Finding Strength in Hebrews 12

Though it is not running, it was definitely a race ;)

I was talking with a friend today about life and how much it has changed since Sam, our one month old boy, has come.  I mentioned to him how exhausted my wife and I have been lately.  He related a story to me me of a nineteen year old he was doing ministry with who told my friend he was just exhausted all the time.  My friend said he just walked away from the nineteen year old because, like me, he has an infant also and knew that the nineteen year old had no concept of being tired yet.  Isn't it interesting how our perception of certain situations is relative to our experiences?

Before Sam was born, I would've told you that there was just no way I would be able to survive on 5-6 hours of light sleep.  Now I manage with about that much sleep everyday.  I won't say that I am excelling in this current stage of constant responsibility, inconsolable crying, and less than adequate sleep but I am surviving much better than I thought I would.  Isn't it incredible what the human body can endure?  Most of us are fascinated by the Olympics because of the stories of pain and endurance tethered with our amazement that these premiere athletes are able to perform feats no one has performed before.

The Lord has truly designed us to be incredible.  In all this exhaustion and stress, I am learning that there is one thing our bodies absolutely cannot survive without.  That is a relationship and connection with Jesus Christ.  I have found that spending time in the Word has been my greatest source of strength in this past month.  My days in the Word versus my days without the Word are starkly different.  I have peace, joy, endurance, and strength when I take the time to dwell in the Word each day.  Not because of the Word specifically but because of it's ability to help me develop a more intimate relationship with my Savior, Jesus.

I cannot honestly say that I realized or even understood my intense need for the Bible until I reached the point of high stress and shear exhaustion I have achieved with Sam.  In our struggles, we begin to understand our need for a relationship with Jesus.  Most of us cry out to Jesus when we hit the bottom.  Even most non-religious people cry out in prayer during their times of need.  Our souls are crying out for relationship with the creator and unfortunately it takes us hitting rock bottom to acknowledge our great need.

I can honestly say that I am thankful for the hardship I have endured to this point simply because of the great need it unveiled in my heart.  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."  This verse identify our need so well.  We need to lay down our sins and the things that distract us.  We are able to endure all suffering by looking to Jesus, "the perfecter of our faith."  We can completely trust in Jesus because we know we are putting our faith in a God who completely understands suffering and endured through it bringing us salavation.  Therefore, we can also endure all thing through our relationship with Jesus.  

I don't know about you but that gives peace.  It gives strength.  It builds faith.  It gives me what I need to not only survive but to find joy in living each day.  I pray each of you are blessed by this passage and I hope you find strength and endurance today!

Blessings,

Greg  

Road to Freedom for Proclaiming Christ in Spain

Our partners in ministry and fellow brother and sister in Christ who are already in Spain preparing to minister to the Basque.  Be sure to read the updates on our you caring site as the latest letter is from them.

This past week my coworker and I felled, trailered, and unloaded over 10,000 lbs of wood.  In order to move that type of weight, my coworker and had to move it one manageable piece of wood at a time.  If when I started work on Monday my boss had brought us to a pile of 10,000 lbs of wood and told me to make sure it is gone before the end of the week, I would've thought he was crazy.  I would have felt like he had given me an impossible task.

For years, I have looked at our debt and other hurtles keeping us from being missionaries to Spain and felt like they were impossible to overcome.  Through the past few years the Lord has been showing me His power to overcome and my need to trust Him.  Just like the wood, the Lord has been showing me that with hard work and perseverance my wife and I will overcome the obstacles before us and make it to Spain.  It is amazing the peace you feel when you begin to put your full trust in the Lord.

Many times we live our lives like everything depends on us.  As Christians, we are to trust the Lord for everything.  This does not mean we are to just sit around and wait for God to clear the way for us but it does mean that we are to move in faith that the Lord is walking before us leading, preparing, and clearing the way He wants us to go in this life.  The main theme of the Bible is that God wants us to put our complete faith and trust in Him.  The Israelites accomplished nothing on their own.  All of their great achievements were through the power of God.  In the New Testament, we see that Jesus chose to come down, live a sinless life, die, and rise again so that anyone who believes in Jesus might have salvation.  Our salvation, is completely dependent on what Jesus did for us because we were unable to save ourselves.  An authentic Christian walk requires each person to fully surrender their heart and life to God.

