Live By Faith

Are any of you as tired as I am of people constantly arguing? What's worse in my opinion is people arguing about Christianity. People who supposedly believe in the same God, the same Bible, the same truths... yet are still arguing over semantics. Yes, I do appreciate a good debate. I do see the "goodness" in stretching your fellow brothers and sisters by having the good talks. But when I hear people arguing over the most frivolous little details it upsets me.

So in this post I would simply like to give one exhortation:

Live by faith. And live with actions that prove your faith.

We don't need to have petty conflicts over differing words in the Bible. We don't need to fight over which commandments are more important. The entirety of the Bible is important. Every single word is needed. But more importantly, we need to just live by faith. We don't have to argue little details when in the end we believe in the same God. If we truly are like-minded in our core principles (The Bible being inerrant and God being the only Creator) then nothing else matters.

The Bible even speaks to this end. I would posit that as people down here fight over little details, He is up in heaven shaking His head and laughing at us for our ignorant behavior. God says we are to live by faith and not by sight (2nd Cor 5). Furthermore God fully emphasizes the fact that we are:

1) Suppose to not fight and to watch what we say in every area of life.

Proverbs 17:14 "The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out."

Matthew 12: 36-37 "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

2) Trust God and not ourselves. And if we trust God and not ourselves then we would trust that the little things in the Bible aren't worth arguing about and rather focus on working together in what matters and that's winning souls for Christ.

Psalm 9:10 "Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you."

Isaiah 26:3-4 "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal."

The final point I would like to make is this, we must live by faith, but we must also accompany that faith with deeds. I can exhort you to live by faith, I can say forget all the nonsense and just live by faith, but that is not enough. We must help others, we must speak to others in a loving manner, we must encourage and love everyone around us. We cannot have this selfish Christianity that says, "Well I'm living by faith I don't know about all of you but I am so I'm good!" That does NOT work. It is our incredible duty as Christians to spread His Word, to show love and compassion to those in need, and to strive always to live in a manner worthy of God's calling.

I read this chapter from James today and it got me incredibly excited about this topic. The way I see it, what better way to summarize my thoughts on this than from the Bible itself? The words are straight-forward and beautifully written.

What does God have to say on this? Are we to live just by faith? Or are we to have actions that prove our faith?

"What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.'

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that —and shudder.

You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

~~ James 2:14-25 ~~

The Truth About Friendship

It's a pretty safe assumption to think that everyone has lost a "bestie" at least once in their life. Some have lost more, some have lost many. It's also safe to say that everyone will let at least one of their friends down this year. Probably even this month. The main pitfall to friendships is that we are all human. We are void of perfection and therefore unable to be the best friend possible one-hundred percent of the time.

In this post I would like to discuss a couple different aspects of friendship.

1) (As already stated) We will fail each other.

2) What will our reaction be when a friend fails us?

3) We don't need to worry about friendship because we always have God.

I think we all understand our fallibility. So let's move to #2. I would like you to take a moment to ponder the question. Consider a time when a friend, a close friend, has failed you. Whether it be something truly horrible or just a small instance. Consider those moments and the time following and think very carefully about what your reaction was to that friend. Was it good or bad? Are you proud of how you reacted?

I encourage you to take to heart the words of the Bible and maybe look at some passages in a different light than you have before.

Matthew 5:43-44 -- "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,"

Here's the thing, when someone fails us, and we react poorly, that causes a tension between the two of you. This could start an argument/fight and then suddenly you are "enemies". The word enemy may seem like strong language at first, but if you are really upset at someone then let's face it, you're not on the same side anymore. And if you think enemy in this case is a strong word, then just heed these words:

1 John: 3:15 -- "Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him."

Yeah... I don't think enemy is too strong a word.

This brings me to my next sub-point: Have you hated your "brother"? In this case I'm meaning both in the familial and the non-familial sense (And yes, this includes sisters). I know I have. I have had the worst feelings for my siblings. Anyone in my family can attest to the fact that I have been enraged by one or more family members in the past.

What's the Bible say to this? According to the verse above I'm a murderer. Thus I have also broken the Ten Commandments in my anger (Exodus 20:13). This should be a very sobering thought for all of us.

