Opening the Box (Proceed with Caution)

In a time where abortions are an everyday norm and aborted fetuses are picked through and sold for parts, this blog called, Opening the Box (Proceed with Caution) from a dear friend in Colorado is a refreshingly beautiful picture of the sanctity of life, the simple faith of the redeemed, and the loving grace of a God who is sovereign and good.

Read the beautiful words of a heart exposed, which reveals the faithfulness and glory of God in the sufferings and joys of this life.  I pray that you will read this blog and that it will warm, encourage, and remind your heart of steadfast truth.  If this blog blesses you, share it with others who may have experienced loss, need to be reminded of the beauty of life, even in the womb, or need assurances that God is indeed good and working throughout our sufferings and our greatest joys.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”  Jeremiah 1:5

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 

Hope Unquenched. Hope Undeterred.

My glowing pregnant wife and I

There have been many times in my life when I have not understood what the Lord is doing.  I have spent many hours wondering if I made wrong choices or missed certain callings.  Did I not listen to Him as He led?  Was I supposed to take another direction?  Did He lead me here to this place or is He just making the best of my own mishandling of His will?  For those of you who believe in complete sovereignty, I am sure you are saying that I am exactly where I should be because I can never be outside of God's sovereignty but there are times I just don't know.

Me and close brother in Christ

I feel so very deeply in my heart that my life should be immersed in active, full time ministry and missions.  My every moment should be lived reaching, teaching, and preaching the gospel of my Savior to the lost and the fold.  My heart desires to be in Spain with my brother, his wife, and their daughter to sweep the nation of Spain for Christ.  My heart desire to sing His praises at the top of my lungs with the fullness and completeness of my soul.  I am never more at peace than when I am in direct ministry for my Lord.  I have never seen my wife more at peace than when I am leading for the Lord and we are sharing in ministry together.

My wife and I ministering to migrant children

For the past couple weeks, my wife and I have been taking birthing classes.  As I consider this tiny life that is about to be here in our arms, I consider who I am and who I want to be to my child.  I spend hours thinking about the witness I am going to give to my son and future children.  Will he see a man who was 100% sold out for Christ or a man who always desired to be 100% sold out for Christ?  Will he see a father who loved and led his mother with the love and leadership of Jesus or will he see a man who never quite loved his mother the way the Bible leads me to love her?

Worshipping on a youth trip

I look at the debt we have acquired through student loans, mortgage, car loans, and more.  I keep wondering how we are ever going to climb out of this debt we are in.  We have worked hard to climb out of poor financial choices made early in our marriage and yet we have so much farther still to go.  I want so much to live in full time ministry and yet there are so many times that I feel I will never escape this burden I'm buried under.  Am I using this burden as an excuse or is this burden being used to teach me complete faith in Him?

Me with a couple of the horses at my job

I don't in anyway want to minimize the many amazing things God has put in my life.  I am so thankful to be at the job I am at.  They have been a life saver to me in the way they have loved me, taught me, and enabled me to be a part of ministry while also learning service.  I am so thankful to have remembered what it means to truly worship again through my job.  I feel like I have been able to worship freely and completely before Jesus for the first time outside of the piano in my home through leading chapel.

My son Samuel

I am so thankful for the unexpected blessing of a young adult ministry I never even dreamed of.  The Lord has blessed me with young adults who truly want to live for Him.  I have been so inspired by their commitment to learning and growing in their walks with Jesus.  I have been blessed by the conversations I have been privileged to have with them.  I have been touched by getting a glimpse of the mighty way God has been working through each of them.  I have been challenged by the opportunity to touch hearts that are distant from Him.

Oh the family pictures of yore

I am thankful for a church that honors God in their music, their preaching, and in their love.  My wife and I have had a hard time finding a church that met our needs since we moved here.  I am thankful for what we learned from each church since we have moved here but my wife and I have been missing out on the love and fellowship of people in our life station.  It is so wonderful to relate with someone who understands where you are and being able to also share a common love of Jesus with them.  I have enjoyed learning, fellowshipping, and growing throughout the short time we have been at this new church.

