Turn my thoughts to you God

God, I give you my mind, my heart, my desire,

Turn my thoughts to you,

Turn my thoughts to you,

Verse 1:

Satan keeps holding me down O God,

Saying I’m not good enough, O God,

But you O God are good enough for me,

You’re all that I want,

All that I need,

Lord help me to trust in your plans for me,

Take away these doubts of mine,

That bring me away from you,

Chorus:

Turn my thoughts to you, O God

Turn my thoughts to you, O God,

Turn my thought s to you, O God,

Verse 2:

Lord, lead me where I can never go,

Because God you know me best,

Let your light shine in my life,

So that these thoughts of mine won’t prevail against me,

God I want to feel your presence,

I want to hear your voice speaking to me,

Because Lord I know I can’t live this life on my own,

I am nothing without you Jesus,

Chorus:

Turn my thoughts to you O God,

Turn my thoughts to you O God,

Turn my thoughts to you O God, 

God's will for my life practically speaking

Lately I've been battling God's will for my life.  I will be graduating from seminary and this question has come up often.  I have been wrestling with it because of my own struggles and a disability in my life.
I have been trying to decide the best route to take that would give me joy.  I have a disability that has affected me in not being able to drive.  This has affected some of the things that I want to do, in a sense I have to re evaluate and find the best option for me.  It revolves around trusting God day to day.
In Mighty Men, the constant phrase Ken uses is God's will for us is for our holiness, meaning growth in him.  This is also discussed in D focus study I went through.  We always ask questions where does God want me? Does he want me to do this or that?  In a sense, it is just depending on God daily and growing in him.  Then if we do that he will lead us where he wants us to go in life.

Daniel and the Lions Den

The story of Daniel and Lions den shows us show we should depend on God and trust him in hard times. Trusting in God is key to helping us through hard situations.
In the story of Daniel and the Lions den, there was an edict pronounced throughout the land that whoever makes a tribute to any god or man except the king shall be cast into the den of lions.  Daniel prayed to God three times a day like he always does.  Darius' royal men in the kingdom found Daniel praying to God.  Darius stood true to his order saying, "The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked." Then Darius' men said in 7:13, "he makes his petition three times a day."
After this had occurred, Daniel was cast into the den of lions.  The king said, "May your God, whom you serve continually deliver you." The kind knew Daniel's God was greater than anything he fathom that may be why he said this.  Daniel's God delivered him before from the fiery furnace when Nebechadnezzar was in power.
When King Darius went in to see Daniel he was untouched.  The king said to Daniel in 7:20, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?" Then Daniel replied to the king's astonished comments in 7:21-22, "O king live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm." Daniel trusted in God and he saved him from the lions and he was saved by God.  In a note in verse 23 says that Daniel was saved because he trusted that God would provide for him and save him from the lions den.
God gave me the strength to depend on him the summer after graduating from college.  He led me a summer discipleship program which showed me show to depend on him in hard times.  In the next year, God closed down the door in what I was trying to do after finishing college.  I tried so hard to get into the Broadcast Journalism field in TV or radio and it never worked out.  I applied for jobs non- stop but none ended up working out.
Soon after, God called me into seminary.  I felt God calling me back into ministry.  I had worked with youth all of my life in the para church ministry called Young Life and I knew I wanted to work with youth in some way, shape, or form.
In this story God is calling us to depend on him and trust him in situation we may face.  God calls us to be desperately dependent on him for everything in our life.
What situations in our lives does God call us to trust him in? How does God show us our will in this passage?

God's leading in my future

In this blog post I will be discussing about God's plans for my future.  I will discuss how he leads in the area of our his specific will in our life.  God's will is detailed we just need to trust him to where he leads.
The main two areas of his will in our life are the general will and specific will.  God's general will is abiding in him and following his word.  It is also knowing scripture and having a desire to following God.  Psalm 119:11 says "I have hidden your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you." God calls us to surrender in our general will then he will lead us.
God's shows us his specific will for us when we abide and him then he gives us his attitudes. Philippians 2:5 says "have this attitude in yourselves which is also in Christ Jesus."  God can show us his specific will through changing our circumstances, giving his mind or desires,  or giving us peace.  God can open or close a door in the the area that he wants us to go by changing a circumstance.  God can also prompt us by giving us his leading in giving us his mind and desires.  God can also give us peace in certain hard circumstances.
In another area of God's will in making decisions we need to present all the options in our life.  Proverbs 16:9 says "we should make plans counting on God to direct us." One of the greatest ways we can worship God is to step out in faith.  Sometimes it is hard for me to abide in Christ when making an important decision.  After college I was trying to figure out what direction to go it was hard to abide and depend on God then he ended up leading me where he wanted me to go even though it wasn't what I had planned.
I was struggle with waiting for God's timing in my life.  Right now, I am waiting to see where God will lead after I graduate from seminary.  At this time in my life I can trust God will lead where he wants me to go, though the hard part is waiting for the right ministry job or best fit for me.  In the area of God's will, the journey is more important than the destination.  It's hard waiting on the future but the thing we have to do is be desperately dependent on God in everything in our life.
What has God shown us in finding his will in our life?  How can he grow us in our faith in showing his his will? Is waiting the hardest thing for us to do in life?

International YL staff

I arrived in Chiapas, Mexico in the afternoon of the 27th after a long flight that day.  I helped the Young Life staff there Jay and Amanda Miranda get ready for the week we are going to have.  Everyone didn't arrive until later that night.
When the Young Life international staff members arrived later that night we learned a little about Young Life international.  We received a packet of information about the YL international program.  Me, Kurina, and the YL international staff got to know each other that night until the last couple people showed up for that week later that night.  We ate cookies until the last group came.
Today, we went to church, had a scavenger hunt, and have been learning about the different international ministries.  After church, we ate at this restaurant we homemade tortillas from the North that someone the Mirandas' knows.  God moved today at church and through the staff member we are staying at Jay Miranda. Some kids from the orphanage that knew the market well took us around on the scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt was fun to explore the city and see the different sights and sounds.
Lastly, we are learning about the different international ministries.  It has been cool seeing God is moving throughout the world.  Our God is a big God.
I am excited for these last couple days.  It will be awesome serving with those on the trip these next couple of days.

