Courageous

I went and watched Courageous with men from my church tonight.  All I can say is that all men should watch this PERIOD  Especially men with children!  I will let the movie speak for itself.  Watch it as soon as possible.  You will be glad you did!!!


Joshua 24:15, "...as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."  

Blessings,

Greg 

Fog of War

This morning I had to drive through a light fog on my way to work.  Honestly I love the way fog can enhance the allure and intrigue of a landscape.  God is truly amazing in the many glorious ways He presents evidence of who He is.  As I drove in this morning, I had to turn my lights on and be careful driving on the curved streets in my subdivision.  This made me think of the many times I have to be careful in my walk with Jesus.

Sometimes I feel lost like I am surrounded by a fog.  I can't tell which direction I'm facing much less where the path is and I don't know where the Lord would have me go sometimes.  Sometimes I struggle with certain scriptures or someone's teachings on the Bible.  I feel uncertain of what the truth truly is at times.  Have you ever been there?  There are so many things in this world that seek to misguide us and obscure our path in Christ.  So what should we do in those times to help us maintain the correct path in Jesus?  How can we break through the fog to be able to see God's direction in our life clearly during our times of struggle?

The Bible provides many verses to help us in these times.  So lets look at a couple of them.  The first one that comes to mind is Psalm 119:105, which says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."  In this scripture, we see that God's Word is a lamp and light to us.  So when we begin to struggle, doubt, wander, or stray, we should run to the Bible to find clarity in God's word.  Through His word, we can better battle any fog that comes to obscure our path in Christ.  It is also interesting to note that earlier in the very same Psalm, verse 11, the scripture says, "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."  Through knowing the word and storing it in our heart, we can still find direction when fog of any kind seeks to take us off of Jesus' path.

Another scripture passage to help us battle fog and struggles in our walk is Ephesians 6:10-17 saying,


Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.


This passage gives us 5 ways we can defend ourselves from spiritual struggles and one way we can fight against spiritual struggle.  What does wearing truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation look like?  Why is the Word considered an offensive weapon?  


First, we gain the armor through a close and personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  The greatest of all commandments is, "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind."  Why do you think Jesus deemed this the greatest of all commandments?  Because it is only through Jesus that we are able to live any of these pieces of armor.  All 5 of these qualities are abundantly represented in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit helps to develop each one inside of us.  


Second, the greatest example, in my opinion, of the word being used as a sword, is the temptation of Jesus.  In Matthew 4:1-11 you can see that Jesus responds with scripture against each of Satan's three temptations.  If the Son of God felt it was necessary to use His Father's own words in fighting the devil's snares, shouldn't we also follow his example?  It is also important to note that the devil used scripture against Jesus but Jesus understood the devil was using it out of context and was able to correct him.  If we do not go to the Bible, learn the Bible, and seek to truly understand the Bible, with the help of the Holy Spirit's guidance, then we will leave ourselves open to being led astray.  


So if you are facing a time of struggle or you feel that you are lost in a dense fog, put all your trust fully in Jesus and His word.  You can never fail doing these two things.  Our Lord is completely faithful and trustworthy.  I leave you with these last two pieces of scripture as encouragement. Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.  Philippians 1:6, And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.


Blessings,


Greg  

Captain of my Soul

Day 51,

In the last few days, I have been focusing on who God wants me to be and how He wants to use me.  He is showing me the many ways He is using my life for ministry which includes: this blog, writing music, teaching youth, preaching, and living His word daily.  In the past couple days the Lord has laid lyrics on my heart for 4 songs or rather poems at this point.  I would like to share one of them with you.  It is called, "Captain of my Soul"

Floating through life, my boat ebbs and flows
I'm looking for you Lord, so far from my soul
Oh elusive love.  Are you around the next bend?
Can I know you dear Lord?  Show me the way in

As I throw out my paddle my life yours to lead
I'm floating along will you fulfill all my needs

Excitement rises in my heart  

I feel your hand as I'm gently towed

Jesus may we never be apart

As you lead me down this narrow river road

May I never be lead astray
Laying back I relinquish all control
Father, I long to follow your way
I'm directed by the captain of my soul




I wish you many blessings today and that you would rest in Jesus today.  FInd your peace, your love, and your joy in Him today.  Let Him lead and have control of everything in this life.  Jesus wants to be the captain of your soul today.  Will you let Him take over control?

Blessings,

Greg

Move

Are you living for the infinite? Are you really penitent?  Is your relationship with Jesus personal and intimate?  These are the questions that have been floating through my mind this morning.  Who am I but not just who am I but who am I in Christ?  Do I look like Christ to those around me?  Do I live Christ in my life daily?  Is my life fully surrendered to Christ?

Last night, I was able to download the new Switchfoot album, Vice Verses.  As I listened to the new album, while I was weed eating trees this morning, the Lord weighed heavy on my mind.  Jon's songs are birthed from his own struggles in this life and with who he is in God.  Through Jon's songs, I could feel my heart crying out in many of the same struggles and desires written in his songs.  My heart was breaking with each consecutive song as the Lord pushed harder and harder on my soul to relinquish all control to Him.  He wants me to live with no fear and rely completely on His strength.

At my job, Tuesdays are the days we have chapel.  Today the chapel was led by the company's founder and she was teaching on resting in Christ.  Yes, yes, yes!  That is my soul desire to rest in Jesus.  I want to rest in His strength, refining fire, and direction for my life.  I want all of me to be focused solely on Him and no one else.  I want my life's desire to be on the infinite and permanent.  I want to live a life that preaches Jesus's kingdom in obedience and with all that is inside of me.

