Praying the Prayer

I must admit that I have been very weak when it comes to the discipline of prayer.  Many times I have throw up little prayers to God each day in moments of need but I have been very bad about spending quality time with my Savior and Lord.  I also must admit that many is the time I told someone i would pray for them and I forgot to.  I don't intentionally miss spending time in prayer with the Lord each day and I believe that is the reason i have not been praying each day.  I have not been intentional in my prayer life.  This past few weeks I have been intentionally doing studies on the Bible and prayer.  I want this area of my walk to be transformed and I believe that my lack of consistent prayer life is one of the biggest detriments to my walk right now.

In the Bible, prayer is one of the main indicators of a close relationship with God.  The Old Testament prophets received the word of God directly from praying and seeking God's word for them.  The book of Psalm is essentially a large book of prayers mostly written by David, a man after God's heart.  You could always tell whether a king in the Old Testament was going to be Godly or not when you saw whether he allowed the high places of false god's stand or whether he destroyed the high places and proclaimed the kingdom only for the true God.  Jonah's life was literally spared due to prayer and many others also.  Jesus' ministry is marked by His moments of solitude in prayer, His followers desire to learn how to pray, and the prayers he gave on the cross.  The early church was known for their prayers and Paul's ministry was bathed in and ultimately guided by his answers to prayers through the Holy Spirit.

I think it is safe to say that the Bible puts a high priority on prayer.  Why is this?  Well for starters, prayer is the one way we are able to talk directly to God and receive word from Him.  Through our prayers we are able to both pray for our own provision and intercede for others.  The Bible is clear that many of us do not have because we do not ask.  Why is it that, even though we have direct access to God, and the Bible makes it clear that He wants to hear from us and to answer our heart cries, many of us choose not to pray?  Is it maybe true that most of us wrongly believe, though we would never admit it, that God is looking down on us from a distance (as the popular song written by Julie Gold in 1985 speaks about) and that He is not really able to answer our prayers?

I used to believe that praying was a gift.  Some people had the gift of intense desire to pray and communicate with Jesus and that most people did not have this gift.  The Bible is clear that prayer is not a gift but rather something every Christian should desire to do.  In fact, the Bible goes as far to say that those who don't have a desire to pray may need to check their hearts and make sure they know the Savior in the first place.

If you are like me and have struggled in your prayer life for many years, I hope you will change that today.  Maybe even let your first prayer be, "Lord, grow in my heart a great desire to come to you more in prayer.  Show me in your Word the importance of prayer and how I should pray to you.  Amen."  I highly recommend four points of help that have guided me in my pursuit of a more passionate prayer life.

First, I suggest you flip through the Psalms and when you find a psalm that you can identify with, pray it to the Lord.  Make the psalm your own prayer.  This is a quick a great way to begin praying consistently especially if you don't know what to pray.

Second, while you are praying through the Psalms, I recommend you camp out in Luke 11:1-13 where Jesus' followers ask Him to teach them about prayer.  Take the words of Jesus and apply them to your own prayer life.  Take the model prayer and break it down into what Jesus is saying in each part and then take each part (like glorifying God, Asking for provision, asking for forgiveness, etc) and pray it in your own words.

Third, I highly suggest taking the time to study what the Bible in general has to say about prayer.  There are many devotions, books, and resources on prayer in the Bible.  Also you could use something like www.openbible.info to find scriptures that speak directly to prayer.

Last but not least, I highly suggest you start a prayer journal.  By using a journal, you will be able to see what you have prayed and see how God has answered it.  Also, it is great for writing down all those prayer requests that you receive and then it serves to remind you of those prayer request so that you will never again tell someone you are going to pray for them and then not.

I hope through my own struggle with prayer and pursuit of a more passionate prayer life, your own prayer life might be ignited and/or enriched.  I thank each one of you who read this blog and pray for this ministry the Lord has given me.  I would love to hear and be able pray for any requests you have.  May the Lord bless you and may you gain a closer relationship with Jesus than you have ever had before.

