Enduring for a Precious Soul

Every day I go to work and come home expecting to end up in the maternity ward of the hospital with a new baby and yet so far the baby is still holding on.  His actual due date is Tuesday, July 3rd, and it would be highly uncharacteristic for a child of ours to come early ;).  As the days dredge slowly by, it is hard for my mind to be on anything else.  I think the hardest part of this process has been waiting and not knowing when the day would actually come.  There is some peace in knowing that the absolutely latest our doctor group would let Sammie stay in is July 10th.

I can't wait to see this little boy who is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh.  I must admit that I am scared of the actual birth process but I know it will all be worth while.  I know my wife and our child is in God's hands.  It will be so exciting to hold him in my arms, to see his little fingers and toes, to gaze into those beautiful, probably blue, eyes, and to breathe in this gift my wife and I have been given.  Each day I am closer to this.  Each day I am better understanding what it means for a father to love his son.

I have not even met our son yet and I cannot even imagine ever having to lose him.  How could God the Father allow Jesus to die on that cross?  How could Abraham willingly take his son to the altar?  Even with something so great as the removal of all sin, I believe I wouldn't be able to let my son go, to let him die.  I would willingly die in an instant for my son but to let my son die for those who aren't even worthy is unfathomable to me.  How great is the Father's love for us that He could stand to watch Jesus take on all the world's sin?  How great is the Father's grace that he would allow Jesus to be our substitution?

Many people in this world believe in a Godly being who was involved in the creation of this universe and yet so many of them believe He is not relational but a distant omnipotent being.  Our world is crying out for love, peace, and unity.  We all so desperately want to connect with others, with this world, and with the answer of what happens to us after we die.  Yet so many are unwilling to believe in a real, loving, and just God.  So many are willing to take the chance that Christianity isn't true, forsaking the love from the true God for love of this world.

It breaks my heart every time I am talking with someone who can not see what Jesus did for them on the cross.  There have been so many times I wished that I could show them He is real.  If only they could see how He is moving in my heart, they would believe.  If only I could answer all their questions, they would believe.  Some times the hardest part about telling someone about Jesus, is that we have to trust the Lord with their heart and pray that one day the seed will bear fruit.


For all the brothers and sisters who are desperately trying to share the gospel with those around them and meeting resistance, take heart brothers and sisters for the Lord is with us.  Many of us will be used as hard labor to prepare the fields of non-Christians hearts.  Some will have to remove the rocks from the fields, some will have to plow the rows, some will have to cut down trees and remove the stumps, some will have to water the seed, some will just have the privilege of shining the light on the field, and yet fewer still will get to reap the harvest.  Don't lose heart if you are one of the ones toiling in the preparing of hearts that they may be fertile soil.  


Hebrews 12:1-2 say, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."  We are to endure in continuing to share the gospel with those who are a labor.  We are to find strength in knowing that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witness' who have worked and gone before us.  We are to find endurance knowing the race we are running is for eternity with Christ.  Remember brothers and sisters, your labors are not in vain and you do not labor alone.  Ephesians 2:8-9 say, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast."  God uses our faithfulness and ultimately God is the one who transforms their hearts.


So when you get to that place where you are tired and weary and feel like you can't continue to proclaim the gospel anymore, consider how precious each heart is to God.  Remember He is yoked right beside you.  Take the time to see them like a father who sees his boy or girl for that first time.  Take the time to remember the intense love God feels for them.  Take the time to the to remember that no matter how difficult, trying, or closed off they seem on the outside, God sees a soul worth dying for. 


Blessings,


Greg

I hope you will please check out our fundraiser site to help us pay off our student loan debt and make it as a career missionaries to Spain.  This picture is of us with the couple we would ministering together with.  I hope you will check out the site and read all the updates.  Thank you so much for your prayers and consideration.  If you have any questions feel free to email me at realchristianwalk@gmail.com

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Heart Gardening 101

My garden right now is a wreck!  I have not tilled it, prepared it, or even planted it for this season.  It is filled with a grand assortment of weeds and mostly overtaken by dandelions.  In order for me to have any hopes of fresh fruits and vegetables in my garden this year, I am going to have to put in a large amount of hard work to get it back into the shape it needs to be in for planting.  I have quite a job ahead of me and I have been avoiding it for the last couple weeks because I know I am going to be exhausted, aching, and dirty once I am done.

My garden was not always this way.  For the past few years I have done a good job of preparing it for planting and successfully gathering quite a bounty.  I know what my garden is capable of producing and I can instantly remember all the wonderful sights, tastes, and smells from my gardens of years past.  I long for my garden to be like the years before but know that accomplishing this task will be both challenging and worth while.

Sometimes our own lives are like my garden.  We have great times of fruitfulness and bounty and then other times where we let ourselves go.  There have been many times that the garden of my heart has been desolate and filled with the weeds of sin and the world.  Sure, I still had a fruit or vegetable plant here or there but none of them produced what they were capable of and some even where snuffed out by the weeds surrounding them.

