it away, it would be rotted the very next day. Why is that important? It made the people seek it, made them dependant on God.

Jesus is our manna. Our position with God and our relationship with him is freely given to us. Yet like the Israelites we must go out and get it every day. We must keep ourselves dependent on God. We cannot get to proud to go to God in prayer. We must never think that we know enough of the Bible to stop reading or studying it. We must seek sustenance. We must daily pray to God, every day, and in every moment we can. We must live with gratitude towards him. We need to always continue to step up our bible knowledge, and come to an understanding of the fullness and completeness of Gods promises. We should seek out solid Christian friendships, where we can support each other and be transparent and open.

On the physical side of things we must not burn ourselves out. Our scripture in Ephesians makes some clear points about how we should live. Is that because God wants to restrict us? No! Instead it is because God knows that when we don’t take care of ourselves, or that when we drink, we start making poor judgment calls- and then before we know it we are back to our old ways or buried in another sin. 

I am no different from you… But if all the time we have spent together boils down to one thing, I pray that it is that you have begun to seek out and find opportunities and the degree of faith that God has in store for you. You are never to young, to old. Or too far gone. You are only loved.

Would you pray with me?

Heavenly Father,

We praise and thank you for blessing us. Blessing us with your word. Blessing us with your spirit. And for blessing us with the tools to change our lives. To live different. To be different. To have relationships with you and others like no other. Only you father give us these things. And with gratitude we come to you with hearts ready to receive it. In you glorious name we pray, Amen. 

Unlocking Spiritual Transformation- Part II "Full Grown"

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16, Ps 51:1-12
Thank you for joining us this week, for part two of our series on spiritual transformation. 

Last week was an interesting week. If you missed it or just plain ole’ forgot it, we discussed the story and trials of King David, and how his issue with lust got him into a lot of trouble; and how the sin that David committed quickly snowballed out of control, as sin often does.

We talked about how we all tend to have that “one thing” that holds us back. That major thing we battle with, that keeps us from truly growing spiritually and experiencing God and our faith in ways like never before.  We spoke about some practical steps to overcoming this barrier; and about laying down our lives before God and fully giving it all to Him.

Last week was about a major thing that we are to DO, if we are to truly be changed and be used by Jesus. 

There are things that MUST be done if we want a Christian faith that is more than a smile and a handshake on Sunday morning. We don’t necessarily always want to do it- I understand that. But they MUST be done. What happens if I put off staining the deck year after year? It ROTS! It becomes useless. Eventually it gets to a point when it needs to be torn down and rebuilt. And like we learned from David last week, isn’t getting torn down and rebuilt much harder; and costlier? The same is true of our spiritual lives! We need to put in the work to see the reward!

In taking a look at today’s scripture, we can see that today is about the next step. It is about what we want TO BE, and even more; what we are called to be. Today we are challenged by the Apostle Paul to “live a life worthy of our calling”. In the scriptures this morning Paul speaks out to us about the truth of Jesus in words shared by the Psalmist in Psalm 68 Verse 18:

When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives, and gave gifts to his people

Christ Descended to the world. He lived, he toiled. Like you and me he was tempted and suffered. But yet, when his work was done, he ascended and he is bringing you and I with him- but now we are No longer captives of what has been keeping us from God, from the heartbeat of true life, and the arms of Jesus.

I spent a great deal of time this week, in contemplation on spiritual transformation, on the decline of church in America, and what it is that I feel the Apostle Paul is getting at in this section of the letter. So I would like to share with you a story. Use your imagination with me. You can follow along, close your eyes if you want to- just don’t fall asleep. 

There are two men. They are young men in their early twenties, and they are neighbors, living across the hall from each other in an apartment building. They have built a friendship, mostly over a common interest. Both men want to become professional athletes. But both are living in the apartment building because, so far, it hasn’t gone well. Although both have been given gifts that could enable them to become great athletes, so far they have fallen short. They are doing decent in life, but the full potential of what could be has not been discovered.

One of the young men, Matt, we will call him, is an exercise fanatic. Early in the morning he goes off to the gym. After work he goes to the gym. He keeps up the neighbors up at night doing jumping jacks, pushups and pull-ups. He exercises so much that he never has time to eat. So to save time he often cooks ramen noodles, or something quick and easy. But regardless of how much exercise he does, it never seems to make much of a difference. He is weak, and he makes little or no gains.

John, on the other hand, dislikes exercises. He is often bored with doing repetitive exercise alone, so no longer bothers. Instead, John prefers to eat only healthy, nutritious food. Because of this, he feels that the exercise isn’t necessary. So every day John heads out to find the best organic, local ingredients and cooks the very best, healthy meals.

One day the two men meet in the hall, and discuss how they have been struggling as Athletes.

