Tag: Christian Purpose

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All Christians Have to Choose between Jesus or Religion

Choosing between Jesus and religion is a topic that often sparks deep contemplation and discussion among believers. It revolves around the distinction between a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the institutionalized practices and doctrines associated with organized religion.

 “I believe that a great number of people are going to die and go to hell because they’re counting on their religiosity in the church instead of their relationship with Jesus to get them to heaven. They give lip service to repentance and faith, but they’ve never been born again.” – Adrian Rogers

The question of Jesus or religion has come up several times this week. First, it had to do with my church. We received a new Senior Pastor a couple of years ago, and the church is still in the throes of regime change. Change is inevitable; it is unavoidable. I believe God will have me run to something, not away from something. If He wants me to escape a situation, He will provide me with an attractive alternative; otherwise, it is out of the frying pan and into the fire. God has me staying put for now.

The change that is slowly coming about is a change toward ritualization. We are slowly acclimating ourselves to respond to specific phrases with an automatic response. There is talk of guiding the community groups to have a consistent topic in all groups simultaneously. That topic, with the structured delivery, will be chosen by the church staff. I go to a non-denominational church on purpose. I have been to many denominational churches and find that most are caught up in religion.

Mark 12:30, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

Rules vs Grace

When faced with the decision of Jesus or religion, I chose Jesus. I want an amazing scripture-based, gospel-fearing, Jesus-loving experience. That is just me; I am not a joiner. I understand other people need to have structure and their need to belong to something. Religion many times helps us grow closer to Christ. I understand that some people are more comfortable with learning within a structure, which is not bad. It is when religion becomes the foundation that defines Christ it becomes bad. That has never been my thing. But it raises an interesting question; is your need Jesus or religion? Is your need to have an intimate, personal relationship with your creator, or is it the comfort of conformity? That sounds harsh, I know, but for some, it is the reality of their belief system. If others believe it, I’m more comfortable believing it. If my church leader sets the parameters to get into heaven, I am more comfortable believing that I will get to heaven if I follow the rules.

James 1:27, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

Before his death, Regi Campbell wrote a daily devotional called “Radical Wisdom.” Regi was one of the founders of High-Tech Ministries. I knew Regi and belonged to HTM for a couple of decades. He was a man filled with Godly wisdom. He continues to mentor young Christians even after his passing. In one of his devotionals, he asks, “Jesus or Religion.” I found it interesting that the same day I had lunch with a fellow parishioner discussing the changes at my church, Regi brought up this topic in his devotional. I am not saying the direction of my church is right or wrong; it is to say that God wants me to think about this seriously.

Galatians 5:4, “For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.”

Allegiance

Just where is my allegiance? Is it Jesus or my church? Do I go to heaven because I belong to the right group and follow their rules or because I have a personal relationship with Christ? This question was amplified this year on one of my mission trips. The group I volunteer with, IMED, helps create Kingdom Impact businesses in underdeveloped countries. The key is Kingdom Impact. The business must have an evangelistic component to be funded by the host organization. They can always use the business plan we create to obtain conventional funding, but if you want it from us, you must have a Kingdom Impact.

This year I saw a more significant percentage of the participant felt it was the responsibility of their church to drive Kingdom Impact. Their only responsibility was to tithe to their church. Even though our training was precise about this point, they did not get it. They wrapped themselves too tightly in the rules of their religion. They did not see the compassion of Christ as a personal matter. The church saved them, and the church will save the others. They needed to live in a “Christ-like” manner; that is it. They seem to forget that Christ spread the gospel to anyone willing to listen; he did not leave it up to the Pharisees and Sagesses. Jesus was opposed to the religiosity of the church.

Strong Words

Galatians 2:21, “I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.”

Jesus has strong words for those who use religious rules to manipulate others (Matthew 23). He does not provide much room for compassion for those who want to take the short road to salvation. He has even stronger words for those who lead them.

1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Belong to any church you want. Support any denomination you want. Make sure you go to church; God built us for community. But, serve Christ, not man. When it comes to Jesus or religion, always choose Jesus.

In his book Sit, Walk, Stand, Watchman Nee states that our response to everything should be through the cross. Right or wrong, good or bad isn’t the question. When we sit long enough to consider what Jesus did and let that feeling fill us, we walk differently, respond differently, and speak differently.