How faith changes us

Faith can change, transform, and leads us into maturity in Christ.  Our level of faith shows how much maturity we have.  When we trust God with more and more things our faith grows and our maturity in Christ does as well.
A life without faith is not pleasing to God.  Hebrews 11:6 says "without faith it is impossible to please God." Verse seven continues to describe faith as taking place when we are earnestly seeking God.  A growing faith has to go from our head to heart throughout our life and walk with God. The process of going from our head to heart happens when we first become a Christian and throughout our walk with God. This process takes place when we give credit to God where he deserves,  it also shows a relationship instead of an obligation, it acknowledges God's presence in our life, and shows we are serious about what he says.
God has been faithful in various times in my life.  During my the junior year of high school I was in a car wreck.  God pursued me in my doubt, fear, and frustration during that time in my life.  He provided me with some friends and a mentor to restore me back to relationship with him at the beginning of my senior year.  At the beginning of the year I rededicated my life to him.  From that time I was able to trust God with future things.
God answered a prayer when he gave me direction in leading me to seminary when the Broadcasting jobs didn't work out.  He lead me where he wanted me to go not where I wanted to go.  I didn't realize in hindsight that God was in control of the situation.  He also answered a prayer when someone I was praying for a while finally came to Young Life club and heard the gospel.
He changed my circumstance in closing the door on this Young Life internship program and leading me to D-focus so I could grow in him.  He used D-focus to show me how much I need to depend on him.   This time in my life helped me grow in maturity in him.  I was able to trust in faith and grow in maturity in him in the next year of my life.  God changed me during this time in my life.
Faith occurs when we present a situation to God, he acts, we start to worship God because of this, then we receive more the faith the next time we present a situation.  Romans 12:1-2 says to present our bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conformed by the patterns of this world but be transforming by the renewing of your mind so that you can test- God's good, pleasing and perfect will." God will ""unconform" us from the world's way when we surrender a situation to him.  Faith enables to present ourselves to the Lord and trust whatever he brings into our life is for our good.
Our faith grows as we surrender more situations to God.  It starts out as a thimble, then grows to a cup, then a cup, and lastly turns into a pitcher when we grow in maturity in Christ.  Maturity in Christ is the ability to trust God more quickly and with more things than we did in the past.  This maturity takes place as our reservoir of faith grows.  This process takes place over time and helps us become who God wants us to be.
Here's a few questions to end this blog.  What has your understanding of faith been in the past? What are ways that God has given you faith through answered prayer, changing circumstances, or changing you?  Read Galatians 5:13-26.  What are some of the ways you have tried to please God instead of living by his Spirit to give you the power?  

Time of Fasting

Today I'm going to be blogging about a time of fasting that I recently.  It reminded me of my utter dependence on God.  Also, I will be describing of how I it was revealed to me that I need to surrender and consecrate myself to God daily and give up my life to him for my future.
The definition of consecration is to make sacred or dedicate to some purpose.  I made sacred the time with God in committing to him my life and the nation.  In the Old Testament, priests consecrated the temple and the things in it to God.  In Strong's concordance, the words for consecration means nezer; something set apart, a dedication ( a priest or Nazirite), a chaplet of royalty, of hair, and a crown.
In this fast, I prayed for myself, our nation, the trip that I went on last summer to Thailand, and friends that are serving God globally.  This time, reminded me of our destitute and sinful nature and we all need God.  Also, God made me kneel at this feet throughout the day.  He helped me see I am nothing at all without my relationship with him.  Lastly, it gave me an overall perspective of my relationship with God.
The fast ended with God leading me to read the D-focus study of my sinful nature.  He reminded me that I am sinful and couldn't do anything without him.  We are eternally separated from God apart from our relationship with him.  2 Corinthians 3:5 TLB says Not that we are confident we can do anything on our own resources, our ability comes from God." I don't bring any godliness into my relationship with God.
God is growing me in daily.  The fast taught me of that I need God at all times throughout the day and who he is to me in my life.  Consecration is key to living in God's presence.
How does this post teach us about God's will in our life? Is there something God is revealing to us through this post? Apply this post today and consecrate yourselves to God.

Snoop's life: Hebrews 10:24-25: using what God has given us for ...

Snoop's life: Hebrews 10:24-25: using what God has given us for ...: In the recent sermon at church, God has reminded me of his calling to use my gifts for his glory.  Lately, I have been trying to use my gift...

Snoop's life: Hebrews 10:24-25: using what God has given us for ...

Snoop's life: Hebrews 10:24-25: using what God has given us for ...: In the recent sermon at church, God has reminded me of his calling to use my gifts for his glory.  Lately, I have been trying to use my gift...

Hebrews 10:24-25: using what God has given us for his glory

In the recent sermon at church, God has reminded me of his calling to use my gifts for his glory.  Lately, I have been trying to use my gifts more and discern how they can be put to use in a ministry context.  This is evidenced in the passage Hebrews 10:24-25.
Hebrews 10:24 says "And let us consider how we can spur one another on toward love and good deeds." God calls us to use the spiritual gifts he has given us to serve others in ministry.  He calls us to be an encouragement to others through serving in various aspects of ministry.  As disciples of Christ we are to use our gifts to further advance his kingdom.  By finding out what our gifts are, God will better use us in whatever ministry or area God has called us into.  Through this search, God's will can be shown through us.
 Some of my gifts are prayer, encouragement and patience. I also enjoy hanging out with youth. Lately, I have been helping with an encouragement ministry that someone from the church I go to started. I am trying to pray more for people across the world to know Jesus as well as using this gift for God's glory.
There are passages regarding spiritual gifts Romans 12:3-8 and and 1 Corinthians 12.Romans 12:3-8 KJV says  3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12:4-6 describes how we are all apart of the body of Jesus Christ and we have to use our gifts for God's glory whatever they may be.   God has blessed us with unique gifts so we should use them  Paul reminds us in the passage in Romans 12.
In 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 God gifts us many spiritual gifts that are empowered by the Holy Spirit.  Corinthians 12:4-12 says this about the spiritual gifts that God gives us 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.  God gives us all different gifts that the Holy Spirit can us for his glory.  
In order to help us serve others well, we have to keep encouraging one another.  Hebrews 10:25 says, "And let us not stop meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another all the more as you see the Day approaching." God calls us to use our gifts to serve others in the body of Christ as well as encouraging and leading others to a relationship with him.  1 Corinthians 12:25-26 ESV says "that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.  If one members suffers then another members suffers, if one member is honored then, all rejoice together."  God can use us in order to build up and encourage others through the whole body of Christ.  
How did we see God's will through this passage in Hebrews?  Is there a way we can best apply this to our lives?  Why did God give us spiritual gifts? 

God's sovereignty over our lives

God's sovereignty can be defined as the supreme encumbered ruler of all things.  He alone is independent in his power, wisdom, and freedom.  God does not need us but wants an intimate relationship with us daily.
During certain times in my life I was going through  hard times, God showed me he was sovereign.  He first helped me realize that he is sovereign and in control at D-focus in the summer of 2010.  Then, in the next year of my year he helped me put this truth into practice.  He showed he is in control of my life through that time in leading me to seminary.  Looking back, I can see that he was in control of that my life when I had a car wreck my junior year in high school.
He is in control in his power.  There are 100 billion stars and 100 billion galaxies in the universe.  Psalm 147:4-5 says God "counts the stars by name.  How great is our God.  He alone is absolute." The sun is 32.5 million miles from earth.  God used his power to bring us into relationship with him so we could be joint heirs with Christ in Isiah 52:10.
He is in control in his wisdom.  Psalm 139:1-4 says that God knows everything about us, our thoughts, and what we will do yesterday and tomorrow.  Everything that happens to us each day God knows.  He is supreme in his wisdom and knowledge about our lives.  He is omnipresent.
He is control in his freedom.  God is incomparable to nothing.  Our God is independent on his own.  If he didn't freedom, then he wouldn't be sovereign.
Knowing that God is in control will help us trust him more.  If we know that he is in control that will help us trust God in anything that happens to us in the present, past, and future.  Right now, I am having to trust with this YL int trip and my future after seminary.
1 Chronicles 29:11 describes God's complete sovereignty over our lives.  King David says "Yours O Lord is  the greatness, and the glory and the power, everything in the heavens and the earth is yours.  Yours is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all."  He is in control of even the small minute details that happen to us daily.  Job 23:10 says "But God knows everything detail of what is happening to me." Our God is always with us every step of the way even when we refuse to acknowledge him.
As I close this post I want to ask the readers a couple questions.  What has God shown us through his sovereignty? How was God's will shown through this attribute of God? Is there a way we can apply this truth to our lives daily?

