To Capture for Christ

I don't know about you but I struggle with keeping my mind fully on Christ.  Every single day is a battle between doing what is right and true and living as the world lives.  My life is a constant battle between wanting to have a deeper relationship with Jesus and wanting to have a place in this world.  There are many times I struggle with living in this world yet not being of this world.  This is especially true when I am in constant contact with non or complacent Christians.  Sometimes my life verse is Romans 7:19 saying, "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing."

I do not seem to struggle at all when I can be alone or with Christians who encourage me in my walk.  In my time alone, I often am listening to Christian music, sermon podcasts of many preachers whom I respect, or Christian scholar lectures.  I'm sure at this point most of your are saying I need to get a life but the constant influx of scriptures, interpretations of scriptures, and soul affirming music help to keep me centered in Christ.  I constantly crave these times of learning and worshipping Christ.  My soul needs it.  My soul needs Him.


The deepest passion of my heart is to follow Christ in every single aspect of my life.  I want my life to mirror what Peter is talking about in 1 Peter 1:13-16 saying, "Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,  but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,  since it is written,'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'"  When I spend most of my day immersed in Christ, I find that I can do fairly well of living this passage.  


The reality is that most of us are unable to live our lives constantly immersed in scriptural teaching, music, and prayer.  So how do we live for Jesus in those times where we are interacting directly with the world?  Paul says in Romans 12:2, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."  When we trust the Holy Spirit to lead our lives, we will notice that He is constantly working to renew our minds.  This verse does not imply that this will be an instant process though because the second part of the verse says you will go through testing to help you discern God perfect will for you.  


Philippians 4:8 helps us better understand what a renewed mind should look like saying, "brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."  In the process of striving to live Philippians 4:8, we also have to live 2 Corinthians 10:5b saying, "take every thought captive to obey Christ."  By learning to live fully in both of these verses, we begin to take strength when we are surrounded by the world.  


Though I still struggle greatly with living in these powerful verses daily, I can see the Lord continually drawing me closer to Him.  All of these verses ultimately point us to the idea presented in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."  Philippians 4:13 is the answer to finding complete contentment no matter what situation you find yourself in.  Each day I wake up, I strive to live this contentment in Christ.  Some days are better than others but as I continue to rely on Him, I know He will be faithful to draw me into a closer and more consistent daily walk for Him.


I hope these scriptures will help you to battle waywardness in your daily Christian walk.  I pray that you will memorize and tuck these verses deep in your heart as ammunition against the devil when he tries to pull you into the world's ways.  Take heart Christian for Jesus has overcome the world!  In Jesus you to can walk in strength and boldness daily.  


Blessings,


Greg


  My wife and I feel an intense calling on our lives for missions and full-time ministry.  We have created a fundraiser to help us overcome one hurtle to us being able to go to the mission field.  I pray that you will take a moment and check out this link.  I thank you for your consideration and ask that you seek the Lord's guidance in considering contributing to this fundraiser.  Thank you.

You Caring

  

A Piece of Me

At my job, we have chapel on Tuesdays for our clients and employees.  Today's chapel, was about our own stories that make up who we are.  The speaker did an activity where we wrote down one word descriptions of our story and linked them together.  It was so amazing to see how so many words written by others could apply to our own stories also.  By the end of the chapel, we had a multi-link chain of our life stories one word at a time.  The three words I used throughout the activity was grace, darkness, and redeemed.

My whole life has been covered by grace though I have to say there were times I wouldn't have been able to see it.  I am a preacher's kid.  I tell most people that I have been in the church since before I was born.  My family did a wonderful job of raising me with love, teaching me the Bible, who Jesus is, and how to live a life that honors Him.  I remember being at church every time the doors were open.  When I was a teenager, I would even run the sound for dad at some of the weddings and funerals performed at the church.

Though my parents did a wonderful job of raising me, they couldn't protect me from all of the temptations and sins of this world.  Many of the struggles I faced in my life were not due to a failure on their part but a lack of judgment and wisdom on my part.  There were just certain challenges I chose, pridefully, to face on my own.  I praise God that I never had any problems with alcohol or drugs but there were definitely areas I struggled with throughout my teenage years and beyond.  