Blessings,

Greg

Restorer of my Soul

I have to admit that I have been avoiding this blog for a while.  I honestly can't tell you why other than I have felt like I have been in a rut for a while.  I am still doing ministry, attending church, and leading chapel every once in a while at work but I have really been running on autopilot lately.  I have felt disconnected and disjointed.

Today was my week to lead chapel at work and I had really been wrestling with doing it.  To be honest, I really didn't want to do it.  I had not picked up my guitar in months and I had no idea what to do.  This morning I was really dragging half because of bad sleep and half because I did not want to face my responsibility.

As I sat in the shower, I mulled over what to do at chapel.  I finally came up with the idea of doing one of the videos from the book Beautiful Outlaw.  I decided to do the video on Trueness.  I decided to take my guitar and a few worships songs with my computer on the way out just to leave the option of doing worship available.  Then, probably for the first time since working at Selah, I decided to take the morning to prepare the chapel service.  I reread the chapter I was doing the video on, I watched the video, prepared questions, and put together a worship set that I even practiced before the service.

All of these things served to align my heart back on my Lord.  After finishing my preparations, I spent sometime in prayer.  It took me time to bring my heart back to where it needed to be fully focused on Jesus.  Once I reached this point, I had to take time to still my heart.  I sat on the porch when I went back up to the house.  The Lord fully calmed my heart through a gentle loving cat.  When the time came to for chapel to start, I was exactly where I needed to be.

Today showed me two things.  First, when you allow your heart to distance from the Lord, the road back takes time.  I had to take time to be prepared for the chapel.  I did not wake up on fire and ready.  It takes a lot longer to restart a fire from a cooling ember than to maintain the fire.  Second, that our Lord is gracious and good.  As soon as I brought my heart back to where it needed to be, He blessed me.  Truly He blessed me even more than I ever imagined He would today.  I could truly see Him moving and felt Him working both through the worship and the lesson in a way I had not seen up to this point in chapel.

I walked into doing this chapel with hesitation and the desire to take a break for a while after it to walking out of chapel filling recharged, reminded, and convicted of who I am and how ministry is part of who I am in Christ.  The Lord reignited my heart today because I open my heart and surrendered again to Him today.  Jesus said in each of the synoptic gospels deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.  I submit that this must be done daily because each day we choose whether to follow Jesus or ourselves.

If you have felt distant from Jesus lately, I hope you will take this moment right now to reconnect with Him.  Jesus is good and loving and has been waiting for you to receive Him again.  I hope you will choose Jesus today.  Let Him convict you of your sins, restore you back to right paths, and recharge you in your walk.

Blessings,

Greg iVey

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

Trail of Devastation

Me examining and trying to find anything worth saving in my sister's car, which I owned first, after a devastating F4 tornado tore through Union University in Jackson, Tennessee in February 2008.

Having a sister that survived a F4 tornado four years ago, I ask that you pray for all those affected by the tornadoes in these last few days.  You cannot imagine the devastation, the power, or the life changing turmoil created by these massive funnels of catastrophe, until you have lived through one.  I only partially understand the suffering the people who encountered tornados today may be experiencing, through eyes and stories of my sister.

I arrived at her campus just one day after the tornado tore through the town of Jackson Tennessee.  I have never seen cars crushed and smashed in such a way.  I have never seen walls splintered to pieces, roofs gone, and debris so scattered before. As we waited to get the few items my sister owned not destroyed by the storm, I looked at all the stone-faced and shocked people grouped together.  Most of the people I saw that day were numb and just trying to process whether the events of the last 24 hours were real or just a dream.

I praise God each day that He chose to spare my sister and the 1000+ others who were on the campus that day.  I have developed a greater love, appreciation, and closeness with my sister because of that event just four years ago.  She is so precious to me and through that event I learned to never take life for granted especially with the ones you love.  I have a small glimpse into what the people who lived through the tornado events today are going through and yet I know so little about how they truly feel.

Please pray for peace and comfort tonight for each person who experienced a tornado or is a friend or family member to someone who experienced a tornado in the last few days.  Please pray for provision for them.  Pray for loving support to surround them.  Pray that they would be able to find peace that passes understanding in their souls after experiencing something so incredibly frightening.

