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

Here Comes the Boom

Tonight, my wife and I watched the movie Here Comes the Boom.  Here Comes the Boom is about a teacher who decides to fight in MMA fighting to try and raise the money needed to save the music program and music teach at the school he teaches.  I personally am not a big fan of MMA and UFC fighting but in this movie I was moved in a way I didn't expect.  We live in a world today that does everything to strip the masculine from the man.

Within this movie, one of the MMA teachers quotes Genesis 32:24 while sitting down to dinner with other fighters.   He tells the story of how Jacob wrestled with God all night even to the point of receiving a dislocated hip and because of his tenacity, he received God's respect.  Through watching this movie, I was reminded that men are designed to be warriors.  I am not saying that all men should engage in MMA or even that you are not a man if you are unwilling to fight physically.  The fight men were created to be a part of is the fight for what is right.  In Here Comes the Boom, the main character has to do this through actual fighting.  

It does not matter if you consider yourself a fighter or not.  I am here to say that I believe all men are engaged in a battle everyday.  The enemy has done an excellent job providing distractions, diversions, and lies that keep us from realizing the fight we are in.  I contend though that all men are in a battle every minute of their lives.  Paul says in Ephesians 6:12, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  No matter whether you are a Christian or not, every single man on this planet is engaged in a battle.  

We are in a battle for our souls and the souls of those around us.  Why do you think that movies like Gladiator, Braveheart, Remembering the Titans, Saving Private Ryan, Die Hard, Rambo, Here Comes the Boom, and so many others elicit such a strong emotion within almost every man's heart.  We were meant to fight.  We are meant to be engage in a battle for good.  Many of the most passionate men in this world have found a passion worth fighting for whether good or evil.  Living for Jesus Christ is not something that is supposed to signify only going to church each sunday, wearing a suit, saying a prayer before a meal, and trying to live with more integrity than the next guy.  Living for Christ demands that you give your whole life over to him and live such a passionate warrior life for sharing his gospel that you are even willing to give your own life if necessary.

Greater love has no man than this, that he would lay down his life for his friends John 15:13.  Many men today wouldn't lay down their life for Jesus, more less their friends, family, or anyone else.  Selfishness and pride may bring success in this world but it will most certainly bring death in the next.  WWI and WWII are wars that many men still love to learn about.  Why? Maybe because  it was about men who were willing to sacrifice everything for righteousness, for justice, for freedom.  Isn't that what America used to stand for?  Isn't that why we used to be the best country in the world?  Our values used to be centered on God on Christ.  

Men I encourage you to take an honest look at your life and ask yourself who you have been living for.  Having you been ignoring the assault on your soul and the loved ones around you or having you been waging war with the enemy and your own sinful heart to bring truth and the gospel into this lost and dying world?  Have you been hiding behind the tv, video games, pornography, sports, job, music, cars, and more as an escape from having to truly live as a man of integrity that can bring change to the world around you?  Are you seeking the easy money, easy job, easy life, and easy choices over doing the hard things that set a man a part for Christ?  

I personally struggle with all these things each day.  There are many days that I feel as though the warrior has been all but beat out of me.  I feel weak.  I feel tired.  I struggle for purpose.  During these times I reach out to Christ and His scripture.  He gives me strength.  He reminds me who I am.  Like Peter, he reminds me that I can be the rock on which He is building the church.  Like Paul, He shows me that I am never too far gone for Him to transform me into a warrior for his kingdom.  Like Jacob, he wrestles with me to remind me who I really am and why I was created so I can rekindle the fight He instilled in my soul.  

We need to rekindle our warrior souls.  We need to revive our fight for righteousness in Christ.  There are so many things in this world worth us standing up and fighting for.  Men we need to fight for our sons.  We need to fight for the purity of our daughters.  We need to fight for the lost souls around us.  We need to fight for those locked in slavery with no voice or way to freedom.  We need to fight for the orphans who have never known what it feels like to be loved.  We need to fight for little girls, young ladies, and women who have been sold into sexual slavery and prostitution.  We need to fight for the billions starving and dying due to lack of food and medicine.  Yes, men there is many things in this world worth fighting for, even dying for.    

The tagline in the movie poster says, "No one will fight for his students like Mr. Voss."  No will fight for all these aforementioned people like you.  WIll you allow Christ to show you the man he created you to be.  I hope this blog inspires you and compels you to get out of your seat and get into a cause.  Here Comes the Boom for Christ!