I struggled greatly with being a "two face," which for me was living for Jesus when I was at church and home and then living for the world when I was not.  I was greatly immersed in secular music, tv, and practices most behind my parents back through the homes of friends around me.  I learned to cuss on the bus in kindergarden.  We went to a school system that had all ages on the same bus.  I struggled greatly with the language, stories, and concepts I learned on the bus and in school for essentially my whole time in school.  I look back and shutter at the things I said, thought, and did during those years in grade school.  It took me many years of submitting all these things to Jesus and changing what I allowed to filled my head and mouth.  The phrase, "garbage in equals garbage out" is so true.

During a move to a new town when I was around ten years old, I was introduced to pornography.  I essentially became addicted to this horrifying realm of the devil for my full teenage life and well into my twenties.  It did not help that my generation was the first to fully interact with the computer and a new thing called the internet.  I grew up in a time when parental controls were nonexistent on the computer and content was infinitely accessible.  This served to feed my curiosity and drew me deeper into darkness and sin than I ever wanted to go.  I suffered greatly from this time in my life and looking back I can see the pain I caused to myself, my family, my friends, and my wife.  

During those teenage and college years I continued my 'two face' living of portraying the perfect preachers son who had it all together while sinking deeper and deeper into sin behind locked doors.  The devil had a firm grip on my life and yet I thought that I was okay.  I could answer any Biblical question you gave me and I knew who Jesus is and what He did for me.  I believed I was saved and had "rededicated" my life many times to make sure.  My heart was so deceived and the devil had me believing  I could live for two worlds without consequences.  

Well about five years ago, God brought me to a place where I met a man who I refer to now as my brother.  The two of us were much alike in the struggles with sin we faced and our desire to be free from them to fully honor and minister for Jesus.  We instantly became best friends and accountability partners.  Through prayer, accountability, and a fervent resolve to vanquish the sin that was destroying our lives, we were able to begin the difficult and painful walk to freedom.  God's grace redeemed us.  He utilized our friendship to provide encouragement and tough talks when needed.  He taught us how to walk in Him through our times hiking, biking, boating, and talking deeply about His word and how He was working on our hearts individually.  Through this time, Jesus taught us both how to passionately love Him and live for fully live for Him.

There is so much more to my story and the many ways that God has moved through it but what I am most proud of is to be able to say that Jesus has brought me freedom from the bondage I once endured.  For the longest time, I believed that certain temptations and addictions could not be broken but must be endured for the full length of my life.  I now can see that Philippians 4:13 is true!  Psalm 103:12 is absolutely true!  God's promises are true! 

I honestly don't know where your heart is tonight.  Maybe you are the one who is tired of hearing about God and Jesus because you have been running from Him so long.  Maybe you are like I was and have been in the church your whole life and yet secretly you are up to your eyeballs in sin and finally ready to acknowledge that you are far from Jesus and want to ask Him in your heart for real.  Maybe you have been missing something your whole life and have just never knew how to fill that void.  Maybe you feel that you are just to gone for Jesus to love you.  

I am here to say that you can never run to far away from Jesus for Him to reach you.  You can never fall to far down for Him to be able to pick you up.  You can never sin to much to be redeemed.  Jesus' salvation is offered not because of what right you've earned but what He has freely given (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Jesus is waiting for you to open your heart to Him today (Revelation 3:20).  Jesus will give you the Holy Spirit, which will be there to guide you, teach you, and help you walk the road back to purity in Him (John 14:15-31).        

I felt I needed to offer part of my own story tonight.  There are many parts of it I am ashamed of and yet through these times of darkness I have found my Savior, a brother, and a strength I have never known.  Jesus truly can redeem all things for good for those who walk in Him (Romans 8:28).  I know He has for me and I look forward to how He will continue to allow me to minister and reach our to the world for Him.  I pray that if you do not know Jesus, you would accept Him today.  I pray that if you know Jesus but are mired deeply in sin, you would seek His forgiveness and begin a right and real relationship with Him today.  Please know that I am always willing to talk, pray, or help in anyway I can. 