“Come over for dinner tonight, and we will talk more”, John says. So that night they get together over a healthy meal and give each other pointers on how to become better athletes. And the conversation becomes so interesting that John decides to join Matt on his nightly workout regime. The next day, both men have their best days as athletes yet. 

So what happened?

It’s obvious in these terms, is it not? When we are talking about wellness, its clear to see that Matt needs to eat better food and John needs to exercise. Its easy to see that in their friendship, they boosted each other up by supporting each other as athletes. Most everyone can tell you that if you want to be professional athlete, you need to have a good combination of healthy diet and lots of exercise. 

So how is this different from our Christian walk? How is this different from our relationship with God? With becoming a mature Christian? If you want TO BE something in Christ, you chase after God will all you have. You commit to it. You partner with other Christians to build each other up. You use the spiritual gifts that He has given you. If you want to use them well, you need to train yourself.

We train ourselves by taking in spiritual food. Like listening to sermons, reading your bible, meditation, learning about the theology behind our faith. I could go on and on. Exercising your faith, in contrast, is about employing your spiritual gifts, praying with people, chasing after God in every area of your life.

 If you don’t eat enough spiritual food, your faith is anemic. You become weak. If you only consume lots of spiritual food but never exercise it, you may become fat and happy; but it never counts for anything. You can’t score if you’re not in the game.  You may be the best at something that can be used by God, for the transformation of yourself and of the greater world. But like these men you haven’t met your full potential. In teaming up, like Matt and John, sharing our gifts, graces and knowledge, we become better equipped and better trained.  

Paul talked about much in this section of his letter to the church in Ephesus. But this is the key. BE what God wants you to be, BE someone different- through the gifts and graces that you have received. Live a life worthy of the calling. Grow and mature as a Christian, seeking to someday become “full grown”, and Christ calls you home.

This morning I want to challenge you to create a list of the “To Be’s”. A list of the areas of your life that you wish to improve on, or be remembered by. These items will symbolize both where you want your relationship with God to be, as well as your legacy once God calls you home. Where do you want to be? What do you want to be remembered by?

It might sound like this:

11.)  To be someone with a strong prayer life.  Who feels a very real connection with God while you pray.

22.)  To be someone who walks with humility and servant leadership.

33.)  To be someone who holds close the truth of Jesus Christ. Someone who stares down adversity and crisis situations and lives in a comfort and hope, even when faced with the toughest situations life has to through at them.

Get it out on paper. When its down on paper you are more likely to do it. Then take a real honest look at your items, and figure out, What do I need to do to get there? Who should I team up with? Take the next steps necessary to live like no one else, so that you can experience God in a real and true way like no one else.

Many, many times have I gotten into conversations with people and they have said “Well you know, I used to go to church but I never got anything out of it” or “It didn’t make a difference in my life”.  My answer to these folks is usually two questions- “What did you do to grow closer to God” and “Did you try to become like Jesus with every ounce of your soul?” The answer is usually silence or an unsure no. Somehow our society has bought into this idea that you just come to church and God transforms your life like a spiritual genie. Or not. But the truth is that although the transformation of life through Christ is a gift, yes; we need to go through the effort of unwrapping it. Who would leave a million dollar check in the mailbox but not go through the effort to get up, go out and check it? Don’t let a priceless gift go to waste by inaction. 

Unlocking Spiritual Transformation- Part 1

Scriptures: 2 Samuel 11:1-15, Psalm 14: 1-3

The last couple of weeks God has had a sense of humor with me, because I feel that he has challenged me to speak about difficult subjects within His churches. And with churches that don’t yet know me. I have been blessed the last few weeks with the opportunity to come into new churches on first impressions, all smiles, and then have to get up to the front and be like “thanks for having me, its been great to meet you, praise God, (NOW LETS TALK ABOUT THE GREATEST SIN YOU COMMITT THAT IS IN THE BIBLE) Little tough God… I will say that sometimes as we follow the lectionary we get some tough subjects. 

Today, as you may have noticed from our scriptures, is rated R. But God is good, and I just can’t praise him enough for using me. I am just a normal person- no different than anyone else here, really. Yet he keeps surprising me by letting me speak at churches- even though he knows how crazy I am.

But I sure am a lot less crazy today than I once was.  And that has a lot to do with what we are talking about today.  Today is special because we are talking about something that has the potential to change our entire lives. We are talking about something that if we embrace it, it will change our entire relationship with God and with other people. If you have been on a plateau with God, this thing will take you to the next level. Mastering this one thing can CHANGE EVERYTHING! 

Lets get into it by getting into the word of God this morning. Today we are focusing on the Good King David and the not-so-good things that David got himself into. Has any of you ever gotten into something they shouldn’t have and then had to suffer the consequences?                