John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
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The Extraordinary Joy of Picking up Rocks

Picking up rocks. I had lunch with a friend a couple of days ago, and he enlightened me about one aspect of Christianity I had taken for granted. It was picking up rocks. If you ever have the chance to visit rural Northeastern United States, you will notice that much of the acreage has stone walls around it. Some of these walls were miles long. I used to think it was an incredible job to collect all those stones to build a fence.

The Revelation

James 1:22, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

Then I had lunch this last week with a good friend. Being raised in a farm community, I have always liked the analogy of plowing the field, planting the seed, nurturing the seedlings, and then harvesting. It produced a familiar image of preparing someone to hear the Gospel, introducing them to the Gospel, mentoring them through discovery, and then bringing them to Christ. The idea was that we don’t achieve this by ourselves. Sometimes we plow, sometimes we plant seeds, we should always be nurturing, and then, if God is willing, we see the harvest.

My friend said I forgot about picking up rocks. Once he said it, It was obvious. Before you can plow virgin soil, you have to remove the impediments. Those stone walls are not the result of fence building; they are the resting place of those who pick up rocks.

Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Back on the Farm

Clearing a field of rocks is a hard job. You must dig them up out of the ground, wrestle them into your arms, and carry them to the field’s border; the border could be a half mile or more. The laborers picking up rocks typically don’t get noticed if they do a good job. They get noticed when the plow hits a rock. Plowing behind a mule or ox is backbreaking work on a good day; it is miserable when the field is full of rocks. Very seldom does the person responsible for picking up rocks get mentioned in the positive light of “Wasn’t plowing easy today?” They get mentioned when someone wants to know who is the so-in-so responsible for all the rocks.

 Ephesians 4:31, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”

I realized that most of my life is about picking up rocks. One of the most significant ways I can serve and be obedient is by removing obstacles in front of non-believers searching for Christ. How many times have we heard non-believers complain about the hypocrisy of Christians? How many times has a non-believer witnessed a self-proclaimed Christian acting poorly? These are the rocks we need to pick up. I do not always view everyday life as evangelism. Evangelism is a deliberate task of sharing the Gospel, usually in a “mission field.” The mission field could be your office or home; it is always someplace that is well-defined.

Back to Real Life

Many a professing Christian is a stumbling block because his worship is divided. On Sunday, he worships God; on weekdays, God has little or no place in his thoughts. — Dwight L. Moody

Picking up rocks is continuous evangelism exercised where you are in the moment. It is the consistency by which you live your life. Every time we encounter the temptation to set aside our commitment to Christ to vent about something that has just happened, we decide to either put a rock in someone’s field or pick one up. You can give a non-believer a reason not to believe or give them a reason to believe.

Philippians 2:14, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing.”

It sucks to have that responsibility all the time. The decision becomes even more challenging if you use secular criteria. My dad used to say, “Life isn’t fair; get over it.” Picking up rocks is hard work. You must be on point with every interaction. It is not letting your guard down; keeping Christ at the forefront of your decision-making. Let’s face it, it is impossible to be consistent, but we can try to do our best. Start to view evangelism as an action that starts when your feet hit the floor in the morning and doesn’t stop until you slide them under the sheets at night.

1 Peter 2:23, “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”

The process seems to give gratification in reverse. Harvesting is the best; it provides closure and a sense of accomplishment. Nurturing brings gratification as we watch people grow. Planting seeds is a yeoman’s work; the results are hard to see. Plowing is even more challenging work, and there is no guarantee that anyone will follow up with planting. Picking up rocks sometimes is just picking up rocks. It is trying to be the best version of yourself and hoping that someone notices.

But picking up rock is what we are called to do.

1 Peter 2:12, “Live such good lives among the non-believers that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
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God’s Great Story

Every great story starts with a tragedy. God’s great story of salvation is no exception. Many Christians focus on worldly perfection over spiritual perfection.

Character Development

God’s great story of salvation starts at the fall in the Garden of Eden. Although we are all made in the image of God, we live under the stain of that fall. Unlike many, I do not believe we are inherently bad from birth but flawed by sin. There are a lot of non-believers who do good works. The most dispiriting of men can and do show compassion. The image we bear is one of goodness, love, and compassion, but it is constantly at war with temptation. All of us lose battles from time to time. The challenge is from where do these good works emanate? Are they of this world, or are they God-inspired? Do we focus more on our losses than our victories?