Each day is an opportunity to prepare, care for, and cultivate our soul.  We are given the choice to plant the seeds of wisdom from the Bible in our hearts or the seed of sin.  We can choose to shine the light of the Holy Spirit on our heart, which will bring growth and nourishment, or we can cloud our hearts with things that don't matter and have no eternal value.  We can water our hearts with Jesus' living water or starve our hearts by filling it with the tainted waters of the devil, which may appear clear and pure and yet will always leave you wanting and leave you needing more than when you started.

Are you on a path that will produce the fruits of the Spirit in your heart or is your heart being strangled and tangled in an abundance of weeds?  Jesus spoke of the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:1-23.  In this parable He talked about some seed falling on the path and being scavenged by birds, some falling on hard ground and being scorched by the sun because they had shallow roots, some falling amongst the thorns and weeds and being choked out, and those that fall on fertile ground.  Of the seeds that fall on fertile ground Jesus said that some seeds would produce thirty, some sixty, and some even a hundred times what was planted.

As I consider my own garden, I have learned that how I take care of it determines the harvest I have.  I have to provide good soil, proper water, a proper amount of sun, and even make sure that the plants don't get over crowded by weeds and similar plants.  There is so much more that also contributes to the bounty of my garden and much of it depends on my input into it.

In my blog last night i spoke about Faith or Works, in this parable Jesus shows how they go together.  The seed that falls on fertile soil is given life and you will notice that Jesus did not talk about the seed produce nothing.  The life is faith and is what you are saved by but the produce is the works that are created through your life and faith.  I hope you will allow the Lord to prepare your heart today.  There is so much blessing in the fruits He will create in your life.  Paul speaks of the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 saying, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control."  May you see these wonderful fruits in the garden of your heart and in the example of your life this year.

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 Battle Within

The highlight of my day.

Tonight, I am tired.  My wife and I have been working to redo our bedroom in the past few weeks.  Through this process, we moved everything out of the room and have been sleeping in the living room.  We try to work on our bedroom when we get a chance but honestly we are both exhausted when we get home.  I have been working on redoing and painting rooms at my job also, which makes it all the more difficult to want to do the same thing at home.

We both agree that we want the room to be done but do not want to rush back into our bedroom unfinished.  I don't know about you but when I feel overwhelmed with a task or tasks, I have a tendency to want to shut down.  I don't want to work anymore.  I want to get away from what is weighing heavy on me.

Well today was one of those days for me.  When I came into work this morning, I did not want to get started on the project I need to finish.  I didn't want to paint, trim, or tape the room I needed to work on.  There was a war within my heart against the very things I needed to do.  As I battled with the project before me, the Lord convicted me of why I needed to work anyways.  He laid on my heart that the job I do does not only affect people's perception of me but also Him.

I am to work for His honor and glory and sometimes that involves doing things that I may not want to do. I have to lean on His strength and endurance to push through the times I would rather collapse and give up.  I am not writing tonight that knowing this takes away all of my inner battles and struggles but knowing this does at least help me to do what is right despite those inner struggles.

I want my life to be a daily example of Jesus in me.  I want everything I do to be a reflection of His glory and power.  Though these last few weeks have been difficult and the growing pile of tasks I have before me will not be depleted soon, I will rest in my Lord's strength.  I will seek His peace.  And I will trust His Word.  The Bible says that Jesus' yoke is easy and His burden light (Matthew 11:28-30).  The Bible says that in Christ I can do all things (Philippians 4:13).  The Bible also says that I should not be wearied by this world because Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33).  Lastly the Bible says that God will provide for all my needs through Jesus (Philippians 4:19).  In these scriptures, I will trust and through these scriptures, I will carry on.

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

Superpowers in Christ

One show both my wife and I enjoyed while it was on the air was Smallville.  The premise behind the show was the story of Superman growing up in the town of Smallville before he became the person the comic books wrote about.  The show opened up a whole new world of adventures, friends, and background to what made Superman who he is.  As the storyline developed, it was revealed that the greatest source of Clark Kent's strength was the sun.

I instantly thought of the parallel to the Christian life when this part of the Superman story was revealed.  We, as Christians, also derive all our strength from the Son.  Without Jesus, we would just be lost souls bound for hell but through the actions of Jesus we qualify for eternity in heaven with Him just by believing and putting our faith in Him.  Our strength, protection, and direction are found completely in Him.  He, through the Godhead, is the complete source of our strength in this world.

Though I don't believe we will ever be able to fly, run faster than a speeding bullet, or become men of steel by believing in Jesus, I do believe that we will be able to conquer everything this world has to throw at us.  John 16:33 says, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  We have a strength through Jesus that many of us will never know or tap.  The superpowers we have in Jesus is the peace of knowing who is in control of our lives and constantly directing our paths.  We don't have to worry if we can handle our greatest struggles because we know that with Jesus by our side He can help us overcome.

In Deuteronomy 31, Moses speaks to the Israelites about going into the promised land giving them this encouragement in verse 6 saying, "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”  In Hebrews 13:8 the Bible makes this statement, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."  Therefore you can know that when you are in Jesus you can find comfort and trust in the continuing truth of the words of Moses to the Israelites.  God is always with you and will never leave or forsake you.  Put all your faith in the Son and discover the superhuman powers He will bring to your life.  