Blessings,

Greg  

 

My wife and I feel an intense calling on our lives for missions and full-time ministry.  We have created a fundraiser to help us overcome one hurtle to us being able to go to the mission field.  I pray that you will take a moment and check out this link.  I thank you for your consideration and ask that you seek the Lord's guidance in considering contributing to this fundraiser.  Thank you.

http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=3437&url=roadtofreedomforproclaimingchrist

My Beautiful Wife

You there is something inexpressibly beautiful about a pregnant wife.  There is a new glow and joy that I see in my wife daily as our little boy continues to grow inside of her.  I feel as though her confidence is raising and she is really coming into her own.  I am so excited to see how wonderful a mother my wife is going to be.  I just know that she is going to be truly amazing with our little boy!

I am so thankful for this wonderful blessing the Lord has given us.  We have truly had a lot of fun sharing in the ultrasounds, movements, and growth.  Each day I believe my wife becomes more beautiful in a new and radiant way.  Though I know I will get flack from my mother-in-law for this, I have to admit that if I had known all that we would share through this pregnancy process, I would've been willing to have a baby much sooner.  There truly is a magical transformation that happens as you realize that you were created for this.  That God has truly blessed us with the miracle of being able to create life.

There are so many things that I am looking forward to doing with my baby boy and yet so many ways I am scared out of my mind.  I am so grateful that I have come to a place where I can rest in the assurance that Jesus is going to give me the strength I need to be a good Father.  I am daily relying on Him to prepare me to be the man of Christ my children will need.  I know that there is still much work that needs to be done but am confident that the Lord will work it in me at the right time.  I know I have used this verse before but there isn't one that gives me more peace right now in Romans 8:28 saying, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Thank you, each one of you who support me and read this blog.  I ask that you pray for my wife, baby boy, and I as we continue this journey to become a family.  I am so excited to see the many new and special ways the Lord will enhance our walk, our marriage, and ability to live and minister for Jesus daily.

Blessings,

Greg

My wife and I feel an intense calling on our lives for missions and full-time ministry.  We have created a fundraiser to help us overcome one hurtle to us being able to go to the mission field.  I pray that you will take a moment and check out this link.  I thank you for your consideration and ask that you seek the Lord's guidance in considering contributing to this fundraiser.  Thank you.

http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=3437&url=roadtofreedomforproclaimingchrist

Springing Forward to a New Day

I don't know about you, but there is only one part of daylight savings time I like.  I like fall forward and would be very happy for it to happen twice a year instead of having to endure spring back.  Though I know it is only one hour, it does seem to make a difference in the morning.  Last night, I must admit, my wife and I stayed up to late, 12:15.  As we began the ritual of preparing to go to sleep, it dawned on me that in reality I was going to bed at 1:15 and that I wouldn't even be able to get eight hours of sleep and make it to Sunday school.

Needless to say when 7:30 came around and my phone attempted to blare us awake, it met the swift finger of silence and nary a move did we make.  My wife was the first one to rise out of bed and by the time she got moving and looked at the clock it was 8:50.  Our Sunday school starts at 9:30 and we are not great at being ready in 30 minutes so we showed up about 15 minutes late.  I have to admit that i am proud that we still went, which speaks to how much we enjoy the class, because I am not typically fond of walking into a class late.

Even being 15 minutes late, we both enjoyed a wonderful lesson and time of fellowship in our Sunday school class.  I am so grateful for men and women of God who truly want to dive into and drink deeply of the Bible.  I am thankful that they welcome even the late comers to the class with graciousness and friendliness.  The sermon was also incredibly wonderful, biblically focused, and convicting.  I praise God for leaders in the church who are not afraid to speak the gospel boldly each week.  It has been so wonderful to get to know a group of people around our age in the new church we are attending.  My wife and I have needed a church like this for quite a while and we are so thankful we have finally found it.