Blessings,

Greg

Walk as a Wise Man Today

One of my greatest struggles, is trusting God when a situation arises that will cost me time and/or money.  In these situations, I struggle greatly with showing grace and speaking love.  I experienced one of those situations today and like usual I spoke out of frustration and worry instead of speaking encouragement and grace.  Have you ever struggled with that?

In the Bible, it is made clear that we are to be very careful what words we speak in reply to trying situations (Matthew 12:37, Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 17:27, Ecclesiastes 10:12-13).  The Bible is also clear that we are to be gracious and loving to those involved(Matthew 5:43-48, 2 Timothy 2:25, Ephesians 4:1-16).  Knowing how we are supposed to act Biblically, why do you think so many of us struggle to live and walk this way?  It is easy to blame the devil and the world for our folly but the Bible also seems to be big on self discipline and self control (Proverbs 25:28, Galatians 5:22-23, 2 Timothy 1:7).

I do not write this to judge or chastise anyone who struggles in this area.  I am indeed one of them.  I do hope, in writing this blog, you can find the strength to over come your weakness but putting your full faith in Jesus.  I hope you will strive to change your previous behaviors and habits in hopes of demonstrating Christ to the rest of the world through your actions.  An important part of demonstrating Christ to the world around us include being able to apologize, to ask forgiveness, and seek reconciliation when you speak in anger and frustration to someone.

This is exactly what I had to do today.  I find it so hard to humble myself by asking forgiveness at times yet I feel so much closer to Christ each time I do.  He gives me the strength to apologize and He also gives me the tools I need to choose the path of the wise man the next time.  I know this blog is different than others I have written recently but I hope that it is encouraging and helpful to you all the same.  I hope Jesus lifts you up by helping you to walk closer in Him today.

Blessings,

Greg

It's a Boy!

The technology of the medical world, as it relates to pregnancy and birth, is incredible.  Today, we got to see a 3D ultrasound of our beautiful baby boy.  Yes, I said it, "A baby boy!"  How exciting it was as the ultrasound technician went through each anatomical part of our little boy.  It was incredible to see our child's little spine, the lobes of his brain, the chambers of his heart, and the many different appendages including the tell-tale appendage giving the gender determination.

As I looked at the incredible images of my developing child, I couldn't help but think of Jeremiah 1:5 saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart."  Each day God continues the delicate work of preparing my baby boy for life in this world.  He is intricately weaving each system into it's final formation.  He is with my child in the womb bringing him comfort and preparing him for the life our son is about to face.  Ultimately our baby was exactly as he should be and he weighed an ounce more than average for his week.




The ultrasound technician talked to us about one possible chromosomal condition though she thought it would be highly unlikely.  She said she had to tell us about it just in case and told us about a test we could do to confirm whether our baby had anything or not.  I sat there feeling a perfect peace because I have full faith in my God to take care of everything for our baby.  I know that He is in control and I trust Him.  I am so looking forward to the day I get to see my baby boy but until then I am glad that he is in good hands, the hands of Jesus, my savior and lord.  


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

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

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

Relational Breakdown

For most of my life, I have felt like a loner.  I have friends but most of them seem to be friends of convenience.  What I mean by this is friends at work, church, and through my wife.  I don't want to come across as cynical but I always feel like the friends I have are only there because of the shared connection.  I believe that I have come to this belief because of the multiple times this has been true in the many moves of my life.  I can count on one hand the friends I have in my life in whom I believe wouldn't change or disappear if I moved towns, jobs, or churches.  

I had a brief conversation at work today about one of my coworker's disdain for cars.  I made the case that cars were wonderful and that no one would really want to go back to walking and/or riding in a horse and buggy but she claimed that she would.  We continued the talk by discussing how going back to a horse and buggy time wouldn't be all bad because everything would've been much closer.  Our towns would shrink back to the horse and buggy radius.  You would only know a limited amount of people because of a limited travel ability and it would be necessary to depend on the people you knew because of these limits.