Here's another thought. In the family when you are angry or upset it's obvious. The whole family knows you are the one to steer clear of for that day. And it's also usually pretty obvious to whom you wish to take your anger out. But what about when it's directed to someone outside of your home? This is where the conviction should really set in. At least it does for me. I can sit in my room and murder people all day long and no one on this earth will know. The problem? God knows.

Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14 "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."

Every. Hidden. Thing. So yes, that includes your thoughts. And don't you love the extra push off the edge when it says "Whether it is good or evil". It's as simple as that. We must refrain from evil thoughts, we must cease the murder in our own hearts. We are better than that, and God is certainly more deserving than that.

Let's move onto the final point. We don't need to worry about friendship because we always have God. Any of you out there struggling with friendship? Have any of you had a good friend turn their back on you and just walk away? We will always fail each other. It's ok.

In the end we need to put our money on God. We need to rest our hope and faith in Him and not in other fallible people. God will be there for us through thick and thin. Yes, you'll have a friend or two who will "always" be there for you. But I promise you they will fail you at some point. If they don't downright leave you, they will certainly mess up. But it doesn't matter. Forgive and forget. Move on. Because the truest of friends is God. The One who, "will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

I don't want to use the cliche of we "have a friend in Jesus" (The Bible verse at the end covers that). I just want to put it this way. We HAVE Jesus. He died on the cross. He rose from the dead. All for US. We can tell our besties all day long that we would die for them but the reality is that Jesus already did that! He beat us to it.

Can we rely on God more and accept each other for who we really are?

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you."

John 15:12-15

Success and Failure

"Success consists of getting up just one more time than you've fallen down."

I read this quotation today and it got me thinking about success. My first reaction to this saying is that it is false. I would not quantify "Success" as a numbers game compared to "Failure". Being the type of guy that I am I love to define terms. So let's begin with a definition of Success:

"The favorable or prosperous termination of anything attempted; a termination which answers the purpose intended; properly in a good sense, but often in a bad sense." (Webster's 1828)

I absolutely love this definition because of its depth. What we see first is that Success is generally a favorable, positive word. Webster defines it as a prosperous termination. Interestingly, the definition of prosperous is: "The state of being successful" (Webster). Ergo the definition is redundant. I think Webster did this on purpose. He wants to press the fact that we are dealing with a "win".

But a vital question must be asked: do you define your success by your failure? I think I am guilty of having done this before. What is the purpose of saying, "Oh yes, I succeeded because all the other times I failed!" Reminds me of the famous phrase:

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." (Edison)

I fear that in this day and age we focus too much on failure and compare that failure to our (or others) success. Let's tie some Bible verses into the beginning quotation. I believe that the Bible speaks against this saying in a few areas. We are not suppose to count our falls. We are not intended to think so much about our failures, but rather focus on the goal. Just so long as we do as God would like, live for His purpose and glory and not for our own glory. For if we do this, we will succeed. They go hand in hand.

Indeed, God even says that those who are righteous, those who do believe in God, will be able to pick themselves up (By God's grace) but the wicked will not.

Proverbs 24:16 -

"For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes."

Furthermore I think it is key to note that the most important thing to do is follow God. Let's use an analogy:

Consider a minefield. One of the deadliest, most dangerous parts of any battlefield. Say you are a soldier, you know in front of you is a mile long mine field. You have two options to choose from:

1) Just go for it. Run. Try to see if you can just get through it without getting killed.

2) There's a minesweeper. You can pick up that minesweeper and carefully pick your way through the field. Sure this will take longer, but you have a incredibly higher chance of not dying.

I'm sure you can see the connection. We have two options to get through life:

1) Just go for it.

2) Accept and use God as our guide.

I don't know about you, but I think I'll go with option 2 in both scenarios.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I would like to posit this conclusion: God will guide us to success. No matter how many "failures" we have. If we lean and live for God. We will succeed. Because we will succeed in what matters. Let's live for God!

