The problem is....

The prophet Isaiah said about the Christ that "...He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Is 53:5 NIV).

What we have failed to realize is that this verse isn't necessarily talking about peace in this lifetime. It is referring to peace in eternity. It is peace from the wages of our sin, which is death. In fact, Jesus specifically said that in this world we would face many trials.

John 16:33 (ESV): "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

He said..."In the world you will have tribulation".

I say this because we hurt. We go through some really tough times that suck in the worst way. Bad stuff happens. Our hearts break, but most of all, they long for the peace that Christ gives. I long to see my Father and go where there are no more tears, no death, no hurt and no pain. I long to be in the perfect, sin free creation.

Until then, I have the peace that I will get there. Mark my words, (and God's), there will never be peace on this earth, but one day, we will inherit the peace that was purchased for us.

Watch This: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRmBChQjZPs

Following A Path I Cannot See

I found this today while flipping through a journal. I wrote this about a year and a half ago on 1/15/10.

Decisions, Distractions, Insight and Insecurity
Following a path I cannot see,
Longing to finally reach my place,
Hoping I haven't taken a wrong turn.

I Trust, I Stumble, I Sprint and I Crawl
Love is blind and so am I,
Following a path I cannot see,
I chase a light I'm unable to grasp,
Sometimes so close it's barely out of reach,
Other times, so far away I squint for a glimpse.

I walk, I tread, I limp and I stride,
Following a path I cannot see,
Beautiful, Peaceful, United and Calm,
Those are Your plans for me,
Though I am blind, I have someone to lead,
Regardless of my understanding, stubbornness, hate or pride,
You did not fail to deliver Your love unconditional

You Led, You Pushed, You Towed and You Carried,
This blind, dead being and gave me life.
All because...
I followed a path I could not see.

First.

First.

They say there is a first time for everything and this year is the first time that I have given up something for Lent. My sacrifice has been varied as my goal was to blog each day during Lent. So, for the past 40+ days I have somehow found time to write. My sacrifices include time, sleep, time with my wife, and entertainment.

Thankfully I made it the entire time without missing a single day. There have been a few close calls and some very late night posts. Some of these posts have been done while sitting in a car, at work, at dinner and even in bed.

Here are a few things I have learned during this time:

1) Don't make a commitment unless you are going to see it through until the end.

2) Sacrifices aren't convenient or easy. This sounded easy but was more difficult than it seems.

3) You never know who might be reading.

4) it's hard to think of something to write each day.

5) sometimes you can have a positive impact on others without even realizing it.

6) typing out long blogs on my iPhone isn't fun.

7) I miss blogging and will purpose in my heart to do it more frequently than in the past.

It's been fun to write each day and i look forward to writing again sometime soon, but it'll be nice to take a couple of days off.

I hope you have a great Easter holiday. Take time to thank Christ for his sacrifice

God Bless.




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Define.

Define.

As we approach Easter, I was wondering, what does Easter mean to you? We all know that it is the celebration of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, but what does that
mean to you?

Does it mean salvation? Does it mean healing? Does it mean eternal life? Does it give you hope? What does it mean to you?


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What?

What?

There is a movement that is saying that May 21st, 2011 will be the final judgment day. I think it is ridiculous and opposite of what the Bible teaches when it clearly states that "...no man knows the day...". Regardless, their hypocrisy isn't the subject of my thoughts.

Our Pastor brought up this question tonight: If it was true that the world would end on 5-21-11 (it isn't), then what in your life would you change? What would you do different? Would you change anything at all?

Would you witness to others about Christ? Would you give everything away? Would you spend more time in prayer? Would you spend more time with your family, telling them how much you loved them? Would you work less?

What changes would you make if you knew you wouldn't be around much longer?

Relented.

Relented.

Today I finally relented and went to the doctor over something that was long overdue. For some reason, my months of home remedies and self surgery just didn't get the job done and it finally reached the point where it needed to get looked at by a professional.