After church was over we went out to Frisch's Big Boy, to enjoy the breakfast buffet that my wife has been craving.  While there, we ran into some members of the first church we attended in the area.  It was so wonderful to see them and catch up with them.  Though this church did not meet our needs for couples in our age and life stage at the time, we have many fond memories of being mentored and loved on by the older congregation who are faithful men and women of God.  God has blessed us, taught us, and grown us in a different and special way at each church we have attended since we have been married.

In the rest of my day, I took a nap that was too long, went to church, rented the movie In Time, and watched the tv show Once Upon A Time.  My whole day's focus has involved time or, more accurately, the lack of it.  Each day is an opportunity to spend your time wisely.  Solomon says this in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8,

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

How will you spend your time today?  I most certainly have learned a lot about time today and intend to begin using my time more wisely.


Blessings,

Greg

My wife and I feel an intense calling on our lives for missions and full-time ministry.  We have created a fundraiser to help us overcome one hurtle to us being able to go to the mission field.  I pray that you will take a moment and check out this link.  I thank you for your consideration and ask that you seek the Lord's guidance in considering contributing to this fundraiser.  Thank you.

http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=3437&url=roadtofreedomforproclaimingchrist

The Miracle of Life

Tonight, my wife and I had the opportunity to see the movie October Baby.  It was an incredible movie about a young woman who finds out she is adopted and not only that but that the physical complications she has are due to a failed abortion her mother had causing her to be born premature 24 weeks into the pregnancy.  The movie takes you on her journey to discover who she is, who her mother is, and how to deal with the circumstances of her life.  The movie is very well made and moving.  I highly recommend it to everyone.  It is well worth the money and time.

I have to admit that this movie profoundly affected me especially considering the fact that my wife is almost 24 weeks pregnant.  The shear evilness that would allow someone to take a moving, living, growing baby's life and destroy it with the belief that it is only a "bundle of tissues,"  is beyond what I can comprehend.  How arrogant we have to be to believe it is okay to take what God created and destroy it.  If this happens after the womb, we consider it tragic and call it murder but not in the womb because most of the world does not accept a fetus as life.

Throughout the time that my wife has been pregnant, I have been amazed by the glorious life that is growing within her.  My heart leaps with joy as I watch an ultrasound and see our little boy turning, moving, and bending in the womb.  My wife now feels him daily and even many times a day.  She is beginning to feel him respond in different ways to different situations and she is only 23 weeks along.

There is a human being inside her stomach.  All of his parts are formed and working and moving as they are intended.  He is swallowing amniotic fluid to practice his breathing.  I personally have seen his primary organs at work through the ultrasound.  I have seen his heart fluttering, the blood flowing to his little extremities and brain.  I marvel each day at the miracle God is performing in the belly of my wife.

I love how this movie's intention is healing both for the child, the mother, and the nurse of the abortion clinic.  I love how this movie even supports adoption as a way to provide a seemingly unwanted life with loving parents who both want and are so happy to welcome this life into their family.  This movie is about redemption, forgiveness, and restoration.  There is a part where the main character is speaking to a priest and he comments about Paul's words on being able to forgive because of the forgiveness Jesus has given us.  He was speaking of Colossians 3:13 saying, "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."  


Abortion is, in my opinion, one of the most heinous acts humanity performs.  It perpetuates nothing but brokenness, selfishness, and a flagrant disrespect of God's creation.  I know that the right to choice and the right to life are still a hot topic in our country today but I hope that you will fight for life.  I in no way advocate the acts of violence many people have carried out in their hatred of abortion.  I believe that we should fight the atrocities of abortion through prayer, advocacy of truth, and petitions of our government.  It is our place to love people to change, healing, and understanding.  It is our place to lead people to healing, both those considering abortion and those who have had or performed an abortion, through the redeeming power of Jesus Christ.  


Please don't sit on the sideline another day on this issue.  Take the time to watch October Baby.  Take the time to check out their website and learn how you can get involved in the fight for life today.  


