Do We Still Seek What is Pure?

**As a note, I wrote this blog last night as a reaction to the Aurora movie theater killings.  This blog is what I believe to be a real and disturbing look into our present world culture and a majority of Christian culture also.  I apologize in advance for anyone I offend.  I decided to post this blog because I feel it is necessary for us to deal with things that are unsavory and against culture to help us develop a more authentic walk in Christ.  Please understand that I am not against watching movies or tv show, listening to music, or playing video games but believe that we have to be careful what media we participate in.  Also I in no way condone the actions of the Aurora killing or anyone who would act in those ways.**

In some ways, I am confounded by our nation's reaction to the Aurora shooting this morning.  Everyone seems so shocked by the ghastly set of events that happened last night.  No one can imagine why in the world someone would want to do such a horrible soulless thing.  "Movies are supposed to be all about fantasy."  "Why in the world would someone actually shoot people during a movie scene where people are being shot?"  "Do you think more or less people will now go because of the shooting?"  These are some of the comments I heard today.

I don't understand why we are surprised by the turn of events at the premiere of Batman: Dark Night Rises.  I don't understand why the world is horrified by these events. Isn't this what our culture wants?  Don't movies, tv shows, and news networks rake in large amounts of money from these very scenarios?  Some may argue that just because we like media about situations like this doesn't mean we want it to happen in real life.  I hope you will take a moment and look at the movies and tv shows that are coming out and have come out recently.  Do you see a trend?  Have you not noticed that the gorier the horror the more money and cult following?  Have you not noticed the more shocking and impressive the action movie is the more money and favorable reviews it receives?  Have you not scene tv shows, especially crime dramas, turn more sadistic and "realistic" to raise ratings?

I hope that many of you reading this blog tonight have been sickened by the current media selections and content way before today.  I hope most of you would concede that what we feed our heart and brain with does affect us.  "Garbage in.  Garbage out."  is not a new phrase.  It is not some new realization that we are just now stumbling on.  We have known this for millennia.

Let's take a walk down history lane of entertainment gone awry.  The roman coliseum, which we are all very familiar with from the movie Gladiator.  Public corporal punishment and tortures of the middle ages.  The witch trials.  The spanish bull fights.  Cage Fighting.  Public hangings in our not to distant history.  The western duals.  Many of the events I just mentioned are looked on with contemptibility and horror and yet we call them entertainment if shown in a movie or tv show.

I don't know about you but I can't stand people who claim to be one thing and yet live lives completely contradictory to what they claim.  Isn't that what we are doing though?  How can we, who with bated breath wait for the next ever darkening installment of a movie series such as the new Batman and Hunger Games, be anything but untouched by events like the such of this morning.  We crave this violence on the movie screen.  We crave to be entertained by death, darkness, depravity, anti-heroes, profanity, sex, shock, and horror.  How can we expect that everyone who watches these things will not be effected by them?  How can we be shocked by someone doing exactly what they see on the tv and movie screen?  We can't.

One of the people who was in the theater in Aurora last night said, "I don't ever want to see anything like that again."  Do you think this incident will stop him from seeing the final installment of the Batman trilogy?  Maybe for a while but probably not.

We are immersed in a culture of depravity and half truths.  We are inundated with media convincing us that evil is not completely evil.  We have been brainwashed to believe that being exposed to artificial murder and sociopaths does not perpetuate murder and sociopathic behaviors.  Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is time to wake up to the reality that what we put into our heart will color what we think, how we live, and how we act.


We must guard our hearts.  I am not just speaking to movies and tv shows but also music that is not soul affirming, news programs that constantly show dead people just to prove they are dead, games, and so much more.  We must move past the naivety that we are unaffected by these things.  We must begin to stand up for things that are right and true.  Philippians 4:8 say, "Finally, 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."
If we used this verse as a standard for all the things we want to listen to, watch, or participate in, I suspect we would spend a lot less time in the world and a lot more time in the Word.

Wake up beloved!  We have to stand up for Christ.  We have to live boldly and passionately for Jesus and that can not look like the world.  Jesus is completely counter culture.  In fact if you find yourself fitting in a little to snugly to culture, I hope you would step back and reevaluate your walk with Christ.  We are to live differently.  We are to live in a bold quest for complete truth.  We are to live a life sold out and completely focused on Christ.  If your really honest, could you say that this describes you?