My wife's family

Finally I am incredibly thankful for my wife, who is carrying our son, and the wonderful love she has showered over me.  I shutter to imagine what my life would've been without her.  She has made me a better man in Christ through her strong faithfulness, love, and grace.  She is going to be the most wonderful mother to our child and I am so thankful that we are embarking on this adventure together.  I am also thankful for the wonderful brothers in Christ the Lord has surrounded me with.  I never believed that I would ever meet a friend who loves me the way these brothers do.  I honestly never believed brothers like this could exist but God showed me His love through them.  I also am so thankful for a Godly family that prays for us, encourages us, and actively loves on us.  I would not be here to day or even writing this blog if it were not for my family.  They raised me in the truth of Jesus and are the ones who laid the foundation for me being the man I am today.  I can't imagine my life without each one of these dear people that constantly remind me of the love God has bathed me with.

My wife and I with my best friend and his wife

I want to end this blog praising God because He is surely good!  I am thankful for every opportunity I have to proclaim His name and I am hopeful that one day I will have the opportunity to minister for Him in full-time ministry and missions.  I look forward to the day that I will get to minister next to my brother in Christ in Spain.  I look forward to the opportunity to preach and worship within a church the Lord has lead me to or given me the opportunity to speak in.  Until the day these hopes come to fruition, I will continue to be faithful to Him daily.  I will continue to be thankful for each opportunity He gives me to grow, to lead, and to minister.

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

Easy Yet Extreme Changes

Original room

Beautiful floor hiding underneath

There goes the border

I've never painted a ceiling

Ceiling done.  Now onto the walls and so much more ;)

Whats in a change?  This week change has been prevalent on my mind.  I have constant change at work as I get to do a whole plethora of new tasks and adventures daily.  My wife is growing our boy in her belly and I am seeing the wonderful changes involved with pregnancy.  This weekend my wife and I decided, on a whim, to do an extreme makeover on our bedroom.  Also, my life and walk with Christ is constantly changing and growing daily.


With change, sometimes we experience heartbreak.  Other times, we experience inexpressible joy and peace.  You never know what you are going to get with change.  Most of the time you will not know the outcome of change until you, well, change.  Some people are mortified of any type of change, while other people can't imagine a life without change.  Isn't interesting how wonderfully different each of us is.


The main reason that change has been on my heart in the past few days is our extreme makeover of the bedroom.  First off, I have never attempted such an ambitious project.  Second, I did not expect I would be doing so much work this weekend!  Third, I am anxious with anticipation to see the finished product of our labor.  Our extreme makeover has involved ripping up the carpet to expose exquisite wood flooring underneath, mopping said floor, preparing the room for painting, picking the colors, and executing a well orchestrated color palette involving both the walls and ceiling.


I have to say that this adventure has involved many new challenges and yet it has been exciting.  It is so amazing that such simple changes as removing the carpet and applying a new coat of paint can transform a plain room into a restful retreat.  As Christians, we too can make significant changes in our life with small changes in our heart.  Following Jesus wholeheartedly is both the easiest and most significant change we can make in our life.  Though the world tries to convince you that following Jesus is a difficult choice, it truly is as easy as allowing Him to enter your heart.  See the truth is that Jesus does the change in you.  You only have to let Him in.


In the Bible it says in Revelation 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."  When we open the door to our hearts and allow Jesus to come in He begins to transform our lives.  Matthew 11:27-30 says, "All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.  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."  Through such a simple change, Jesus will come in, forgive your sin, teach you his ways, and give you rest for your soul in Him.  If you have never accepted Jesus as you Savior, I hope today would be the day.  