Blessings,


Greg

Walking with me Daily

This week has had its own set of challenges, blessings, trials, and joys.  My whole focus throughout has been to give the Lord praise and trust His daily guidance.  My day today began bad with me waking up late but ended well with me finishing a painting project I have been working on for a full week.  I am so glad that Jesus is with me on the good and bad days.  I am so glad that He is constantly guiding and preparing me with the many different moments I face throughout the day.  Isaiah 41:13, "For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, 'Fear not, I am the one who helps you.'”  

I have to admit though that as I sit here typing this blog tonight, I am completely and utterly exhausted.  I don't know if it is due to possible sickness, stress, bad sleep, or all three but I am grateful for the time of rest I am now receiving.  It doesn't matter if today is a mountain or a valley day for you today because Jesus will always meet you where you are.  He knows exactly what you need and will always provide for your good in light of the good of His kingdom.  Philippians 4:l9, "And my God will provide every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

Blessings,

Greg

P.S.  I would love it if everyone who reads this would attempt to comment on this blog or others.  I have not received comments for my blogs in a long time and I am wondering if there is something wrong with the blogger commenting system.  Thank you for your help everyone.

Intricately Formed in the Womb

My wife and I are pregnant and in these past four months I have gained a deeper respect and love for the God who is daily growing and sustaining our precious child.  To see the baby, so tiny, moving it's little legs and hands on an ultrasound is incredible.  To think that we can create and birth babies without any help from a higher being is so incredibly arrogant to me.

I have been reading the little information tidbits on the pregnancy app that my wife installed on my phone.  I cannot even fathom how it is possible that our baby can be only 4 inches long at this point and yet already have developed internal organs and even begun to practice using it's lungs.  It's little heart is beating at around 150 bpm.  Through the ultrasound you can even see the baby's heart fluttering away through it's chest.

My father is an avid modeler.  He has built cars, airplanes, tanks, and so much more.  Currently he enjoys creating and painting tiny civil war soldiers.  My dad is so good at painting the intricate details that distinguish different uniforms, tools, and weapons.  Even with the skill my dad has to create these exquisite little soldiers, his skill is nothing compared to God's ability to arrange cells, which are smaller than we can see, to form a new life.

In our world today, it is so easy for us to believe that we rule our world and that it is our effort that determines what we will accomplish.  It is so easy to forget how small and fragile we once were and still are.  Our world seems perfectly content spreading the lie that our lives are our own and controlled by no one.  The problem with the false beliefs is that the Bible makes it clear that God is and will always be in control of everything in this universe.  No verse drives this point home better than Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."  


As you sit at your computer tonight or maybe even this morning, remember who created you.  Consider the fact that God truly does know about who you will be and what will happen in your life.  Open yourself to the idea that He has plans for you and that they are even good.  Humble yourself to the fact that God's plans may not make sense to the world but always make sense for the Kingdom.  I am learning daily that the process of having a baby is an incredible blessing.  Take time today to thank God for forming you and making you uniquely special in the womb long ago. 


Blessings,


Greg

Protection from the Cold of Sin

Yesterday, we got about twice as much snow as the meteorologist predicted we would.  In the morning, the forecast was for around an inch on the ground for our area.  What was not made clear by the meteorologist, was the fact that the snow would instantly stick to the roads and driveways because the road temperatures were below freezing.  Our town had not even laid any salt on the roads when the snow began. Within 15 minutes of the snow starting, all the flowerbeds, roofs, roads and driveways were covered with a slick layer of snow.

 I began to think about how easily sin can stick to straying or stumbling hearts as I looked at the stark contrast of a snow covered driveway and warm, mostly untouched, grass next to it.  Proverbs 4:23, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life." Are you allowing the springs of your heart to chill and be easily affected by the cold snow and ice of sin?  Or is your heart's springs hot with Christ's love allowing it to easily ward off the sinful cold of this world?

We have to keep working on our relationship and walk with Jesus to help protect us from the cold of sin in our hearts.  Though this is a daily need it does not have to be a constant struggle.  Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  When you keep hearing around you how hard it is to follow Jesus and to do daily devotions, you begin to believe it yourself.  This scripture shows that growing a relationship with Christ is neither difficult or burdening.  In fact, it is the opposite.  Jesus Christ will strengthen you, fill you with lift your burdens, and walk with you to protect you from the daily attacks of the enemy.  


I hope that you will warm your heart up today in Christ.  Your time with Christ should be just as enjoyable and wonderful as curling up next to a fireplace on a cold winter day.  He will gently warm you inside and out.  He will keep you protected from the cold sins and temptations of this life.  He will feel you with peace and the assurance that you can make it through each day with Him by your side.  


Blessings,


Greg  

Jesus: Personality and All

Have you ever thought of Jesus with personality?  Have you ever considered Him telling jokes, hanging out with the boys, enjoying playing with children, and so much more?  It is so easy to read the Bible and view Jesus from a special, separated, holy, deity perspective.  We can easily miss his personality.   We can easily forget that He was human just like us.

I am reading a new book by John Eldredge called Beautiful Outlaw .  I am only five chapters into the book but I enjoying the new perspectives of scripture I have read many times.  It is such a comfort to me to know that Jesus truly does understand me.  He has lived like me.  He has experienced joy, anger, pain, love, friendship, struggles, and life.