In Christ,

Greg Ivey

Striving to be a True Man

This past week I turned thirty years old and upon entering a new decade of my life, I took some time to survey the last decade.  As a man, husband, and now father, I have struggled with my role and responsibilities as a leader of my home.  I have not been the top money earner most of our marriage.  I feel like I have dropped the ball as spiritual head of the household more times that I would like to acknowledge.  I also have not always been the husband I should've been or even wanted to be.  To be honest, I have much room for improvement.

Tonight, we watched the movie Hope Springs and I was convicted by some of the marital issues dealt with in the movie.  Though I did not start my marriage well, I would like to get to the end of my life knowing that I loved my wife and children well.  Everyday truly feels like a battle.  There are so many distractions in life seeking to steal our time, love, and attention.  There are so many excuses of why not to lead well, love well, or work hard.  I don't want to be one of those men with a laundry list of excuses for why I was not the man I should've been.

I spent the last year of my life striving to live differently than I had before.  I have worked hard to be faithful in my job, faithful to love my wife well, faithful in preparing to become a dad, faithful in pursuing ministry, and faithful in writing this blog.  I can tell you that there have been many days that I failed at each one of these pursuits and yet there were many more days where I held true in being faithful.  Throughout this time of growing into the man I am suppose to be I learned that I cannot become that man without seeking the one who created me.

How can I truly understand who I am as a man if I never seek the God who created men?  How can I truly understand what it means to be a husband unless I learn from the one who created marriage?  How can I truly understand what it means to be faithful in accomplishing the task before me unless I understand what Jesus accomplished for me on the cross?  The answer is that I can't.  In order to become the man I want to be, I have to seek Christ.

Unfortunately, as men, many times our downfall is that culture tells us we have to become men on our own and we believe them.  The stereotype is that men never need to ask directions.  We also fall prey to the stereotype that we don't need anyone correcting or reproofing us.  Men are capable of overcoming any struggle, situation, or problem, on their own.  We are man hear us roar.  Sadly these lies are exactly why so many men have no idea what it means to be a man of Christ.

Contrary to popular belief, becoming a man requires the humbleness to be teachable.  Being a true man requires the willingness to submit and even fall to your knees in seeking direction from God.  Being a true man requires loving those around you in a way that breaks your own pride while healing the hearts of the ones you love.  Being a true man requires admitting your mistakes, asking for forgiveness, and turning from your area of folly.  Being a true man is hard.  Being a true man requires courage.  Being a true man, like Jesus, is probably the hardest challenge a man will ever face and yet being a true man is what we are all called to be.

As I enter this new decade of my life, I will strive to be a true man in Christ.  I love the movie Courageous and believe that all men should have to watch it.  I believe that the men in Courageous have figured out the path of being true men.  I have included the closing speech of Courageous because I believe it lays out so well what it means to be a true man in Christ.  I pray that if you are a man who is reading this blog tonight, that your heart would be stirred to be the man outlined in this speech.

Blessings,

Greg  

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

Following God Even When You Struggle

Following the river where ever it takes me.

Last night my wife and I sat down to dinner and talked about a calling to international missions in Spain.  We talked about our friends who our there, the people group we are going there to reach, and where our hearts are right now.  As we examined our own hearts, we realized that we have a long way to go in our walk with Jesus.  There are so many things we need to be doing and we always feel we could be closer to the Lord.  The thing that I have been realizing lately is that many people in many different stations of life including missions, ministry, and lay ministry feel exactly the same way.  The fact is that each Christian is a sinner saved by grace and each one of us will have our failures, temptations, and weaknesses in our Christian walk.

The real question is does this make us any less a child of God or any less able to serve as a child of God?  Well if our Christianity relied on our works or a consistently perfect relationship with Jesus, then I would say that many of us would be ineligible for in service for the kingdom of God and in imminent danger of hell.  The beauty of Jesus Christ is that our salvation rest solely on His actions.  We have been saved because He died with our sins on Himself and then rose again with the keys to hell because He lived a sinless life.  Our only input into the equation, is our repentance and acceptance of the salvation Jesus offers us.  "For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son so that whosoever believed in Him would have everlasting life."  John 3:16.    

So our Christian walks are completely hinged on the powerful works of Jesus.  Paul put it this way in Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."  Knowing this we can walk in strength because Jesus lives in us.  When we walk in Christ and fully trust in the grace He has imparted to us, we are able to find strength in our daily walk with Him.  In John 15:5 Jesus say, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he that abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing."  Even our love comes only from Him as is shown in 1 John 4:19, which says, "we love because God first loved us."