Romans 3:11-13 - “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away; they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

“We ought first to know that there are no good works except those which God has commanded, even as there is no sin except that which God has forbidden.” – Martin Luther.

It is important to avoid a theology solely focused on sin, which can lead to the enslavement of individuals to their past. This view fosters a works-based mentality, leaving little room for grace. Unfortunately, this is precisely what Satan desires. A sin-oriented theology compels us to strive for religious obedience, integrity, perseverance through trials, faithfulness, learning authority, and submission—all in our strength, devoid of God’s presence. Gradually, we fall into the misconception that we must prove our submission through adherence to rules before experiencing grace.

True righteousness lies in placing God above all else. God has blessed us with passion, knowledge, resources, and ambition. Righteousness entails utilizing these blessings to fulfill God’s desires rather than our own.

Story Line

While God entrusted us with the responsibility to steward His creation, we must do so according to His will. God has graciously given us these gifts to glorify Him and live fully. Instead of cowering in fear of sin, God calls us to embrace life and use His blessings to pursue His glory.

Genesis 1:28, “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

This passage emphasizes that God has granted us authority over creation, not to exploit it for selfish gain but to steward it with reverence and obedience to His purpose. Whether parents, doctors, nurses, teachers, scientists, workers, or managers, we must approach our responsibility with reverence for God’s will.

In our character development, we find ourselves navigating the tension between our fallen nature and the redemptive power of God. Through this ongoing journey, fueled by God’s grace, we can grow into the individuals He intends us to be.

How do we use our God-given and God-directed gifts to achieve righteousness? God commands us to subdue the land. That is not a passive statement. God does not tell us to wait for Him to tell us what to do, but to be fruitful, fill the earth and subdue it. Trust that God created you in His image and endowed you with His spirit.

“We believe that the very beginning and end of salvation, and the sum of Christianity, consists of faith in Christ, who by His blood alone, and not by any works of ours, has put away sin, and destroyed the power of death.” – Martin Luther.

Our task is to embrace the person God has designed us to be, casting aside timidity and not focusing solely on avoiding sin. Instead, we should actively pursue God’s will with determination. God will guide and correct us if our motivations are pure. We must remember that He has blessed us with passion, intelligence, drive, and aptitude to fulfill His unique plan for our lives.; use it to build His kingdom here on earth.

Mistakes happen, setbacks occur, and battles are lost; that is part of the narrative in a broken world. In such moments, we find solace in God’s word:

2 Corinthians 7:10, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

Big Finish

“You can’t wait till life isn’t hard anymore to be happy.” – Jane (Nightbirde) Marczewski ( look into her testimony)

We are heirs to the Kingdom of God, Royalty; we should act like it. The tiniest little spark can make a difference in the darkness.

How does God’s great story end for us? What is the big overcoming that brings joy to our hearts? It is the ultimate destination where we dwell in God’s sacred tent upon His holy mountain. Through His infinite love for us, He lovingly transforms us, making us acceptable in His sight.

Psalms 15 – “Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.”

Those who embody these virtuous attributes will find an unshakable foundation for their lives. They will experience the culmination of God’s great story, dwelling in His sacred presence and basking in the majesty of His holy mountain. This destination is the magnificent conclusion to the story—the fulfillment of divine fellowship and the eternal joy that permeates our hearts.

As we journey through life, may we strive to embody these qualities, aligning our thoughts, words, and actions with the righteousness God desires. In being the person God made us be, we participate in the grand finale of God’s great story—eternity with Him, where love, truth, justice, and compassion reign.

Hebrews 13:20-21, "Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,  equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
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Melancholy

Melancholy is the road less traveled; joy we feel and embrace, depression is suffocating, melancholy is just blah. It is living in a world of knee-deep mud while trying to move forward. Melancholy, you are not in; you are not out; you are just stuck.

Proverbs 17:22, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Follow me on a somewhat circuitous journey for a minute. I remember when I was 30 and received my first pacemaker. I dropped into a period of melancholy thinking because I was living via an artificial device (i.e., I was no longer invincible). A few weeks ago, I received an artificial value in my heart. Everything went better than planned, and I started hiking again within weeks. But my friend Melancholy reappeared. A friend of mine. who is a nurse, told me that they were taught that melancholy was a normal reaction to heart surgery.