If you do not know Him today, I hope you will try Him.  Jesus is like no other god this world has to offer.  He is real.  He wants to truly know you.  He loved you so much that He choose to live, die, and raise again to allow a way you could be saved from your sin.  You will never regret getting to know Jesus.

For those who already know Him as their Savior and Lord, I hope that you will learn to know Him as a friend and brother.  He always intended to have a close and real relationship with us.  He always intended for us to know Him through the Gospel accounts and this is evidenced by His giving us the Holy Spirit.  Through the Holy Spirit we can have Him directly in our heart.  I pray you would begin to truly know Him personality and all today.

Blessings,

Greg

Broken Past, Hopeful Future

There is a fine line between hate and love.  Unfortunately Christian history is filled with "Christians" proliferating hate in the name of love.  What seems so obvious to us today was not so simple at different points in history.  We now live in a time where everyone in the western world has access to the Bible and we each have the ability to read and understand it.  This has not been so for most of Christian history.  Imagine trying to be a follower of Christ and only getting input from a priest.  Most of the people in Christian history would not have been able to read the Bible even if it had been available to them.  There have been many times in our history where "the church" spawned more hate and murder than the most sinful of nations.  Oh how well the devil has been able to harm the world's view of Jesus through jaded followers.

I would like to believe that since we now live in an age were the Bible is readily available and accessible to all in the western world that we would no longer have the problems of our past.  Unfortunately, we all know that this is not true.  We still have people who twist the Bible and then teach their twisted perspective to willing followers who chose not to read and understand the Bible for themselves.  What is even worse is today we not only have hating, bigoted, vile people who profess Christianity, we also have many Christians today that believe Christianity is no better than any other religion and is only one way to find peace and heaven in this world.  The devil is still at work in our churches and there is still a large majority of people who have chosen not to read the Bible for themselves but to be swayed and wooed by men who intend to use the Bible for their own purposes.

Though I have to admit that I struggle greatly with both ideologies in our world today, I know that the only answer to truly battle the false teachings within the Christian realm is to truly live Christ authentically and boldly.  Hatred plus hatred does not equal love.  Vile words plus vile words does not equal peace.  judgment plus righteous anger does not equal living Jesus.  We have to live love.  We have to live truth.  We have to stand for the principles that Jesus set in place.  We have to love our enemies and let Jesus be the judge not us.  We have to be willing to humble ourselves to serve.  We have to be willing to go the second mile with the one who forced us to go the first mile. We have to be willing to lay down our lives for our brothers.  We have to be willing to sacrifice everything we are for the love Jesus lived and died for.

Jesus did not reach the world for himself by fighting the world but by dying in the place of sinners that they may have salvation available to them.  We have to learn from Jesus, Paul, and the disciples.  We have to stand up and be  different from the world.  We have to live love even when the world wants to perpetuate hate through intolerance.  We have to want to speak the truth when the world want all truth to be equal.  We have to live counter culture.  We have to authentically live Jesus daily no matter the consequences, which may include: broken relationships, lost jobs, and persecution.  Jesus intended for His followers to draw the world to Him not repel the world from Him.  It is our time to live authentically in Christ!  I challenge you to stand up and live Christ fully today.

Blessings,

Greg

Sheep, Goat, or Least of These?

Have you ever looked into the mirror and not recognized the person looking back at you?  I have been growing a beard and my hair out for the last month in an attempt to stay warm in the cold weather.  As I looked at myself in the mirror at work today, I marveled at how easily I could be mistaken for a bum.  This could be seen as comical in some ways but to me it opened my eyes to how we could all be one step away from the person on the street.  Every person on the street has a story.  I would even venture to guess that most of the people on the street had a normal life during an earlier stage of their life.

For many of us, this is a hard reality to accept.  It is much easier to believe the lie that all bums are there because they choose to be.  We can help develop our apathy towards people on the street by telling ourselves that they would just use the money for alcohol and drugs anyway.  Maybe you have even told yourself that giving a homeless person money would just be perpetuating a lifestyle.  Though all of these statements may be true at any given time, there is nothing in the Bible supporting the belied that we shouldn't love them anyway.  Jesus said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."  


Do we as Christians desire to teach, minister, and reach out to the sick today or do we prefer the healed who have it all together and have something to offer us?  Those who are sick, jobless, and/or unsaved are messy.  They have baggage.  They need extra support, extra love, and extra attention.  I find that many of us today, including myself, want to just be around the people who lift us up, who affirm us, and who make our lives easy and peaceful.  Dealing with the "sick," as Jesus put it, is difficult.  Jesus demonstrated he cared very much about the less fortunate.  This is best seen in the parable of the sheep and goats told by Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46.  The goats who did not care for "the least of these" were cursed to Hell.  I don't know about you but this parable brings me pause because I know there have been many times in my life I turned my back to the least of these.


As I stared in the mirror at the man before me, I realized that I'm closer to the "least of these" than I allow myself to believe.  The Lord showed me that the outside appearance does not reflect the inner heart.  The sheep before being sheared appears mangy and unkept to the world but the shearer knows that underneath that mangy wool is a beautiful innocent lamb.   We are each lambs of Jesus and he loves each one of us greatly.  Jesus looks past our outward appearance to our hearts.  As "little Christ's," we should also take the time to see past people's appearance to their heart.  I hope today you will walk with a new perspective and compassion for the different people you encounter.