When we fully understand our need to put all our trust and faith in Jesus Christ, we are able to understand Paul's statement in Philippians 4:13 saying, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  It has been so incredible to experience the peace I have had throughout this pregnancy process.  I have complete faith that the Lord is in full control of the formation and safety of my baby boy.  Even when my wife and I have faced scares, I have found complete peace in Jesus and His power to protect my little boy.  Through this process, my faith has grown and I have come to the place where I too can trust the Lord to overcome my perceived huge obstacles to leaving for Spain too.

I am now no longer worried about the difficulties ahead because God has called us to Spain and He is capable to meet and exceed all our needs to leave for Spain.  So I am excited to watch the Lord move as my wife and I seek to boldly pursue international missions for Spain.  He has already been moving through the prayer, encouragement, and unexpected blessings.  We have raised $510 on the you caring fundraiser and it felt so good to be able to apply that money to our student loans, knowing that the Lord is going to continue to do even greater things!


Are there any roadblocks in your life keeping you from doing what God has called you to?  Are you using the excuse of money, time, family, comfort zone, or giftings as reasons why you couldn't possibly do what God is calling you to do?  Friends I pray that you will lay down all these worries, obstacles, and doubts at the feet of the Lord and trust Him to provide you with the ability to do what He has called you to do.  Matthew 6:31-33 says, "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."  There are so many verses on faithfulness and the trustworthiness of God my friend.  Check out Open Bible and just write one of these words and see all the verses linked to it.  It is such a great resource when you want to look up topical applications in the Bible.


Friends, we are going to Spain.  I don't know if it will be in a year or in five or more years.  All I do know is that the Lord has called us to minister to the Basque people with my best friend and his wife.  I know that the Lord will be faithful to clear all obstacles in our way if we remain faithful and boldly trust Him.  I know that the Lord is laying on some of your hearts to help us to be able to make it to Spain and possibly even support us monthly while ministering in Spain.  I pray that you would seek His guidance for what He would lead you to do in reference to our calling.  I thank you each so much for your prayers.  We have created a fundraiser through youcaring.com to help us overcome the first obstacle in our way, which is our student loans.  I hope you will check out our fundraiser at Road to Freedom for Proclaiming Christ.  If you can help us, great!  If you know someone else you believe would be willing to help us, please share the link with them.  If all you can do is pray with us as we trust God, wonderful!  Thank you so much for your support through this blog and your prayers.


Blessings,


Greg

Mark 4:35-40 Jesus Calms the Storm

Second attempt at a video blog.  It starts a little rough but gets better as it goes on.  I hope the Lord speaks peace in your life through it. Tonight's video is about Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4:35-40.  This passage has brought me a lot of peace through the years and I wanted to share some thoughts about it.  Also before watching the video I want to mention the youcaring.com fundraiser we created to help us make it to the mission field.  We have felt the Lord leading our hearts to international missions for some time now but have felt like it was impossible because of the student loan debt we have.  The Lord has continued to burden our hearts for international missions in particular the Basque people group of Spain.  Currently my best friend, his wife, and child are in Spain learning the Spanish and Basque languages in preparation of moving to the Basque region.  We hope to be able to join them sooner rather than later.  At this time there are absolutely no Basque speaking evangelical churches in the basque region.  We believe that if the Lord puts a calling on our hearts He will also provide the means to be able to answer His calling.  I pray that you will take a moment and check out this link.  I thank you for your consideration and ask that you seek the Lord's guidance in considering contributing to this fundraiser.  Thank you.

You Caring

20 Seconds of Insane Courage

Well I decided to try something different tonight.  I recored a video podcast.  I wanted to be able to speak to the viewers of my blog in a more personal way.  The reason I have not done a video podcast before this point is honestly due to fear.  Fear of what people would think and not knowing what to say.    Last night my wife and I watched We Bought a Zoo.  One of the quotes in the movie speaks about having 20 seconds of insane courage and within those 20 seconds you can accomplish anything.  Tonight I did just that.  I hope you like it and I would love to hear what you think.  I just want each one of you to know that I appreciate you.
  