I hope that each of you will know that even in your struggles and failures, Jesus is still with you.  Each of us struggle with sin and temptation every day.  Even Paul, arguably one of the greatest evangelist in human history struggled with his daily walk, which is evidenced by Romans 7 where Paul firmly establishes his own wretched nature and inability to overcome the sin within himself.  Paul does not end with his wretchedness though he continues on into Romans 8 where we see the saving and transforming power of Jesus in us.  I love Paul's conclusion at the end of chapter 8 saying, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I say all this because the Lord is teaching me that He can use me for great things even with all my imperfections.  I, as a follower of Jesus, can no longer use the failings of my flesh as a reason I can't answer God's calling on my life.  None of us are perfect!  Yet through God's enormous grace, He still uses us for great things in His kingdom if we are faithful.  If the Lord is burdening your heart for a ministry (local, career, international, or otherwise) today, I hope you will find the courage and faith to accept His calling on your life today.  Trust Him who is faithful to give you everything you need to accomplish what He calls you to.  Stand up in faith and walk boldly for Jesus today, no matter where He leads you.  I leave you with the words of John saying, "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

Blessings,

Greg

Still Small Voice vs. Baby's Cry

A baby's cry rings out in a frequency around 3500 hz.  This frequency is one of the most sensitive frequency to the human ear.  This essentially means that you cannot ignore a baby's cry even if you wanted to.  A baby's cry, especially when in close proximity, feels as though it is pulsating through your skull.  You are adamantly aware of your baby's need at full cry, even if you are unable to console them.

Though I can't say that I am always fond of my baby's cry, I am at least glad that I never have to wonder if he needs something or not.  1 Kings 19:11-13 is the passage about God speaking to Elijah.  In this passage, God was not in the wind, earthquake, or fire.  Elijah sought God's voice in each one of the elemental events but ultimately heard Him in a still small voice.  I have heard many a sermon and lesson on our desire to hear God in a greater more prominent voice like the wind, earthquake, and fire but I personally wish the voice of God was as attention grabbing as the cry of an infant.

I never want to miss the voice of the Lord to me.  I want to hear His every exhortation, direction, and warning.  I know I may not like everything He has to tell me but at least I would never wonder what He was saying to me.  If I could have the voice of Jesus as prominent as a baby's cry, I would be able to hear His warning against the pharisees around me.  I would hear Him saying, "get behind me satan" to me when I spoke outside the Father's will.  I would know when I was walking with Him in His ways.

Though I truly would love to hear God's voice more prominently in my own life, I know that even I can tune out the full sound of a baby's cry after enough conditioning.  So I will focus on quieting my own life.  Seeking the still small voice.  Listening for the leading of my Savior and Lord.  Could God scream direction into our life like an infant's cry?  Sure He could.  Will He?  Probably not.  God wants us to seek Him.  "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33.

So the next time you long for God's clear voice to ring out like a baby's cry, remember that He IS with you and speaking, waiting for you to listen for the still small voice in your heart.  I hope you will take the time to reduce some of the noise in your life today.  I hope you will remove yourself from the many distractions in our lives like music (even Christian), television, movies, smart phones, books (other than the Bible), and much more.  It is in those moments of quietness with God we find true communion and relationship with Him.

Blessings,

Greg

This is a fun video my wife did a few days ago.  Though the crying times are difficult the cute moments abound with a child.  I hope you all enjoy it.

 

Thank You!!!

Today marks the end of my first year of blogging.  I have learned so many things just by writing this blog.  It has been amazing reflecting on how Jesus is working in my life each day.  I have had wonderful highs in Christ in the past year and great struggles too and yet the Lord has walked with me, my family, and hopefully you through them all.  I want to thank each one of you who have been with me through this journey and I hope that you will continue to be blessed through many more inspired blogs to come.

Please continue to pray for my family as we seek to draw closer to Christ daily and learn how to trust Him with our every struggle including the adventure of being new parents ;).  Also I pray that each of you would continue to pray for us as we seek the Lord's guidance in our calling to ministry and international missions.  We plan to begin working towards paying off debt, working on seminary education, sharing our calling with others, and hopefully raising support to leave for the mission field sooner than later.  Know that I consider each one of you essential in our road to the mission field.  Thank you again so much for the encouragement you have given to me over this past year and I look forward to continuing the relationships that have been built and hopefully will continue to develop.  