I remember this quote; “it is not the water around the boat that sinks it; it is the water that gets into the boat that sinks it” So intellectually and physically, all is good, but emotionally I have doubts. I started letting the water outside the boat seep in; I was taking on water. In the book “Not Good Enough, Why Your Small God Leads to Big Problems” by JD Greear, he states, “When we say “I can’t believe in God because there is so much purposeless evil in the world,” we assume that we could immediately perceive whatever purpose is out there.”

Here is where I try to draw this together; I started to let the fact that I could not see God’s hand in some of the dysfunction around me, that I started to assume His hand was not there. Somehow, intellectually I understood; emotionally, I was letting go. I started to lose hope because I did not understand the bigger plan. Therefore, my role in the plan got foggy. My purpose became fragmented. I started to question why. Asking why is not a bad thing; not accepting the answer is.

We all go through periods of darkness. We live in a fallen world. Some of those dark periods have a purpose; some are purposeless SIGSWs (self-inflicted gun shoot wounds). My melancholy is self-inflicted, it has no real purpose, but I have experienced the other type too; they are much harder to climb out of. We rationalize our position without the benefit of a contrary opinion. Because we do not understand, we stop listening.

Ecclesiastes 8:17, “Then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.”

When we are in the throes of pain, it is difficult to feel God’s wisdom and love. Pain does not have to be physical. The worse pain I have felt in my life was emotional. I understand how the body heals, I don’t understand how the heart heals, but it does, not with antiseptic, bandages, and stitches, but with love and caring. Giving what we desperately need provides us with what we want.

1 Corinthians 2:9, “However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived are the things God has prepared for those who love him.”

This post is short. More cathartic than informative. I’m patching the holes one by one that are letting water in. I am trying not to let dysfunction hijack my emotions. I am trying to focus on God’s plan for everyone, not just me. Most important, I am trying to learn what God wants me to know from this experience.

Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
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Whose Biggs Darklighter are you?

Whose Biggs Darklighter are you? Firstly, it’s important to understand who Biggs Darklighter is. In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Darklighter was a Red Squadron pilot flying a T-65 X-wing starfighter during the Battle of Yavin. He served as Red Three and tragically met his demise at the hands of Darth Vader, sacrificing himself to protect Luke Skywalker. Vader’s forces killed Darklighter when they struck his ship. However, without Biggs Darklighter’s character, the Star Wars franchise wouldn’t have unfolded as it did.

The Grand Narrative

In the grand narrative of life, God stands as the sole protagonist, while the rest of us assume minor roles. It is a blessing to be woven into the tapestry God is crafting for others. He graciously includes us in His plans, allowing us to witness His remarkable deeds and bring glory to His name.

1 Peter 3:13, “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?”

The Star Wars franchise centered around the pivotal character of Luke Skywalker. Without Skywalker, the franchise would not have thrived. Similarly, Christ is the foundation of our eternal existence. Without the saving grace of Christ, there is no possibility of experiencing eternal salvation. So, whose “Biggs Darklighter” are you? Whom has Christ placed in your life for whom you are willing to sacrifice, ensuring their eternal well-being? What significant episodes may remain unwritten due to your reluctance to take a courageous stand?

Isaiah 1:17, “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”

Sacrifice

God does not demand that we undertake heroic missions like defeating a Death Star by sacrificing our lives for others. Instead, He asks us to humbly sacrifice our ego, time, status, friendships, and even material possessions, so that someone else may find eternal life. Can we set aside our pride, knowing that God never forsakes those who remain faithful to extend compassion, love, and grace to others?

We all know that person we don’t get. Their lifestyle or opinions seem counterintuitive. But every person has a compelling story waiting to be shared. They have a story to tell if we take the time to listen. No one is exempt from experiencing tragedy, heartbreak, or disappointment. We all yearn for a “Biggs Darklighter” figure to intersect our path and save us from destruction. However, many of us doubt the existence of such a hero, recognizing that life is not a scripted movie.