Blood of Christ that has set us free

It is a breataking thing when we realize the blood Jesus sacrifcied for our sins.  Jesus died for give us life in him.
Recently, I had an infection in my finger.  This infection I didn't know what it was when I first had it.  I put hot water on it and tried to pop it many times.  Then finally on Saturday of that week I finally was able to pop it after it had grown to it's highest height.  This was after it had grown to it's highest height.  This infection eventually stared bleeding and pus came out.
Through the blood of Jesus Christ we are set free from our old life.  1 John 1:7 says "the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, purifies us from all sin." This blood has set us under the new covenant in Christ Jesus.
The new covenant discussed in Hebrews has been established by Jesus through his death.  Heb 9:15 says "he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive his eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred to that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant." We have this new life in Christ.
In this old covenant there was gifts and sacrifices by those guilty of sin while new covenant there is self sacrifice by the guiltless Christ.  The old covenant there were conditional promises and the new covenant is unconditional.  The old covenant is limited access to God and new covenant is unlimited access to God.
The old covenant forgiveness is earned and new covenant forgiveness is bought.  In old covenant sins were covered temporarily, in new covenant sins the penalty of sin was done away with permanently.  In old covenant sacrifice is truly satisfying to God while in old covenant Christ sacrifice is completely satisfying to God.  In old covenant all people who die without faith will be judged while in new covenant all who have faith will never be judged.
Blood came out from the remnants of my finger.  Jesus' blood was shed for everything we have done in our life.
Jesus death was required to activate a will to receive his inheritance (Heb 16-17).  Also, in order for spiritual forgiveness and cleansing to demand blood, (Heb 18-22).  Lastly, because judgement is imputed from the sinner of the substitute (vv. 23-28).  Jesus became our substitute for our sins.  It was necessary for God's justice.
What does this passage show us about God's will? How can we remember Jesus blood shed for us today? Does this passage/post change us? and in what ways?

A clear conscience

Lately God has been convicting me to clear my conscience.  This stems from something I have done a couple times.  It is not really bad but it is just merely a check on my integrity. Someone from this mission trip application called me out on something that I did. I have had to confess some things to God in order to clear my conscience.
In order for us to grow in our relationship with God we must have a clear conscience.  This principle is discussed in Hebrews 9:1-14.  This passage is speaking to the Hebrew people that are caught up in their old way of living in giving sacrifices to please God.
The principle of having a clear conscience is taught we are little and do something.  We confess to our parents and friends that we committed an act against them to clear our conscience.
A clear conscience keeps us whole and pure as we come to God.  The blood of Jesus Christ is the only thing that cleanse our conscience.  He makes us whole in Christ alone and by his blood we are set free.
A conscience that is not clean can pull us down in life.  It can hurt our relationship with Christ.  An unclean conscience can also cause guilt and a selfish nature.  A defiled conscience pulls us into Satan's thorns of attacking us and who we are in Christ.  These things throw us off the path that God has set for us.
Hebrews 9:9 discusses how we cannot bring any gifts or sacrifices to clear our conscience.  Also, verse 13 describes how we can't earn a clear conscience.  We can't clear our conscience on our own.  It will lead to no avail.
The only thing that can make our conscience new is the blood of Jesus; Hebrews 9:14. This helps us serve God we all we have.  It also renews our relationship with him.  Lastly, it gives us a sense of humbleness.
What is God causing us to see as we look at having a clear conscience in this passage? How is God's will shown in this passage? Is the a way we can better clear our conscience on a daily basis?

From the head to the heart

In order to become a mature Christian, facts about God have to move from our head to our heart.  This has to be a change in a process of our thinking.  It molds who we are, how we acts, think, make decisions and treat others.
This is a transformation process in our lives that happens on a day to day basis.  It merely happens in simple happy situations.  Also, God could allow certain difficult things in our life. God uses struggles to help us learn to trust him.  All these things are used for our growth in Christ.
God knows every circumstance whether it be good or bad that we go through in life.  He will reveal himself to us when we learn to trust him in everything that we do.  Psalm 139:7 says "where can I go from your spirit, where can I flee from your presence."  It is a reminder that he is always there with us wherever we go in life.  He loves us no matter the circumstance we may be in good or bad.
God also calls us to be prayer and give thanks in all circumstances.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 discusses we should be in prayer in all things, in everything give thanks for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Sometimes when we have difficult situations we try to handle them on our own instead of depending on God.  We are sinful creatures that think that we have it all together.  Although God calls us to depend on him when these hard times come.  He calls us to recognize our need for him in these situations.  In times, God used to conform us to his image.
When we become a mature Christian we stop handling situations on our own and learn to trust God in his faithfulness and provision.  This will happen over time and leads to being able to trust God more quickly and with more situations than we did before because of God's faithfulness.
How is God calling us to stop handling situations on our own? What is God's will for us learning to trust in in difficult is situations? How can we as a group understand certain facts so they go from our head to heart?

A best friends

This blog post is about best friend's that you are blessed with you life.  God has blessed me with some of the best Christian best friend's that I could have.  He has used those people to help me grow in my walk with God.
God has used Andrew Boone, Zach Hughes, Blake Johnson, Jim Douglas, and Kurtis Freeman to help me grow in my walk with God.  These friends have been with me through the good times and bad.  They have encouraged me and loved me when I needed them to.  I have been growing in my daily walk with God because of these people in my life.  I thank God daily for these people.
Last summer I was able to be a part in Jim Douglas' wedding as a groomsmen.  This was an honor considering how God has brought us together through the years.  We have still been able to keep in touch though I am in Fort Worth, TX and he is in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  God also used our friendship to help us each grow in our walk with Christ after graduating from college.  He used a Christian Fraternity called BYX to bring us together.
God led me to one of my best friend from high school Andrew Boone during the early part of high school.  During our freshmen year, we were both in the same Spanish class but I didn't know him until we went to Frontier Ranch together.  Through that summer, I accepted Christ and met some of best friends from high school.  I met Andrew, Zach, Blake Johnson, and some other friends Michael Gage and Jeremy Sonnier. Seth Harris was also one of my good friends from high school.
My friend Andrew Boone helped me through a hard time in my life my junior year in high school by encouraging me through that time.  He has also helped guide me through many other times in my life such as the time after I graduated from college.
He left for Africa in mid January to serve.  We have been able to keep in touch over the past year or two.  God has really brought our friendship closer together during this time.  In whatever we do in the future, God will use it for his glory.  I thank God daily for our friendship.
God has blessed me with many friends in my life.  God is faithful and has blessed me in all parts of my life.