Now in this part of the story our king David, a man that was once a lowly shepherd, with nothing, has been raised up.  God brought David from a place where he had nothing into being a KING. Into a place where he had ALL of the worldy things he could possibly want, plus some. Yet what happened? Well the same thing that happens to today’s celebrities, really. David wanted even more. David wanted what he couldn’t have. David got a little proud. Showed a little apathy towards God. David thought- I am KING! And when the king wants, the king gets! In the heat of the moment, David forgot who the real king was.

So David is looking out over the kingdom, oh so proud of the kingdom he has built. And he sees an attractive young woman. And so maybe the first time he looked out, or maybe over many times of checking her out he says to  one of his advisors-

Who is THAT?  And hes told- She is Bathsheeba. She is the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah of Hittite. Why is this important? Perhaps it is important because Uriah is known to be a dedicated and honorable soldier. What this should have told David is- don’t go there. These are honorable people that serve you faithfully. But David is caught up in the temptation. So he proceeds anyway. He takes the next steps. He has her brought in, has affairs with her, then a few weeks later, she gets pregnant.

Does he turn from the sin, does he fess up? No! He calls for Uriah to come home, then repeatedly tries to get him to go home with his wife so that he can cover it up by passing off the kid to be Uriahs. And I have heard people say that the bible is boring?!

Well unfortunately for David, Uriah, is so honorable as a soldier that he wont do it. Anyone know a soldier? I come from a military family so I sure do. And one thing I know is this- guys and gals CANNOT WAIT to get on home for some leave. What is better? But Uriah is soooo committed, he wont even go home. He literally says “Look, I can’t do that. My brothers are out there fighting. I owe it to them. I don’t deserve it when I know that they are out there fighting and dying. So he sleeps outside and wont even go home.

It only gets worse. Now King David is in a conundrum. Does he make a good choice here?? No- he digs himself even deeper, escalates his sin even more by sending Uriah back into battle with a sealed letter to his nephew and general Joab that says to get Uriah killed in battle. So as they rush into battle Uriah is on the front lines, then suddenly Joab pulls back the forces. And Uriah, a innocent and honorable man, is killed. And several other good men who are completely innocent, are killed as well.

Well that really spun out of control, didn’t it? Did you follow it? This thing started with just looking at a woman through a window- and people are DEAD. Then the child born out of this tragedy DIES. How does this happen?

The truth lies in understanding how Sin works. The biggest sins NEVER start out that way. It starts out small. It starts out usually in a specific area of our lives that we struggle with. It sneaks in. We fall into a little area of it and before we know it gets OUT OF CONTROL. Its  becomes something we don’t intend it to. Its like the alcoholic that says that is just going to have “one beer”. It doesn’t work that way! You cant toe around in sin and expect your life not to be affected by it. When we do that we are limiting what our lives can be, what our lives can become. Sexual sins are some of the worst, but it could be anything. Jealousy, anger, pride, alcoholism, you name it.

In working in social work for ten years now, I can tell you definitively that I have watched people crash and burn from making the same mistakes THOUSANDS of times. Over and over people can make the same mistakes without even realizing it, or even worse, do realize it- yet keep doing it. We come to church for a reason. We no longer need to do this. We no longer are people who need to suffer from choices gone bad. We don’t need to get caught in the cycles.

EVERYONE has or has had that ONE THING that has been holding them back from experiencing that incredible life and faith. That one thing that kept them from a relationship with God like no other. What is yours? I bet you already know. What causes you to sin? What traps you? What is holding you back in your life and relationships? If you have already overcome it- PRAISE GOD. Be a light to that victory and help another through it. 

Even my son is a testament to this truth. Now I want to preface this story with saying that I have amazing, wonderful children. I have really been blessed with my kids. And I am so proud of each one of them. But they are human and make mistakes, and I try to somewhat gently guide and correct them when this happens. Recently, Ethan, my 8 year old, was entrusted to take twenty dollars to add to his lunch account at school. Some days later, he comes home with a bunch of stuff from the school store. I said “Ethan, where did you get the stuff?” “The school store” he says. And without skipping a beat he adds- mom gave me some money for the school store. Fair enough, I thought, and I go about my business. A couple days later mom asks about the money I gave Ethan to go to the school store. Wait a minute!. Well as it turns out, our sweet little innocent child, got a little tempted while passing the school store. And then lied, and then lied some more, and tried to cover it up. While making a mistake mis-spending the money that he was entrusted to bring for lunch was bad enough, some cover up lying compounded his problem. And what wouldn’t have been a big deal had he come clean about it- turned into a much bigger deal. Needless to say Ethan worked a very productive couple of days at a lemonade stand, just to turn over his profits as restitution. And in the meantime heard lectures from dad on honesty and integrity. An important lesson learned.

It starts early, doesn’t it? But it doesn’t have to be this way. For that one thing that you struggle with, God teaches us through the bible three simple steps in overcoming our problem and having victory with our sins. I didn’t personally make them up- so you know that they are much more reliable. They really work.