Blessings,


Greg 

My wife and I feel an intense calling on our lives for missions and full-time ministry.  We have created a fundraiser to help us overcome one hurtle to us being able to go to the mission field.  I pray that you will take a moment and check out this link.  I thank you for your consideration and ask that you seek the Lord's guidance in considering contributing to this fundraiser.  Thank you.

http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=3437&url=roadtofreedomforproclaimingchrist

Extravagant Beauty

I am so thankful for the intricate and extravagent beauty of the world we live in.  Each day I find myself being more and more amazed by the incredible complexity and connectivity of this world we live in.  In my Master Gardener class last night, I learned that there are 900 pounds of earthworms in just an acre of land.  That is incredible!  Our teacher made the comment that dirt is essentially living.  This comment was in reference to growing a vegetable garden and the many different types of organisms in the soil that all work together to help the plant grow and flourish.

An excerpt from Beautiful Outlaw articulates this so well saying

Imagine walking through a rain forest. Diving over a coral reef. Simply look through a microscope at a drop of pond water. Creation is pulsing with life. It is the life of Jesus, given generously for the life of all things. He is called “the author of life.” This is the life he offers us; this is the extravagance with which he offers it. Jesus doesn’t only give his life for mankind, he also gives his life to mankind. It is showered upon us daily like manna. 

Our God is so incredible!  He has lavished so much beauty upon us.  I look forward to the day of the new earth in glory.  There are so many wonderful things in this world and yet just think about how wonderful this earth will be when it is restored to it's pre-fall glory.  As spring is beginning to start, thank God for the many incredible sights and smells He will bring during the transformation from the death of winter to the new life of spring.


“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Revelation 4:11 

Blessings,

Greg

My wife and I feel an intense calling on our lives for missions and full-time ministry.  We have created a fundraiser to help us overcome one hurtle to us being able to go to the mission field.  I pray that you will take a moment and check out this link.  I thank you for your consideration and ask that you seek the Lord's guidance in considering contributing to this fundraiser.  Thank you.

http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=3437&url=roadtofreedomforproclaimingchrist

Frozen Creek

Snow Angel on ice layer above creek

Walking along on a frozen creek

Proof of our time on the creek ;)

This winter has been the warmest on record in many places across the nation.  I have to say that I have greatly enjoyed the mild weather and low amount of snow and ice precipitation.  Financially this winter has been wonderful for heating bills and snow removal maintenance.  All in all it has been a pain free and quick winter but this is not usually the case for Central Indiana.

About four years ago, I remember a winter that stayed so cold for a long enough period of time that the large creek by our house froze solid to about 4-5 inches thick in most places.  My friend and I had a great time exploring the nature preserve near our houses where we were able to walk almost a mile on the solid ice of the creek.  It was so incredible that the ice stayed solid enough for us to do this.  It was so neat to see the moving water below the ice.  We truly had a "walking on water" experience that day.

This morning my pastor preached about faith and spoke of a winter where it was cold enough to snow mobile across lakes and even cold enough for small cars such as VW Beetles to drive on the ice.  He talked about this time in relation to faith.  Indeed standing, walking, or driving on ice requires a act of faith.  We have all heard many stories of people who fell through ice and died.  My pastor went on to say that there were two ways to cross the frozen lake.  The first was to cross the lake in fear and trepidation of falling through the ice and the second was to cross the lake in faith that the ice would hold and by doing so being able to enjoy the wonderful nature of the crossing you were doing.

I can relate to his story because there were times that I was the one who was worried about the ice when my friend and I walked a mile on the creek.  In the beginning of our adventure, I carefully analyzed the color of the ice, listened closely for cracking sound, and watched my friend carefully to make sure he was safe on the ice.  My friend on the other hand did not worry about the ice at all but in fact had fun dancing, sliding, jumping, and even making snow angels on the ice.  He was truly able to enjoy the adventure and blessings of such a strange weather anomaly in central Indiana.  As the trip went on I too was finally able to relax and enjoy our adventure.

Life is the same as these two stories.  We can choose to walk through this life in fear of what will happen to us next or we can put our complete faith in God that He will will protect and guide us.  I understand that all the realist reading this post are saying that there is a difference between faith and ignorance and I would agree.  We have to be very careful though in our thinking on faith and ignorance because though we do understand that certain ice situations are very dangerous and should never be attempted faith or not, we have to be extremely careful not to put God in a box of what is possible in this world for our lives.  Do not forget as it says in Ephesians 3:20, "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think." 