Proverbs 31 woman vs how we are to live as men

God calls us as men to pursue godly Proverbs 31 women.  He calls us as men of God to pursue these kinds of women that will help us grow in our walk with God.  There are certain qualities of these women that make them stand out.
These qualities make this kind of woman stand out among the rest of the women you will find.  The trait most praised is a women with noble character as described in 31:10.  This verse emphasizes that "she is worth far more than rubies." This type of person is to be valued above all things.  As Christian men, we should seek someone who will lead us closer to Christ.
This type of women also is dedicated to working and managing the finances as in verses 17 and 18.  She is a described as being a good leader in the household in verse 21.  This special type of person also needs to have strength and dignity in leading her family well (v.25), and wisdom for making wise decisions (26).  The writer of Proverbs concludes the section by saying "many women do noble things but you surpass them all." This type of women is to be praised.
Lastly, this type of woman should not look to the outside appearance but the qualities found inside.  This means her character should be above all else.  Proverbs 31:30 describes this type of women saying "but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."  Above all else, we as men should look for godly women who fear and love God above all else.  They should find their contentment and satisfaction in God alone.
Consequently, as men we are to lead by servitude, faith, humbleness in pursuing our these godly women.  Leading in these ways will help our future spouses see Christ through us.  These traits we came up with in our Bible study the other night are key to godly men.
I think servitude is key because when serving our wives they are able to see Christ through us.  Ephesians 5:22-33 and Colossians 3:18-25 describe this type of servitude toward our wives.  We are to love and serve our wives as Christ loved the church.
Humbleness is also key to being godly men.  It is realizing our weaknesses as men and looking to our wives needs not our own.  Philippians 2:3-4 describes this type of humbleness that we are to have as godly men.  We are to look to other more than ourselves.  Our life should be about others not us.
The last thing is want to discuss is that of faith.  We have to have strong faith as men in the household to lead our wives well in the trials that the family will go through.  In Timothy 5:11, Paul gives a charge to Timothy to fight the good fight of faith and stand strong in the trials of life.  We are to flee from the things that bring us down and cling to faith that produces good character.  Paul's instructs Timothy in 5:11-12, "But you man of God, flee from these this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith."
We as men as to step up and find these types of women for God calls to be equally yoked.  As men who love Christ we are to be pursuers of godly women and be the leaders that they need in their life.

Snoop's life: Contentment Part III

Snoop's life: Contentment Part III: In my third post on the topic of contentment I will be making some final conclusions about the results of contentment bring.  These results ...

Contentment Part III

In my third post on the topic of contentment I will be making some final conclusions about the results of contentment bring.  These results are the secret of being content with who you are individually so you will be able to be a complete person.  This involves resting in yourself and not in others.
The results of contentment in a Christian aspect is resting in your relationship with God.  When we are content, with our relationship with God everything else will be given to us.  We are able to trust with what we are given and what God has for us in the future.  This is key to our future life with Christ in the present and future.  Our rest daily should be found in God alone like it says in Hebrews 4:1-13 not anything of this world.
God also calls us to be content with our life here and now.  He wants to remind us when we aren't content that he has a plan for us; as it describes in Jeremiah 29:11.  Also, his will is good, pleasing, and perfect in Romans 12:2.  He will lead us to his calling for us if we abide in him.  John 15:1-7 calls us to abide in him and give ourselves to him because Jesus is the vine.  John describes that this leads to a life of love.
Contentment from an overall perspective means just resting in what you have.  This means as far as your possessions go and the things you have at the moment.  Contentment will help us know ourselves and who we are before we can trust others.
Contentment leads us to trust in that the blessings of our future.  It will give us perspective in leading us to the right spouse and job.  Those are one of the many results of contentment, though the main result is just resting in God daily.  If we are content in Christ, all things will be given to us.  God is in control of our life;1 Chron 29:11 and sees even the sparrows' path.  He values every living creature and loves us all the same.
As I end this entry, I remind my followers trust in God's plans for your life.  He calls us to abide in him, trust in his will, rest in what we have, and he is in control of everything in our life.

Snoop's life: Contentment Part II

Snoop's life: Contentment Part II: Contentment is key to trusting in God's resources not your own.  We have to trust that he will provide for us in the future. As followe...

Contentment Part II

Contentment is key to trusting in God's resources not your own.  We have to trust that he will provide for us in the future.
As followers of Christ, we can't trust in our own resources.  Peter says we can't take anything out of this world and that we have to be content in the things God has given us. If we desire too much of this world we could fall into greed and temptation.  We succumb to the desire of wants the things of this world.  In Colossians 3:2 says that we should "set our hearts on things above not on earth."
Also, it is important to not worry about our life because it will provided for us by God if we follow him.  Matthew 6:25-34 describes how we should not worry about our life and the cares of this world because it will be provided for us if we follow God.  Matthew reminds us in 25-27 that we cannot worry about this life because it is all of value to God.  While 28-31 describes how we shall not worry about clothes because God knows all the things that we need.  We shall seek God and all things shall be given to us.
In conclusion, Matthew 34 says "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." He reminds us that God will take care of us wherever we go in life and whatever we do.  Each day is it's own to use for God's glory.
God knows our needs and take care of them in the right time.  We just have to trust him that we will provide for us.  God also calls us to be content with what we have and everything else will be provided to us.  For he is faithful and in control of our life.

Contentment Part I

I have had a really hard time with being content lately.  God is trying to remind me to be content in my walk with him in everything will be given to me.  It has been frustrating not being able to drive and also the fact that  a lot of my friends from high school and college are married.
God calls us to seek him and love him before all else.  It says in Matthew 6:33 NIV, "But seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."  The texts surrounding this passage involve not worrying about life but trusting God will provide for us.  He is the ultimate provider for our needs.  We can't worry about the future when it is in God's hands.
The apostle Paul talks about abiding in God in John 15 and loving him above all else.  In his description of these things, he says Jesus is the source of everything.  If we are in Christ, then all things will be provider for us.  Giving up our lives to him will help us abide in him and love others they way he has called us to.  These are one of the ultimate keys to the Christian life.
Lastly, in an overall sense I need to remind myself that being content is knowing that God has what I need in any and every situation.  In  Philippians 4:11, Paul says "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation."  That is how I need to live my life daily.
God has called us to be content in everything and he will provide.  I need to trust that he will give me the right job, wife, and future in due time.  Being content is an art I am still working on perfecting it.

Snoop's life: Alive in Christ

Snoop's life: Alive in Christ: As followers of Christ, we don't have to try to be good anymore.  We are alive in Christ through his death on the Cross for our sins.  O...

Alive in Christ

As followers of Christ, we don't have to try to be good anymore.  We are alive in Christ through his death on the Cross for our sins.  Once, we grasp this fact we can walk in God's grace and mercy daily.
God has given us a newness of life in Jesus Christ through his sacrifice for our sins.  Paul reminds of this fact in his letter to the church at Colossae and Ephesus.  He says in Colossians 2:6-7 ESV, "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and build up in him, and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." The apostle Paul reminds them to be thankful for what Christ had done for them.  Paul then tries to make them understand his death for them in 8-14 by describing how Christ took way circumcision, how they were baptized with Christ, he canceled their debt, and how Christ overcame authorities.  He uses this discourse to help the believers in Colossae and Ephesus understand how they don't have to do things to earn God's favor ie being circumcised.
This leads to his next discussion in verses 16-18 in trying to help the believers know how to guard against pressure from the Judaizers.  He tells them to not let anyone disqualify them on the basis of any merit.  Paul reminds them that they don't have to go to any New Moon Festival to know God more.
The only thing that matters in our relationship with Christ is a new life in him.  God calls us to put to death our  old way of life and put on the new found in Christ.  In Colossians 3:1-2, Paul calls us to center our minds and hearts on Christ and not on things on earth.  If we focus on minds on the new life in Christ, then Christ will reign in our hearts.  Our new life found in Christ is the only thing we need to think about.  In verse eight he emphasizes we are to take away our old way of life of impure thoughts, anger, rage, malice, and put on the new because we are alive in this new life we have in Christ.
Lastly, Christ is in all things.  Paul says, "¹¹ Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,^[a] free; but Christ is all, and in all."  Christ is in all things and all things are found in him.  He then issues a degree to the people at Colossae saying ¹² Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness,humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  This are character qualities of believers that know and love Christ.  These traits we are not put on daily since we are new believers found alive in Christ through his death on the cross.  
Finally, this newness of life will lead to giving us peace the times of our life.  It will produce thanksgiving in our life when he realize the blessings God has given us.  Realizing that we are alive in Christ will help us realize the depth of our relationship with God. 
To close out this blog entry, I want to ask What has sustained you in your walk with Christ? How can you see how your walk with Christ as being alive? 