11.)  First, Go to God in earnest prayer to help you stay away from the people, places, and situations that may tempt you. Of course this is to help you to break the cycle. The other piece to it is true repentance. I have found that in my own struggles, when I have approached God seriously with this from the bottom of my heart he has provided a way out that I then chose to take or not. But he provides it.

22.)  Memorize and meditate on portions of scripture that combat your weakness. I can’t stress that enough. Nothing else could possibly train you as well as this as when you identify your problem coming on. Its like a pessimist becoming an optimist. If they have really been practicing optimism, it is much easier to see the pessimism when it comes out.

33.)  Find another strong believer that you can share your struggles with. Those individuals who I mentioned earlier who have overcome their greatest struggles- its time for those people to shine. Seek out someone who has won your battle. Would you rather disarm a bomb with a hairdresser or a skilled demolition squad leader? 

  

    These simple steps can help us to begin to live life differently- in a way that will build up our relationship with God, as well as improve life in general. If we choose to follow them, who knows what God could have in store for us. We didn’t get into the outcome of today’s story with David, but after some solid discipline and David’s heartfelt repentance, God used David in amazing ways. After all, David was the ancestor of Jesus. And there is no greater honor than that. 

From the Inside Out

Living from the Inside Out

 

 

-Alan

 

 

Dropping the Complain Game

Daily Thoughts and Encouragement for January 29, 2015 

Dropping the "Complain Game"

We all know that person who just can't seem to find the good in anything. Maybe it's a parent, sister, friend or even us. The person who seems to focus on the bad in everyone and anything. The one who uses Gossip in an effort to rebuild self-esteem. 

To someone who lives outside of this lifestyle- the solution seems easy. But to those who live it, it is almost an addiction; one that takes time and incremental steps to overcome. It is not something that can simply be undone. It is a process that requires accountability and regular self-assessment. 

The bible addresses having a "critical spirit". Philipians 2:14-15 is direct in addressing this issue. It says: 

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless

and pure children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation. 

Further, Ephesians 4:2 states:

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

When we carry negative attitudes, it keeps us from learning and growing as Christians. It keeps us from enjoying the positive aspects of our lives. If we dwell on the negative- it will be only the negative that we see. Additionally- it reflects negatively on the Kingdom. When Jesus called us to bring people to the kingdom of God- I am sure that he wasn't calling us to nag them to death. 

To overcome this obstacle to faith, we must adjust our focus. Focus instead on the good and simple things in life. Appreciate the beauty of nature on your ride home from work. Laugh with small children, give love to an animal. Take the time to slow down and to focus on all that is good and in all that you are blessed to have. In this you will learn a healthy and peaceful mindset.  For some this may be difficult, but it is possible. It may even seem foreign or weird to do. In time, your mind will match your efforts. All that is required is that you take the first steps to change your attitude in life. 

In dealing with the negative person in your life- Show that individual love, patience and understanding. You may be the only beacon of hope for that person. Refuse to engage in gossip and negative talk, instead focusing on building up the strengths in the individual, and provide lots of opportunities for positive conversation. If this person has started the efforts to overcome the negative attitude, offer to lovingly hold the individual accountable. 

Remember, in Christ, all things are possible. 

God Bless!

-Alan 

How to Spot a Real Christian

Daily Thoughts and Encouragement for 1/26/2015

How to spot a REAL Christian 

Clearing the air for the non-believer

If I had a dollar for how many times I have come across pure hate being spewed on the internet or in person from people who identified themselves somewhere in the conversation as a Christian, I would have ended world hunger. The amount of times that Christians have turned someone away from faith or given them a bad taste about it is unrelenting and endless. It sickens me- I won't be quiet about it or roll over or ignore it any longer. 

Let me say first that I am not the judge of "whos who" in the Christian world. Only God is the judge of that. But I will say that over the years there is a clear difference between those who have embraced their Christianity and thrive in it- to the people who are luke-warm or are Christians in name only. If you are on the outside looking in, let me say this: There are no prerequisites to becoming a Christian. The important thing to understand about Christianity is that we meet people where they are in their lives. If someone is a jerk, then has some warm feelings and accepts Jesus, he can start calling himself a Christian. It doesn't mean he won't still be a jerk. He'll have to work on that. Growing spiritually is exactly that. Growing. It's a process that takes time. 

Secondly, take notice of the Disciple. In my mind, there are some levels in Christianity. Like earning a black belt. There are Christians, who believe, and there are disciples. If you want to talk to someone about the faith, talk to a disciple. Those are the people who speak with love instead of judgement. The people that work the trenches. The people who work as missionaries. The ones whose lives seem "different". Start with those people. If you are judging the faith on some joker on a youtube comment, you are misleading yourself. 