Also, I ask that you consider and pray about helping my wife and I.  We have felt the Lord leading our hearts to international missions for some time now but have felt like it was impossible because of the student loan debt we have.  The Lord has continued to burden our hearts for international missions in particular the Basque people group of Spain.  Currently my best friend, his wife, and child are in Spain learning the Spanish and Basque languages in preparation of moving to the Basque region.  We hope to be able to join them sooner rather than later.  At this time there are absolutely no Basque speaking evangelical churches in the basque region.  We believe that if the Lord puts a calling on our hearts He will also provide the means to be able to answer His calling.  I pray that you will take a moment and check out this link.  I thank you for your consideration and ask that you seek the Lord's guidance in considering contributing to this fundraiser.  Thank you.

You Caring

Sharing the Gospel with my Wife

Today something happened in my life that was so profound and humbling.  Today, I shared Jesus with my wife.  It seems I got so caught up in ministry, following a calling, and reaching out to tell others about Christ, that I was surprised to find out that the most important place I needed to share the Gospel was in my own home.    There is no way I can truly explain what happened today and do it justice but my wife can and did.  She wrote a wonderful blog today about struggling in your walk for Christ.

If you have doubted your faith.  If you have ever wondered if the gospel was the truth.  If you have strayed off the the narrow road.  If you have felt that the Bible only offered judgment.  If you have ever just struggled with who Jesus is and what He is doing in your life, then I highly recommend you read my wife's blog tonight.  The link for her blog is Seeking the Secret.

Blessings,

Greg

After reading my wife's blog you will see the truth of our calling and our struggles also.  Living fully in obedience to the Lord and sharing His message with the lost is a passion we hope to live daily.  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 Year of Jubilee

Tonight, my wife and I decided to create a fundraiser through www.youcaring.com.  I have to say that I have struggled with creating this fundraiser for months.  For years now, we have felt the Lord leading us toward international missions.  My best friend and his wife are currently in Spain training to reach the Basque people group and I have to say that my heart aches to join my brother in ministry in Spain.  My heart deeply desires the freedom to follow the Lord's lead on our life.

Proverbs 22:7 says, "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender."  This verse pierces directly through my heart and I affirm it's truth with a resounding amen!  I have fully felt the weight of my slavery ever since completing school and beginning the process of paying back the loans my wife and I accumulated.  We have been paying on our loans now for about seven years and I am not sure that we have made much if any progress on them.  It feels as though they are a mountain that is slowly crushing me.  


I desire nothing more than for this mountain to be thrown into the sea.  I desire nothing more than to be free to serve the Lord completely.  I desire the ability to fully devote my life to reaching others for Christ.  The Lord has blessed my wife and I greatly by providing us with a great church and a young adult ministry.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to teach these young adults the Word each week.  I am so thankful for each opportunity I have to minister and proclaim the gospel of Jesus to others.  


Even with all these wonderful blessings, they pale in comparison to what my wife and I could do if we were able to devote our full energy to serving Christ.  We both have to work full-time jobs just to make ends meet and many times we come home exhausted.  My wife is a teacher and many times when she comes home, her job comes with her.  I can't tell you how many times my wife has worked through the night till morning grading homework, papers, and projects.  We are slaves to our bills and slaves to our lenders.  


James 4:2 says, "You do not have because you do not ask God."  Because of this verse, I decided to go ahead and setup the fundraiser.  I specifically decided to end the fundraiser on July 31st because it is the first day of school for my wife.  My hope is also that my wife will be able to stay home, if she chooses, with our soon to come boy.  It would be so wonderful for her to be able to choose this option if she wanted to and me be able to provide for all our other bills on my own.  I am not interested in raising the money to erase this debt on my own power.  If the Lord chooses to erase this debt, I want to be sure that I can not claim any part of the debt being erased.  It would take $60,000 to erase our school debt.  The idea of raising $60,000 tot in 2 months seems completely impossible but Jesus says in Luke 18:27 is, "What is impossible with man is possible with God."  