Blessings,


Greg   

The Light of Job

I am working on a chronological daily reading plan and this week I have been working my way through the book of Job.  I struggle on many levels with the book of Job.  I think my own American understanding of the world has colored my perspective of God.  As I read the book of Job, I have a great problem with the idea of God allowing all those awful things happen to Job as a way to show that Job will remain faithful to God despite them.  I think I struggle so much with the idea of God doing this because I know that I would fail that test miserably.  I can't even imagine surviving the first round the Devil exacted against Job more less making it to the direct assault on Job's body.  I also am not sure that I would've been able to be confident in my own righteousness against friends trying to persuade me to confess my sins to God.  

You have to admit that Job's faith was pretty incredible.  He spent a considerable amount of time arguing for his innocence to his friends despite all that had happened to him.  I think the thing I struggle with the most in the book of Job is the fact that Job truly was innocent.  It seems to me that this is why God allowed the devil to do all he did in the first place.  Job lived a life that honored God.  Job was as far as we could tell practically sinless.  

I struggle in so many ways each day in my walk as a Christian.  Like the photo at the beginning of the blog, I sometimes struggle with being right next to the light but not living in it.  I stumble in my heart, my mind, my words, and my actions daily.  I'm not even sure I have ever made it through one day without sinning.  It is like I walk in the light for a time but take wander into the dark from time to time.  I can't even imagine living a mostly sinless life.  I can't imagine being such an honorable and Godly man that God would have so much confidence in me to allow the devil to test me knowing that I would not turn from Him.  I want to be able to live a life that honors and is devoted to God like Job was.  I hope that my faith and walk will grow to the level of holding fast to God no matter what I experience or encounter in this life.  I hope that i can become a man who walks in the light and truth of God all the time and never wanders into the dark.

I am not done with the book of Job yet though I do know that a point is coming up where Job questions God and God gives him the riot act.  I can't even imagine the pain Job must've felt.  It is hard for me to see that my life truly is about God and His kingdom.  I am not on this planet to live an easy and blessed life.  Though God may give me a blessed and generous life, I have to remember that everything in my life is from Him.  It is so funny that I think I own things in this life.  I believe the book of Job makes it perfectly clear that the Lord can give and take away and there is nothing we can say about it because God is perfectly just in both actions.  

I know this blog is not particularly uplifting but our understanding of God and His sovereignty is a lesson we better not miss.  We need to remember that our lives are to be lived for Him only.  We have to remember that any possession we have has been given to us by God.  We have to remember that as Christians we are to live for His kingdom only.  Can you trust in God no matter what?  Can you surrender your heart to Him fully no matter what your life looks like?  Can you give up everything and still praise Him daily?  To have a full and real relationship with Jesus, we need to be able answer yes to each one of these tough questions.

Blessings,

Greg

Pruning for Life

Today, I had the opportunity to prune the apple tree at my job.  I had pruned the pear tree the day before and was a little worried about how to properly prune our apple tree.  It is important to understand that our apple tree had been allowed to overgrow a tad.  As I spent time learning about the proper way to prune an apple tree and spent time looking at a bunch of photos and illustrations on what the tree was supposed to look like, I knew that I had my work cut out for me.  Our tree had limbs going literally everywhere.  They were going up, down, backwards, through each other, and every over way possible.  My first thoughts as I was reading about how the tree was supposed to look, was that I would kill it by pruning it to the extent needed.  After talking to my boss, he assured me that the tree would be fine and that the pruning was necessary to have a good harvest next year.

So the first thing I did this morning was get my gloves, ladder, pruning shears, and hand saw.  Though I still felt a little overwhelmed, I decided that all I could do was to trim one limb at a time till the tree began to take the shape it needed to have.  I slowly worked my way around the bottom limbs of the tree taking off all the limbs that needed to be removed for it to be fruitful.  I ended the job on a ladder at the very top of the tree and had to make some executive decisions that involved removing some limbs that had been there for a few years.  Once I was finally finished, I admired how well the tree had shaped up and yet I still wondered if I should have removed the many limbs now laying at the base of the tree.  I even had an employee come out at one point and ask me if I was cutting the tree down.  I assured her that this was necessary for a good harvest next year and she worriedly smiled back at me. 

Through this experience, I have a new perspective on the beginning of John chapter 15 with Jesus saying, 

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

I now understand why it is necessary to cut off the branches that don't bear fruit and I know what they look like.  I realized how necessary the vine is to the branches for life.  I now know first hand what it feels like to cut, pickup, carry, and burn each branch that is not productive to the tree.  Another thing I now am acutely aware of, is the time, love, and care it requires of the vinedresser to keep the vine fruitful.  There are even times when the vinedresser has to make drastic cuts that concern others in order to help the vine and branches flourish next spring.

Just as I wondered if I was taking off the right amount of branches, I have often asked the Lord if certain pruning of my own heart was necessary.  It can be hard to understand why the Lord wants to remove certain things from your life.  The pruning can be painful and time has to be allowed for healing and new growth to begin.  There may even be times when you think that if the Lord works on anything else He will kill you but the beauty of Him being the vinedresser is that He has a perspective you don't have.  The vinedresser can see the big picture.  The vinedresser can see that it is necessary to remove one limb to provide another limb the room it needs to flourish.