Snoop's life: A Call to Humbleness

Snoop's life: A Call to Humbleness: Jesus calls us to be humble in all that we say and do.  We are calling to acknowledge our weaknesses and look to others more than ourselves....

A Call to Humbleness

Jesus calls us to be humble in all that we say and do.  We are calling to acknowledge our weaknesses and look to others more than ourselves.  This act of humbleness is merely knowing ourselves.
First, humbleness causes us to see our weakness and see God's power.  It causes us to see who God really is inside of us. 1 Peter 5:6 ESV says, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that we may exalt you." It is also about coming before God and confessing we can't live this life on our own.  Therefore, we see our weakness and come to Jesus.
Second, it is also about looking to ourselves more than others.  Paul writes in Philippians 2:3, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but consider others better than yourselves." He continues on in verse 4 describing how we are to not look to our interests but others.  He describes in verses 5-11 about the humbleness of Christ in sacrificing himself on the cross for our sins.  Jesus was a true humble servant.
The first disciples in Acts were humble in coming before God to serve him.  Phillip came before God and went where the Spirit led him, coming to grips with his weakness and God'sovereignty.  Stephen came humbly before God as well.  Lastly, Jesus met Paul in Damascus to he became broken before God.
God has caused me to become humble in my weakness in my frustrating times with my driving problems.  He has helped me see that I can't live life on my own though it is hard at times.  God has also given me the ability to look to others more than myself.  I have also been given an unselfish heart toward others.  This has caused me to become humble at times.
Humbleness leads God to be exalted so I hope you can become humble in all that you do today.  1 Peter 5:7  God calls us to come before him and cast our anxieties on him before he cares in us.  I hope you leave the blog knowing how much we need to know God.

The only thing we can do

The main thing we drives us as Christians when all else fails is dependence on God.  Dependence on God is key in all aspects of our Christian walk.  It facilitates our growth in our walk with Christ.
John describes this dependence on God the most important thing we do as Christians.  John 15:1-5 says that we are to be connected to the vine Jesus in all that we do.  By surrendering to Jesus, the vine, we the branches will grow exponentially. A relationship with Jesus produces fruit in our lives. John 15:5 says, "Apart from me you can do nothing."
When we as Christians aren't depending on God then there is no fruit in our lives.  We become like the fig tree that Jesus describes as withering away because it has no root.
Consequently, when we are desperately dependent on God in all that we do we produce fruit and growth in our walk with God.  Through this dependence the fruits of the Spirit are in our lives.  These are shown in Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruits of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, gentleness, goodness, and self-control."  God gives us these simple qualities by relying on him in all things.  This qualities God transformed in my life during times such as graduating from college, peace in relationships, in my summer working at D-focus, and at this present time.
God's Spirit moved through the disciples in Acts in the early church and helped them depend on him despite their weaknesses.  Peter disowned Jesus three times before Jesus was put on the cross and yet God's Holy Spirit came on him and helped him depend on him.  The disciples doubted Jesus when he was resurrected but still the Holy Spirit used them mightily. The disciples were given joy and peace when persecuted by the Sanhedrin.  They were given the ability to love others like Jesus did.
God calls us to stand firm and depend on him hardship or persecution.  We are to hold fast to his promises; Hebrews 11:1.  He is faithful when we are not.
To close out this blog, here is an article that describes the persecution that is rampant in America today.  This persecution is taking place in the form of our government and president of the United States.  He has pulled away from our true values.  http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/04/swallowing_camelsstraining_at_gnats.html America is supposed to be the land of the free and the brave.  I saw the Jackie Robinson movie this weekend and was reminded that we are a country about freedom, equality, and standing for biblical values.
So, let us be desperately dependent on God for everything in our life.  In this, we cling to John 15:5 and it's truth for us.

Gifts

It was my birthday last week and I have been reflecting on those I have affected with my gifts.  God has gifted me with friends from all walks of life that I have been able to affect with my gifts that the Spirit blesses us with.
Paul talks about in Romans 12:3 that the Holy Spirit gives each of us in the body of Christ different gifts .  He describes the Spirit bestowing on us these gifts by his grace (12:6).  These gifts are to be used to build up others in the body of Christ.  In v. 7-8 he describes the gifts of teaching, exhortation, leading, and cheerfulness.  I believe out of those I can exhort (encourage others) and lead others well.
In the next section of spiritual gifts in Corinthians 12, Paul discusses spiritual gifts more thoroughly.  He says in verses 6-7,

6 "There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God work.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. The Holy Spirit uses each of our own gifts for his glory. Though the gifts are different, God's glory is still shown".  
Paul says in verse 11, "all these gifts are empowered by the Spirit." Each believer's gift is different and be used to build up others in Christ. In the next section he describes how not every believer has the same gift.

I believe God has gifted me with the gifts of prayer, encouragement, listening, and at times faith.  Paul describes the gift of faith in Cor 12:7 and exhortation or encouragement in Romans 12:3.  God has also gifted me with a passion for youth with some struggles in my high school days.  I also enjoy playing and watching basketball and other sports. 

I pray that God will lead me to an opportunity to use my gifts in whatever future ministry he leads me to.  I pray that God will use whoever reads this blog's gifts for his glory. 

What Jesus has done for me: from unbelief to belief

During the summer of my sophomore year of high school, God changed my life my unbelief in him to belief in him. In the first two years of high school I had been going through some hard times in my life until God used my Young Life leader, Loren Jones to lead me to Frontier Ranch. I had heard the gospel all of my life but during the week at Frontier Ranch the message of Jesus Christ dying for my sins and resurrecting from the grace on the third day made sense to me.
Most of my life I heard the gospel and who Jesus was, I did not believe in him until the end of my sophomore year of high school. In my junior year of high school, because of this car wreck I doubted who God said he was in my life.  This lead to some unbelief in my life.   I doubted God and his goodness in my life.  I was frustrated at God at the time.
In some of the resurrection accounts, the disciples see Jesus but still do not believe.  In Matthew 28:17 NIV, it says, "When they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted."The disciples saw and worshiped Jesus, yet still did not believe.
While in the account in Mark 16.  After the disciples had heard and seen Jesus they still did not believe him.  It says in Mark 16:12 that he appeared to two of the 12 disciples.  After they had reported this to the others, the other disciples still did not believe in him.  16:13 says "These returned and reported it to the rest but they still did not believe them either."
In the resurrection account in Luke the disciples were with him in on their road to Emmaus but they still did not recognize him.  The two disciples could not recognize Jesus was with them in their unbelief in Luke 24:17-24. Jesus even rebukes them in verse 25-26 saying, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart are you to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not Christ have to suffer these things and enter into his glory?"  They did not believe him until verse 31 after Jesus had explained the Scriptures to them.
In John's resurrection account, Thomas doubts that Jesus was resurrected because he did not see him.  In 20:25 the disciples said, "We have seen the Lord." Then in his response Thomas says, "Unless I see the nails marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side I will not believe it." A week later Jesus came back and confronted Thomas with his unbelief and let him put his hands in his side and touch the nails in side.  He finally came in believe in verse 28.
As followers of Christ, we have to be quick to not doubt certain things about Jesus. Unbelief can detrimental to our future on Christ.  He died on the cross for our sins to take away our sins and rose for the grave on the third day.