It is so hard for me to conceive of a time when everyone in a town knew everybody else.  I think for most of my life these towns have been disappearing.  With the telephone, the automobile, airplanes, and the computer, we have had the ability to travel and communicate in ways not really imagined by most of historic humanity.  Ironically in all this new found travel and communication breakthroughs most of us in the western world have actually reverted to a state of less personal and real communication and friendships.  

The distance has created more of an opportunity to not communicate instead of an opportunity to meet more people.  The cell phones, texting, internet, and more have seemingly created an impersonal form of communication that makes us feel connected and yet has succeeded to make most of our friendships superficial.  We find ourselves wanting to communicate through text, emails, and within massively multiplayer online role playing games instead of meeting people, calling people, or even picking up a pen and writing a personal message.  Many of us have become recluses from direct contact desiring to only develop deep relationships through a computer or cellphone screen.

The implications to Christianity, in my opinion, has been devastating.  Many of our friendships within the church are acquaintance level at best.  We no longer want to take the time to know how the person next to us in the pew is actually doing.  We have lost the community aspect of church.  We also have developed a great fear of deep conversation with another human being in the flesh.  The idea of having to go out meet people and tell them about Jesus terrifies the average church goer today.  

If Jesus, the disciples, Paul, and all the prophets of the Old Testament had been afraid of human interaction or having tough discussions, Christianity would not exist today.  Christianity requires relationships.  There is no other way to truly show another person the love of Jesus that resides within you.  If you find yourself falling into any of these traps that tend to pull you into yourself and away from others, I implore you to run to Jesus and pray that He open your heart to His will.  Paul said in Romans chapter 10:14-15, "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"

"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news," is taken from Isaiah 52:7.  The Bible always intended for us to tell the good news to others.  This was the original purpose of the Hebrews.  They were to be the people who would demonstrated God's glory to the world.  Jesus also came to demonstrate God's glory to the world.  Through these examples we can see the importance of us demonstrating God's glory to the world.  Though I do believe that texting, Facebook, twitter, etc can have a positive influence in evangelism, a direct personal relationship will always be the most effective tool for the kingdom of Christ.  Spending the time to share your life with another and live Jesus' love to them is ultimately the most effective way to touch a person for Christ.  So I hope you will turn off you computer, cell phone, and tv for a while, even if it means taking a break from my blog ;), and go out to spend some time with people in the flesh, and share the love and salvation Jesus gave to you.  Like in the picture at the beginning of this blog, you may be the one who has the opportunity to reach down and help a brother off the steep cliff they are struggling with.

Blessings,

Greg 

Sprained Knees and Christmas Quizzes

Today, I spent the better part of my day at home doing nothing.  Yesterday, I apparently strained/sprained my knee while dragging file cabinets up two flights of stairs to the new office at my work.  I knew something was wrong the moment I twisted it.  I still did some work after I hurt it hoping that I had just stepped wrong and that the pain would go away as quickly as it came.  The pain continued to escalate throughout the evening and by the morning walking was quite a chore.  As I slowly made my way in to work this morning, I did not want to tell my boss that I needed to get the knee checked out but I knew that I couldn't do another day of work like I had the day before on such an unstable knee.

My boss sent me to the doctor where I had the opportunity to wear a lovely hospital gown.  A sweet old lady came to take a picture of my knee and after that I was given the wonderful prognosis of a common knee sprain from the doctor.  The doctor was kind enough to give me work restrictions that touched on every duty I perform at my job.  As I went back to my boss and he saw that I couldn't do much, he sent me home for the day in hopes that I would feel better tomorrow.

So that is how I ended up cooped up in my house today.  I have to admit that being at home wasn't all bad since I was able to complete some rebates I had been meaning to finish, pay some bills, and work on the music selection for church on Sunday.  All in all it turned out to be a pretty decent day.  I tried to be as kind to my knee as  possible and am really hoping that it will feel significantly better in the morning.