How many times in our lives do we refuse the help that is available to us, especially in our spiritual lives? Whether it is sin, sickness, depression, hurt, confusion, a decision, etc... we wait and hope that things will get better but often times, things get worse because we haven't sought out the help we desperately need. The doctor I needed to see was only five minutes away, but I refused the help and technology that was available to me. We have immediate access to Christ (and no co-pays) yet many times we never even think about seeking Him for help. Rather than get the healing we need, we settle for a band-aid and hope the problem goes away.

The Bible says that God cannot lie, so, I cannot help but to believe that the following scripture is true (emphasis in red text)

1 Peter 5:5-11
⁵ Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for
“ God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”^[b]
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because^[c] your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. ¹⁰ But may^[d] the God of all grace, who called us^[e] to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. ¹¹ To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Beautiful.

Beautiful.

A few years ago, I started singing the chorus to the Joe Cocker song "You Are So Beautiful" as a worship song. After some time, I decided to add a couple of verses to it and make a full song out of it, yet keep the original chorus. Below, I've embedded a very raw YouTube video of me singing it. The video quality is bad, as is the sound, however, as humbling as the performance is (its not good), the message remains.

What Christ did for us was beautiful. He was beaten beyond human recognition, yet He was beautiful. Have you ever seen a mangled animal lying on the side of the road? He probably looked worse than that, yet He was beautiful. He knew what was going to happen to Him, yet He did it anyway. During this Easter season, don't lose sight of His beauty. Lyrics are provided below the video.



Verse 1:
A face no one thought pretty
With nails in your hands
A crown of thorns sat on your head
As your blood dripped to the ground

Verse 2:
Everyone rejected Him
Said "He's not what we need"
"We'll trade Him for the murderer"
"Send Him to the tree"

Pre-Chorus:
How can I describe it?
What He means to me!
A portrait of the innocent!
Dying on the cross for me!

Chorus:
You are so beautiful to me
You are so beautiful to me
You're everything I've hoped for
You're everything I need
You are so beautiful to me!

Sacrifice.

Sacrifice.

The man I am proud to call my Pastor, David Cowger, spoke from the below passage this morning. He spoke from the perspective that Christ has called us to lay down and submit our lives to Him, that according to Christ, to gain LIFE, we must submit our lives.

This means that we must be willing to lay down anything that God requires of us in our pursuit of Him. The attached picture was taken after virtually everyone in the room nailed something to the cross. Each of us wrote something down that we felt God was telling us to lay down. It could be addictions, lusts, money, pride, hurt, anger, disappointment, geographical location, work, ministry goals, opinions, attitudes or something else.

My question is: What are you holding back? What are you holding on to that you need to nail to the cross? Is it your plans? Your beliefs? Your traditions? Your job? Your wallet? Your dreams? Your prideful pursuit of riches? Your hurt? Your anger? Your lusts? What do you need to nail to the cross?

Listen to this after you read the below passage: No Sacrifice, by Jason Upton

Luke 14:26-33 (Amplified)
²⁶If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his [own] father and mother [^[g]in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] and [likewise] his wife and children and brothers and sisters--[yes] and even his own life also--he cannot be My disciple.

²⁷Whoever does not persevere and carry his own cross and come after (follow) Me cannot be My disciple.

²⁸For which of you, wishing to build a ^[h]farm building, does not first sit down and calculate the cost [to see] whether he has sufficient means to finish it?

²⁹Otherwise, when he has laid the foundation and is unable to complete [the building], all who see it will begin to mock and jeer at him,

³⁰Saying, This man began to build and was not able (^[i]worth enough) to finish.

³¹Or what king, going out to engage in conflict with another king, will not first sit down and consider and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand [men] to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

³²And if he cannot [do so], when the other king is still a great way off, he sends an envoy and asks the terms of peace.

³³So then, any of you who does not forsake (renounce, surrender claim to, give up, ^[j]say good-bye to) all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Tortured.

Tortured.

My new favorite TV show is "24". I've been watching the episodes in order on Netflix for the past few months. In the last episode I watched, the main character, Jack Bauer, was being interrogated and tortured.