"And David had success in all his undertakings, for the LORD was with him." (1 Samuel 18:14)

"Save us, we pray, O LORD!O LORD, we pray, give us success!" (Psalm 118:25)

What We Believe

In the Debater world there is this philosophy that works off the idea that it doesn't matter what you (as a person) believe, it only matters what the facts state. Now, for debate this is perfectly reasonable, if we tried to have a formal debate about, for example, the Criminal Justice System, then our own personal beliefs on the matter shouldn't be taken into account if the Facts disprove them. If we have empirical studies that prove X number of people are having their rights taken away from them, it is absurd to think someone could come back with, "Well. I believe you are wrong!" And sit down. It doesn't work that way. In this instance, it truly doesn't "matter" what you believe.

Facts are facts.

However, there is another aspect of our lives that the belief is all that matters. Christianity holds its foundation in faith and our belief is vital. Yes facts prove Christianity, yes archeology proves it, but we still must hold our beliefs.

A.W. Tozer once said, "What we believe about God is the most important thing about us."

Hebrews 11:6 reads: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

Faith and belief are vital to our walk with Christ. Many times through the Bible we see "Faith" written in accordance with the core of our beliefs.

I do want to point this out though, they are similar but NOT the same. Let's see how:

Webster's 1828 defines them separately as-

Belief: "A persuasion of the truth, or an assent of mind to the truth of a declaration, proposition or alleged fact, on the ground of evidence, distinct from personal knowledge."

Faith: "In theology, the assent of the mind or understanding to the truth of what God has revealed. Simple belief of the scriptures, of the being and perfections of God."

As we can see here both are known as "an assent of mind". In other words, in both cases your mind agrees. You set yourself in the ways taught to you. You have "assented" to the idea(s).

The difference we see is in the latter part. Belief comes through a "declaration, proposition or alleged fact, on the ground of evidence". To believe you must have evidence. Which if you think about it is fascinating because how many times do we say "I believe" without having proof of said belief? I found this happened quite a few times this year during debate rounds. One debater (even myself on occasion) would say "I believe" this or that and then never prove it with evidence.

How about Faith? The difference with faith lies in the ideal that you see "the truth of what God has revealed". It is specific, pointed to our "Faith", pointed to God. In the end both of these words coincide with each other and both should be held in reverence.

Let's equate this to our current day and age. Many people speak out and say they believe this or that. They say that their faith lies in something other than God. We do not want to be Bible thumpers but we do need to call them out. If you are having a conversation and hear phrases such as those, ask for the evidence. What evidence is there, spiritually or physically to prove their assertions? This is vital to any discussion.

1st Corinthians 15:14-17 Is incredibly powerful and speaks on this issue:

"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.  More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.  For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.  And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." (14-17)

Let's look back at the debate analogy. If we state a fact, but do not prove it's truth, it is nothing. It is useless. Just as Paul says, if we have been saying how Christ was raised, if we have been speaking about the resurrection, but it never actually happened, it is useless. Indeed he goes so far as to say our faith is FUTILE (Adj: Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless).

What's the good news? It DID happen. The Resurrection happened, Christ was risen from the dead, those who were dead in sins can now be saved by His cleansing grace. Our faith is NOT futile for we have the evidence, the proof, the facts are on our side. We should go forth boldly for the Gospel knowing that no matter what anyone says, we do have faith. We have belief and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and when the time comes it will all be proven to be the truth. I exhort you, please do not let slanderous words or deeds weaken your faith. God is on your side.

Romans 8:28-31:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Freedom

The 4th is tomorrow and the sounds of freedom, liberty and revolution will be echoing across the plains of our great nation. People will be reading words of our Founding Fathers as they celebrate the heroic event wherein just a handful of people chose to sign a document in direct revolt against the Motherland and vow for freedom for the States.

This got me thinking. We have Easter, Reformation Day, Christmas. I suppose Easter would be the closest for a "4th of July" kind of celebration for Christianity. Celebrating Christ's death and resurrection, His denying death its sting and rising once again to be at His Father's right hand. But my question is... where are the Fireworks?

Do you suppose that God looks down from Heaven every 4th of July with a smile? Thinking, "Those American's enjoy their freedom (that I gave them). Celebrating those great men (that I created). And the founding of the nation (that I created). Reading the documents (that I created) through those men (I created)."