I did some research and found this interesting article on "Authentic Christianity" at http://www.jesus.org/following-jesus/discipleship/what-makes-for-an-authentic-christian.html. I am not the writer but I can agree with what it says: 

Let's take a look at five earmarks of authentic Christianity, taken from 1 John.

First, an authentic Christian confesses Jesus Christ as Lord (1 John 4:15). Christianity must begin with a verbal acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life. The Bible says that even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19). True Christians should be able to say that Jesus Christ is their Lord.

Second, if you are a true Christian, you will be unhappy or miserable when you're sinning (1 John 3:9). This doesn't mean you will never sin if you are a Christian (1 John 1:8). But there is a difference between recognizing that we will fail in some way, shape, or form in the future and going on a willful, continual track of sin. If you really are a child of God, you will have a sense of discomfort when you sin, because you know in your heart of hearts that what you are doing is wrong.

Third, an authentic Christian enjoys fellowship with other believers (1 John 5:1). A true Christian will want to be around other Christians. Those who isolate themselves from other believers do so at their own peril, because the Bible tells us that it is important to get together, encourage one another, and correct one another (Hebrews 10:24-25). After all, why should God go to your house if you won't go to His? A lot of us want all of the fringe benefits of Christianity without applying ourselves.

Fourth, an authentic Christian obeys the commands of Jesus Christ. If you are a true believer, then you will obey the commands of Jesus Christ (1 John 5:3). I will not deny that the Bible is filled with so-called rules, but their purpose is not to make our lives miserable. Rather, they protect us from potential harm. The person who blatantly and continually breaks the commandments of God simply does not know Him.

Finally, an authentic Christian loves and obeys the Word of God (1 John 2:5). You cannot effectively live the Christian life without a love for, and obedience to, God's Word. All true disciples of Jesus Christ will be students of Scripture and will walk according to its teaching. This is vital to authentic Christian living, because the Bible is indeed the very textbook of life (2 Timothy 3:16). Yet so many believers will not read the Bible. They don't realize that success or failure in the Christian life depends on how much of the Bible they get into their hearts and minds on a regular basis. We have to do it.

Taken from "Authentic Christianity" (used by permission).

To wrap it up- Christianity is real. Christianity can be an incredible, life-altering journey. The kind of Christianity that was born at the time of Jesus is alive and well- you just need to discover it for yourself. God Bless and enjoy your day! 

-Alan 

What footprints will you leave behind?

 

Judge Me by the Footprints I Leave Behind

an Inspirational Story

 

A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Iraq.
He called his parents from San Francisco.
“Mom and Dad, I’m coming home, but I’ve got a favor to ask. I have a friend I’d like to bring with me.”
“Sure,” they replied, “we’d love to meet him.”
“There’s something you should know the son continued, “he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mined and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live.”
“No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us.”
“Son,” said the father, “you don’t know what you’re asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can’t let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He’ll find a way to live on his own.”At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him.

A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn’t know, their son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don’t like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren’t as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are.

Thankfully, there’s someone who won’t treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.
Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!

There’s a miracle called -Friendship- that dwells in the heart. You don’t know how it happens or when it gets started. But you know the special lift It always brings and you realize that Friendship Is God’s most precious gift!
Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

Read more: http://www.inspirationalarchive.com/520/judge-me-by-the-footprints-i-leave-behind/#ixzz3PboOFePA


Planning to Sin

Daily Thoughts and Encouragement for January 22, 2015

 

Planning to Sin

 

Daily Reading: Romans 13: 11-14.

 

 

Yup I didn't put the "daily thought" on. Its important for this blog that all the thoughts come from you. And I like to shake it up.

 

Today I want to bring up something rarely talked about in Churches. Sure, they all talk about sin and not to do it and etc. I want to discuss something more pressing. Something that so many churches are avoiding.

 

I was not always Christian. I lead a very secular life. I get it. In fact, when I started deciding to take this Christian thing seriously, this topic hit me square in the face. You see, while most Christians are doing their best trying to avoid sin, the rest of the world embraces it. Enjoys it. I mean, we didn't just sin. We planned on it. Friday night rolls around and we were out in full blown Sin mode. We even dressed up for it. It was fun for us. Getting drunk? You betcha. Sexually Immoral? With any luck. Its what society calls fun and a good time.

 

When your caught in that life, it is hard to break from. It really is. It is like trying to reprogram yourself. But it is possible. As much as it is hard to believe, I am telling you that if you are in that life now- there is another life that will make you even happier and be twice as rewarding. But the steps to get there are yours to take.

 

 

 

 



Loving All Your Parts

Daily Thoughts and Encouragement for Wednesday, January 21, 2015.

Make Sure to Love All of Your Parts

Daily Thought: To appreciate is to encourage

Daily Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-22

The Pastor finishes his sermon, making his way to the back to stand in reception as the people exit. Handshakes are given- thanks for the great sermon provided this week.