I hope you will take the time to examine your heart, especially what you have been putting into it.  I hope you will pray for the many peoples lives who were instantly changed by last night's events, including the gunman and his family.  I hope you will pray for a revival of hearts and minds in this world.  I pray we would send a message to hollywood, the tv networks, music artists, gaming companies, and internet media that we will no longer stand for the media that is damaging and destroying our nation.  I pray that our lives would reflect Jesus' love, grace, forgiveness, and compassion.  I pray that we, Jesus' beloved, will stand tall and strong in Him and will begin to live an authentic reflection of Philippians 4:8.

Good and Perfect Gift

I have learned in the past four days that sickness is an excellent reminder of the blessings of good health.  I have by no means enjoyed the snotting, the coughing, the chest pain, the body aches, or the nights of little if any sleep.  I have especially not appreciated the missed work days and missing the class I am taking.  In these times I feel so useless and broken.  I wonder if I will wake up healed or if the sickness will become worse.  With my wife being pregnant, I do my best not to infect her though I want to hold her and feel comfort by having her close to me.  Needless to say, I do not like being sick.

The thing is though that in my sickness I am dependent upon healing and comfort from God.  Yes we have doctors, medicines, home remedies, and more to help our sickness heal but ultimately our health is in His hands.  This was never more true than last night when I could feel my heart beating out of my chest due to the cold medicine I took.  I had taken this medicine in the hopes that it would give me sleep not keep me awake most of the night wondering if I was going to die.

Now I do have to admit that at times I have hypochondriac tendencies and that in no way helps to comfort your mind as you lay in bed feeling your heart beat through your chest and in your arm.  I finally got up and called the pharmacist to see if what I was experiencing was normal or something that needed medical attention.  He assured me that my symptoms where normal from this drug and that it would stop as the medicine wore off.  Well three and a half hours later at around 2:30 in the morning I think I finally fell asleep only to be awoke at 7:30 for my first full day of work this week.

Last night I had no other option but to trust God with my life.  When we are healthy and life is good, work is going well, and the bills are getting paid, we have this false assurance that we are in control of our life.  It is amazing how a simple cold can remind us of the humbling reality that our lives are in God's hands and that we are fully dependent upon His grace to continue sustaining our lives.  Psalm 39:4-6 is sobering saying,
⁴ 


4 O Lord, make me know my end
    and what is the measure of my days;
    let me know how fleeting I am!
⁵ 5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
    and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah
⁶ 6    Surely a man goes about as a shadow!
Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;
    man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!


James 4:14 says, "Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." 


I do not speak of these things to be morbid but to remind us of the wonderful blessing of life and health.  Each day we wake up is a blessing from God.  Each day is an opportunity to reach a life for the kingdom.  Each day is an opportunity to praise the one who has given you life.  Though I am still healing from the cold that started a few days ago, I have been reminded to appreciate the blessings in my life.  In James, it speaks of every good and perfect gift coming from God.  This evening the thought crossed my mind that even sickness could be considered a good and perfect gift if it directs your heart back to a love and dependance on the sovereignty of God.  Food for thought. 


Blessings,


Greg

Don't Relax in Your Faith

Today I had the day off because my wife and I both had doctor's appointments we needed to go to with only one car.  I also have to work this weekend so my boss wanted me to take the day off to break up the schedule so I wouldn't be working 10 days straight.  I am so thankful that I had a break today because my back had really tightened up last night and I needed a day to allow the muscles to let go and allow me to do my job to the best of my ability.

After my wife and I finished all of our doctors appointments, I decided to take a muscle relaxer to help encourage my back to return to normal.  I know that a muscle relaxer can make you drowsy but I was not prepared for how drowsy I would feel the rest of the day.  A couple hours after taking the pill I decided to take a nap but I did not want to wake up after taking it.  I felt an intense desire to sleep.  I literally had to force myself to get up and start moving.

The rest of my evening has been one long struggle to stay awake so that I can get normal sleep tonight.  I definitely do not believe I will be taking a muscle relaxer during the day again even if I am off work with no where to go.  I do not like the feeling of my energy being drained from me.  I also do not like having to focus to keep my attention on things.

As I sit here still in my muscle relaxer stupor, I can't help but think about how my walk with Jesus feels like this sometimes.  Sometimes I struggle to stay close with Jesus.  I feel like I have no strength to walk in Him.  I feel like my mind focuses on everything but Him.  Have you ever been there?  Has the distraction of work, school, holidays, family, friends, tv, and music caused you to struggle in your walk with Christ?  Have you ever considered that maybe like my muscle relaxers these things are used by the devil to lull you away from a passionate walk with Jesus?