Do you feel a burning passion in your heart today?  Is Jesus calling you to be more, live more, love more, and give up more at this very moment?  Don't resist Him beloved.  You will find your life in Him as you give up your life to Him.  This is a promise.  I honestly don't know when Jesus is coming to take us home.  It may be in my lifetime and it may not but regardless we have to come alive in Christ.  This is the time for the world to see the bright lights of those who are in Christ.  It is time for us to stand up, to speak up, and to live our faith out.  We can't wait any longer beloved.  We can't hide in our houses, in our churches, or in our hearts anymore.  It is time to break the holds on our heart and let the love and truth of Jesus free.  It is time to change the world.  You may only do a small part for the kingdom of God by earthly standards but by Jesus' standards your can be a part of something that will have eternal and lasting implication but you have to move in Christ.  Matthew 5:13-16 says, "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste , how shall its saltiness be restored?  It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.  You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let you light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to you Father who is in heaven."

Today is the day beloved.  We can no longer be scared of truth.  We can no longer worry about the right method or if someone will be receptive.  We are to live in love and truth, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide our every word and step.  We are to live boldly for Christ and demonstrate Him to a world that knows only darkness.  Shine your light today beloved.  Take the basket off, put your light on the highest stand and let it change the world around you.  There is no other way to live.  There is no other way to find complete satisfaction.  There is no other way to know true love.  Move.

Blessings,

Greg   

Radical Allegiance. Are you in?

Day 49,

It was another beautiful day at work today.  The temperature was perfect, the sun lit up the bright blue sky, and once again the clouds dancing by were amazing.  Today was different than last week though because we had received 2.14 inches of rain the night before and evidence of the intense rain was visible by the many puddles and washed out areas on the property.  The biggest evidence of the rain was the puddle in the barn arena that was probably a 10ft circle of water and soft sand.  Because of the water in the barn our equine people were unable to work with the horses today.  I also had to be careful where I mowed today to keep my mower from getting stuck.  So even though it was a beautiful day, I could still see evidence of the rain from the night before.

I relay this story of my day to you because tonight we covered the next to last chapter of the book Radical and I could see the evidence of rain in my bright and sunny soul.  This rain happened to be areas in my life where I am still holding out on Jesus and keeping him from completely renewing me.  These areas of resistance and sin have damaged parts of me and are in need of repair.  All of this was illuminated but Jesus' light through the chapter we studied in small group tonight.

The chapter discussed the idea of living when dying is gain.  Do we live our lives as though we are ready to die at any moment for Jesus?  Do we understand that to live for Christ is to understand that our life is not our own?  Are we willing to forsake mother and father, sister and brother for Jesus?  Do we truly believe that in losing our life we will find it in Jesus?  All of these questions are a great struggle to me and in fact haunt me as I walk in Christ.

I would like to believe that my answer is, "yes" to each one of these questions and yet I find myself being to scared to tell someone about Christ because of the risk of embarrassment.  I find myself to scared to get on a plane to another country because I am more afraid of the plane than the country.  Could not God surely ensure my safety on a plane if He is calling me to another country.  I find myself unwilling to part with the money I have unless it is for something I want.  I find myself comfortable in the life I live not wanting to take risk or get outside my comfort zone.  Can you relate?

I have done many things for Jesus in my life.  I have taught the word, preached the word, told strangers about Christ, lived boldly against persecution of my relationship with Christ, and staked my life on Christ.  I have seen Jesus work in me, through me, through my family, through my friends, and through complete strangers.  I know that He is alive and well in the world today.  I know He is working in people's hearts around me and yet at times I find myself hesitant to live the way He has asked me to.  I find myself scared.

Living for Christ requires a complete and surrendered commitment to Him.  We serve Him and obey Him because we love and respect Him.  We are even willing to go to our death, imprisonment, and torture because we love Him and trust that He is worthy to follow.  We stake our lives on Him because we know our lives are only a vapor in the wind and His kingdom is forever.  Friends and loved ones I hope that you too will wrestle with what it truly looks like to follow Christ via His own words in the Bible.  May you live for Him with fervor and passion.  May you disregard your own safety in pursuit of furthering His kingdom.  I hope you never tell Him, "no."  He is worth our praise, our devotion, and our sacrifice.  Will you radically follow Jesus today?

Blessing,

Greg

Day 48, Humbled and Thankful

Day 48,

Today, I was incredibly humbled by my pastor recommending my blog to our church as a, “must read.”  As he began to speak about a blog written by someone in the church, the hairs raised on my arms, I developed butterflies in my stomach, and I held my breath as I waited to see whom he was talking about it.  It was so wonderful to be acknowledged today and yet at the same time his recommendation produced a strong fear inside me.  I instantly faced the many inadequacies I possess in writing this blog.  The devil filled my heart with unworthiness as I remembered all the many ways that I have stumbled and fallen in my own walk as a Christian.  I was faced with how unworthy I feel to even be writing a blog like this to other Christians. 

As I, with a timid voice, explained to the church what the blog is about, I felt Jesus calming and reassuring my soul.  He knew everything I was and all that I am when he asked me to write it.  He knows I am unworthy because we all are and assured me that His strength is strong enough to complete this task He has given me.  I have received so many blessings from Jesus in writing this blog and know that He is fully behind it but for a moment I wavered.  

I questioned why Jesus had me writing a blog such as this?  I wanted to know why the Lord would lead me to name a blog realchristwalk and create a website called www.realchristianwalk.com when I struggle so much in trying to live with Christ in me and shining through me.  In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he says, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” I personally feel I also could make the proclamation of foremost sinner.  There have been so many times I have strayed from Jesus.  There have even been times when I have ran from Jesus and the truth of His word.

Through just the short time that I have been writing this blog, Jesus has been teaching me about His love and grace.  He has shown me that His forgiveness really does stretch as far as the east is from the west.  He has shown me that His loving act on the cross was done knowing every way I would sin and hurt Him.  He has shown me that I have no strength without Him and all strength in Him. 