John 12:43, “For they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”

It is crucial to dedicate time to genuinely listen to the life story of someone in dire need of Christ who has chosen to reject His existence. They might even be combative in their views. They live in a world filled with darkness and despair, seemingly devoid of any solution. They might have lost faith in the possibility of a happy ending. They may view the Bible as a mere fairy tale and believe that the existence of a hero like Biggs Darklighter is nothing but fiction.

Psalm 94:16-17, “Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers? If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.”

Power

God has given you the power to change that. You can not change people with mere words but by action. The impact of a person with no common ground sitting down to listen is beyond words. It is an experience most have never had. Listening with no judgment, solutions, or wisdom to impair, just compassion for the pain. Maya Angelou reminds me:

“At the end of the day, people won’t remember what you said or did; they will remember how you made them feel.”

As Christians, we ultimately desire for others to remember not the Bible verses we recited or the advice we shared but the love and compassion they experienced in our presence. The heartfelt embrace leaves a lasting impact, particularly when it comes from someone different from them. In moments of darkness, they will recollect the warmth of your compassion, even if they may not recall your exact words. That memory, surfacing from deep within, can catalyze to ignite hope. Where there is hope, Christ is not far behind, ready to bring light and restoration.

1 Corinthians 2:4-5, “And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

We can’t be Biggs Darklighter to everybody, but we can be him to somebody.

Sean Rowe “Just Trying to Leave Something Behind”

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Cadence

Cadence: balanced, rhythmic flow, the measure or beat of movement, as in dancing.

When I return from overseas and being with the great people God puts in front of me, I get melancholy. I see these great people, their futures yet to be unveiled; I remember when I was them. I was bulletproof and invisible. At that point in my life, no one had ever taught me I could not overcome. It took time and life to teach me that lesson. I became wiser, picking my battles and focusing on what God had planned for me, not what I planned for myself. With that thought in mind my brain, that incredible computer between our ears, took me back to running.

Hebrews 10:36, "For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised."

RUNNING

I used to run a lot. I loved it when my body synchronized on a cadence. My heartbeat would regulate at 120 beats per minute, two beats per second. Breathing became steady; inhale step one, exhale step two, inhale step one, exhale step two, and on and on. My brain locked into this cadence, shutting down any extra thoughts. I would pound on mile after mile lost in that experience. Sometimes the cadence was accompanied by the drum beat of a song; mostly, it was quiet introspection. Only when something interrupted my cadence did I come back to consciously thinking about running. Until that interruption, I was flying, lost in the euphoria of endorphins. It was the best time of the day. I loved it. Later, my cardiologist informed me I was a drug addict hooked on endorphins. Well, maybe; you have your truth; I have mine.

I’m over seventy now and gave up running some time ago. My pacemaker kicked the addiction, and I lost the euphoria. I still ran for over two more decades, but I never got that feeling back. But my brain remembers. Periodically it takes me back to the good old days. And with sadness, I remember when I could fly.

FLYING

The challenge for all of us is how we become lost in the cadence of our spirituality, living off the euphoria of God’s love. How do we become addicted to the feeling of total submission that brings on tranquility, peace, and joy? It took years of hard work and pain to get to the level of running I had at my peak. It took sacrifice and commitment. The same is true of our faith in Christ. There are hills to climb and pain to power through. There are disappointments that lead to setbacks, but there is also the thrill of overcoming. Eventually, there are moments, etched in our brains, when God picked us up and showed us how to fly.

Galatians 5:7, "You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?"

Human nature is about failure. We naturally gravitate to what we could have done better, or maybe, not at all; dwelling on improvement, not success. We somehow minimize what God has done in our lives because we spend too much time thinking about what we want Him to do next.

When I used to think about the upcoming hill, I would have to consciously command my legs to take one step at a time. I knew from experience that the hill would crest and running would get easier. It was that experience that gave me the fortitude to keep going. We draw on the same experiences when we remember all that God has done in the past, which will give us the strength to trust Him with what needs to be done in the future. Every hill has a crest; nothing goes on forever except God’s love.

Psalms 119:32, "I run in the path of your commands, for you have broadened my understanding."

ADDICTION IS NOT A BAD WORD

“Many Christians estimate difficulties in the light of their own resources, and thus attempt little and often fail in the little they attempt. All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His power and presence with them.”- Hudson Taylor.