Unlike the muscle relaxer, the devil only has power over us when we give it to him.  We allow ourselves to walk off the narrow path.  We allow ourselves to be distracted by the many things of this world.  We take our eyes off Jesus.  The devil cannot make us do any of these things.  As followers of Jesus, the devil has no power over us.  James 1:13-14 says, "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire."


We allow ourselves to be pulled away from Christ.  We allow the devil to have power over us.  1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."  As I had mentioned in my blog yesterday, we already know that we can do all things through Christ in Philippians 4:13.  The power we have against the devil is fully shown through John 16:33 where Jesus tells the disciples, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."  


So if you are sleepily struggling in your faith, take heart because Jesus can help deliver you from any struggle you are facing.  He is strong enough to deal with any situation you find yourself in.  He is strong enough to overcome the devil's hold on you.  Just completely trust and lean upon Him (Proverbs 3:5).  Put your complete faith and assurance in Him and He will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:6).  


Blessings,


Greg

Holding Hands to Share the Heart of Christ

On my way home for lunch today, I heard a story, on Klove, about a couple who had been married 72 years dying from a car accident.  They had both sustained severe injuries from the accident and were put in the ICU at the local hospital.  The nurses put the couple in the ICU room together and as their children got there they saw their parents holding hands.  Their kids recount how this couple had loved being together and dearly loved each other their whole lives.  The man died a little first and the son recounted that his father had stopped breathing and yet the heart monitor was still beating.  He asked the nurse why the heart monitor was still beating and she said it was because the heart beat of the wife was beating through his hand and being pickup up by the equipment.

As I felt the joy of love and brokenness of loss all at the same time, the Lord laid on my heart how we are all to be like this to those dead in sin around us.  Many times we try our best to stay away from the sinners around us because we are afraid that we will be tainted or brought down by them.  Jesus said the opposite should be true though because we are to be the ones to go out and make disciples and we are the ones who are to be the light and salt of the world.  How can they see and experience the beating heart of Christ unless we share it with them?  We have to love them and share our heart for Christ with this dying world.  It is by doing this that the Holy Spirit can come in repair and restart a sinner's soul for Jesus.

Have you been sharing Jesus with others?  Have you been loving the sick, the sinners, the hurting and holding their hand in the struggle of life.  Have you been showing them the love of Christ that is in you?  Or have you been keeping Jesus' love to yourself?  If you have been hiding Jesus' love, maybe it is because you are scared of what people's reaction will be.  Maybe because you want Jesus' love all to yourself.  Maybe because you do not realize the power of the Savior's heart beating in you.

I once saw a skit where a person on stage received Jesus' love, which they could hold in their hands.  At first they admired it, held it close, and cherished it but when someone else came along they decided to share it.  When they shared Jesus' love, the love of Jesus that the person had shared became almost bigger than they could carry.  As each person went on to share the love of Jesus, they would slowly walk off the stage with their hands overfilled with Jesus' love.  This continued on for three or four people and each person who shared the love of Jesus ended up with the love they had been given being greatly increased.  The final person in this skit to receive the love of Jesus loved it so much that when the next person came along they decided not to share it.  After the last person, who had not received the love of Christ, left the stage, Jesus' love disappeared from the person's hands who had hoarded it.

The point of the skit, as I'm sure most of you realized, is that the love of Jesus can only continue to grow in you when you share it with others.  Jesus said in Mark 2:17, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."  We have to meet people where they are.  We have to love them both by telling them about the saving grace of Jesus and by meeting their needs.  By extending out a hand of love to the hurting world around us, we will be able to share the most important thing we have, which is the beating heart of love and salvation through our wonderful Savior Jesus within us.


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

Kingdom Sorrow from Apple's Loss

Yesterday the world lost a truly innovative inventor, leader, and visionary.  For those of you who love Apple products, you know who I'm talking about, Steve Jobs.  When I saw the paper announcing his death this morning my heart sank for two reasons.  First, I worry about whether Apple will be able to continue to create excellent and innovative products with Steve Jobs gone.  Second, and more importantly, my heart hoped that Steve Jobs knew Jesus Christ when he died.  Upon reading the article on his death, I discovered that he in fact was not a Christian but a Buddhist.  My flesh mourned for the loss of a man who has transformed the digital world we live in and my soul mourned for another lost soul for the kingdom.