This evening Mel and I led our young adult group.  We decided to talk with them about common family traditions they perform.  Our young adults told us about many traditions their families do including: getting together, eating ham and other wonderful foods, going to candle light christmas eve service, giving white elephant gifts, hiding a special ornament in the tree, alternating who reads the Christmas story each year, and more.  As they went on and on about the many things they do around Christmas time, it was easy to identify with many of the traditions they shared.  Some of their traditions reminded me of when I was young, others are traditions that I still continue today, and some where traditions I had never thought of.

We decided to finish the night off with a Christmas quiz that tested how well people know the scriptural account of Christmas.  I have to say that it is alarming how many things we think are true that we received from tradition and children's stories.  Many of the questions were quite difficult and I have to be honest and say that I did not do as well as I would've liked.  I was tripped up by both past tradition and a few trick questions.  I highly suggest giving the quiz an honest try and seeing how you fair.  I hope you get them all right but if you don't, there are scriptures to go with each answer so you can be better prepared next year or even for an upcoming Christmas party this year. ;D Here is the link for the quiz, A Christmas Quiz: Is it scripture or is it tradition?

Blessings,

Greg

Broken Past, Hopeful Future

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

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

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

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

Blessings,

Greg

Sheep, Goat, or Least of These?

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

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


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


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


Blessings,


Greg   

Plans for Good

Have you ever received a gift that is so precious you would protect it with your life?  Have you ever been faced with the prospect of losing that gift?  On top of that have you ever been in that situation, knowing that you had no control over whether you would be able to keep the gift or not?  Well that was my day.  The more precious the gift the higher the emotional stakes are when uncertainty happens with it.  It is awful wondering what the results will be.  It is awful wondering whether you will be able to keep the gift or not.  At times like these your learn real quick that the going ons of this life are completely in the hands of God.

There were two passages in scripture that I had to hold onto today as I faced the fear of loss and pain.  The two passages were Romans 8:38-39 which says, "I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord" and Jeremiah 29:11 which says, "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."  I don't know about you but I find peace and strength in the promises of God.  I trust the Word and lean on it fully.  I have put my whole heart, strength, and faith in God and He has never failed me.  

God provided me with peace and certainty amidst my fears today.  God gave me unspeakable joy as he lifted my heart and showed me that He truly does have plans of good for me.  I am so thankful for the many ways God shows himself to me daily.  I am so thankful that He is ever-present and working in my life.  I pray that each person who reads this blog would know the truth of Jesus Christ as Savior and have a deep and close relationship with Jesus in their heart.  If you do not,  accept Him today.  You will never regret it.  You will never be the same again.  You will have full peace and assurance from this moment on that the God and creator of the universe is on your side and loves you.  Will you let Him in your heart today?

Blessings,

Greg

Pray

Tonight, I am thinking of my best friend, his wife, and their daughter who leave for the mission field in Spain on Monday.  I ask that you remember all the many missionaries working to bring Christ to all the nations and peoples of the world.  I ask that you pray for their safety.  I ask that you pray for courage, boldness, and protection.  I ask that you pray for protection of the heart of each missionary from temptation, from disappointment, from burnout, and from fear.  I ask that you pray for each family member in the mission field, that they would develop a strong relationship in Christ despite the sometimes difficult circumstances they are in.  I ask that you pray for the marriage of each missionary in the field.

Most of all I ask that you pray for the hearts and souls of the more than 5 Billion people in the world who do not have a life changing relationship with Jesus.  We have an epidemic of "Christian" nations today where most people do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ or know what a relationship with Jesus Christ is.  We have an epidemic today of people walking into church worshipping Jesus and then living a life devoid of any witness for Christ the rest of their week.  We have an epidemic of people believing that only ministers and missionaries have the gift to tell others about the saving grace they have received in Jesus.

Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."  All followers of Jesus Christ are His disciples.  Jesus was not only speaking to the twelve disciples when He said these words.  We have all been commanded to live out these instructions in our lives.  The Great Commission is not a calling.  The Great Commission is not a gift.  The Great Commission is not optional. I ask that you pray that more Christians would live the Great Commission in their daily lives.  I ask that you pray to Jesus and honestly ask if you are living the Great Commission in your life.  Mainly, I ask that you just pray, "to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us."  Pray.


Blessings,


Greg