I admit, even though it was acting, it was difficult to watch. It wasn't near as difficult to watch as the beatings Christ endured in Mel Gibsons "The Passion of The Christ".

Neither of those compare to what Christ really endured. Scriptures say that He was disfigured beyond recognition and didn't even look human.

Imagine someone taking your punishment and then getting flogged until they no longer looked alive. Imagine them willfully agreeing to your punishment knowing the price they would pay is more than the human body can endure.

Keep this in mind as we celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend and Easter next weekend.


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Fist.

Fist.

There is an old saying that says "You can't shake hands with a fist". So many times I see people that have an opportunity to handle a situation a certain way, yet seem to find a way to become abrasive or aggressive. They don't realize that they are trying to "Shake hands with a fist". They are unaware that rather than helping the problem, they are part of the problem.

Christ calls us to be peacemakers. He even says that the peacemakers are blessed, which is the opposite of what the worldview of a peacemaker is. A peacemaker is generally viewed as being passive or wimpy, but rather, according to Jesus, they will be blessed.

I admit I am quick to jump to conclusions and I tend to be a little straightforward and abrasive. But, most of the time, I am able to keep a calm head and think through the situation. There is no need to be a hot head or getting into a battle of ego's. You might not realize it, but you are the one who will suffer the most from it.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When someone offers you a hand, don't give them a fist, even if they really deserve it.

Matthew 5:9 (Amplified)
⁹Blessed (enjoying enviable happiness, spiritually prosperous--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God!

Proverbs 15:1-4
¹A SOFT answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. ²The tongue of the wise utters knowledge rightly, but the mouth of the [self-confident] fool pours out folly. ³The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch upon the evil and the good. ⁴A gentle tongue [with its healing power] is a tree of life, but willful contrariness in it breaks down the spirit.

Rest.

Rest.

Matthew 11:28-30
²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Tonight, after working 169 hours the past two weeks, I was looking for a good scripture that talks about rest. I thought it would be a good way to encourage those who are tired and need a break, whether it be a break from work, school, car trouble (Erik) stress, etc... I came upon the familiar passage above. As I read it, I saw that it was talking about much more than just physical rest. It's talking about spiritual rest.

Since the days of Adam & Eve, sin has been in this world. The below scriptures from Romans 8 talk about all of creation longing to be delivered from the corruption of sin. We are surrounded by the effects of sin. Sickness, death, disease, hate, murder, suicide, crime, drugs, natural disasters, etc... are all a result of sin entering the perfect creation of God. Just like us, you can see how creation is longing for peace.

Christ came to bring peace. That peace will consist not only of eternal life for us, but also of a new earth. There will be no more tears, no more hurt, no more crime, no more shame, no more disease, no more disappointment, no more death, no more effects of sin.

I encourage you to read the below passage to get a further glimpse into this.

Romans 8:18-30 (The Message)
^18-21That's why I don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what's coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.

^22-25All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.

^26-28Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

Thankful.

Thankful.

Keeping it short tonight. Today I worked 16 1/2hr and surprisingly I'm not complaining. There are lots of people who would like to be employed and have the problem of working too much.

Which brings me to this: Often we pray, hope and wish for certain things in our life such as a job, spouse, house, kids, ministry opportunities, etc but once we get them we are quick to complain or give up because we aren't willing to "Pay the price" and do the things the responsibility requires. So tonight after 16 1/2 hours of work, I'm gonna sleep for 4 hours then hit it hard again tomorrow. I'm not complaining, I'm thankful.


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Twist.

Twist.

A few years ago, I was reading the following passage from 1 Corinthians 13. It has always been a favorite passage of mine, but this time I received a new revelation about the passage. 1 John 4:8 states that "God is love", so, below I added the word "God" in red text after every occurrence of the word "Love". I recommend reading it in the original text first then reading it in the red text afterward.

1 Corinthians 13

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love (God), I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love (God), I am nothing. ³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,^[a] but have not love (God), it profits me nothing.
⁴ Love (God) suffers long and is kind; love (God) does not envy; love (God) does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
⁸ Love (God) never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love (God), these three; but the greatest of these is love (God).