Coming to grips with the death the Jesus paid for us

As Easter draws near, we fellow Christ follow have to remember what Christ went through on the cross to pay the death penalty for our sins.  I take for granted this amazing gift God has given us through his Son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus died as and was punished as an innocent man.  We are not innocent but sinful creatures that Jesus died on the cross for.  In Mark 15:15-37, describes how the only charge against Jesus was that he was the King of the Jews and he was even mocked for this in verses 17-18.  A sign was even hung on his head that said this in Mark 15:26. All he was guilty of was being who he said he was the Son of God and King of the Jews.
Jesus was our sinless sacrifice for our sins.  Isaiah describes how he was beaten and broken for our sake in 53:4-6.  1 Peter 1:18-19 describes how he was to be an acceptable and spotless sacrifice for our sins.  God sent his son, in his justice and mercy to take on the wrath of God to restore us to him.  This is known as propitiation.
He was also a sinless man, a form of God in human flesh.  He was an image of the invisible God; Colossians 1:15-16; God incarnate; Hebrews 1:1-3 and John 1:14.  Humans in their sinful nature crucified him to the cross.  This was to accomplish God's plan that day, Romans 5:1-6.  God used the death of his Son to restore us back to relationship with him.  Romans 5:8 says,"But God demonstrated his own for for love in this while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  His atoning work on the cross, restored our sinful and broken relationship back to the Father.
I have been doing an paper on atonement and studying it in systematic theology this semester.  It has helped me realize the depth of my depravity from God.  By looking at the various theories of atonement and doing a research paper on one, I am able to see how much Christ has atoned us our sins through his work on the cross.  Atonement means at-one-ment.  This means Jesus died for our sins once and for all.
Easter should be a time of rejoicing in our Savior.  At times, we as Christians go through the motions on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  As believers in Christ, we need to deeply experience and remember his death on Good Friday and on Easter Sunday remember what God has done in our life by sending his Son for us and how our life has been changed through him.  I hope your life is changed by this blog today.

The Thorn in my flesh

There has been a thorn in my flesh most of my life.  It revolves around these driving problems I have had that hinder me in my life.  The apostle Paul describes the Thorn in the Flesh in his life.
Paul discusses this thorn in the flesh in his life in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.  This thorn in the flesh was given to him to make sure he would not become arrogant or conceited, showing him his weakness and enabling him to depend on God for everything.  He says in 2 Corinthians 12: 7, "To keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpasingly  great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me." He describes this thorn in the flesh as something that will not go away.  He precedes in verse 8, "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me."
He then continues to describe this thorn as a hardship, weakness, that was put in place to help him depend on God and see his grace.  He further describes in verse 9, "But he said to me my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness."  Paul goes into discussion of how this weakness in him has given him the ability to depend on God.  This thorn has given him the ability to trust in God's grace and made him humble.
Paul ends this discussion of his Thorn in the Flesh by describing how depending on God in this struggle has shown the power of Christ's movement within himself.  In the last section of verse nine and ten the apostle says, "There I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power my rest in me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul ends this his diatribe on his Thorn in the Flesh concluding that in essence that Christ's power is made perfect in his weaknesses.  This weakness has helped Paul realize how much he needs to depend on God in his grace and mercy.  It has given him perspective and humbled him in how much he is nothing without his relationship with Jesus Christ.  Before Christ, Paul persecuted Christians, now Paul is persecuted for the sake of Christ.  Paul describes in verse ten of how Paul has come to accept this weakness for the trouble that is means in order for Christ to be shown through him even if it means that he is persecuted for the sake of Christ.
This weakness that I have has been really hard in my life.  It has made me doubt God early in my walk with him in my junior year of high school.  I almost gave up my faith during that time. I was mad at God and the world after this car wreck in which was my fault. God put some friends in my life to lead me back to relationship with him.
Other times, it has helped me see my need for God and how much I need him in his power.  It has made me humble as well and given me perspective.  This Thorn in my Flesh has been hard but it has helped me realize that God is in control and is sovereign. It helped me not to boast in myself or things of this world as Paul describes. Jesus Christ is made perfect in my weakness.
This Thorn in My Flesh has developed my prayer life as well.  It has increased my ability to depend and abide in Christ at times.  It has helped me realize as Paul says in verse 10, when I am weak then I am strong.  God has made me realize that I can't do this life on my own.  God knows everything about me, every thought I am thinking, and what I am going through because he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, who knows what he go through on a daily basis.
Another important aspect I have learned through this weakness is that I am not my own.  God bought me though his Son's death on the Christ for our sins.  For he chose us before the world began as it says in Ephesians 1:11, "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will."   He is sovereign and in control of our life despite the struggles that we have to go through in order for him to conform his to his image and get to where we wan to go in life.  God's plan may not always end up what I want, I just have to trust him through it all.
As this post comes to as conclusion I just want to say though this struggle has been really hard I am just trying to trust in God's goodness through it all.  Though this weakness has killed me at times, looking back on my life I can see the God is sovereign in through it all.  In our weakness, we are strong.

The Shack: Part 3: What the book teaches us about loss

In my last post about the book The Shack, the discussion will revolve around the emphasis of God not being there in the midst of tragedy and loss.  This is an important topic in theology and Christian circles today.  It is a topic all of us as believers deal with in regards to tragedy.
In the book, the author loses his daughter when she is abducted and murdered in a Shack in the wilderness while his him and his family were camping.  He goes through this hard time in his life where he blames himself for her death.  If he wouldn't not have gone after his other daughter Kate when she was in the lake then Missy may have still be alive.  The main character feels guilt and pain for allowing this tragedy to happen.  He then blames God for allowing this to happen.
The main character, Mack, can't believe God would allow this happen to him.  In the same way, he doubts God's presence everywhere.
Mack doubts that God was with Jesus on the cross. Mack says (98), "At the cross? Now wait I thought you left him on the cross."  Papa, who is personified by God, says in response to Mack's doubtful nature, "You misunderstood the mystery there. Regardless of what he felt at that moment I never left."  Mack distances himself from the thought of God's presence his life.
As sinners, we fall away from our hope in Jesus Christ.  We forgot the beauty of God's presence everywhere  in our lives.  The great thing about the God we put our hope in is that he is everywhere, if we turn to him he will welcome us into relationship with us daily.
One important thing that I was able to conceive from this book is that God is with us wherever we go in life.  His presence will never leave or forsake us despite the fact that we fall away from him or the pain that is in our life.  His omnipresence is not too be questioned because of the authority and sufficiency of Scripture that shows how God speaks to him daily.  God is with us in the Old Testament and in the New Testament through Jesus, the Apostles, Paul, and many other believers.  At times, I have lost sight of this fact in my life, during junior high of high school but God worked in that time in my life, putting friends in my life to reminds me of God's presence in my life.  God helped me realize who he was in my life and I rededicated my life to him at the beginning of my senior year.
God's presence is always with us in the midst of pain and tragedy.  He is faithful when we are not.