In the next few days, weeks, months, and possibly years the world will lift up the many accomplishments and innovations that Steve Jobs amassed in his lifetime.  He will be remembered as the father of Apple, the father of the iPod, the Father of iTunes, a corporate hero, the modern day Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, and much more.  Unfortunately though, He will not be remembered as a follower of Jesus.  Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."  By Jesus' own words, none of Steve Jobs accomplishments will matter one iota at the doorstep of Heaven.  The only thing that will matter is whether Jesus knew and had an intimate relationship with Steve.

The only reason I am writing this blog is because we have to remember each day that no matter how many accomplishments a man has amassed in this world, he can never walk through the gates of heaven without knowing Jesus.  We want so badly for the good and nice people around us to somehow make it into heaven without us necessarily having to tell them.  Many of us secretly hope we are wrong and that buddhist, muslims, hindus, and everyone else will make it into heaven anyways for just believing in something.  The unfortunate and sobering truth is that Jesus professed only one way for someone to get to heaven and that is faith in Him.

We all are human.  We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  We all are unable to save ourself's and there is no way we can ever do enough good to tip the scales in our favor at the Kingdom gate.  We all need Jesus, every single one of us.  We, who are followers of Jesus, have the one and only truth.  We know the Bible supports this claim.  We must begin to share our Savior with the world.  Peter says in Acts 10:34-35, "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right."  


We are surrounded by a world who is dying without Jesus Christ.  Many have not heard.  Many who reject Him are being put on pedestals by the world.  Many do not care to know Him.  Many have never truly been offered the truth about who He is and what He can do.


We should pray for the family of Steve Jobs.  We should pray that they will be comforted and be able to grieve this tragic loss.  Most importantly, we should pray that they would learn of the saving grace of Jesus and find full peace in Him.  We should pray that the world would realize that the greatest accomplishments of Apple are nothing in comparison to the works of our Savior and God.  We should pray that somehow many people could come to know Jesus even through an event such as this.  We should pray that Christians hearts would be broken everywhere for the tragedy of another lost soul for Christ and that we will each be compelled to live our lives brightly so no others would fall away without having the opportunity to hear and know Jesus intimately. 


We hold the light.  We are the salt.  We are His beloved.  Let's boldly share Him today amidst another loss for the kingdom of Christ!


Blessings,


Greg

Who is on Your Heart Throne?

Have you ever discovered that the days you try the hardest to be perfect or keep your thought life pure is the very same day you stumble the most?   I have been experiencing these ups and downs since watching the movie Courageous.  I know that James says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds" but I wish that the trials didn't increase at the very moment you begin to work on walking more like Christ.  One thing I have discovered, is that much of the time when I experience stumbling, it is because I am trying to walk rightly on my own instead of allowing Jesus to perform a sanctifying work in me.  


Why is it then that I seem to struggle so much with allowing Jesus to change my heart and life.  Why do I constantly live like I need to rise above my sin and accomplish perfection on my own?  I know the answer to this question, which is my sinful nature is trying to walk as if I am my own God instead of acknowledging my need for God and inability to live rightly without God.  I know these things to be true and yet I still struggle with letting Jesus have complete reign of my heart. 

Have you ever been there?  Have you ever punished yourself for the many sins you commit each day and your inability to be pure for even a minute, let alone an hour?  Have you ever felt unworthy of being a follower of Jesus because of how often you stumble and because it seems to be an incurable condition?  Each one of these actions is due to your sin nature and temptations of the Devil.  Becoming a Christian, does not make you instantly pure and sinless like Christ but allows Jesus' purity and sinlessness become your covering, which allows you to be admitted into heaven through Christ's atonement on the cross.  Let me simplify that for you.  When you become a Christian you become a sinner saved by grace not a person who is now sinless and will never struggle with sin again.  

I find it enlightening the way Paul, in Galatians, talks about this battle in reference to our need for the Holy Spirit.  Paul says, "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."  In order to walk a more sanctified life we have to, "walk by the Spirit."  Only through doing this can we expect to see a change in our behaviors, thoughts, and actions.  Paul puts it this way in an earlier part of Galatians saying, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."     

So each morning we have to remember to rely completely on the Holy Spirit to help us walk in Jesus each day.  Every time we try and put ourself before the Holy Spirit, we will continue to stumble.  So let Jesus have full reign of your heart's throne today.  In your surrender to Jesus, the fruits of the spirit, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control, will begin to grow and flourish in you.  Also the sin that plagues you will continue to make you stumble less.  I do not believe you will ever reach a state of perfect sinlessness in this world but the Holy Spirit will continue to bring you into a closer walk with Christ daily till the day you do become perfectly cleansed and sinless upon your arrival into heaven.  