As you go through a season of pruning in your life, I exhort you to trust the Lord who is your vinedresser.  He is good and compassionate only taking off the limbs that need to be removed to promote fruit.  He can see the parts of your life that are dead and/or unproductive and wants to remove them for your benefit.  Each cut is beneficial and necessary for growth.  Will you trust Him today?  Will you allow Him to shape you into the person He wants you to be?  Will you allow Him to help you become fruitful in your life?

Blessings,

Greg

I just added this photo because I love the brilliant oranges and reds in it.  The photo doesn't do the real life view justice but it is still pretty.  :)

Fall into Christ

For the last few weeks, I have been focusing on making the yard at my job look good by trying to mow the leaves past the fence and out of the front and back yards.  Pushing leaves out of the yard is a long and tedious job but once I am finished and I have a clean yard, I remember why the job is worth the time.  It takes me twice the amount of time it would normally take me to mow the yard because in order to blow the leaves I have to mow only one direction.  I alternate between two methods, which includes driving down the line in forward and reverse and driving down the line and then returning to the beginning to drive down the line of leaves again.  Driving backwards on a zero turn mower is neither natural or preferred, it takes a lot of concentration and accepting the possibility of a crick in your neck.  First you have to determine the best place to begin pushing the leaves.  Once you figure this out, pushing the leaves isn't too bad and moves quite smoothly but as you get closer to the fence line, the pile of leaves gets larger and more difficult to push.  

I began to think about how sometimes problems in our lives rain down just like these leaves.  It may be one problem that has gotten so big that it feels like your life is covered by it or it could be multiple problems filling up your life from all directions.  When this happens it can be difficult to know where to start.  Removing the problems from your life can often take time and require you to deal with them in a way that you aren't used to.  Sometimes people prefer not to work on their problem(s) because they can't remember the beauty and peace found in life without them.  Sometimes people do not want to have to endure the pain of listening and dealing with their own contribution to the problem(s).  We all know that many times in working on the problems of life things are going to get harder before they become easier.  James had an exhortation to this at the beginning of his book saying, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

Jesus is always with us.  There is no time in our life that He cannot handle or help us out of.  Jesus is there in our joyful times, times of sorrow, times of being buried under problem after problem, and times when we can't even see a light at the end of the tunnel.  We always have hope in Christ.  Before we make any decisions or choose any actions in solving a problem, we should lay it at the feet of Jesus.  Though we may be able to get out of the problem on our own, I can promise you that Jesus will offer you the best solution to your problem that will bring you the most joy and peace.  Jesus can help to give you clarity and remind you of what your life can be with the problem repaired or removed.  Though it is hard to imagine a clean yard when you first begin raking, there is such peace and joy when you have finished and see the fruits of your toil.  Remember as Proverbs 3:5-6 say, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

If you are feeling overwhelmed today, I encourage you to take refuge in Jesus.  Let him lead you in how to overcome the mountain of work and problems before you.  Let Him bring you rest and strength to prepare you for the battle of digging yourself out.  Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  In Christ is peace, joy, and contentment.  In Christ is all that you will need to conquer this world and truly live.  Won't you rest in Him, lean upon Him, and trust His ability to help you in any situation today?

Blessings,

Greg

Taking off the Mask to Reveal an Authentic Life

To say that today was a difficult day, would be an understatement.  I was scheduled to do an employee training today and the second part of the day focused on workplace violence.  Well our higher-ups devised a role-play to immerse our group in a workplace violence situation.  Let's suffice it to say that it was the most realistic and traumatic role play I have ever encountered.  I do not believe there was anybody in the room who did not fully believe the events that unfolded in front of us.  To make the role-play scenario as realistic as possibly the leadership involved used difficult information that we all were aware of and the trust we had in our leaders to draw us in and help us believe it.  They were most effective, which could be viewed as both a positive and negative thing depending on who you talk to.

For my part of it, I realized how much direct and intense confrontation, like the scenario displayed today, still terrifies me.  I do not like direct confrontation or anything that causes my friends or family pain.  I do not know how to deal with people going off and would rather run away and not have to deal with it than to stand and face the situation being presented.  Today was the first time in a long time that I had to deal with all the emotions involved in a confrontation situation like that.  I instantly felt sick, my heart was racing, and I began shaking, though not enough for others to see.  I was very familiar with the feeling because I had experienced it many times throughout grade school and in my life.

In responding as I did, a flood of memories directly related to conflict both in my family, friends, school, and workplace surfaced to my mind.  I was taken back to all the many times in my life that I had to deal with direct conflict and my reaction was the same most of the time.  I would avoid confrontation at any cost.  You see I hide behind a mask that projects that I am a very strong and powerful person filled with great comebacks and strength but the reality is I hate confrontation and would rather run and hide.  Realizing this about yourself is both difficult and sobering.

I am so thankful that we were in a safe environment filled with therapist and coworkers in whom I trust and respect.  I was able to deal with my emotions and reactions in a healthy way without judgment from those around me.  I felt encouraged in our shared distressed and knew that I could trust each one of the people in that class with anything I was experiencing or dealing with.