Our God will never steer us into a place of danger without a purpose.  He will always be with us and we can always rest assure that there is peace in being in the center of His will.  Also at church today our pastor spoke of a man who lost his life in Iraq on thursday.  He had been teaching at a private Christian school in Iraq for the last seven years when a student came in with a gun and killed him this past week.  Though it is easy to hear this story and think of the tragedy of the story, let's not forget that this man chose to go into danger by teaching in Iraq because he felt called there by the Lord.  This man was able to minister to and teach over 500 kids in the time he was there.  A memorial was done for this man in a mosque in Iraq, which is the first time in known history that a foreigner non-muslim was given a memorial in a mosque in Iraq.  Also many of his students changed their Facebook profile picture to this man's picture as a tribute.


I think it can be said that this man's impact will continue well past his death and that possibly through his death many more will come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.  For all of these things to happen, complete faith was required from this man.  We have to remember that our lives are to be lived for God's glory and not our own.  We are living for eternal things and not the finite things of this world.  I hope today that you will choose to live boldly, filled with faith and assurance, for Jesus today.


Blessings, 


Greg   

My wife and I feel an intense calling on our lives for missions and full-time ministry.  We have created a fundraiser to help us overcome one hurtle to us being able to go to the mission field.  I pray that you will take a moment and check out this link.  I thank you for your consideration and ask that you seek the Lord's guidance in considering contributing to this fundraiser.  Thank you.

http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?fundraiser_id=3437&url=roadtofreedomforproclaimingchrist

Attacks of the Devil

I sometimes struggle with temptations in my dreams.  I have felt shame from the desires that are presented in my dreams though I have escaped the life they represent.  I thought it was an interesting point today when the speaker, during chapel at my job, talked about going to sleep and waking up being your most vulnerable time for attacks from the devil.  They went on to explain that this was so because it is the time that your mind is most passive.

First off, I have to say that I was comforted to know that I am not the only one who struggles with temptations within my dreams.  Second, I realized how much shame I would feel from these dreams though I do not many times have the control over my thought life during my dreams that I have when I am awake.  I realized today that temptation dreams have been used by the devil to raise my vulnerability to sin while I'm awake due to the shame and regret I feel from them.

The speaker went on to explain that the temptation dreams you experience when you fall asleep of are just waking up are not a sign of your underlying sinful heart but the vulnerability of your soul to attack at those times.  I have a choice to wake up and believe that I am the person I perceive myself to be in those dreams or I can choose to acknowledge that those dreams are attacks from the devil to try and weaken my daily walk in Christ.  During these moments, the devil is striking at a question many of us struggle with daily.  Am I good enough to have Jesus in me?  The answer is, no, but the beauty of this is that Jesus' purity washes over our sin for us.

When you are a follower of Jesus, it is important that you sift out the attacks of the devil on your heart and the truth of the Holy Spirit within you.  The devil wants you to believe that you have not changed through belief of Jesus Christ.  He wants to convince you that you will always succumb to temptations and that sinful thoughts you had before will always enslave you the rest of your life.  HE wants you to believe that the grace of Jesus is not enough to allow you to stand in heaven with Jesus.  These are lies!

Here are some truths from the Bible to help you be able to identify attacks from the devil and the works of the Holy Spirit in your life.  In the Galatians 5:22 and 23, it says, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." Ephesians 6, which speaks about the armor of Christ speaks about the devils arrows in verse 6.  It tells about the importance of the shield of faith to protect you from these arrows.  Ephesians 1:13-14 says, " In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."  The final piece of evidence that clenches the rest is also found in Ephesians 2:8-9 saying, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast."


So through these scriptures we can see that there will be attacks from the devil.  That our faith in the the Trinity will help shield us from those attacks.  That we have the Holy Spirit, who guarantees our inheritance, in us if we hear the gospel and believe in Jesus.  That we know that the works of the Holy Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.  And finally, we see that we are not good enough but Jesus is and that our faith in Jesus truly is enough to receive all the rest.  So this helps us to know that anything that does not help us produce and develop the fruits of the Spirit in our lives is not the Holy Spirit but in fact an attack from the devil on our hearts.  