If I am to live completely sold out and devoted to God, I have to believe in the supernatural. I do not believe the Lord would call us to something and not provide us the way to follow His call.  I want every single step of my walk to be fully depending and expecting Him to supernaturally move in my life.  In encouraging the Philippians to trust the Lord to provide and be content he makes this comment in Philippians 4:19 saying, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."


Creating this fundraiser is the first step to fully trusting the Lord to provide.  Even if no money is given to this fundraiser, I will fully and completely trust my Lord to provide.  I will still expect Him to provide the open door to answer His calling to international missions.  I will trust Him to open the door at the right time, his time.  Though my heart aches so much to be with my brother in Spain walking side by side with him reaching lost souls for Christ, I will faithful trust the Lord's direction in my life, no matter what.  I will continue to live for Him, speak for Him, sing for Him, and share His gospel with others.  


Are you completely trusting you life to Christ each day?  Psalm 3:4-5 brings me such peace saying, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.^{" There is no peace outside of Him.  There is no joy outside of walking in  Him daily.  Do you know Jesus Christ tonight?  Have you believed in Him?  Are you looking to Him to lead every facet of your life?  You are never too far gone.  There is no sin you could have committed that would be too great for Him to receive you, forgive you, and welcome you into a relationship with Him.  I pray that you will seek Him today.  If you ever need to talk, have questions, or just need prayer, know that I am always available and you can email me at greg.ivey@me.com.}


The link for our fundraiser is youcaring.  If you would take a moment to look at the fundraiser, pray for the Lord's guidance pertaining to it, and share it with fellow friends who might be interested, we would be grateful. Thank you for your consideration. 


Blessings,


Greg 

Iron Sharpens Iron, Men

Tonight, I write a challenge to all men.  I challenge you to step up into the roles God has laid out for you.  Men it is time we begin to walk in purity and lead for Christ in our daily lives.  I believe it is incredibly important to be able to share an accountability partnership with another brother in Christ.  No matter who you are, I know you struggle with sin, temptation, and being the man God has called you to be in some way or fashion.

As in the relationship Jonathan and David shared, men are to count on each other, trust each other with their life, and be able to count on the other to help them through their struggles.  The phrase, "no man is an island" is so true.  Other examples of men working together to strengthen each other in times of struggle and empower each other to reach the world for Christ, is displayed in both the disciples and the many colleagues Paul had.

There is nothing like being able to spend one on one time in Christ with another brother.  My accountability partner and I love to go mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, and tackling essentially anything outdoors and adventure related.  During our time of adventure, we also get opportunities to check on our brother's heart, walk, and life.  There are so many things that God has taught each one of us that we are able to share with each other.  Many times though we promise to pray for the other trusting that the Lord will work through each struggle we face.

When men choose to make a commitment to develop a relationship of iron sharpening iron, an opportunity to change the world is formed.  When you have the support of a mentor, accountability partner, and/or brother in Christ, you can trust that you will be able to overcome anything this world can throw at you because of your relationship with Christ and partnership on earth.  There truly is strength in numbers and strength in shared experiences.

I know we as men tend to keep to ourselves and avoid any possibility of having to be open or vulnerable, especially with another man.  I hope, as men of Christ, we can humble ourselves enough to realize we need the help of other brothers in Christ to excel in reaching the world for Christ.  If you have any questions about how to do this, where to start, or why a partnership like this is worthwhile, feel free to email or comment me.  I would love to talk with you and share what I have learned through my own accountability partnership.

Here are some other great articles on accountability partners:

• Christian Accountability
• Men of Integrity
• Pure Intimacy

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

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

Faith or Works?

Faith or Works?

As I sat on the mower and mowed most of the property at my job today, I thought about faith and works, which our Christian community as a whole seems to struggle with.  Depending on who you talk to and what type of Christian faith they have been raised in, you will get a whole variety of answers about being saved in relation to faith and works.  Some say that faith alone without any other change in the person's life is all that is necessary to go to heaven.  Some say believing in Jesus is important but your works are what get you to heaven.  Some will say that being a good person is the only thing that matters.  You will even hear from time to time someone say that neither faith nor works matter because God is too loving to allow anyone to perish.