I write this today for a couple reasons.  First, I want you to know that I in no way see myself as a super Christian or believe that everything I have to say should be taken to heart.  Second, I want to encourage you to find strength in Jesus daily.  I imagine that many of you can relate to the many feelings I felt today.  Jesus will never ask us to do anything we can’t accomplish in Him but remember that Philippians 4:13 doesn’t say we have the strength to do all things on our own but that we only have the strength to do all things in Jesus. 

So I leave you with these final thoughts.  All who have read this blog since the beginning and even posted comments, thank you so very much!  Anyone who is new to this blog, I look forward to hopefully getting the chance to know you and hope you will be willing to post comments.  I ask humbly that if I ever write in a way that is not centered and founded in the Word, that you would lovingly comment so I may grow in my walk also and not lead astray any others who read this blog.  I give all the credit to Jesus and am thankful that He provides everything I need.  I hope you all will find strength today to walk in whatever Jesus is asking you to do with the full assurance that He will be faithful to complete any work that He starts in you (Phil 1:6).

Blessings,

Greg

Weekend

I hope everyone has a great weekend.  God has been so unbelievable good this week.  I am so thankful for cool, clear, beautiful days at work.  I am thankful for a wife, family, and friends who love me.  I am so thankful to be apart of a wonderful ministry at my church.  May Jesus be ever present on your heart this week.

Blessings,

Greg

Wonderful Sufficiency

September, 22, 2011

For some reason I did not feel right today.  I wasn't sick but I did feel down on energy and low on emotion control.  There are some days that you have to persevere despite the pain, the fragile emotions, and the desire to crawl into bed till tomorrow.  Today was one of those days and it seemed as though a few of my coworkers shared my sentiment today.  Honestly today was an absolutely beautiful day!  It was a perfect temperature with a smattering of clouds in the sky and a gently breeze.  For all intensive purposes, I should have had an awesome day at work.

Instead I spent most of my day relying of Jesus' strength to pull me through.  Today was truly a day where he carried me because my strength was insufficient.  Have you ever had a day like that?  I was so thankful of the company I work for because they understand that not all days are great days.  There are people to talk with you when you struggle.  They understand when you need to drink water and just take a load off for a little while.  Today our CEO even decided to treat a few of us to lunch.

The Lord blessed me in so many ways today despite how I felt.  He did give me the strength to accomplish the task at hand and filled me with the joy to work to His glory today.  He helped me to focus on what I needed to do and gave me the endurance to continue on in those tasks.  He gave me compliments from a few of my fellow employees and even a client.  He made a perfect day for working outside and gave me the tools I would need to accomplish my task.  Our God is faithful to sustain and uplift us in our time of struggle.

Paul helps us to know how to handle days like this in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.  Previous to this passage Paul pleaded with God to take away a thorn in his flesh.  In this scripture Paul receives God's reply, which helped Paul to reorient his perspective during times of struggle.  The scripture reads as follows: “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  Aren’t you so glad that Jesus is strong when you are weak?  Through relying on Jesus during our times of weakness and struggle, we are able to show the world the faithfulness of Jesus to stay us despite our own weakness.  In my opinion, the point of this scripture is not for us to only rely on Jesus during our down times but to understand that we are always weak without Jesus and should always rely on Him to give us the strength we need for each day.

The psalmist says it best in Psalm 34:17-18, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”  We all have our down days.  It is on those days that we have an extra opportunity to show those around us that Jesus is our strength.  Aren’t you so glad He is always faithful to bring you through? 

I hope the rest of your week is a blessing to you and that the Lord would move in your life in a new and wonderful way.  Keep seeking a closer relationship with Jesus as you learn to trust and lean on Him more and more each day.  If you do not know Him, please take the time to read in the Bible about Jesus and I am always more than willing to answer what questions I can anytime you want.  I also am more than willing to just listen if you ever need someone to talk to. 

Blessings,

Greg

Radical or Just Real?

Today, I was listening to podcasts as I mowed.  I had downloaded the David Platt podcast where he first introduced the idea of living Radical Christianity to his church.  As I listened to what he had to say and as he taught on scripture I am more than familiar with, it got me thinking about what Radical Christianity is.  I pondered all that David had to say as I mowed and wondered if it is possible to live a Christianity that is anything other than Radical.

There was absolutely nothing boring or plain about Jesus.  Everything that Jesus had to say was controversial in His time.  People in His time either loved or hated Him.  There were very few people who had luke warm feelings about Jesus and if they did he gave them the opportunity to choose love or hate.  Jesus never minced words.  Jesus said things like, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one may enter the Father except through me,"  "The foxes have holes, the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head,"  'Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce the Kingdom of God,"  " No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God,"  If anyone comes to me and does not hate his mother and father, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple."

I don't know about you but these words of Jesus are heavy to me.  I know this blog isn't necessarily uplifting but I believe that understanding Jesus and dealing with these difficult words from Him is essential to being a authentic Christian.  If there is anything I do understand about Jesus, it is that He will have nothing before Him.  Our lives have to reflect our love for Jesus.  He has to be our first and only love.

Without Jesus as our first and only love, we cannot possibly understand how to love anyone else.  Without Jesus as our only hope, we cannot possibly be satisfied in this life.  Where does Jesus rate in your heart today?  Is he first, last,  or somewhere lost in the middle of every other priority in your life?  I know that our world is more complicated today than back when Jesus was alive but I truly believe Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  What do you think?

Blessings,

Greg

Faithful and Powerful Yoke

September 20, 2011

Today I had the opportunity to lead the chapel at the place I work.  Each time I am able to lead chapel, I am always incredibly blessed by the way the Lord works through me, the reception of the clients and employees, and the blessing of being able to do ministry at my job.  I love nothing more than playing worship songs for the clients at my job.  I somehow feel closer to Jesus through the chapel time because He truly enables me to worship only Him as I share with the others in the room.  He guides my words and the songs I sing. 