I am always here to pray for you.  I would love to answer any questions you have.  I would be glad to share more scriptures about who Jesus is and how He can change your life.  For those who already know Him as Savior, I hope you will continue to check the door of your heart to make sure you have not closed any part of it to Jesus today.  Remember walking in Jesus will result in constant change and growth.  You wouldn't want to miss out on the extreme makeover He is doing in your heart.


Blessings,


Greg  

Primary Fear

As most of you know this year is election year.  For those who are staunch republicans, I sure many of you have been watching the GOP primaries, debates, and news about the candidates closely.  There seems to be more at stake in our nation than ever before.  We seem to be at such an important cross roads where so many good and bad things could happen by the decisions our leaders make in Washington.  I think most would agree that this is no ordinary election.  Who wins and what they believe matters.

I have tried very hard this year to learn about the GOP candidates and even the president.  I believe it is important to vote and to be informed.  I have to say though I have been greatly discouraged by the candidates I have to choose from.  This GOP race and presidential election have a line from Courageous running through my head saying, "Where are you men of courage?"

What happen to the men of character?  The men who believed in their country and stood solidly in their belief of Jesus.  Where are the men who are connected to all the people of our nation not just the rich or the poor?  Where are the men who have lived the life of the average American and the men who understand the true needs of the people?  Where are the men who are not owned by the many interest groups of the world but live with integrity and are willing to go against the grain for their convictions?

All of these questions are on my heart when I look at the current political landscape of our country but also as I look at the religious landscape.  I believe that the movie, Courageous, is both timely and an essential must see in today's climate.  We live in a world that is reaping the results of cowardly and absent men.  We are living in a world where the devoutly Christian man with integrity, honor, passion, and fervor seems to be an endangered species.  I am afraid until we regain these Courageous men in our areas of leadership that the world will continue this downward spiral.

I pray that courageous and honorable men would stand up and fight for position in the world again.  I pray that they would fill our congress, statehouses, and churches.  I pray there would be a revival and change in this world for Jesus.  I pray that we would learn to live and work in unity again under Jesus Christ's reign.  I pray that the devil's grip on this nation would be destroyed and fall away.

Please take this blog post exactly as it is.  Not as a political argument.  Not as something meant for confrontation or judgment.  Not as something to disparage our country.  This post is simply the cry of my heart for a leader I can depend on and believe in.  A desire for men I can be proud of as leaders of our country.  My prayer is that we would become one nation under the one and only Christian God again.  My prayer is that we would receive the blessing of God again and be a blessing for God to the world.  This is my desire, hearts cry, and prayers.

1 Timothy 3:1-4, "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,"

Blessings,

Greg

Intricately Formed in the Womb

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

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

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

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


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


Blessings,


Greg

Protection from the Cold of Sin

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

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

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


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


Blessings,


Greg  

A New Year. A New Focus

This year so far for me has been one of chaos, stress, and tough decisions.  I have to admit that I have not handled it great and I have honestly wanted to hide in my bed instead of face the world a few times this month.  I'm tired, my mind is swimming with the many decisions and issues in my life, and I have had trouble focusing on the daily things I need to accomplish.  So far it has not been my year.

It is interesting though because even in all the craziness that has been my year so far, something significant has happened.  I have had to completely and fully depend on Jesus to get me through.  I am constantly dwelling on His strength and seeking His direction in the struggles that I am facing.  At night, I come home and take time to rest in His word and who He is.  In the morning, I give my day to Him and face the day relying on Him fully.

Though I have not enjoyed the many difficult challenges I have faced so far this year, I have found strength in leaning on Jesus throughout it.  All in all I would say that my year has been pretty good because I am learning to lean on Jesus daily.  I hope that this will become a habit that I will continue everyday because I have found that I can face anything when I depend on Jesus.