My God has blessed me with a job I love, people whom I respect, and a workplace that is safe because of the trust I have in my fellow coworkers.  I was able to see many of my friends and colleagues in a new light today.  I was able to see them at their core.  I honestly have to say that they were beautiful in their vulnerability.  All the masks came off today during this session.  They were real.  They were authentic.  Though not everything experienced was pretty or joyful, it was true.

The Lord helped show me through this experience how important it is for me take off the masks I wear to be fully authentic in my own walk and life each day.  I am who I am even if that person is terrified by certain things.  I will best minister and affect those around me by owning an authentic walk and life.  Life is not always pretty and sometimes we are dealing with stuff that is difficult.  The Lord showed me that we best honor him by living both our high and low times authentically because He shines brightest to the world in the moments we feel weakest and yet lean fully in Him.  "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." 2 Corinthians 12:10


Blessings,


Greg

Blessings Amid Pruning

Big Bertha last winter

It feels great to finally be able to lay down and enjoy the last couple hours of my weekend.  This weekend I had the pleasure of my parents visiting our home for the second time since we have lived in the house.  I am so glad that they were able to find time to come up and hang out with us.  My dad even brought up a pole trimmer so we could prune the huge oak tree in our front yard.  Both Dad and I realized very quickly that trying to saw limbs with the pole fully extended is quite a task.  We managed to cut down about a dozen small and medium sized limbs that drastically improved the appearance or "big bertha" as we affectionately refer to her.  We had a wonderful evening and enjoyed spending saturday with them also.  Saturday night, I helped my wife with some of her homework and then we were able to relax a little.  Today has gone by in a blur as we went to church, watched courageous, worked on some yard and house work, and then I was able to eat with one of the young adults from my church ministry.

Needless to say my week has passed by in a flash.  There are definitely times in life where I wish I could slow down time and just cherish the moments I have, especially when it is with family.  It is hard being an adult and living hours away from my family at times.  There is such comfort in spending time with the people whom you have known your whole life.  It is s wonderful to have peace in knowing that they will love you and accept you no matter what.  It is great to know that these people understand and accept you.  That they have known you since you were born and share more memories of your life than anyone else on this planet.  How nice it is to know that you can bring anything to them without receiving judgment.  

I know that not everyone has a family like this available to them and that helps me to cherish that much more the time I have with my family.  For those in Christ who do not have families like this, take solace in being fully accepted into the family of Christ.  We can find peace in knowing the Jesus will always love and protect us.  We have assurance that Jesus will teach and lead us in the right paths.  We can trust that He will always be there to give us strength in the hard times to encourage, strengthen, and uplift us.  We can find security in knowing that even when we feel pain as he prunes us, like I did my oak tree, that He does it for our good and does it for our health and growth.   We can know that He will never leave or forsake us.  We can trust that in our darkest of times, facing even death, He will be next to us to guide us and protect us.  We have a good, loving, and merciful God!  

I am so grateful for the loving friends and family I have in my life.  My God has been so generous to surround me with people in who I can trust and depend on.  He has given me a family through my church to help sustain my wife and I for the times we miss home and can't be there.  My Lord has most completely blessed me in my wife and the love and support she gives me.  I am so thankful for her love and the family that I have been given through my marriage to her.  My Lord has graciously provided me a job that I love and a boss who teaches and uplifts me daily.  It feels so wonderful to know you are appreciated at your job and to love the people you work with.  I do not deserve any of these many blessings that the Lord has given me and yet by His grace I have still received them.  

Trust in Jesus today and know that you will never regret it.  You have not known love till you have known Jesus.  You have not known grace till you have known Jesus.  And you have never truly understood or received forgiveness until you have known Jesus.  Trust in Him today if you have not before.  Lay your life at His feet, ask forgiveness for your sins, and walk passionately with Him till you meet Him in heaven. 

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is one many people know.  This passage so wonderfully lays out the beautiful love of our Savior and God.  I leave you with Psalm 23.  Please take the time to read it slowly.  Drink it in, swish it around in your mind, and let it sit there as you take in all the many facets and beautiful pieces of the passage.  

 ¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
 ²He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
 ³He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
   for his name’s sake.

 ⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
   I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.

 ⁵You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
    forever.

Blessings,

Greg

     

Heart Preparation from Sin's Winter Cold

When I woke up this morning it was cold and rainy. I don't know about you but my body is slow starting on a day like this.  It is completely unrealistic for me to expect that i will wake up and instantly be ready for the day when it is cold and wet outside.  I have to prepare for this kind of day properly to be able to function throughout it. It requires me to get up a bit earlier than usual.  I stand in the shower a bit longer than usual to get my temperature regulated.  I especially need a cup of coffee, on a morning like this, to engage the final start up process in my body and get my engines fully burning.   Can you relate to this?

The Lord got me thinking today about how unrealistic it is for me to also expect that i will fully be able to dive into prayer and worship quickly.   I mean think about it.  If I have been immersed in a cold and sinful world throughout my day or week, would it make sense for me to be instantly ready for prayer, devotion, or worship time?  No!  I need to take the time to reconnect with God.  I have to bring my heart's focus back on my creator and Lord.   Now how long I have to spend doing this depends on how deeply immersed into the world I have allowed myself to become.  But the point is, I will have to do it.