The Shack: HS conondrum

The book, The Shack, is a theologically life changing book.  It shapes how we view certain theological concepts of God.  This book gives us a greater concept of the Holy Spirit's workings in the Trinity.
This book explains how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all work together in unity.  It describes how one aspect of the Trinity is not greater than the other.  All three work together to produce one God that has three natures but is still God. This relationship is described as simple and easy throughout the book.  The author discusses all three parts of God coming together.
The author helps us grasp this nature of three persons in one in the main character's encounter with God.  Papa, personified as God, says, "When we spoke of ourselves into human existence we chose to be the Son of God, we became fully human.  We also chose the embrace the limitations this entailed" (101).  Even though we have always been present in this created universe, we now became flesh and blood."  On 103, Papa or God says "I am God and I am three persons, and each of the three is fully and entirely one." I feel as if the author uses this quote to show how this relationship of the Father, Son, and HS works as a whole.
The main part of this section of the book that is a problem is authority.  There is no authority of God over Jesus.  The Trinity is depicted in a way that is construed and turned to fit the author's perspective.
The nature of Jesus described by Papa or God also shows how God's three nature into one work together.  Papa says although "by nature he is fully God, he is fully human and lives as such."  The author depicts Jesus as totally reliant on everything.  Jesus cannot do anything with the Father's leading.
The author wants us to see that without the Trinity that God wouldn't not be able to love the way he can.  He would be limited to the amount of love he can give us.  The Trinity opens up the depth of The Father's love for us through God, talking to Jesus personally, and the Holy Spirit guiding us along the way.
Young's term for Holy Spirit chimes into the conversation in this book describing this unity of God's love.  "It's a circle of relationship, not a chain of command, or a 'great chain of being' as your ancestors put it." This relationship is described as one working with the other to produce something great and awesome.  The relationship is a simple, easy unity between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Jesus is God in flesh and the Holy Spirit gives us things to pray for and guides us daily in our walk with God.
At times, we break this unity when we sin... As Christians, we first broke in in the Fall, when Adam ate of the Tree of Good and Evil.
Today, I hope you realize this wonderful relationship with God in this thing we call the Trinity.  This book challenged me in my theology and thinking.

The Shack: How to Deal with Pain and Loss

The book The Shack by Wm. Young details a man who details with pain and loss of his daughter who was abducted and murdered.  The author deals with this incident throughout the beginning of this book through the search for the killer and the family dealing with the loss of their daughter.
The author helps us see that we can't blame God for our struggles and pain in life.  God allows things to happen because of evil in this world.  Because of the sin of Adam, we are all fallen human beings.  Mack says (94), "If I can't trust you to take care of Missy then how can I trust you to take care of me." God who is termed Papa in the book calls Mack out that he doesn't trust him.
The main character Mackenzie Phillips relationship with God is severed through his broken relationship with his Father and this tragedy.  As Christians, we at times become mad at God because of things that happen to us in life.  We have to learn that some things happen because our broken nature in this world.
 Forgiveness is also key in regaining the ability to love others after hardships take place.Mack is finally able to forgive his dad for not loving him (217).  He also forgives the man who murdered his daughter Missy (226).
Lastly, trusting in God though it may take time is necessary to restore our relationship with God.  God can lead back to a deep, lasting, relationship with him if we learn to trust him in time.  Mack learns to trust God in the second half of this book and finally admits to God that he trusts him with all of his life (226).
This book was very helpful for me because I have also struggled through hard times in my life.  I have had to remind myself that God allowed this to happen for a purpose.  Also, the it may have happened because of the sin nature in this world.  I have come to realize that trusting God with hard things takes time.  We will not be able to move on life if we can't trust God with the hardships that we deal with daily.

Series of "Are you a Fan or a Follower?

What are you willing to give up in order to follow Jesus? Your family? Your life?
That is what Kyle Idelman describes is the difference between being a fan or a follower.  I follower is willing to give up their whole life to Jesus.  A fan won't leave behind all they have to give up their life to surrender to Christ.  A follower senses the call to surrender all they have to a relationship with Jesus Christ. A follower is totally committed to Jesus.
In Luke 9:57-62, there are instances where people are faced with the decision to surrender everything to Jesus.  The first man says in verse 57, "I will follow you wherever you go."  Jesus then says in verse 58, "Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." We as followers of Christ have to be willing to go wherever Jesus leads us.
While in verse 59, Jesus called another to follow him.  This man said, "Lord first let me go and bury my father." In the next verse Jesus replies to the man, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." We try to make excuses and put off following God.  As sinful people prone to wander to put off surrendering everything to Christ.
In today's culture we have so many things to do and accomplish on a day to day basis.  Following Christ becomes just one of those things we put off on our list of things we need to do.  This can be ongoing process unless we stop making excuses in life and ways to get around giving up everything we have for faith in Christ.
In Matthew 4:18-22 describes how Jesus' disciples first followed him.  In verse 20 it says they at once followed him and in 22 it describes how immediately they gave up everything and followed him.  This is what Jesus wants from those that follow him.  Jesus requires us to give up everything and follow him at once.  As followers, we can't be waiting for life to clear up or make up another excuse to get out of following him at that moment, it has to be right now or we won't do it.
The author of the book tells a story about a teenager girl's funeral that he did who surrendered her life to Christ.  He read her journal on the day of her funeral. In it, she describes how surrendered to God completely she was.  Her dad says she didn't care about grades, college, what car she drove, what house she lived in, or many goals scored, all she cared about was her relationship with Jesus Christ.  That is the only thing that should matter to us.
Are you willing to give up everything for him?
God called me to give up everything for him in the summer of my sophomore year of high school.  Years later, at D-focus at called me to give up all that I have to him and be in a more desperately dependent relationship with him.  During that time, I sensed a call for a total surrender to God.
In the last section of these verses another person says in verse 61, "I will follow you Lord; but first let me say good-by to my family."  Jesus was agitated at this and said in verse 62, "No one who puts his hand to the plow is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Becoming followers of God requires us to make a decision.  Do we want to give up all of our life for Jesus? There are many instances even in the Bible of people having to give up things for Jesus from Nicodemus unsure of whether to give up his prestige, the rich young ruler unwilling to give up his stuff, and Elisha having to give up his wealth.  In Psalm 106: 19-20, it describes how the people bowed down before a golden calf when Moses received the ten commandments.  19 "At Horeb they made a calf
    and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
20 They exchanged their glorious God
    for an image of a bull, which eats grass".  We have to be willing to surrender everything to God and not hold on to anything.
I want to leave you with this on a true follower of Christ.  William Borden, the son of a dairy billionaire, who did his undergraduate with at Yale and graduate at Princeton left everything to follow Christ.  He left millions to reach an Muslims.  He left these three phrases in his journal that was found before he died.  He wrote down the phrases No regrets, No reserves, and No retreats.    One thing we can learn from him is to say yes to Christ in everything and no to our self and it's desires.