Today, I was leading chapel for essentially a whole new set of clients and I was definitely feeling anxiety before starting chapel.  When I woke up this morning, I honestly did not know what I was going to do.  I had let my fears allow me to procrastinate.  I had been battling whether I wanted to do the chapel or whether I was going to chicken out.  Through this struggle Jesus reminded me of a lesson he taught me long ago originating in Matthew 8:26, when Jesus says to the disciples, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith.” 

Jesus had confronted me with this scripture years ago when I dealt with debilitating anxiety.  Through this scripture he showed me I have nothing to worry about in Him.  As soon as He told the disciples this he rebuked the storm, that caused the disciples to come to Him in the first place, and it instantly ceased.  He tied this scripture together with Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” and Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”  In essence, He showed me that I had nothing to worry about in Him. 

As he reminded me of the lesson He had taught me long ago, I kneeled down and gave my fears and anxieties to Him.  I asked Him to lead me in what music and message I should do.  He showed me everything.  He gave me the words, the music, and the peace I sought in Him.  Our God is so faithful.  He knows everything we need.  He is always available to us and desires for us to lean on Him daily.  I hope you would put any burden, worry, fear, or problem in His mighty hands today.  Remember Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  I hope this uplifts and encourages you.

Blessings,

Greg

Rainy Day

As I woke up this morning, I heard the gentle rush of the rain on the roof.  I looked outside and saw that the rain was really coming down.  There is something about rain that is soothing.  There is nothing like curling up on the couch with a good book on a rainy day.  Maybe even sleeping in as you enjoy the warmth of your bed and the sound of the rain cascading down the roof and pattering on your windows.  Unfortunately there is rarely the opportunity to do these things on rainy days especially on a weekday.  So I ate breakfast, got ready, and went to work.

Now my job is generally oriented outside so on rainy days I have to either find work to do in my barn, in the house, or don my rain suit and work outside despite the rain.  I honestly don't mind though.  I love rain.  I understand how important it truly is to the world we live in.  The flowers I plant can't survive without water and rain saves me from having to water them daily.  Water cleanses and renews the world as it washes away the pollutants all around.  A good rain helps to saturate the ground and every living plant drinks of the sustaining power and nutrients the water brings to them.  You can watch the cracks of the earth turn smooth again, the brown and crunchy grass turn green and plush again, the withering plant brought back to vibrancy again.  

My wife and I especially love thunderstorms.  We love to sit in our sunroom and watch the lightning streak across the sky.  There is nothing more beautiful than when lightning jumps from cloud to cloud branching out across the sky in a glorious display.  Have you ever seen the sparks left from a lightning strike a little to close for comfort or heard the electrical buzz?  It is incredible when a storm is right on top of you and you have to hold your ears to keep from shattering your eardrums in all the thunder's might and sound.  

I think the reason I love the rain and storms so much is because it is such a beautiful display of both God's power and provision.  Without water we would not be able to live.  Almost everything on this earth requires the life water gives to survive.  God in His infinite wisdom created a system where water could be picked up from one body of water and dropped in an area thousands of miles away.  My mind spins when I try to think of how God came up with each intricate system sustaining life on our planet.  

I truly understand respectful fear as I watch a severe storm pass over my house.  Though I will watch the storm, I understand the power it harnesses.  I understand its ability to end my life in an instant.  There are so many dangerous things that can be spawn from a storm including: flash floods, lightning, tornadoes, shear winds, and so much more.  I understand how delicate I truly am in a storm and rely on God's sovereignty to keep me on this earth as long as He pleases.  He has provided such spectacular evidence for who He is.  

So I am so thankful for a stormy rainy day.  It reminds me of my Lord.  It reminds me that one day I will get to be in His presence and hopefully even learn about each wonderful part of the world He created and why it exist.  It reminds me to be thankful for His provision and humbles me, as I understand that everything I receive is at His hand.  I hope that each day you will see the awesomeness and power of God around you.  My favorite picture of God is the Lion Aslan in C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia.  I love the dialogue found in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe where one of the children asks if Aslan is safe.    The dialogue continues as follows, 

'If there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than me or else just silly.'

'Then he isn't safe?' asked Lucy. 

'Safe?' said Mr. Beaver. 'Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.'

Our God isn't safe but oh he is so good. Psalm 33:8, "Let the earth fear the Lord, and let all the inhabitants of the world be in awe of him."  We must never forget our place in relation to God.  He is the creator and we are the created.  He demands and deserves our respect and awe.  I hope next time you have a rainy stormy day you remember this and worship Him. 

Blessings,

Greg    

In Awe

Have you ever been in a place where you don't know what to say?  As I sit in silence, I contemplate all that God is.  I can't even fathom the enormity of God.  I can't fathom His Love.  I can't fathom the many blessings He has bestowed upon me, my family, and the people around me.  I know this seems so simple but honestly what else is there.  I believe I could sit and contemplate His amazingness all day.

Lord,

Help me to live a life that upholds the glory deserved to you.  Help me to love like you.  Help me to see the world through your eyes.  Thank you for the job, ministry, wife, family, friends, and everything else that you have placed in my life.

Humbly,

Greg

Mess of Me

Day 38, September 16, 2011

I was just listening to Switchfoot’s song called Mess of Me.  The sum of the lyric’s are:

I am my own affliction

I am my own disease

There ain't no drug that they could sell

Ah, there ain't no drug to make me well

There ain't no drug

There ain't no drug

There ain't no drug, it's not enough

The sickness is myself

I made a mess of me

I wanna get back the rest of me

I made a mess of me

I wanna spend the rest of my life alive

We lock our souls in cages

We hide inside our shells

It's hard to free the ones you love

Oh, when you can't forgive yourself

Yeah, forgive yourself

I don’t know about you but there are definitely times when I can sing this song with all my being.  I will be the first to admit that I sometimes do things and say things without thinking first.  I have struggled with many a temptation, confrontation, and a quite few bouts of procrastination.  I can own the phrase, “I made a mess of me.”  I love where Jon Foreman, the lead singer of Switchfoot, goes with this song.  First off, he points out that our disease is in our self.  Second, he points out there is no drug (worldly thing) to fix this sickness.  Third, he nails us all with the need to forgive ourselves in order to be free of this affliction. 