My wife and my life are on course to change drastically this year and I hope that through the many new changes we will be encountering, I can lean on Christ for everything.  Where is Jesus in your life?  Is He walking with you daily?  Do you depend upon Him for your strength and direction?  I hope in this new year you will follow Jesus only.  I hope He will lead you to a life of victory as you walk in strength through His guidance.  Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Blessings,

Greg

Careful to Walk in His Path

Today my wife and I had to make a tough decision to leave the church we were attending.  There seems to be lessons that the Lord teaches you that are not instantly understood.  Today's choice was difficult but the right one and had been coming for a while.  We leave our church with hopes of blessings and growth for them.  We have appreciated our time there and will cherish the memories of the wonderful way we were ministered too and loved on.

I know many of you may be asking why would leave if we feel this way.  The answer is that Jesus is moving us somewhere new.  I honestly don't understand completely but I do know that His will is best.  I completely trust in His ability to bring us to a new church that will meet our needs and grow us in a new way as we encounter a new stage in our lives.  I look forward to the church He is going to lead us to as I mourn leaving the church we called home for almost a year.  Though I do not always understand the directions of Jesus, I hope that I am in His will and following the direction he has for my life as I lead my family.

Whenever you feel the Lord leading you in a new direction, do not hesitate to follow Him.  He is good, kind, and faithful.  He will not lead you astray and you will only bring heartache upon yourself in choosing not to heed His will.  We all know what happened to Jonah when he chose to defy God's will.  I ask that you pray for us as we begin the process of seeking the church that the Lord has for us.  We want to be careful to heed His will in this matter and land exactly where He wants us to be.  I thank you all for your prayers and, as always, would love to know how I can pray for you.

Blessings,

Greg

The Reason for the Season

Obviously not the reason for the season but a great picture of my dog with a new toy at Christmas when she was a pup :)

Don't miss the reason for the season. This time of year is not about gifts, food, or even family. This season is about remembering the precious gift that was given to us in Jesus coming down to earth to save us. Don't lose sight of this wonderful event. If you have never recognized Jesus as savior and worshipped in the true glory of this season, accept Him into your heart today. You will never regret it. He will fill the hole in your heart and bring you a peace and joy you have never known. Trust him and truly know him today! Merry Christmas.

Blessings,

Greg

Prayers Appreciated

My wife and I are dealing with some extra struggles lately.  Tonight I just ask for your prayers.  I want you all to know I appreciate each of you following this blog.  Some day soon I hope to be able to share the events of our lives in the past months.  Suffice it to say that we appreciate all the prayer you can muster.  No matter what we face, we know that God is good and with us.  Our full faith is in Him and I know he never fails.  Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Blessings,

Greg

Resting in Christ

A picture of the beach in Florida by Jim Ivey

Tonight my body hurts all over from the end of a five day work stretch, which involved heavy lifting and moving, painting a room, and many of the other weekly task I perform.  Needless to say, I am really looking forward to my day off tomorrow.  I hope that I can be productive by cleaning up the house, finishing up gifts for Christmas, and especially taking a little bit of much needed relaxation and healing in Christ.  I know it seems that hard work develops the muscles, stamina, and character that makes us stronger but actually without rest none of these can happen.

Both the medical world and the Bible support this idea.  The medical world has done experiments and discovered that we actually grow muscle when we are resting not when we are actually working out.  The work out itself actually creates micro tears in our muscles and while we are resting is when they are repaired and made stronger.  In the beginning of the Bible we see God creating the world and after he finished creation he decided to rest on the seventh day.  If the God of the universe who needs no rest decided to rest on the seventh day, wouldn't you think it would be wise for us to do the same?

In the world we live in many of us take no time to rest.  We continue to go on and on slowly working ourselves into a shambles.  Many of us are over stressed, over worked, over tired, and under appreciated.  This is especially true for those in the ministry.  It is incredible to me that people in the church believe their ministers should respond to their every beck and call.  A minister is just like any other person and needs time with their family, time to relax, and time to develop their relationship with Jesus.