Helper.

Helper.

It has been a little over twenty four hours since my wife Sarah made it back home to North Carolina. Without counting the days, I think it was close to five weeks that we were apart, although there were about four days where we actually got to see each other. Needless to say, it was a tough and trying time for us.

I can't tell you how great it was to lie down together last night. It was wonderful to see her in the chair across the room. It was great of her to finish my laundry, walk and feed the dog and to do some things around the house. None of these things are her duty, nor do I require her to do them, but it was nice to not have to do those things tonight. Which brings me to this....

God said in the book of Genesis that He would "Make a helper suitable" for Adam. I am so thankful for Sarah's help. It was much needed and appreciated. It was nice to have someone to help me with the things that I needed done. It was great to have my helper helping.

Today, take the time to thank God for the person He has placed in your life in order to help you along the way. Thank God for sending someone to be a helper. Ask Him how you can better help your mate. This is not a one way street and we should be just as eager to help them with whatever they need.

If you don't have that person in your life, pray that God would prepare you for that person. Pray that He will prepare you with every tool, skill and character trait necessary to love that person unconditionally. Instead of praying to find the one, pray that He will make you into "The One".

^{Genesis 2:18-25
18}The LORD God said, "It isn't good for the man to live alone. I need to make a suitable partner for him." ^19-20So the LORD took some soil and made animals and birds. He brought them to the man to see what names he would give each of them. Then the man named the tame animals and the birds and the wild animals. That's how they got their names.

None of these was the right kind of partner for the man. ²¹So the LORD God made him fall into a deep sleep, and he took out one of the man's ribs. Then after closing the man's side, ²²the LORD made a woman out of the rib! The LORD God brought her to the man, ²³and the man exclaimed,"Here is someone like me! She is part of my body, my own flesh and bones. She came from me, a man. So I will name her Woman!" ^{[d] 24}That's why a man will leave his own father and mother. He marries a woman, and the two of them become like one person. ²⁵Although the man and his wife were both naked, they were not ashamed.

Conversation.

Conversation.

Have you ever had one of those conversations where you couldn't get your talking rhythm down just right and you both ended up talking at the same time? Then you stopped at the same time. Then you started at the same time. Then you both chuckled, waited silently, then somehow started talking again at the same time. How frustrating! Most of the time this happens when talking on the phone, but can happen in person. If it happens in person, most people can recognize the other persons body language and know when it is their turn to speak.

I wonder how many of our conversations with God go like this. I wonder how many times, when we are praying, that we do all the talking and never stop to listen to hear how He might respond. I can see how the above scenario could happen during our prayer time. We start talking, God silently listens, waiting to get a word in, then we pause, we don't hear anything within a few seconds, then we start talking again thus repeating the vicious cycle.

My mom used to frustrate me by saying "Jonathan, your ears don't work while your mouth is running". Now that I'm older, I realize the truth in that saying. I still don't like to hear it, but it is true nonetheless.

We are taught to "Cast our cares unto the Lord, for He cares" (1 Peter 5:7), but we also need to realize that our communication with God was meant to be two-way. Just like any relationship, there is a time to talk and a time to listen. We must take the time to be quiet and still and force ourselves to listen and reflect. Without a two-way conversation, our relationship with God becomes a "Santa Claus" relationship where all we do is tell Him what we want and then walk away hoping to get it.

Box.

Box.

I can't count the number of times I've heard the expression about putting "God in a box". I have even said that phrase many times. The meaning of it is simply that we shouldn't limit what God can do in that particular situation. That expression makes for good preaching and good teaching. It sounds good and even seems logical. I understand the point someone is trying to make, however, it's not correct.

Are we so arrogant to think that we can limit God? Sure, we can choose to refuse His guidance and intervention in situations, but by doing this, do we really think we are putting Him in the box, or are we the ones in the box? If God is who He says He is, and I believe He is, then how exactly do we have the power to place Him in the box? God created everything around you just by speaking. He knows the name of every single star. He knows the number of grains of sand in the earth, and we think we are putting Him in the box?