We as Christians know that there is no forgiveness without Jesus yet many of us have been forgiven by Jesus and still cannot forgive ourselves of our past mistakes and sins.  The important thing to understand here is that we can never forget the sin and mistakes we have made in our lives but who are we to punish ourselves for our past mistakes when God as Psalm 103:12 says, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” 

Until we get our self out of the way and let the Holy Spirit come in to work a sanctifying work in us to renew and purify us, we will continue to be our own affliction.  It is time we turn to our Lord to help us in the many things we struggle with.  It is time we begin to recognize sin as something that affects our mind, body, and spirit.  It is time we humbly seek the Lord’s assessment of our heart and life so we can learn the sin that is still a stronghold in our lives.  I know it is a tough blog and I don’t like to have the rooms of my heart cleaned either but I know I grow stronger in Christ through allowing the Holy Spirit access to all of my skeletons and sins.  How can we change and grow to becoming Christ-like if we won’t let the Holy Spirit purify and teach us? 

Humbly,

Greg        

Praise of my Savior and God

Day 38,

I do apologize that my blogs have been minimal at best in the past few days.  Honestly I have been meditating and resting in great teachings on the Bible from different pastors I respect.  I have been in awe of the awesomeness of my Lord and God through these sermons and teachings.  I have listened to topics on manhood, womanhood, sex, relationships, hell, homosexuality, becoming fearless for Christ, fasting, salvation, and so much more.  I have been overwhelmed by all the teachings and at the same time I continue to crave more.  I feel blessed by the men I have selected to listen to because I am confident of their teaching in the Bible and encouraged that they speak boldly and with wisdom on even difficult yet necessary topics in Christianity.  I think about how this was exactly the model Jesus espoused as he showed us the example of teaching the disciples wisdom and truth in the Bible (Torah).

I have asked myself if I would also be able to speak with such boldness and have the courage to address topics within the church that are taboo, that are controversial, and that are just plain difficult to talk about.  I praise our God that he chose to discuss these topics in His word.  I praise Him that, contrary to current popular opinion, He has chose to address these topics concisely and with enough clarity to know how God wants us to live in this life.  I am thankful that even with the fall, which is what causes such confusion within Christianity, that Jesus came to redeem us and raise us above the fall by giving us the Holy Spirit and leading us to a clear understanding of the Bible if we will take the time to learn from Him.  I even praise God that we will have to wrestle with Him and the scripture to come to that point of clarity.

Our God has been so gracious that He has put in place the ability to know Him through a relationship with Him.  In every relationship there is the struggle to fully know and understand the person in whom you are in a relationship with.  Just live in a marriage where we will never fully and completely understand our spouse's, we also will never completely understand everything about God or what He was saying in the Bible.  God did make the gospel and how to come to Him completely clear.  He did make known how we are to live.  He made known what is required of us to truly be His followers.  We have been given the greatest two resources on life in all exist, which is the Bible and the Holy Spirit.  Together they are the key to understanding how we are to live and minister in Christ throughout our life.  In them, we are shown what in our lives need to change and in what ways we are still rebelling against God so we can come to a place of repentance and restoration in our relationship with God.

I cannot get over how loving, gracious, and fair our God is.  He has not made it difficult to come to Him.  He has extended Himself way past what He ever had to do for us to know Him.  God never had to make His word available to us, God never had to come down and directly teach and lead us, God never had to send Jesus to come and die for us.  We deserve nothing but death and judgment from God and yet His love has overflowed so abundantly that we all have the opportunity to know God and live for Him daily and into eternity.

In you are a follower of Jesus and believer in the one true God today, lift your hands in praise and supplication to Him.  If you do not know of the God in whom I speak of today, I pray that you would know Him.  I pray that you would seek Him with all your being.  I pray that you would open the door to your heart and let Him reign upon your throne.  I pray that you would dive into His word and allow the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to His mighty saving work.  If there is any questions you have, anything you just want to talk about, if there is anyway I can pray for you, please let me know.  Though I do not know who you are, I love you as Jesus loves you and I desire nothing more than for you to know the loving and gracious Savior I am learning more about each day.

Blessings,

Greg

Beautiful Blessings

Day 37,

I am in awe of our God.  How amazing He truly is and all that He has revealed to us in the Bible.  I have been listening to podcast of different pastors I respect for the last two days at work.  It has blessed, encouraged, transformed, and emboldened my walk in Him.  I am so thankful for strong Christian men who are willing to get up and speak the truth of the Bible and Jesus even when it is not popular.  Tonight I am just resting on the beauty and amazingness of God.

Humbly,

Greg

Beautiful Feet (Cont.)

Day 36, September 13, 2011

To be honest with you.  I am still chewing on the blog I wrote yesterday.  I truly believe all I wrote but it seems to be such a struggle to fully live it in my own life.  I hope you all will have a blessed day and will pray for me that I will know a new boldness it living and proclaiming the gospel truth to those around me.

Blessings,

Greg

Where are the Beautiful Feet in a Dying World?

Day 35, September 12, 2011

Today was yet another beautiful day, which truly makes me appreciate being able to work outside at my job.  I love to watch the clouds float by in the brilliant blue sky.  There is something truly magnificent about a partly cloudy day.  I am always amazed at how our God can bring me to a place of awe day after day at the beauty of this earth.  I personally believe that there is no other evidence necessary to prove the existence of a wonderful and loving God than this beautiful earth we live in. 