Maybe I was hooked on endorphins; it could be worse. I could have been hooked on alcohol, drugs, or porn. My life could be a meaningless existence with no real purpose. I could have been marking time until the eventual end.

Running was good; I enjoyed it: even without the endorphin rush. But like all things temporal, it came to an end. God’s love, on the other hand, lasts forever. Getting into a cadence takes effort and practice. It also takes a level of tenacity when hard times come our way. With cadence comes addiction. Getting addicted to God’s love lasts forever.

Becoming like Christ is a long, slow process of growth.- Rick Warren

Cadence with God is walking in synchrony with His will over ours. It is an investment worth making. Read, pray, and immerse yourselves in God’s word. Make it part of who you are. Make it as natural as breathing.

Philippians 3:13-14 "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
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Sinking Ship

Being on a sinking ship in the middle of the ocean, with no land in sight, might be one of the most terrifying experiences a person can endure. While it doesn’t take forever, drowning can be extremely painful. To begin with, a drowning person usually panics, leading to hyperventilation. But instead of air, the person will breathe in water. This reaction will lead to a vocal cord spasm known as laryngospasm. But what causes the most pain is breathing in the water. Even for those who survive, their lungs remain in pain for some time. Recently I accidentally inhaled some water while drinking. The next ten to twenty seconds could have been a lifetime as I struggled to breathe. The laryngospasm experience stayed with me for days.

Taking on Water

This planet is a sinking ship, and its people are in danger of drowning. We know that from Revelations. Eventually, it will be gone. But the great news is that God will replace it with a new world without sin, pain, and death. But who will survive the sinking?

Matthew 8:27, “The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

“Ships don’t sink because of the water around them. Ships sink because of the water that gets in them. Don’t let what’s happening around you get inside you.” -AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Our challenge, as Christians, is focus. In our current age of Post-Modern thinking, we are bombarded by social media, expounding every conceivable idea and opinion known to man. There seems to be no end to the variation and depth of discourse. I don’t care what you believe; you can find a group of people who agree. During many dinner conversations, I am amazed at how two people with diametrically opposed opinions are convinced they are right; both having the facts and figures to back up their position.

James 3:4, “Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.”

The sinking ship we live on is about what is around us that can’t be allowed to get in us. Salvation is not about what you achieve here on earth but what you store in heaven. Don’t get so engrossed in the temporal that you lose sight of the eternal. Make Christ your Pilot.

Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.”

Unsinkable

God has created you for great things. How can you achieve this lofty ambition in a dysfunctional world? Again, the answer is focus. God created us for His great pleasure.

Isaiah 43:21, “the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.”

What was God’s plan for us to demonstrate His worthiness? It was for us to do good and live well on the land. Jesus set out the parameters of living well succinctly. He didn’t mince words or provide alternatives. He said it as plainly as He could.

Matthew 22:37-40, “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Do not let the outside influence of the world start to dictate your thoughts. The future belongs to God and God alone. His foundation is not worldly but eternal, grounded in love.

1 Corinthians 13, “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”

We have a ship stocked with everything we need to survive and prosper. God’s provision for us is eternal. Troubles will come and go; opinions will rise and fall, but God’s love will endure forever.

There’s a strange sense of pleasure in being beaten to hell by a storm when you’re on a ship that will not sink. — Jimmy Buffett

Climb aboard the ship that will not sink.

Isaiah 43:2, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
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Believer or Follower

Are you a believer or a follower? You see the intricacy of nature, and you believe. Yet, how does a butterfly know how to paint its wings? How does a chameleon change its color? What lies in the deep of the ocean? You see the vastness of the universe, every expanding, but expanding into what? Billions of stars spread out over a seemingly endless space, and you believe, but do you follow?

Are you a believer or a follower? You touch a newborn child’s small, delicate hands and believe. In the dark of the night, you lay still, listen to your heartbeat, and believe. You see, hear, smell, feel, and believe. But do you follow? God’s creation is all around you, so you believe, but do you follow?

Colossians 1:16, “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”

It is easy to believe because the mile markers are all around you. You don’t have to attend church to believe; even Satin believes.

Believing

Mark 16:16, “The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned.”

Believing is the easy part. God created in us the desire to search for our maker. We can not rest until we find the answer to “What am I here for?” How did I get here? Our lives depend on meaning and purpose. Without it, we wander in the darkness, looking for light. The light we seek is direction, purpose, and value. Once we understand God’s true nature as the author of everything, we understand our place.