I ask that you also pray for me that I would lay down my life daily so that it is not I living but Christ living in me each day.  I want each of you to know that I am so thankful to be able to share with you each day.  I continue to hope that through my struggles, and the lessons the Lord teaches me through them, you may be blessed, encouraged, and strengthened in your own daily walk with Christ.  

Blessings,

Greg  (www.realchristianwalk.com)


P.S.  I wanted to share with you all another beautiful Indiana fall photo today. I hope it brings you peace and joy.  :)

Remembrance of 9/11 and Christ

Day 34, September 11, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings,

Greg

My 365 Day Struggle to Know Christ; Day 17, belated

Day 17, belated, August 26, 2011

Hey everyone.  Sorry for the absent blog yesterday.  Yesterday was a rough day.  I woke up feeling flu-ish.  I almost past out upon getting out of bed and going to the bathroom yesterday morning.  Though I did not lose consciousness, I did lose my strength to stand and ended up on the floor with my dog curled loving next me.  I knew that things were not okay when as I went to the floor my dog was instantly at my side caringly making sure I was okay.   I tried to see if I could jumpstart my body into feeling better by taking a long hot shower to no avail.  I ultimately spent four hours at 2 different doctors, one was the urgent care to diagnose what I had and the other was an orthopedic walk-in clinic because of pain I had been experiencing in my back due to a hard week at work.  I then spent the rest of my day curled up on the couch healing.  Needless to say that yesterday was not my best day. 

Have you ever noticed that when you are sick other aches and pains that were small before now feel enormous?  My back had been bothering me due to a particularly strenuous couple weeks at my job and when I woke up yesterday that pain had magnified greatly.  So after going to the urgent care, I decided to check and make sure I had not hurt a disk or something like that in my back.  The doctor assured me that my back was fine and that I was probably just experiencing muscle pain and tightness.  She prescribed this wonderful anti inflammatory for the pain and the pain in my back felt much more manageable after taking it. Before I was able to feel some pain relief though, I had to go to the pharmacy to get the drug.  I found that by the time I got to the pharmacy I was in so much pain that I was swaying back and forth while waiting to put in the order for my prescription.  The interesting thing about my back pain was that as long as I moved it was tolerable.  The moment I stopped, sat down, or laid down it became unbearable. 

Have you ever had pain in your life that was unbearable in the stillness and silence?  Sometimes we keep ourselves busy with jobs, task, errands, social activities, tv, movies, video games, music, and outings to keep from having to deal with the pain we feel in our souls.  We don’t want to take the time to sit down and truly have to come face to face with what is causing our pain.  Maybe our pain is due to a broken relationship, an addiction, being buried in debt, a loss, a medical condition, or maybe just distance from Jesus.  In John chapter 16, verse 33 Jesus says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”  Jesus says these words after explaining to the disciples that he would be leaving them soon.  To fully understand verse 33, it helps to hear verses 20-24, where Jesus explains what it will be like once he leaves. Jesus says,

Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.  When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.  In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.  Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

We all know that in this world sorrow, pain, death, sickness, and brokenness happen due to the curse on this world and the sin in our hearts.  Isn’t wonderful though to know that we who are in Jesus have put our trust in the one who has conquered the sin and pain of this world.  On top of that we have the ability to have a relationship with Jesus where we can pour out our hearts to Him and He will answer our heart’s cry that our joy may be full! 

In 2 Corinthians 12:9 it says that Jesus’ power is made perfect through our weakness.  So through our sorrow, sickness, brokenness, and pain Jesus’ power is perfected because his power can be seen through us as he takes our weakness and overcomes it for His kingdom.  We have a wonderful and mighty God folks.  He has overcome this world and he desires to make our joy full in Him.  If you are constantly on the move trying to stay one step in front of your pain, struggles, and/or weaknesses today, I humbly implore you to stop, fall to your knees, and lay them all at the feet of Jesus today.  Most of you know Matthew 11:28-30 very well and it says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  We have a wonderful, gentle, caring savior who is there for us even on our lowest of days.  Would you come to Him today?  Take it from me, He is completely trustworthy and fulfills all his promises.  So experience healing today.

Blessings,

Greg