As I completed the different tasks I had to do at work, I took my wife’s iPod with me and listened to Christian music and a podcast from David Platt.  There is something so uplifting about listening to music about my Savior and a sermon from someone passionately in love with Jesus.  I love how it motivates me to live passionately in my own walk.  It helps me to focus on my purpose on this planet and to trust the Lord’s direction in all parts of my life. 

This afternoon we started back our small group after a summer break.  When we stopped for the summer, we were halfway through the book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt.  Tonight my wife led the study on the chapter called “No Plan B.”  This chapter is a truly challenging chapter about God laying all the responsibility on us to share the gospel of Jesus with the world.  Though God could use anything he wanted to bring the gospel to the world, he chose to leave it in the hands of us, Jesus’ followers. 

Sometimes it seems that Christianity is the perfect example of the bystander effect.  All of us are sitting around not telling people about the gospel of Jesus because we figure, that with all the other Christians in the world, someone else must be doing it.  The problem with this is that Jesus never intended for special followers to share His gospel with the world.   He intended for all of us to passionately share the gospel with a lost and dying world.  We say we love Jesus and want to passionately live for Him each day and yet we don’t seemed to be bothered by the fact that 4.5 billion people on this planet are without Christ and over a billion of those have never even had the opportunity to know Jesus or His gospel truth. 

How is it possible that these figures can be true and yet it seems that less than 1% of all Christians are trying to do anything about it?  How can we sit in our cozy homes, work our cozy jobs, attend our beautiful churches, and keep our lives focused within our family and friends without being haunted by the billions of souls going to hell.  Yes, I said it.  All people who do not know Jesus and accept Him as savior will be going to hell.  There is absolutely nothing in the Bible that indicates otherwise.  Jesus himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” There are no ifs, ands, or buts here.  There is only one God the Father and Jesus is the only way to Him.  If we believe this is true then why aren’t we trying to share the gospel with as many people as possible?  If you do not believe this is true tonight, then I challenge you to read every word that Jesus said and ask yourself if the Son of God offered any other way to Heaven.    

I hope you will see your life and your walk in a different light tomorrow.  I hope that you are so haunted by the idea of your family, friends, coworkers, and/or acquaintances going to hell because they don’t know Jesus that you would be motivated to speak to them boldly and compassionately about the gospel of Jesus.  We can’t waste time anymore.  We have to tell the world the Gospel of Jesus, which we know to be true.  It is the only way that people can ever know Jesus. 

Paul says, “But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’”  The point I believe Paul is trying to make here is that we are to be the beautiful feet!  I believe this verse is a call to all the followers of Christ to remember who they are and what they are living for.  In America, it is so easy to get distracted by the news, technology, materialism, food, events, church services, charities, etc.  We have to break the scales from our eyes and see the desperate situation our world is in today.  Will you become another pair of beautiful feet for Christ today?  I hope so.  I look forward to joining you in ministry and celebrating with you one day in heaven as we humbly bow at the feet of Christ. 

Blessings brothers and sisters,

Greg

Remembrance of 9/11 and Christ

Day 34, September 11, 2011

Today is the 10^th anniversary of one of the most tragic event to ever happen on American soil.  I still remember sitting in my W100 English class on the second floor of the Knobview building on the Indiana University Southeast campus.  There was a TV in the media center that was directly next to us and we could see the news running of the 1^st tower of the World Trade Center building smoking.  I remember walking in and everyone talking about how some plane had crashed into one of the two towers.  I also remember all of us watching the TV and talking about what was going on as the second plane hit.  That was truly the point that I, and the rest of America, knew that something was catastrophically wrong. 

About 10-15 minutes after the second plane hit the towers; our teacher decided to cancel our class and I remember skipping all the other classes I had because I went home and was glued to the news coverage of the event for the rest of the day.  I remember walking through the campus on my way to my car and seeing everyone glued to the TVs.  I remember thinking that this was so weird like in a dream.  I asked myself, “Could this be really happening?  Are we at war?  Will I be drafted?”  I remember calling my family and talking with them about it.  I remember crying for our nation and crying for fear of what was to come. 

When I woke up this morning, I went to the kitchen and made breakfast then I went into the den to watch the morning news like I do every other morning.  As the TV picture and sound came on I instantly remembered 9/11 as they began reading the names of the WTC victims.  I believe it is the first time I truly got to hear each name read and to see pictures of each person.  My heart was instantly broken again to see the family reading names and giving personal tributes.  The death and loss of 9/11 became more real to me today than I believe it had on the actual day.  Even seeing former President George W Bush speak brought me back to 9/11 again.  I never truly thought I would be so affected by 9/11 the way I was this morning but I am so glad that I woke up when I did and had the opportunity to see the tribute.

 I wonder what it must have been like for the disciples and followers of Jesus 10 years after His crucifixion.  Though they knew he is resurrected and now at the right hand of the father, they must have been brought back to the tragedy and sorrow of that day.  Jesus had come into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover with His disciples.  He had been ushered into Jerusalem with praises and yet in about a 24-hour period he went from celebrating the Passover meal with His disciples, to praying in the garden of Gethsemane, being accused, prosecuted, and crucified. 

Can you imagine the trauma His disciples and followers must have sustained from such events?  Jesus was supposed to be the Jewish messiah and the one to deliver them from the heathens and bring the Jewish people back to a place of authority and prosperity.  They didn’t understand the many warnings Jesus had given them that He would have to die.  They didn’t know what to do now that their Savior was gone.  Their anguish must have been infinitely more than ours for 9/11.  They must’ve felt hopeless.  On top of all this many of them would have to look back and remember the cowardly position they took upon hearing that Jesus was to be crucified.  All of these memories must have flooded back into the minds of those disciples and followers who were still alive and had witnessed in the flesh the horrible day we now know as Good Friday. 