I am always perplexed by the shear magnitude of interpretations people can come up with utilizing the same Biblical text as their evidence.  In a world that is highly resistant to the idea of absolute truth, the world's contention is that each person is right to have and believe their own truth.  I personally believe the Bible wasn't created so we could all find our own separate truth and way to heaven.  I believe God created the Bible through men as a way for us to know the one way to eternity in Heaven.  Though many would disagree with this statement, I believe the Bible is perfectly created as a instruction manual on how to live life with God and for God allowing us to find complete joy and peace in God.


The main passages dealing with being justified in Christ through faith or works are as follows:  

• For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20
• For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Romans 3:28
• For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Romans 4:3
• And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. Romans 4:5
• You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. James 2:24
• For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. James 2:26

These verses represent the battlegrounds for many Christians who argue for why they are right about their belief on either side of the faith or works argument.  The problem with this is that James in no way refutes what Paul says in Romans.  He just adds to Paul's argument about justification.  James is not arguing against being justified by faith.  He is only saying that in being truly saved your genuine faith will produce works.  This can be seen as James speaks about true faith and fake faith in the full passage of James 2:14-26.

As I was thinking about this concept, the Lord laid on my heart an example of what James is talking about in terms we can understand.  Say I told my wife I love her and yet did not show my love in anyway.  I refused to encourage her, want to get to know her, have any desire to hang out with her, or allow her to get close to me without being repulsed.  On top of all this, I spent time hanging out with other girls, hugging everyone else I met, giving people praise, and always jumping at an opportunity to hang out and get to know other people.  

Now on the other hand, I tell my wife I love her and spend the rest of my life trying to learn new ways to show her.  I love spending time with her and learning about each facet of who she is.  I am happy to take the time to craft a wonderful expression of my love.  I am more than willing to announce my love for my wife on the nearest mountain top or park bench.  When people look at us together they can see how passionately in love I am with her.  


Though I said I loved my wife in both scenarios, which one do you truly believe to be real love?  The works are not what makes my love true but are in fact evidence of my true love.  It is in my actions that the love within me is visible to others.  So what James was talking about at the end of chapter two is the difference between saying you have faith and living your faith.  The works do not save you but they are a natural out crying of the genuine faith you have.  When you have true faith just like when you have true love, you just can't keep from living out the implication of this glorious belief inside you.


So just as Paul says in Romans you are indeed justified by faith alone but as James expounded upon your true faith will indeed produce works in your life.  So I ask you today.  If you profess to be a follower of Jesus and have faith that Jesus indeed is the savior who came to this world lived, taught, died, and rose again, can you see natural culminations of works in your life as an outpouring of this faith and love you have towards Jesus?  If not, I hope you will take some serious time to examine whether you truly know or have faith in Jesus at all.  If you discover that your faith indeed is genuine, then never let the devil keep you from living your faith daily.  If you discover that you have never truly known Jesus, I hope you will take a true leap of faith today and allow the Holy Spirit to work a true change in your walk and heart.


Blessings,


Another good resource on this topic is Are we Justified by Faith (Romans) or Works (James)?.  In the article on Carm.org the author goes much deeper in explaining the issue than I can.  

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

Being Prepared

Praise God; healing has come!  I have to say that the last few days were pretty brutal.  I honestly think the last time I had a fever was back when I lived at home with my parent, over 10 years ago.  I knew that I was really sick yesterday when my wife was hot in a sleeveless dress and I was freezing in a hoodie and jeans.

I felt much better upon waking this morning but I felt pretty good when I woke up yesterday also.  So I was careful to ease myself into work and pay close attention to how my body reacted.  I tried to go to work yesterday after feeling a little better in the morning and ended up back home curled up on the couch in misery by lunch time.  The moment I knew that I truly was on the path of recovery was when I ate lunch and desired a second helping of chips!  I have not been able to even finish half a sandwich, much less the chips, for the past two days.  I always know that something is wrong when I am not hungry ;)

I have a lot to do at my job and one of the pressing tasks is mowing the lawn.  After the fourth warmest winter on record, our grass is growing like crazy much earlier than usual.  I decided to mow today particularly because the zero-turn mower we use can be operated without much strength.  I knew this would help me get a lot of what I need to get done without completely exhausting me.