It just feels to me like we worship the Founding Fathers on the 4th a little too much. Granted this may not be the case in your circles, but I can guarantee it is across the nation. Shouldn't we hold this day in reverence to the One who created it all? Think about it! God created a handful of men to be born at roughly the same time, and to be sent to the exact same location at the exact same time to all have the heart for Freedom and revolution to all work together and to fight, then sign a document they were all apart of making!

Coincidence? I THINK NOT!!

So it brings me then to this thought: If as a nation we don't hold much Divine Reverence in the 4th. Yet we celebrate with massive explosions, tons of food, games, etc... What are we doing on Easter?

Yeah... an Egg hunt.

Awkward....

I'm not necessarily advocating we buy up a bunch of mortars and launch them off on Easter (Though... now I think about it that's a fantastic idea), all I'm saying is that we should check our priorities. Tomorrow you will be going to parties, celebrating, shooting off fireworks and having a grand 'ole time. I encourage you to do the following: Remind those around you of the majesty of our Nation, and how none of it, absolutely NONE of it would be here if it were not for God. And then try discussing the "Coincidence" of God creating so many brilliant thinkers and liberty-fighters at the same time so as to create this nation. Let's get talking about the stuff that matters.

The Founders wrote:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Paul wrote:

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Christ HAS set us free. God created Franklin, Washington, Jefferson etc to free a nation. but God Himself freed our souls.

Live for freedom!

Outside Looking In

At some point in all our lives we have had those times when we thought, "I REALLY want to be with those people." Or... "I REALLY wish I could go to that."

Do we live lives that cause unbelievers to wish they were apart of the Christian community?

This post serves two purposes, 1) To exhort my fellow believers to "Shine", and 2) To encourage us all to keep fighting the good fight.

I have been sick for the last couple days, and had a lot of time to just sit and think. This morning while I was doing my Bible study the most random song popped into my head. Any of you remember the Album WOW 1996? Yeah... the greatest hits one? What about this song:

Yes you can now proceed to pull out your awesome 90's dance moves. I won't judge you.

As old-school and dated as this song is, it delivers a very true message.

Shine

Make 'em wonder what you've got

Make 'em wish that they were not

On the outside looking bored

Shine

Let it shine before all men

Let'em see good works, and then

Let 'em glorify the Lord

I ask again, do we live lives that cause this kind of reaction?

Matthew 5:14-16 Parallels this idea: “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Not only are we suppose to live in a manner pleasing to the Lord (Col 1:10-14), but we suppose to be an actual Light. We ARE the light of the world. We ARE suppose to shine. Do we shine?

I would like to look at the first verse of "Shine". Now back in the days I didn't really listen to anything but the chorus of this song. So this morning I looked up the lyrics, and this verse really caught my eye:

Dull as dirt

You can't assert the kind of light

That might persuade

A strict dictator to retire

Fire the army

Teach the poor origami

The truth is in

The proof is when

You hear your heart start asking,

"What's my motivation?"

Now, as confusing as the lyrics are I think we can glean at least this one idea, we, on our own, cannot do anything. We are helpless, pathetic little creatures. As the Newsboys put it, "You can't ssert the kind of light that might persuade a strict dictator to retire". You thought a sick panda or a one week old kitten was adorable, what do you think God says every time He looks at us? That aside, often I find myself "dull as dirt". And I ask God, beg God to explain to me what exactly my purpose is here on earth. Eventually I will receive a complete answer, but for now I feel God telling me that my purpose is to shine. If I don't have marching orders, if I don't have a clear path to take, why not spend my time doing the little things? What's the harm in living a life that shines for everyone to see God's glory. Isn't that a perfectly satisfying task?

Being a boy, I tend to sway toward militaristic analogies. Let's try this one out:

The private in the army has no "power". He has no "authority". In fact, officers call him the "grunt". On all accounts this man appears to be useless. But this is absolutely not the case. When it comes down to it, that man will be fighting for his country. That man WILL be making a difference. So if he is sitting in the fox hole, with no orders, just told to sit there and wait, should he just sit there and be bored? Absolutely not. He can check the horizon for incoming enemies, he can spur his fellow soldiers on with encouraging words and actions. That one, seemingly useless man, can cause a great wave of change.