Though 9/11 fills many of us with pain and sorrow for the many Americans we lost that day and through the wars of the last ten years, we are also filled with pride at the many heroic and wonderful stories of perseverance, hope, and patriotism that was born out of that day.  We truly learned that day what our country is made of.  We all felt the pain of those who died no matter their age, race, or religion.  We all united in a cause to defend our country and to uplift the values we hold dear.  Though we can’t be proud of every decision birthed from 9/11, there was a time after 9/11 happened that we remembered who we are as Americans and as one nation under God.

The disciples and followers of Jesus also would’ve been able to see the great strides they had accomplished for the Kingdom.  Christianity grew exponentially during those ten years after Jesus’ death.  There also would have been the sobering memories of the many fallen brothers and sisters for the cause of Jesus as Christianity faced much adversity in those first ten years.  As you remember the many victims of 9/11 today and in the next few weeks, remember those who have come before us and given their lives for the cause of Jesus Christ.  Remember the precious truth we hold and are to share with the many around us who do not have Jesus today.  Today is definitely a day of mourning and celebrating for our nation but also remember our heritage in Christ and the sacrifice He made so many years ago.  May it inspire you, as 9/11 inspired many, to live life in a new way, with a new purpose, and fire for why you are on this Earth. 

Blessings,

Greg

Day 33, Raining Sunshine

Day 33, September 10, 2011

Oh what a glorious day today!  After a week worth of cool, misty, overcast, damp days, I truly appreciated the beautiful blue skies with magnificent clouds floating by.  I opened every window in my house and let the fresh air waft through my home.  I even enjoyed mowing the yard today because the temperature was absolutely delightful. 

My wife and I also had the opportunity to attend the wedding of two young adults we had as youth.  Though the church was an hour away, I didn’t mind because I got to enjoy a wonderful drive in the country with my wife.  The wedding was beautiful yet different than many I had seen.  The wedding took place in a classic traditional church and most of the service followed the traditional course but our former youth added some personality and entertainment into the service. 

One thing I had never seen was a unity sand jar instead of candles.  It was beautiful as they poured the white and black sand into a wonderful mix of layers.  I also enjoyed the fact that all the groomsmen, including the groom, decided to wear Mohawks for the wedding.  The best man’s Mohawk was truly the best of them all standing 6 inches tall.  The final part of the service was the most fun as the wedding party danced out of the church to Say Hey (I love you), which is a delightful and bouncy song.  Even the parents and grandparents danced out.   

To finish off our day my wife and I went to a reunion party at my work where past clients have the opportunity to come back and celebrate continued healing together with the employees.  This year the reunion party had a 70’s hippie theme with the peace signs, tie-dyed shirts, and fun music of the 70’s.  I had been battling all day about whether I wanted to go or not since I have only worked at my job for about 6 months and wouldn’t know most of the clients there.  I decided to go because I didn’t want to regret not going or miss an opportunity to see some of the past clients I knew. 

I really am glad I went because it was neat to see the clients doing so well.  Everyone was having a great time eating, hanging out, dancing, face painting, and using the photo booth with awesome 70’s costume props.  It was great to see the joy everyone had and to hang out with my coworkers in a more laid back setting.  My wife and I decided to do the photo booth and really got some fun shots in our 70’s décor. 

The pinnacle of the day for me was when one of the former clients came up and told my wife and I how much I had meant to her when she was with us.  She was one of the first clients I had the opportunity to participate in worship with.  It was so awesome to know that I had affected her life by my music, my job, and my example.  Tonight helped to affirm to me why I am where I am and open my eyes to the ministry I am a part of at my work. 

God is so good!  Everyday is an opportunity to affect someone’s life for Jesus.  One day you may get to share in the way that you were able to minister to someone but it is more likely that you will never know how you affect those around you.  Always trust the Lord, put Him first in everything you do, and never be afraid to shine the light of Jesus that is inside you. 

Blessings,

Greg

Perpetual Thorn

Day 32, September 9, 2011

I have now had a crick in my neck for 4 long days.  Each day when I wake up, I struggle to get out of bed due to the radiating pain that starts in my neck and shoots down my left shoulder blade.  It is hard for the crick to heal when I am bouncing around on a tractor and mower.  It definitely won’t heal when I am lying in awkward positions to install shelves and do maintenance on the mower.  So I try to manage the pain each day hoping that I will be able to leave it alone long enough to allow it to heal and finally go away.

I have found that I do the same thing with sin sometimes.  There are times that I have had a sin that is plaguing my life constantly causing me pain and struggle in my daily walk.  Though I desperately want it to go away, I continue to live my life in a way that perpetuates the sin.  If I don’t take the time to give my sin to the Lord, fill my heart with His Word, and avoid all interaction with the sin, can it truly heal?   Sometimes we are so busy with our daily life that we will learn how to manage and live with the thorns we have in our lives instead of dealing with them. 

If you have something in your life that is hurting you, your spouse, your friends, your family, your work, your walk, the list can continue on and on, please lay it down at the feet of Jesus today.  He will gladly take your burden, forgive your sin, release your pain if you will only let it go and allow Him to heal it.  Sometimes we struggle with letting the pain go because of a deeper problem the pain is masking.  You will never be healed if you continue to do things that keep the pain alive in your life each day. 

I plan on taking this weekend easy, hoping that I can start work on Monday pain free and fully able to do my job.   Though I know that the pain will go away soon, I will need to address the real problem to keep it from returning.  You see I have a weak back and a damaged shoulder, which make cricks incredibly easy to get.  If I don’t start doing stretches and exercises to strengthen and heal my back and shoulder soon, I will continue to have this problem.  So if you are experiencing pain today, take the time to figure out why you have it and take the steps to fully heal and vanquish the pain from your life.  I leave you with this verse of encouragement from Psalm 103:2-4, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.”