Trusting God

Trusting God is really hard.  God has brought me through some hard times in my life.  In these times, he has helped me trust him with all I am and have.
Everyone has had trouble trusting God in their life. Even the prophets and some of the most influential people in the Bible.  Moses didn't think God could use him to speak and minister to the people.  God would end up using Aaron to speak through Moses.  Jesus at times had trouble trusting God.  He surrendered his life to God in total trust and died on the cross for our sins.
Sometimes I have had trouble trusting God with my driving problems.  It's hard not having a car and not being able to drive.  I used to get mad at God during high school when I first ended up not being able to drive when hearing of my disability that affects my driving problems. At times I think it is God's plan for me to struggle with this disability while other times I just get frustrated.  It hinders my life and where I want to go and do in the future.
I learned through D-focus a summer discipleship program I did that God can give us faith if we trust him with our struggles in life.  During that next year, I surrendered my attitudes, struggles, and what I was facing to God and he gave me great faith. God also showed me that he is sovereign over all things.
God brings hard times in our life to conform us to his image.  That is also his purpose to conform his to his image and for us to know and understand him.  This truth of God using things to conform is to his image is found in Romans 8:28-29.
God is faith to us and we most of the time are not faithful to him. That is what I learned in my Old Testament class last semester.  God wants to the best for us and  he loves us abundantly are two truths I need to cling to daily when I struggle in trusting God.  God is isn't too big for any struggle in my life is another thing I need to remind myself of when struggling with trusting God.
I have to remind myself to trust God with all of my life.  I can't do this life on my own.  We as Christians, are desperately dependent on God for everything in our life; John 15:5.

Series on Being a Fan or Follower of Jesus

The next post in my series entitled being a Fan or true follower of Jesus will be describing putting Jesus first in our lives on a day to day basis.  This post comes from Luke 14:26-28.
The basis for these verses is discussing the cost of discipleship with Jesus.  There will be sacrifices made if we are to pursue a life long relationship with God.  Jesus says in Luke 14:26 ESV, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."  A relationship with Jesus Christ required complete surrender to all parts of our life.  Sometimes, we don't want to give all of our life to God.
God wants be first in our life above all else.  As Christians, in a secular world we at times put many other things ahead of God such as money, sports, relationships.  As people in this world, these things pull us down and may take us away from our relationship with God.
God send his only Son Jesus Christ so that whomever believes in him may have eternal life; John 3:16.  If God sent Jesus so that we could have a relationship with him then why do we turn to the things of this world to give us comfort and pleasure.  The world and it's ways will not give us eternal life that lasts forever in heaven.  Jesus says in John 10:10, "I have come to give you life and life abundant." Jesus wants all of us and our life daily and he freely gives us this abundant life that is only found in him.
In our walk with Jesus Christ we cannot have two things we love, Jesus has to be our one and only.  Jesus says in Matthew 6:24, "No one can serve two masters.  Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and money." In our walk with Jesus we can't be half in and half out.  This relationship must be an all in complete surrender to Jesus who laid down his life for us.   It's just like a marriage with a husband and wife; a husband and wife are both committed to each other totally.
To close out this time together in discussion I want to emphasize the amount that we must surrender to God with our whole life.  Jesus says in Luke 14:27 ESV, "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple."
A relationship with Jesus is a continual dying to our self and our own desires.  We must completely surrender our life to him daily.  Throughout Jesus' life, he deferred to God the Father in heaven for everything.  Jesus surrendered to the Father's will for him to die on the cross for our sins.  As Christians in today's world, we must surrender to him completely every day.

Jesus is our Peace

We ended this Bible study today with the question of how is Jesus been your Peace in your life?
In this study we have been discussing the seven weeks prior in Jesus' resurrection.  Today, we discussed Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and his triumphal entry in Jerusalem.  Jesus came in on a donkey though most people in the city thought he would come in riding a war horse.  An earlier prophecy said that Jesus would bring peace to people's lives; though Jesus said I come not to bring peace but a sword.  "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword."
The earlier week we discussed around our table how Jesus has brought conflict into our lives.  In Matthew 10:26 it says "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."
My favorite definition of peace is found in Philippians 4:6-7.  It says, Be anxious for nothing be in everything in prayer and supplication present your requests to God, and peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
In my life, Jesus has given me peace when I have presented or surrendered a situation to him.  I surrendered to him to the situation of my future after I graduated from college.  He gave me peace when he closed down the door to a job of Broadcast Journalism.  Jesus gave me peace through that time in my life in giving me this peace that transcends all understanding.
Jesus also gives us peace in times of waiting.He also gave me peace all of a sudden when I wasn't expecting it when I was waiting for a class to go through to graduate college.
Jesus has also given me peace when making decisions in relationships.  Also, this peace comes in any shape or form of anything.  It is just a simple, feeling that comes over us.  It can last from a week, to days, to years.
It is a marvelous thing to comprehend.  We cannot understand the peace that God gives us.  The only thing we as Christians can do is let it overwhelm us and filter in our lives.  Lastly, we have to present and abide in our daily relationship with Jesus.  We are desperately dependent on him for everything.
Jesus is our peace in our life... We can't take this for granted.

Are you a follower or a fan? What's your level of commitment?

Are you a follower or a fan? Kyle Idleman poses this question to all Christians everywhere to gauge where you are in your walk with Jesus Christ.  He challenges us to examine our level of commitment to following Jesus on a day to day basis.
A story from the Bible describing the level commitment being a follower or fan is in John Chapter three when Nicodemus comes to visit Jesus.  John 3:2 says, He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with God."  Nicodemus believed that Jesus was the Son of God but he didn't want to sacrifice anything in his life of his high position for Jesus.  He came to Jesus as a fan.  Becoming a follower, requires a total commitment.
Jesus explains to Nicodemus in verse three that he must be born again to see the kingdom of God.  In verse five and six Jesus describes the being born again involves the water and spirit.  Jesus says in John 3:5-8, "I tell you the truth , no one can be enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the spirit gives birth to spirit.  'You should not be surprised at me saying, You must be born again.  The wind blows wherever it pleases.  You hear it's sound, but you cannot tell where it's coming or where it's going.  So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
 Nicodemus had memorized the first five books of the Bible and tried to do all the religious things his whole life.  He didn't realize the amount of life change and sacrifice a relationship of God required.  He thought it was just about following a set of rules or making a decision.   Nicodemus wanted to give Jesus a part of him not all of his life, therefore he became a fan.
In John chapter 19, Nicodemus finally makes a commitment to become a follower a Jesus' burial.  In verse 19:30 it describes Nicodemus giving a mixture of myrrh and aloes, which is about 75 pounds.  In those times, 75 pounds was a very large amount.  This kind of amount was used for royal burials.  This was a very costly and expensive gesture toward Jesus, signifying a change from fan to follower of Jesus.
Churches and various types of ministries have emphasized believing in Jesus too much, therefore we end up having fans of Jesus not true followers of Jesus.  People making decisions to follow Jesus is a good thing eternally but Jesus will not accept a half of a commitment he wants our whole lives.  Our level of commitment determines where we will go to be with Jesus in heaven not whether we accept him or not.
Therefore, as I transition to the close of this blog I am going to leave you with a quote describing this level of commitment.  In Matthew 7:13-14 at the close of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says, "Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road the leads to life, and only a few find it."
Following Jesus requires a total life change.  It is a commitment that is transforming.  It is sacrificing everything we have to follow him daily.  Followers sacrifice their whole lives to a relationship with Jesus Christ.