Mark 9:21, “Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

We start to see a pattern and logic to man’s existence. But do we believe God knows and cares about us as individuals? It is one thing to try to grasp the enormity of creation and realize we can’t understand. It is another to grasp the enormity of God’s love for us; one is tangible, tactile, and rich in sensory feedback, and the other is a feeling that wells up inside us. It is a visceral reaction to an invisible power. Are you a believer or a follower?

Having Faith

The question becomes, who am I here for, not what am I here for? Our drive should be who I serve, not what I am to do. Knowing there is a God is not enough. Believing there is a God answers the what question. The bigger question is the who question. An unimpassioned God who spun the universe out in the ether to see what would happen is not the same God that would send His son to die for you.

This revelation is where the visible work of God becomes the invisible. First, we see the splendor of His creation; now, we must feel the love of His compassion for us. Do you believe that Christ died for your sins? If you do, what does that actually mean?

Salvation is by grace, not works, so that no man might boast. Christ’s death broke the barrier between God and us. His death on the cross opened the door to salvation. It is an invitation to spend eternity with the creator of the universe. Faith is about believing in something you can not prove. Faith invites the Holy Spirit into your daily life as a guide, companion, and comforter.

James 2:22, “You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.”

Faith is the next logical step. It is when you decide you are not big enough alone. Faith is accepting help to overcome the challenges of a broken world. Faith knows Christ loves you unconditionally and will fight for you.

James 2:26, “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

“You find that the things you let go of while following Jesus were the things that were going to destroy you in the end.” – Francis Chan

Following

Matthew 16:24, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

Now the hard part. Doing is a by-product of following. Doing in and of itself serves only the doer. Not all good deeds are works of the spirit. Good works driven by the Holy Spirit are the only ones that matter. Following is about obedience to God’s call. Following is about doing God’s will, not our own.

“Great moves of God are usually preceded by simple acts of obedience.” – Steven Furtick

James 2:14, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?”

Following God is about setting ourselves aside and doing what God had predestined for us long before He formed the universe. Following God is about achieving the fullness of God’s creation in us. That fullness does not conform to worldly standards. It doesn’t promise worldly prosperity or life without challenges. What it does promise is an eternity greater than anything you could imagine.

Jesus says, “I want you to follow me so fully, so intensely, so enduringly that all other attachments in your life look weak by comparison.” – Timothy Keller

Being a follower is the true sign of being a Christian. Live the life God has always wanted for you. Be a follower.

Titus 3:8, “This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.”
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Being a Pencil in the Hand of God

I started to think about the significance of being a pencil in the hand of God. It started with this quote from Mother Teresa.

“I am a little pencil in God’s hands. He does the thinking. He does the writing. He does everything, and sometimes it is really hard because it is a broken pencil and He has to sharpen it a little more.” ― Mother Teresa, The Joy in Loving: A Guide to Daily Living

Once we start to understand that we are the pencil in the hand of God, we start to understand our position in life. Christ is the author of all stories, the writer, producer, financial backer, and hero of every story. We are His instrument. When we start to understand we are a pencil in the hand of God, we start to appreciate all that we can be.

Psalm 115:1, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us. But to Your name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.”

Authoring Your Story

Many of us go through life thinking that we write the story of our lives. We are the hero who saves the day. On the other hand, some of us see ourselves as the victim tossed by the waves of life. In either case, we are the central character that the story encircles. We assume the role of the one in control when we are actually an instrument of the creator.

Psalm 37:23-24, “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him, though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”

When we get to Heaven, if we get to Heaven, what will be God’s response? Will God look at His assortment of writing utensils and say I’ve never written anything with you? Will he see you and say that He remembers a story, but it was a short story once, or twice?

Will God beam with joy, grab you up and hold you close, remembering all the incredible adventures of your life? Will He laugh and cry with every turn of a phrase embodying a triumph or tragedy from your relationship? Will He weep because there will be no more new stories to delight Himself?

Jeremiah 10:23, “Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.”