We all need to take more time for our God, ourselves, and our families.  I know many of you could give me a million reasons why you couldn't possibly take a day of rest and I'm sure they would all seem like perfectly sensible reasons.  My question to you is: do you really want to get to the end of your life when you finally realize how precious your time and life were and regret all the times you chose not to take care of yourself and your family?  If we are not taking care of ourselves mentally, physically, and spiritually, how can we expect to fully live to our full potential?  Living to our full potential in Christ requires each of us to take the time to heal and recover from the demands of this world.

I hope you will take some time to heal this week.  Sit down and breathe without fully guilty because as you do you are honoring God design for you.  Spend some time in the never ending, overflowing, completely refreshing living water of Christ.  Like my blog Painting My Heart a Fresh talked about you need to allow the Lord to heal and repair the damage you have done to yourself.  Let him smooth away the stresses, demands, and disappointments of this world.  In Christ you will alway have what you need to live this life to the fullest in Him.  All you have to do is take the time to allow Jesus to renew you and refill you with all you need for those six other days of the week.

Blessings,

Greg

Painting My Heart A Fresh

For the last three days, I have been painting a room in the place where I work to refreshen it to make it a new office.  First off I have to admit that it has been a long time since I last painted a room and it was not at a place I worked.  Painting a room at your job is quite a different task than painting a room at home.  I wanted to be sure that I did everything as professional as possible.  Painting a room this way involves many steps.  Each one is essential to producing professional results once finished.

Working on a room at a professional level requires quite a bit of heavy work.  Painting a room involves a lot of taping, mudding, sanding, cleaning, painting primer, painting the color, and possibly painting another coat.  As I did each task, I thought about how the room of my heart looks and the work that is needed to make it fresh again.  I am sure that my heart is filled with marks, holes, scratches, cracks, and more.  I would even venture to say the walls of my heart have probably been sprayed with layers of graffiti.

Each one of these blemishes requires quite a bit of time and hard work to repair.  In Ezekiel 36:26 it says, "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."  To me this says that God will take the room of my heart and make it new.  Through Jesus your heart becomes as if it is new and perfect instantly allowing you into heaven through the grace of Jesus also called justification.  The Holy Spirit continues the hard work of repairing your room and to bring you into the likeness of Christ called sanctification.  This is a long process and is one that is not completed while you are alive but there is such peace knowing that the Holy Spirit is constantly working in you. 


The Holy Spirit has so much work to do in my life.  There are so many ways that I don't look like Jesus.  I am a work in progress.  I'm not even sure the Holy Spirit has made it past the mudding phase especially since I keep putting new divots in the wall.  Though I have so much farther to go in my pursuit to walk like Christ, I find peace in knowing that the Holy Spirit is not done with me yet.  I am a work in progress and everyday through the work of the Spirit I become more like Jesus.  This doesn't mean I won't have my days of absolute failure but it does mean that I will never without the saving grace of Jesus or the renewing power of the Spirit.  In these assurances, I rest.


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

Sufficient Indeed!

You know, pain is a funny thing.  Pain can affect you emotionally, spiritually, and physically.  Sometimes pain can be to much to bear and other times pain can be something tolerated for a lifetime.  Pain can be caused by our own actions, the actions of others, and the actions of no one.  Pain is something none of us wants to experience and yet we are united through the pain we have all carried.  


I have suffered from a lot of pain in the last few years in the form of tendonitis and tight muscles.  Much of my suffering has been difficult for my doctor to fix.  I find myself managing the pain by dealing with it till the point that I can no longer handle it.  Some of my pain has been with me for more than half of my life now.  Other pains I have experienced, have lasted only short but intense moments.  


I have begged and pleading, like Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, for God to remove these thorns from my flesh and yet I feel like I have received the same answer Paul did, "My grace is sufficient for you."  I have to admit that I have not wanted to accept God's answer at times.  I don't want His grace to only be sufficient.  I want to be healed.  But I have realized the danger and error of these thoughts.  Without God's grace, my state of pain doesn't matter because ultimately I would never be with God.