Blessings,

Greg

Everything to Your glory

Day 31, September 8, 2011

Today was just a normal day.  Work went well because I got the opportunity to work inside and stay out of the rainy mist.  I cleaned the house and prepared supper for my wife when I got home.  I am now enjoying sitting back and relaxing with my wife on the couch.  As I contemplate a perfectly normal day, Steven Curtis Chapman’s new song, Do Everything, is running through my head.  They are as follows:

Your picking up toys on the living room floor for the 15th time today

Matching up socks

Sweeping up lost cheerios that got away

You put a baby on your hip

Color on your lips and head out the door

While I may not know you,

I bet I know you

Wonder sometimes, does it matter at all?

Well let me remind you, it all matters just as long

As you do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you,

Cause he made you,

To do

Every little thing that you do

To bring a smile to His face

Tell the story of grace

With every move that you make

And every little thing you do

Maybe your that guy with the suit and tie

Maybe your shirt says your name

You may be hooking up mergers

Cooking up burgers

But at the end of the day

Little stuff

Big stuff

In between stuff

God sees it all the same

While I may not know you

I bet I know you

Wonder sometimes, does it matter at all?

Well let me remind you, it all matters just as long

As you do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you,

Cause he made you

To do

Every little thing that you do

To bring a smile to His face

Tell the story of grace

With every move that you make

And every thing you do

Maybe your sitting in math class

Or maybe on a mission in the Congo

Or maybe your working at the office

Singing along with the radio

Maybe your dining at a 5-star

Or feeding orphans in the...

Anywhere and everywhere that you are

Whatever you do

It all matters

So do what you do

Don't ever forget

To do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you,

Cause He made you

To do

Every little thing that you do

To bring a smile to His face

And tell the story of grace

As you do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you,

Cause he made you

To do

Every little thing that you do

To bring a smile to His face

And tell the story of grace

With every move that you make

And every little thing you do

In every little thing you do

In every little thing you do

This song helps us to remember that even our normal day to day matters because we are living it before our Lord.  I am so thankful that our Lord truly does care about our normal days as much as he does our joyful and painful days.  Thank the Lord today for His love for you!

Blessings,

Greg

Marriage Restored

Day 30, September 7, 2011

As I mowed the horse pasture on our medium blue New Holland tractor at work in the cold mist, I listened to a podcast on my wife’s iPod as I tried to figure out what I was going to teach the youth group tonight.  It was near impossible to hear the podcast by David Platt on Love over the engine and bush hog’s roar.  It is amazing where God can speak to you and how he can touch your heart even in the midst of being damp and cold.  I slowly began to lose dexterity in my hands as the wind and rain took its toll on me.  Through this state of cold depravity, the Lord seared my heart with His love. 

Last night I searched for messages on love by well-known ministers whom I respect.  I found a few podcasts by David Platt and Francis Chan.  As I began to mow on the tractor, I decided to listen to Sex in Salvation History by David Platt from the Disciple-Making International website.  His message is on the book of Song of Solomon.  I have to admit that I do not believe I have ever heard of a pastor preaching on Song of Solomon.  So of course, I was instantly intrigued to know what he would say especially since this is a topic that is vividly on my youths minds. 

I love that he taught this sermon in his church on a Sunday morning.  Today we live in a Christian culture, especially within the conservative church, where we are too afraid to discuss the tough topics like sex today.  I believe because of this oversight on our part we have loads of Christian teens and young adults who are mired in elicit sexual acts or getting married to young due to being unable to control their passionate desires.  This has led Christians into the huge amount of broken, non-traditional, divorced, and abusive family systems that we encounter within the church today.

It would really be best if you listened to the podcast yourself and made your own judgment about it but I believe it was well presented and Christ Honoring.  One part in particular that impacted my heart deeply is where he taught that Song of Solomon is between a pure monogamous couple.  He went on to accentuate the importance of keeping your eyes only on your spouse.  The part that pieced my heart the most is when he said that all other women other than your wife are trash. 

After marrying my wife, I went through a period of turmoil where my heart struggled with the idea of being married so young.  I wondered if I had chosen right and if I had married because of my passionate yearnings.  During that time my wife and I experienced a form of hell in our marriage and it was due to me.  I did not understand the need to uplift and be thankful for my beautiful bride given to me by the Lord.  Instead I focused on all the other girls I had liked through the years as I wondered if there was someone who would’ve been a better match for me.

When David said that all women other than your wife were like trash it pierced my heart and brought me back to that time of struggle in my marriage.  I knew that I had wronged my wife by my actions and though I have sought and received forgiveness from her, I had not truly understood the damage I caused in my heart, her heart, and my marriage through these actions.  The Lord has brought me a long way from that first year of marriage and has taught me how to love and cherish my wife.  He has been teaching me how precious a gift she is and continues to show me the beautiful marriage he has given me.  Today I was truly able to be thankful for the purity my wife and I were able to give as a gift to each other on our wedding night.  Though my heart struggled years before, I now am more in love with my wife than I have ever been. 

Through the message on Song of Solomon today, I am now better able to understand the love that my Lord has given me through His grace and the love that He given me through my wife.  My marriage and all that I have learned through it have immeasurably blessed me.  I have now seen the incredible power of a prayerful wife, a wife who stands strong even when you are not, a wife who loves you despite your many failings and struggles, a wife who fights for marriage no matter what the situation, and a wife who has completely supported me in every step of our walk together. 

I have had to learn a lot of these lessons through the school of stubbornness and hard knocks but I hope that my own testimony can help others navigate around the same struggles.  How wonderful is the grace of our Lord that he compassionately waits for us even in our time of rebellion and gently teaches us truth as our hearts become open to receiving it.  Our God is a loving God who is compassionate enough to show us the importance of a healthy and passionate marriage relationship.  We should never be ashamed of the lessons in the Bible even if they are on a sensitive subject like sex.  Being willing to teach books like Song of Solomon can help to prepare the singles in our church for a pure and centered marriage relationship and teach married couples the beautiful and joyous relationship we should have in marriage and that God intended for us.       

Humbly,

Greg