So next time you feel tempted, whether awake or in your dreams, use these truths to help focus you back on the Holy Spirit in your heart.  Also use these truth to renounce the attacks upon your soul and claim the strength of the spirit within you to protect you through your faith.  Jesus has already won against the devil so do not allow the devil to take any more victories from you but rather allow the Holy Spirit continue to help reign victorious through you.


Blessings,


Greg

Greenest Grass

It is amazing to me that there are times, at work, when I want to go home and rest and yet when I am at home I want to get out and work.  The grass always seems greener on the other side because it is a dream.  When I was a teenager I had many wonderful dreams about the girls I had a crush on and how perfect they were.  I also dreamed about the millions I was going to make and how successful my life was going to be.  It turned out that many of those girls were nowhere close to being as perfect as I dreamed them to be and that reality doesn't include the millions and tropical islands I had hoped for.  

There is definitely nothing wrong with dreams but if the dreams keep you from excelling in reality then they have become a problem.  Dreams do not include challenges or problems.  They only see what would happen in a perfect scenario.  Unfortunately life does not play by the perfect scenario rules.  Life requires overcoming challenge, working to achieve your goals, laboring to climb the ladder to where you want to be, and risking heart ache in order to become successful.  

As a Christian, we are called to stand strong for what we believe in.  We are to fight for truth by living for Jesus with all our heart.  We are to die to ourselves daily.  We are to weather the suffering, struggles, trials, and temptation through which we will develop character and hope (Romans 3-5).  We are to battle against the naysayers, not physically but spiritually, through love and prayer.  Life may seem greener on the other side but sometimes it takes truly opening your eyes and realizing that you haven't watered or worked the grass on your own side.  

Though we are saved by faith, our works show the evidence of faith in us (James 2:18).  We have to live a life worthy of the Savior we love.  We have to be willing to sacrifice our own will for His.  We have to be willing to go and do what he calls us to.  Through our obedience to Jesus, we will begin to see that the grass is only greener on God's side.  He is the cultivator of all life.  He is the one who knows the path that will bring most joy to your life.  He is also the one who knows what path will bring the most glory to His kingdom.  

Will you trust the Lord's direction for your life today?  His path may not be the easiest but it will always be the most fulfilling.  His path may not be the safest but it will be the one that leads to eternal rewards.  Though following Jesus you will always know you are loved and watched over.  The shepherd takes care of His sheep including the one who goes astray in the 100 (Matthew 18:12-14).  Don't long for what seems to be the greener side.  Choose Jesus who created the grass and trust that in Him your life will be brought to a joyous and satisfying completion.  

Blessings,

Greg

Justified Through Jesus Alone

I read a message today that mentioned the hope that this person would be good enough to get into heaven.  I have to say that my heart sank upon reading those words.  There isn't anything anyone can do to be good enough to go to heaven.  To be good enough, you would have to live a sinless life that is perfectly aligned in God's will.  The Bible makes it clear that it is impossible to do that.

I believe Romans 3:9-31 gives a clear explanation of what it takes to get to heaven and why Jesus is the only way.  I have decided to use The Message paraphrase for this post for easier reading but the link will take you to the ESV translation.  The Message helps to offer a modern day language perspective of this passage but I highly recommend you also read the ESV translation and take the time to understand what Paul is saying here.

There is a lot to this passage and this passage is incredibly important to understanding our need for Jesus.  I hope this passage helps to deepen your faith as you seek to walk closer with Jesus.  I pray these words will help clear up any misunderstanding about works and getting to heaven.  If you have other questions that come up from this passage, www.needhim.org is an excellent resource for you to be able to talk to ministers directly.