As I mowed the front yard of my business's property, I praised God for the ability to be outside.  I was so thankful to be productive again and so thankful for a beautiful day to return to.  Another reason I decided to mow today is because it is suppose to rain tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday.  I knew that if I allowed the grass to wait until Monday, our property would start taking the shape of a wilderness over a well manicured lawn.

In our lives, there are times when we can see storms coming.  When this happens, we have a choice to prepare for the storm or ignore the storm.  By preparing for the storm, we can minimize much of the damage or problems it could cause.  Yet by ignoring it, we can end up with a much worse situation than we could've predicted.  Like mowing the grass.  If I had waited, I may have ended up with swampy areas due to high rain, fallen trees due to high wind, and much taller grass due to water and sunlight.

Different examples of upcoming storms in our lives that may be preventable are: house repairs, car repairs, marital trouble, job issues, and/or family issues.  Many times we are given signs that any number of these issues are going to get worse if not attended to now.  We as Christians have to be careful by being aware of how we are living our lives and what storms we may be causing or walking into by our actions.  People are paying attention to how we live our life, which includes how we prepare for a storm and how we handle a storm.

As we look in the Bible, we can see that there are a whole plethora of scriptures that speak to us preparing for the storms in our lives.  There are hundreds of scripture speaking to how to handle money, relationships, jobs, friendship, and who to trust in.  By following these scriptures, we help to weather proof our life or at least minimize the damage from the storms that are sure to come.  Are you prepared for the storms that may be coming in your life and do you know who to trust as you go through them?      

Blessings,

Greg

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

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

My Beautiful Wife

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

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

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

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

Blessings,

Greg

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

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

Extravagant Beauty

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

An excerpt from Beautiful Outlaw articulates this so well saying

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

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


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

Blessings,

Greg

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

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

The Voice

Tonight, we watched The Voice and I have to admit that when i watch programs like that I want to audition to be on the show.  I have sung and played music just about my whole life.  I have dreamed of making it big since I was a little boy.  Unfortunately, I seem to have one big thing in my way.  I am to afraid to tryout for something like The Voice.  I don't know what scares me more, succeeding or failing.  Honestly, part of the reason I would love to do something like that and win is to be validated.  I want to know I exist and that I matter.

In the world we live in, we are told that we must succeed, stand out, or become famous to matter.  If you aren't on TV, a boss, a manager, a politician, or rich, you don't seem to matter in this world.  Much of this world seems to have the perspective that you are only worth something if you have something to offer them.  I know this may be generalizing but at times this feels true.

As a Christian, I know that my validation shouldn't be dependent upon the world's view of me but who I am in Jesus.  I struggle with this at times because I want so much to be accepted by and matter in this world.  Though I know I am making a difference in the kingdom for Jesus, I want worldly gratification too.  I constantly have to give the reigns of my heart over to Jesus because I have a tendency to want to be in the drivers seat.


Paul says in Philippians 4:11-13, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength."  Philippians 4:13 is very familiar to most of us but did you know that it is tied to a passage about contentment?  Does knowing this change your perspective of Philippians 4:13?  It does for me.  I find such peace in knowing that through Christ, I can be content in all things.  He is the one that will give me the strength.  


Though I still hope to have the courage to try out for something like The Voice one day, it will be for the right reasons and not my own glory.  I want everything I do to be for Jesus' glory and not my own.  If I were able to get on The Voice, I would be comforted in knowing that his grace gave me the voice to make it.  Perspective truly is everything and you can only have the right perspective in Jesus.  No tv show, news program, competition, raise, job, amount of money, fame, person, book, or movie can give you more contentment than Jesus.  


Blessings,


Greg

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

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

Frozen Creek

Snow Angel on ice layer above creek

Walking along on a frozen creek

Proof of our time on the creek ;)

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

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

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

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

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

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


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


Blessings, 


Greg   

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

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

Attacks of the Devil

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

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

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

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

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


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


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


Blessings,


Greg