Wasting Your Time

You are wasting your life if you are not an instrument of God’s story. There is no kinder way to say it; any good deed, or honorable act, that the Spirit does not drive is a wasted effort. All who flit from activity to activity in busy, misdirected lives are not building a legacy; you are passing the time. Forty or eighty years after our passing, others will faintly remember us, no matter our skill, intelligence, or accomplishment. But, there will be no eternal implication echoing through time, no great stories to be relived.

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Even the great statesmen, who emboss their names in history, are just that, a name. We don’t know them; we might know of them. They are a name, a face, and a place, real only within the context of a subject. It is in Heaven that relationships last forever. It is in Heaven that angles relived, rejoiced, and regaled over God’s stories

Luke 15:10, “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Refocus Your Storytelling

We spend too much time making our mark here, where time erases because another will supersede every earthly accomplishment. Our wealth will be left behind. The great stories about adventure, tragedy, victory, and love not written by God will fade away like a mist in the morning sun. Yet, those stories driven by the Holy Spirit will prevail. They ripple for generations as angles rejoice at their retelling.

“Seeking to perpetuate one’s name on earth is like writing on the sand by the seashore; to be perpetual, it must be written on eternal shores.” D.L. Moody

Don’t waste your life by doing good for the sake of doing good, thinking the story you write has merit. Anyone can do good and be kind; it’s called being human. Being Godly is to let God write your stories and guide your path. Remember, live your life so that when you meet Christ face-to-face, He will cry. He will cry joyfully at your meeting and sorrowfully that He will not write any new stories with you.

“The mere fact itself that God’s will is irresistible and irreversible fills me with fear, but once I realize that God wills only that which is good, my heart is made to rejoice.” – A. W. Pink

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Job or Naomi, You Pick

Job or Naomi, you pick the one closest to yourself. This decision is not a question of gender but temperament and faith. It might be easy for some to let gender play too big a role in this comparison, but that would be a mistake. How we approach God in times of trouble is not dictated by gender, environment, or ethnic background but by faith.

It is essential to realize that gender does play a role in Naomi’s situation, as she is both an immigrant and a woman. It does add to her suffering, but she does not suffer from Job’s physical condition. So they somewhat offset each other. I do not believe the Bible means for these two stories to distinguish between male and female suffering but to contrast their approaches to suffering. So, are you Job or Naomi?

Job

Job 1:20-22, “At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.”

Job devastatingly lost everything. God took everything Job loved and cherished. He still had his wife, although her assessment was, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” ( Job 2:9). Not exactly the type of support one would expect. Job’s friends took the time to give him bad advice. They assured him that he brought on his problems through his poor behavior. Job did not see anything in his possession as his, but God’s to do with what He pleased.

Job 3:25, “What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.”

Job feared suffering. He did not understand why God would let him suffer instead of taking his life. Job did not understand. But, through everything, Job stood with God. He would not blame God for his misfortune. He was not a victim. 

Naomi

Ruth 1:20-21, “Don’t call me Naomi, [pleasant],” she told them. “Call me Mara, [bitter] because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”

Naomi also lost everything. She lost her husband and sons, which was her ability to care for herself. Unlike Job, thieves did not rob her; the death of her husband and sons robbed her of her ability to create income. Also, unlike Job, she was a foreigner, an immigrant. Therefore, she had no standing in the community.  

Naomi, as opposed to Job, assumed her suffering was of God. She felt that God had chosen her for suffering. Naomi hints at the idea that what was hers was hers, and God just took it away. Naomi sees herself as a victim.

Restoration

God, in His compassion and wisdom, rescues both. God restored Job.

Job 42:10-11, “After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.”

God redeemed Naomi through Boaz.

Ruth 4:9-10, “Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion, and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife.”

You

Matthew 5:45, “that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

Often, we endure trials seeking God’s deliverance from them. Suffering is painful for us to endure or to see those we love endure. While our instinct is to flee trials, remember that even in the midst of suffering, God’s will is being done. – Paul Chappell

Are you Job or Naomi? Which do you choose; what is your approach? In this broken world where bad things happen to good people, do you praise God in your affliction, or do you see yourself as a victim of God’s judgment? Do you think that as a dedicated Christian, God should rescue you from the world around you, or do you look for ways to glorify God within your circumstances?

My dad used to say, “Life is unfair; get over it.” We serve a loving God who will take us through the darkest times. We need to cling to that promise. 

Isaiah 54:10, “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”
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