We're All in the Same Sinking Boat
^9-20So where does that put us? Do we Jews get a better break than the others? Not really. Basically, all of us, whether insiders or outsiders, start out in identical conditions, which is to say that we all start out as sinners. Scripture leaves no doubt about it: 

   There's nobody living right, not even one, 
      nobody who knows the score, nobody alert for God. 
   They've all taken the wrong turn; 
      they've all wandered down blind alleys. 
   No one's living right; 
      I can't find a single one. 
   Their throats are gaping graves, 
      their tongues slick as mudslides. 
   Every word they speak is tinged with poison. 
      They open their mouths and pollute the air. 
   They race for the honor of sinner-of-the-year, 
      litter the land with heartbreak and ruin, 
   Don't know the first thing about living with others. 
      They never give God the time of day.
This makes it clear, doesn't it, that whatever is written in these Scriptures is not what God says about others but to us to whom these Scriptures were addressed in the first place! And it's clear enough, isn't it, that we're sinners, every one of us, in the same sinking boat with everybody else? Our involvement with God's revelation doesn't put us right with God. What it does is force us to face our complicity in everyone else's sin.

God Has Set Things Right

 ^21-24But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.

 ^25-26God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it's now—this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.

 ^27-28So where does that leave our proud Jewish insider claims and counter-claims? Canceled? Yes, canceled. What we've learned is this: God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does. We've finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade.

 ^29-30And where does that leave our proud Jewish claim of having a corner on God? Also canceled. God is the God of outsider non-Jews as well as insider Jews. How could it be otherwise since there is only one God? God sets right all who welcome his action and enter into it, both those who follow our religious system and those who have never heard of our religion.

 ³¹But by shifting our focus from what we do to what God does, don't we cancel out all our careful keeping of the rules and ways God commanded? Not at all. What happens, in fact, is that by putting that entire way of life in its proper place, we confirm it.

Blessings,

Greg

The Mighty Macs

We watched a wonderful movie tonight called The Mighty Macs.  It is a movie about a small failing Catholic women's college, now called Immaculata University, in the '70's that went on to win the first women's college national basketball championship in 1973, led by coach Kathy Rush.  When Kathy Rush first came in, the college basketball team was solely intended as an physical outlet to keep women chaste.  This obviously didn't make for much winning but coach Rush had a different plan for the team.

She wanted to win and she wanted the girls to believe they could win.  Through the guidance of Coach Rush and a nun at the school the girls learned to work as a team and believe in themselves.  They learned that their coach believed in them and they also learned to be passionate about something.  Many of the women in that championship team went on to be successful in not just basketball but life.

There is a moment towards the end of the movie where coach Rush is giving a pep talk before the championship game.  You recited 1 Corinthians 9:24 to the girls as motivation for them to fight for victory. As I told you, they went on to win the game, which was a great feat considering they had lost to the very same team by 42 points weeks prior.


 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 says, 

²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷ No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Fighting for the truth of the gospel and the truth of the Bible is not politically correct these days.  We are told by the world that we are to be tolerant of all religions as truth.  We are told that it is arrogant to believe that Christianity could be the only truth and way to heaven.  Many churches today have unfortunately succumb to these lies from the world.

Tonight, I encourage you to fight the good fight and run the race.  The crown you will receive for enduring in truth to the end is as Paul say, "a crown that will last forever."  Do not let the world silence the truth of the gospel.  Do not let the world keep you from living a bold life for Christ.  Do not let the world discourage you from running the race.  Find strength in Jesus and trust the truth of His words saying, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the father except through me." John 14:6.

Blessings,

Greg

Will You Endure?

Matthew 24:3-14 says, 

³ As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of yourcoming and of the end of the age?” ⁴ And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. ⁵ For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. ⁶ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

 ⁹ “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. ¹⁰ And then many will fall away^[a] and betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹ And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. ¹² And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³  But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

I don't know about you but this passage gives me chills.  As I watch and read the news daily, I can see our world becoming more and more like what Jesus describes here.  I don't know if I will see the coming of Jesus.  I don't know if I will experience any of the suffering mentioned here either.  What I do know is that this passage is clear that a close and real relationship with Jesus is necessary to endure to the end.

Where is your heart tonight?  Do you have a love and relationship with Jesus that could take you through times like prophesied in this passage?  If not, I hope you will spend time to know Jesus and truly fall in love with Him tonight.

Blessings,

Greg