I have always personally enjoyed this moment in preaching. Its not about being boastful, although it can be for some, but for me has always affirmed (or not) an outcome. It answers the questions in my head if whether or not I have been effective in my ministry. If people's lives were somehow changed or altered in the slightest bit by my work for God.

Sadly, Not everyone reaps the same benefits.

I found myself reflecting in today's verses, which point out that every person serves as a "part" on the body of God. I found myself appreciating the people that don't get the same kind of affirmation as often as they should.

Churches have many parts. From the Pastor, to the ushers, to people doing the bookkeeping and mowing the lawn, there are a lot of parts! Todays message from Paul to the church in Corinth is a good one. Love all of your "parts". No part can operate without the others, and all parts are equal and important in the eyes of God. 

Take a special moment today to pray for and thank all the people who make contributions to the body of Christ. In particular, try to thank someone who receives very little recognition. These are the behind-the-scenes individuals that keep the clocks ticking and the lights turned on. It's in blessing these individuals that we bless the church. 

God Bless

-Alan 

Learning to Forgive

Daily Thoughts and Encouragement for January 20, 2015. 

Forgive & Forget- The freedom in forgiveness

Daily Thought: I can learn to forgive

Daily Reading: Matthew 6:14

50. That's how many verses I reviewed on forgiveness before writing this blog. It seems to be pretty important to God to really reinforce this idea. In fact, in His wisdom, it's mandated. If you have read today's reading, you will see that God takes it pretty seriously. 

Why? Among the many reasons, God knows what harboring anger, resentment, hostility or bitterness does to a person. Quite literally, harboring these emotions is toxic. We might as well be drinking bleach. It takes a lot from a person. You could literally take before and after pictures and notice the difference. Not to mention that stress can literally take you to the grave. 

It's not easy to let it go. I get that. I was a person that could hold a grudge like no other. I couldn't imagine letting it go. If I did, it felt as if I were letting the person off of the hook! The only thing that I didn't realize at the time, is that the only one that I was still keeping on the hook was myself.  You see, forgiveness is a two-way street. Its as much of letting the other person go as it is letting yourself heal from whatever it is that alienates you. 

When I decided that I would start forgiving, it went slow at first. If its not something that you've done, you have to get used to it. I actually would google "how to forgive someone" and read up various strategies.. If you wish to start forgiving- you have to figure out how to do it for yourself. Everyone is different. Work at it, and you can get on the forgiving train.

What I want you to take from today is the knowledge that forgiving will change your life. It will brighten your days, your relationships, your outlook and even lighten the weight in your chest as you breathe. It will bring you closer to God, and mature your faith as you begin to understand the immense blessings that come with it. 

Jesus said in Matthew 11:29, "Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light."

Jesus has given you rest from your burden. As painful as it is- don't hold onto it. Give it to Him and trust that he will handle it justly and righteously. Trust Him and the plan that he has for your life. Trust him and follow a road of healing that will bring countless blessings to your life. Someday you will look back, astonished that you hadn't let go sooner.  

Go forth in peace and love, 

-Alan 

A Life Free of Worry

Daily Thoughts and Encouragement for January 15, 2015

A Life Free of Worry 

Daily Thought: I choose to worry, and I can choose not to

Daily Reading: Matthew 7:25-34

If you believe and follow Jesus- life will be worry-free and perfect. Not likely. In fact Jesus promised that we, as Christians, will face trials and hardships, just like anyone else. Jesus did, however, promise us a special refuge and strength found in Him that is not found anywhere else in the world. 

In fact, Jesus made a particular point to address worry. I imagine that he did this because of His understanding of how destructive worry can be. Worry robs us of enjoying the here and now and from cherishing the little things in life. It commands our minds into focusing on the bad instead of focusing on the good. It carves a quick and painful path of destruction in our lives and serves no purpose. 

Luckily, God knows and loves us and has given us some important guidance on dealing with worry. Jesus points us to some specific solutions, as outlined in today's reading. They are: 

1. To have faith. Above all else, you must believe that our Father in Heaven has our best interests in mind and has a plan for our lives. Jesus says that if we "Seek the Kingdom of God and live righteously" that God can and will meet our needs. Do note, however, that our "needs" and "wants" are often two very different things. 

2. Refuse to worry. Jesus says to "Leave tomorrow for tomorrow, for it will have its own struggles". Jesus is saying two things: The first is that worrying does not solve problems. If anything, worry creates problems. Think about that time you stayed up half the night worrying and how exhausted it made you when you actually had to deal with the problem. 

The second is that we should "worry about" overcoming the problems that are right in front of us in the moment. In focusing on improving ourselves and the life we are living, even moment by moment, we create opportunities for growth and build an attitude for overcoming obstacles. In other words, focusing on and overcoming the challenges that lie in front of us builds up the steam to overcome the challenges that are yet to come. Like creating a winning attitude. 