It is easy for me to only focus on the pain I am experiencing and forget about the pain the Trinity has endured from me.  Jesus died on the cross because of my sin.  The Father can't even be in my presence in my sin  And I know that I have grieved the Holy Spirit in the addiction of my sins at times.  I can't even imagine the pain and betrayal God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit must feel each time I sin.  My pain is nothing in the grand scheme of things.  


Does this make my pain it any less real?  Does this make it any less intrusive?  I would say no but there is a peace and assurance that come from knowing that I will not experience this pain for all of eternity.  In Revelation 21:4 it says, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."  Even Paul who asked for the thorn to be removed from his flesh said this in Romans 8:18, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."


If you are feeling pain tonight, no matter what kind, know that there is hope.  Know that it is temporary.  Know that there is a place where it will be no more.  As far as I know, there is no promise that we will make it through this life without pain as Christians.  Even Philippians 4:13 which says, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me,"  promises we will be given all the strength we need to handle this life but does not promise it will be easy.  So also know that the Lord will always, always, always give you the strength to handle the pain even if He sees fit to not remove it from you.  I exhort you to hang in there, trust Jesus, and know that God's grace truly is sufficient for all you will face in this life.  I hope in this you will find peace.


Blessings,


Greg

Broken Past, Hopeful Future

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

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

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

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

Blessings,

Greg

Through the Eye of the Needle

Today I had to take our cats at work to the vet to get their vaccinations. In order to get the cats to the vet, I had to put them in cardboard boxes and tape the tops. Gilbert, our male cat, spent the whole drive meowing loudly and trying to escape through the hand hole in the side. When we finally got to the veterinarian, I opened up the box and Gilbert just sat there quietly in the box while the vet gave him his shots. I then closed the box again and Gilbert proceeded to begin meowing again and stuck his head out of the hand hold again. When we got back to my work, I took the box out of the car, put it on the ground, and took the top off. Even with the top off Gilbert tried to get out through the hand hold. He did not realize that I had made available to him an easier way of escape even when I petted him on the back. Ultimately my coworker pulled him out of the box and Gilbert finally was able to run off to freedom.

This got me thinking about Jesus' comments in Mark 10:25 about it being as hard for a rich man to get to heaven as a camel going through the eye of a needle. Maybe when Jesus was saying this he wasn't saying that it is impossible for a rich man to get to heaven but that most "rich people" will, like Gilbert, try to get to heaven worshipping God and the world instead at the same time instead of just letting go of the world to fully have Christ. In relation to Jesus' day most of us in America would've been considered rich.  In this world, most of us want to have our cake and eat it to.

We see how difficult fully following Jesus can be for the rich in the story of the rich young ruler just before Jesus spoke about the camel going through the eye of the needle.  Though the rich young ruler was a good and moral man, Jesus asked one more thing of him for the rich young ruler to be His follower.  Jesus asked the ruler to sell all his possession, give them to the poor, and then come follow Jesus.  In this passage the rich young ruler sadly left Jesus and was never mentioned in the Bible again.  Though I do not believe Jesus asks each of us to give up all we own, I do believe he ask that we live knowing that everything we own is His.  He has the right to demand for us to get rid of all we own if He chooses because He is the one that blessed us with our family and possessions in the first place, which is evident in the book of Job.

I believe this why Jesus taught the principle that in losing your worldly selfish life, you will find your full life in Him. There is nothing in this world that can compare to the worth of heaven and being with God. When we try to have all this world and eternal life offered by Jesus, we are essentially telling God that the eternal life with him, that He has offered us, is not sufficient or good enough for us. It is in letting go of this world and giving our complete devotion to the ways Christ that we showJesus that all we want is Him. It is not that Jesus made it difficult to get to heaven. It is that we want to get to heaven through the little hand hold with all our stuff instead of the huge open top with our lives completely surrendered to the one who gave us salvation.

Blessings,

Greg

Sheep, Goat, or Least of These?

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

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


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


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


Blessings,


Greg