With the understanding that this is true, why do we get so frustrated when we aren't instantly in the zone with God in our quiet times?  Just like when I don't take the time to fully prepare for a cold and wet morning and pay the price, a lack of closeness with the Lord will be the result of me not preparing myself to rest in Him and know Him during my quiet time.  You may be saying about now that I don't know your crazy schedule and the small amount of time you have available for the Lord and you might be right but one thing I have learned is that I always make time for what is important including the time to prepare for the task I want to do.  Can I expect to cook a full meal without preparing the ingredients?  Can I expect my car to stay in good condition if I don't take the time to check my fluids, tires, and brakes?  Can I expect to share a deep intimate relationship with my wife if I never put any time into loving on her, learning more about her, and connecting to her?  Then why would it be any different with connecting to Jesus?

We live in a culture that wants everything done quickly and with the least amount of hassle possible.  We buy frozen skillet creations instead of fixing a meal ourselves.  We let the mechanic take care of our cars instead of personally tending to it's ?ime it takes to learn how to love them.  Then we wonder why it is so hard for us to connect to God.  We wonder why the Christian book we just read instead of the Bible still seems inadequate.  We wonder why little prayers with no depth or substance are not drawing us closer.

One of my favorite things about Jesus' relationship with His Father, was His desire to go off on His own to spend time with His Father frequently.  Every single part of Jesus' life reflected His relationship with His Father.  The Bible is very clear that prayer and knowledge of the scriptures was incredibly important to Jesus.  If this was so for Jesus, would it not stand to reason that it would also be necessary for us?  Before facing the temptation, Jesus fasted and prayed for forty days.  A fast is intended to be a time of sacrifice to grow closer to God.  Though Jesus was weakened and hungry physically, He had spent those forty days being strengthened spiritually.  Can you imagine the close relationship that Jesus shared during that time of fasting and focusing only on His Father?  Though He was the Son of God, He still made it a priority to spend time away from others and the world to talk with His Father.  

Now winter is upon us and we are all frantically preparing our homes and wardrobes for the cold.  As you do this, think about how you are preparing you heart to meet with God.  Think about how you are insulating your heart for Christ against the cold sin of this world.  Think about how you are putting on layers of scriptures to shield you from the bitter cold of temptation.  We live in a world that seeks to lead us to the eternal wintery torture of Hell.  Have you prepared yourself in the Lord to survive this world?  Are you trusting Him as your one and only guide?  Have you prepared your heart to only follow His narrow way?

Blessings,

Greg

Gasoline

(Disclaimer: This photo was not taken the same day as this story)

Today as I was out doing my errands for work, I ended up getting sprayed with gasoline while filling one of the mower containers.  I had not put the tip of the dispenser far enough into the container hence it sprayed everywhere when I pulled the trigger.  A pretty decent amount of gasoline covered my left hand, my left arm, and my left leg.  I was none to pleased, of course, and proceeded to figure out a way to remove it from my clothes.  I found that there was nothing I could do till I got home and could change to wash the clothes.  It turns out that it is easy to be covered with gasoline and yet difficult to remove it.  I noticed that the fumes from the gas were quite noxious and I ended up with a hurting throat by the time I made it home for lunch to change.  I had visible stains on my clothes and anyone passing by could immediately tell that I was not someone to stand close to.


When I was covered by the gasoline I was embarrassed because of the mistake I had made and worried about how people would perceive me.  The gas had soaked through my clothes in the places it had sprayed me and I had to also wash my skin to remove the substance and smell.  I could not just use soap and water to remove the gasoline.  I had to use a special soap to remove it from my skin and clothes.  While I had the gasoline on my skin and clothes I was a walking time bomb.  All it would take was a spark to severely hurt or possibly kill me.  All I could think about till I was out of the clothes was what would happen if I came across this spark or flame.

Isn't interesting that many of the parallels of gasoline work also with sin.  It is easy to get in to but hard to get out of.  It affects you body, mind, and soul.  It requires the Lord to remove the soiled parts of your heart for a deep cleaning.  It affects those around you and put off an aroma that typically repels them from you or in sin's case maybe entices them to you.  Sin invades your thoughts and clouds your judgment.

The Bible says these things about sin.  John 3:20, "For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed."  Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Jeremiah 2:22, "Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me, declares the Lord God."  Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  John 3:16-17, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."  Romans 5:8-10, "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life."


Sin is something we have all be covered with.  No one can remove it but Jesus, who has conquered all sin.  All we have to do is ask forgiveness for our sins and believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior and He will come in and cleanse us of our sin.  Though we are justified, which means we are presented as completely spotless and worthy of heaven before God because of Christ, it takes the rest of our life's to be sanctified, which is the Holy Spirit completing a continual work in us to bring us into a closer and closer likeness to Christ taking the rest of our life and only being completed upon our arrival to heaven.  I hope you will lay your sins at Jesus' feet today and trust Him to do a good work in you and produce spiritual fruit in you for the rest of your life.  If you choose to do this or choose to recommit yourself to Christ today, remember what Jesus said to His disciples at the end of Matthew about how we should live as followers of Christ, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."   


Blessings,


Greg