We have all heard the analogies of us as "Soldier's for Christ" and how we "March into battle" and I think we've heard them too much. I think we have forgotten that we are actually, physically in a war with the enemy. And it's times like these in my life, when I feel useless, when I feel purposeless, that I must remember I ALWAYS have a purpose. No matter where we are in life we are called to do HIS work.

Two exhortations:

1) Are you shining now? If so, are you encouraging others to do the same? If you don't feel that "shine", if you feel dull, pray, seek counsel, find someone you know who shines and use their wisdom to increase your own.

2) We are never without purpose. The only way we can be purposeless, is if we give up. Let's not give up. Let's continue to push and fight for the Gospel. Pick those up around you who need some encouragement, and minister to those who know not of our God. 

The Way of Love

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. (1st Cor: 13:1) 

When I consider the vastness of the English language it puts me in a place of awe. However when I think of the vastness of each and every one of those thousands upon thousands of words the feeling is indescribable. 

Today we are going to take just one of those words, and examine and discuss it.

LOVE

 Webster's 1828 Describes this word in great detail, let's look at his initial definition:

"In a general sense to be pleased with; to regard with affection, on account of some qualities which excite pleasing sensations or desire of gratification." 

We are called to love. But what is love? I tell people I love them on a regular basis, and I do love them or else I wouldn't say such a thing. However, I do not believe I have ever deeply considered the merits of the word LOVE.

 Let's look at Webster, he sees the word LOVE as a physical property as well as emotional. I think this is spot on. Indeed, he describes the many kinds of love further in his definition:

"We love a friend, on account of some qualities which give us pleasure in his society. We love a man who has done us a favor; in which case, gratitude enters into the composition of our affection. We love our parents and our children, on account of their connection with us, and on account of many qualities which please us. We love to retire to a cool shade in summer. We love a warm room in winter. we love to hear an eloquent advocate. The Christian loves his Bible. In short, we love whatever gives us pleasure and delight, whether animal or intellectual; and if our hearts are right, we love God above all things, as the sum of all excellence and all the attributes which can communicate happiness to intelligent beings." 

Webster's definition, as well as the world today tends to treat Love as a "Self-centered" word.

Consider such phrases as:

"Do you love me?" 

 "I love you." 

 "I love God." 

 Many times we set ourselves as the standard for our love. We choose to love because deep down we seek to be loved in return. Why is it that when we love, we feel the need to prove it? Why is it that we feel the need to always let someone know we love them?

I think it is prudent to examine our end goals.

Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines love in part as:

"Unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as (1) : the fatherly concern of God for humankind(2) : brotherly concern for others."

I believe this is the kind of love we must have. Not the inward love, not the love that says "I, I, I" but the love that says "You, you, you".

 This is perfectly laid out in 1st Corinthians 13. Have you ever noticed that this chapter, though speaking to your heart as changes you must make, is for the most part an "Away-centered" passage? Let's take a look:

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends." 

God takes Love very seriously, but He also discusses it's properties while using LOVE as a noun. Love, as a noun, is patient. You, as a person are not patient, but rather LOVE is patient. LOVE is not arrogant. God knows that His creation is broken, He understands we are fallen sinners.

I believe it is because of this that He chooses to speak on Love in this manner. Without God, we are nothing. We must be fully dependent on HIM in order to accomplish anything, and we must be willing to live our lives full of the love that HE instills in us. God's view of love is "Other's-centered", whereas mankind's view of love tends to be "Self-centered".

An exhortation from one struggling sinner to another: Can we agree to examine our hearts fully and question our motives of love? Can we work together THROUGH Christ to shift our perspectives and seek to love in a way that is not insisting on its own way, and love in a manner that increases others while decreasing ourselves?

 If each of us watches out for one another then it will create room for God to be at the center of all our lives. Love one another. Truly love in a manner that is honest. Do not waste this precious word. God holds LOVE in the highest of ways, with deepest reverence. In our day and age we have lost that reverence.

What do you say we cease using LOVE like it's candy but rather treat it as gold?