This makes for good church speak and generates lots of "Amen's" and handkerchief waves, but it simply isn't correct. We are boxing ourselves in. We erect walls and place boundaries that limit ourselves and others. We turn our listening ears into deaf ears and seeing eyes into blind eyes. We make skilled hands into lame hands and soft hearts into hardened hearts, but we don't limit God. We limit ourselves.

Whoops!

Whoops!

Today at work I let a not so good phrase come out of my mouth. Honestly, I don't know where it came from. I didn't rehearse it in my head or plan to say it, it just launched itself out. I was as surprised as my co-worker.

That isn't how I talk, nor do I want to be known as someone who speaks like that, nor do I want to represent Christ one moment and then curse Him the next moment. In the book of James, it speaks about someone who blesses and curses God and how it ought not to be like that. I completely agree, but, I was that guy today, and I hate that I was.

James 3:8-12
⁸ But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. ¹¹ Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

Tips.

Tips.

Today I decided to post a few daily devotional tips that might help you out. Many times I get out of my daily reading routine and once I get back around to doing it, I forget where I was at or what I was reading about. So, just to help me get back on track or if I only have a few minutes to read, I like to start by reading in the Psalms or in Proverbs.

Both Psalms & Proverbs don't really tell long stories, so they are easy to pick up and read. You can easily read one of these within a few minutes. Most importantly, I like them because they are full of wisdom and they really let you see more of Gods personality and character traits. I really like reading these before work or during lunch and even sometimes before bed. It is a great way to gain wisdom and be reminded of Gods faithfulness. Btw, in case you didn't know, there are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs, so you can read one chapter a day during the month. I've been doing this for years and I always find something that I didn't remember from the time before.

Here are some examples:

Psalms 1:1-3

¹ Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
² But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
³ He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

Proverbs 1:1-7 (These verses explain the purpose of the Proverbs)

¹ The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
² To know wisdom and instruction,
To perceive the words of understanding,
³ To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
⁴ To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
⁵ A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
⁶ To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their riddles.
⁷ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Bride.

Bride.

My wife Sarah and I have been apart for almost a month now due to my work schedule, her wanting to spend some time with her family in Alabama and her cat being in the cat hospital for a week. Out of the last 4 weeks, we've seen each other for about 4 days total and had about a week and a half to go before seeing each other again.

Lucky for me, she called today and some circumstances have changed that will allow her to come back to North Carolina this weekend. I'm excited to have her and Raven (the cat) back at home. To say the least, not being able to see each other on a daily basis, for such an extended time, has been challenging.

I wonder how excited Christ gets at the thought of seeing His bride, the church? The Bible describes our relationship with Christ as that of a husband and wife. I'm guessing God did that because there is no relationship on earth as intimate as the relationship between a married couple. There is a love and excitement in being with your spouse. I bet you Christ is so excited to know that someday, maybe soon, He will be reunited with us.

Is your relationship with God as close and trusting as a marriage? Do you depend on God more than you depend upon your spouse? Is the reason you don't trust God because of something that happened in your marriage? What are ways that you would compare your two most important relationships, God and spouse?

Labels.

Labels.

They're everywhere. Almost every consumer product we use has some sort of label on it. It could be shampoo, dog food, human food, a DVD, a pack of BVD's, etc.... Labels are everywhere, except on God. We try to attach Him to various things such as our cause, our jobs, our fortune or misfortune, our music, our political affiliation, etc... But the fact is, we've tried to contain Him in some neat little package with an attractive label. Then, we put the container away and want to consume (use) Him at our convenience. We've made it all about us, rather than all about Him.

We've narrowed it down that God is a Republican and looks like Gandalf or Morgan Freeman. We're pretty sure that He has blue eyes, lives in the sky and is an Alabama football fan (After all, He is letting Bear Bryant coach his team up there, right? No.)

The video link below is a great illustration. I know that I went over the top with my examples, but what type of labels are we putting on Him? How are we daily misrepresenting Him? What type of God image are we portraying for others to see?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WybvhRu9KU