You see, if we approach our problems as obstacles to overcome instead of harboring stress through worry, we live a healthier life. If we are living a healthier life, we are more likely to overcome the obstacles. We, in turn, create a cycle of positive energy in our lives instead of spinning into a negative one. So as we go on today, lets us commit to refusing to worry. Instead, we will leave the future in the hands of God and focus on solving the puzzles that are before us in the moment. Peace and grace be to your all and God Bless!

Peaceful, Not Boring

 

Daily Thoughts and Encouragement for January 14, 2015.

 

Christianity: Peaceful, Not Boring

 

Daily Thought: My life as a Christian can be exciting and thrilling

Daily Reading:2 Peter 3:14

 

 

 

Its funny how the images of the Christian life and the Secular life are so skewed by popular media and entertainment outlets. The representation of the Christian life often goes one of two ways: either we are depicted as being "haters", or that we live these mundane, boring lives while the partiers and jet-setters experience the world in all of its glory and go on fabulous vacations and etc. Not often does the news go into the stories of Christians dodging bullets for Christ on mission in Pakistan or saving the lives of children in the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak. Conveniently, the parts of the interviews that individuals discuss their faith are edited out. They also don't talk about how 70% of all non-profit community service organizations are faith-based, or how "the church" is leading the effort to fight the orphan population in China. Don't worry- I'm not going to go on a political rant or anything. But I do want to set the record straight.

 

Being a Christian and becoming a Christian should be the least boring that our lives have ever been! Just think about it a second! Undergoing dramatic self-growth, feeling the fire and passion of new belief, visiting the world in missions and experiencing dramatic different and new cultures, having positive activism, celebrating the joy of a new extended family. This life is one that leads to excitement and intrigue. If you are Christian and have begun living a stale life- it is time to re-evaluate! Jesus gave us the command to go out into this world and get our hands dirty!

 

 

You see brothers and sisters, we are indeed called to strive to be peaceful, as indicated in today's reading, but we were also called to be do-ers. We are called to not quarrel with non-believers, because in doing this we actually turn them away from God. This is a call to be peaceful, not boring. Use the example of the apostles in the early formation of the church: they were arrested, flogged, shunned. They traveled and planted churches. They hid out like "James Bonds" planting undercover church seeds. Being peaceful didn't mean that they didn't live extraordinary lives. More often than not, it meant that when they were caught- they didn't duke it out with authorities. Instead, they greeted suffering with gladness. They rocked the boat.

 

 

Let us go today with the mindset that we should not survive as Christians, but thrive! Let us go and be intentional and purpose driven, and win back the hearts and minds of the world that has deemed us as archaic. God Bless You and Your Journey!

Christianity 101: How to Pray

 

Daily Thoughts and Encouragement for January 13, 2015

 

HOW TO PRAY

Daily Thoughts: Prayer is an essential and will strengthen my relationship with God.

Daily Reading: Various

 

We sometimes take for granted what we have learned in our walk with Jesus. There are brothers and sisters among us who don't experience the blessings of prayers simply because they "don't know how" or aren't comfortable with it.
Does it matter if I pray standing up, sitting down or kneeling? Should my hands be open, closed, or lifted up to God? Do our eyes need to be closed when we pray? Should we pray in the morning when we get up or at night before we go to bed? Are there certain words we need to say in our prayers? How do we begin our prayers? What is the proper way to close a prayer? What is the proper way to pray anyway? These questions are common questions asked about prayer.

 Some believe that if we do not say exactly the right things, or pray in the right position, God will not hear and answer our prayer. This is completely unbiblical. God does not answer our prayers based on when we pray, where we are, what position our body is in, or in what order we word our prayers. We are told in 1 John 5:14-15 to have confidence when we come to God in prayer, knowing He hears us and will grant whatever we ask as long as it is in His will. Similarly, John 14:13-14 declares, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” According to these and many other Scriptures, God answers prayer requests based on whether they are asked according to His will and in the name of Jesus (to bring glory to Jesus).

So, what is the proper way to pray? Philippians 4:6-7 tells us to pray without being anxious, to pray about everything, and to pray with thankful hearts. God will answer all such prayers with the gift of His peace in our hearts. The proper way to pray is to pour out our hearts to God, being honest and open with God, as He already knows us better than we know ourselves. We are to present our requests to God, keeping in mind that God knows what is best and will not grant a request that is not His will for us. We are to express our love, gratitude, and worship to God in prayer without worrying about having just the right words to say. God is more interested in the content of our hearts than the eloquence of our words.

The closest the Bible comes to giving a “pattern” for prayer is the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. Please understand that the Lord’s Prayer is not a prayer we are to memorize and recite to God. It is an example of the things that should go into a prayer—worship, trust in God, requests, confession, and submission. We are to pray for the things the Lord’s Prayer talks about, using our own words and “customizing” it to our own journey with God. The proper way to pray is to express our hearts to God. Sitting, standing, or kneeling; hands open or closed; eyes opened or closed; in a church, at home, or outside; in the morning or at night—these are all side issues, subject to personal preference, conviction, and appropriateness. God’s desire is for prayer to be a real and personal connection between Himself and us.

 

Start simply by expressing your inner most feelings to God. As foreign as it may seem at first. Soon you will not only feel more comfortable with prayer, but will enjoy it and the many blessings that come with it. It is a practice that cannot be overlooked by any believer. 

 

Adapted from:  http://www.gotquestions.org/how-to-pray.html#ixzz3OfTzS3cz


I wept when I saw this.

 

 

Daily Thoughts and Encouragement for January 12, 2015

BAPTISM

 





 If you attend a mainstream kind of church (if you attend church), chances are that this Sunday you talked about baptism. Today, I would like to share Stasias story- because pictures are worth a thousand words.

New Life Through Baptism- Stasias Story

Maybe God has been nudging you to take the step of faith to become baptized. If this is the case- act on it. Let yourself share all the burdens and hurts of the past to begin a new journey with Jesus Christ.

Be blessed!
-Alan

Updates & Information On the Five Minute Connection

 

 

Updates & Information

 

Blog Schedule: The blog is a supplement to enhance and uplift your work week. It will be available Monday through Friday (each day's blog is published the night before for early readers). The exceptions of course are occasional holidays, illnesses, etc. that might arise (I'm only one man after all).

 

How to best use the blog: You will notice that I don't always put the scripture into the blog. This is intentional and is a way to help you get into the habit of reading the Bible.  The best use is to take a special part of your day (ideally the beginning but it can be anytime) and set it aside. Give this time to God, reflect in the word and the message presented. This small step goes a long way.

 

Name Change?: You will see that our Facebook name changed from "Five Minute Ministries" to "The Five Minute Connection". As we develop our home church we thought it to be more fitting to call it the latter to avoid confusion regarding the actual ministry. We haven't set a name for the home church ministry at this point. Additionally, referring to the ministry as a "connection" feels more comfortable to our non-church friends.

 

If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact me anytime at ammcormick607@gmail.com

 

-Alan

 

 

 

 

Be A Baby

Daily Thoughts and Encouragement for January 9, 2015

 

BACKSLIDING- Lessons from Infants

Daily Thought: Its up to me to keep moving forward

Daily Reading: 1 Peter 1:13-20, 2:1-2

 

So you did it. You became a Christian. Maybe you got connected, found a church home, really gave yourself over to God. But, in time,  you missed a day of church here or there, that then became missing half the time, and now you struggle to make it on the holidays.  Chances are that you have really good excuses too, like that person who really ticked you off or your simply "too busy" to make it. I've been there, I backslid. Even went back to fully living by societies standards. Luckily, my life as I knew it fell apart, and I endured great pain. I can say luckily because it caused me to rediscover my faith and Christian life and fully commit to it this time.

 

In fact, backsliding is easy. Christianity has become counter-culture. Its often not a popular thing to go to church and its difficult to live this life in a world that views Christian morals as archaic or old fashioned. God never promised us an easy ride as Christians. Still, we have to hold God close to our hearts and press on. God calls it to live holy lives as Christians (verse 16). But how can we hold on to it?

 

I wrote a blog entitled "GROW" on this subject as well. In our reading from today, Peter tells us to be "like newborn babies craving spiritual milk so that we can grow into a full experience of salvation". Let us reflect a moment on this great analogy. How often to babies drink? Having a baby home myself, I can say that it seems like all the time. It is constant. So this is how we should approach our faith. With a ceaseless thirst for learning, growing and experiencing God. If we remain stagnant- we will undoubtedly fail to grow. And if we do not grow- we will not thrive.

 

 If you want more of your faith than just to survive it- If you want to thrive in it, then its up to you to consistently and earnestly seek God and dive into the incredible adventure that is being a Christian. Think "girls night" or "guys night out" was awesome? I dare you to really dive into this life and to compare those feelings to the ones you'll feel in wide-open worship. The feelings that you will have when you work for two weeks to restore water to a village in Haiti and watch the children take the first drink. The feelings you will have when you help a homeless person into a home, or provide food to the hungry. Or when you walk hand-in-hand with your soul mate to the alter for your fiftieth wedding anniversary. God is calling you to a journey of a lifetime. Will you accept his invitation?

 

An idea for the "Converted Christian"

Luckily, when I first accepted God and surrendered my pride and will, there were some keepsakes that I had saved that reminded me of it. Notes, a card from my pastor, and little objects that bring me back to the time and place. I had done this from advice I received from another believer and I am glad that I did. To this day, when I am feeling down or persecuted, I open the binder I made and reflect on my life and how it felt those first moments as a Christian. It always lifts my spirits and keeps me focused.