Blessings,

Greg

Finding Strength in Hebrews 12

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

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

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

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

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

I can honestly say that I am thankful for the hardship I have endured to this point simply because of the great need it unveiled in my heart.  Hebrews 12:1-2 say, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."  This verse identify our need so well.  We need to lay down our sins and the things that distract us.  We are able to endure all suffering by looking to Jesus, "the perfecter of our faith."  We can completely trust in Jesus because we know we are putting our faith in a God who completely understands suffering and endured through it bringing us salavation.  Therefore, we can also endure all thing through our relationship with Jesus.  

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

Blessings,

Greg  

3 Ways to Take Your Thoughts Captive

My little son deep in thought ;)

2 Corinthians 10: 5b says, "take every thought captive to obey Christ."  I listened to a sermon by Matt Chandler today on this verse and it really got me thinking about the thoughts I allow to enter my mind.  In the sermon I listened to, Matt was talking to college students.  He gave an illustration of how none of them would want their thoughts displayed before the whole assembly because they would be shamed by the thoughts they have.  As I thought about this illustration, I realized that he was completely right.  This was both an incredibly humbling and freeing realization.  


It was humbling because I know there are tons of thoughts that go through my head on a daily basis that I would be ashamed about sharing publicly.  It is incredible how little sin thoughts can pepper our day.  Even as we seek to walk in Christ daily, we each still end up with judgments about people, lusts, material dreams, and sinful desires.  Acknowledging that this is true, is so important in beginning to take each one of these thoughts captive.  We are able to take these thoughts captive by instantly surrendering them to Jesus.  As we continue to do this, He works to sanctify our heart and brain freeing us more and more daily from these thoughts.  


It is freeing because it helps us know that we aren't the only one with sinful thoughts.  These sinful thoughts in your head do not mean your unsaved though it is always good to make sure you have a right relationship with Christ.  All Christians suffer from sinful thoughts to some degree.  We have all thought things that would horrify others around us and even horrify ourselves at times.  Each one of these thoughts are remnants of our sinful flesh.  When we became saved in Jesus, we are instantly justified before God and presented as pure but we will spend the rest of our life being sanctified through Christ, which means we are becoming more and more like Christ daily yet are not a perfect image of Christ yet.  This is why Paul had to talk about taking our thoughts captive because we will each still battle with sin, in some form, on a daily basis.  Through this struggle, we grow in Christ and learn better how to surrender and take captive everything with His help daily.


I have found three things that help me best take captive my sinful thoughts daily.  First, I memorize scripture.  Scripture helps us to identify and battle the sinful thoughts in our head.  Also, scripture keeps our head full of what is right and true and gives our brain less room for the sinful thoughts.  Second, I try to communicate with the Lord constantly.  I don't mean that I am on my knees and praying while forsaking all other tasks, though there is a time and place for this type of prayer, but what I do mean is that I am constantly relying on the Lord for my strength and direction each day.  When I am surrendered to Jesus and seeking His will for each day, I find that my heart will be focused on what is right and true.  Lastly, I confess the sins of my heart to my brothers in Christ and my wife.  By confessing the thoughts and sins I am wrestling with, I am able to kill two birds with one stone.  First, by confessing, I free my heart from the shame the devil tries to ensnare me in through my shameful thoughts.  Second, I receive encouragement and prayer from those I confess to, which helps to strengthen me against allowing the thoughts enter my head again.  


If you struggle with sinful thoughts and words racing through your head and heart, I hope these three lessons learned in my own life will help you walk more in the freedom of Christ daily.  I highly encourage you to get a friend or family member you can discuss your struggles with to help you in your battle against sinful thoughts.  I pray that your relationship with Jesus would be strengthened and that your heart and brain would be more surrendered to Christ daily.


Blessings,


Greg

Floating Far from Shore

About a year ago, my wife and I went on a vacation to Florida with my family.  While there, I had a lot of fun body boarding because of exceptionally large waves due to a tropical storm south of where we were.  I decided to buy a quality board while I was there and had dreams of instantly riding the waves at a professional level.  Though I did have fun and even had a few really good rides, ultimately I spent most of my time getting beat up and crushed by the waves.

I ended up in a lot of trouble on the last day we were there.  I had been riding the waves for over an hour and the waves were bigger than I had ever experienced.  I really was worn out and decided to ride one last wave.  In the process of trying to catch the 'last big wave,' I got swept out by a rip tide.  I knew instantly when I could no longer touch the ocean floor, especially since I am 6'4", that I was in trouble! I had no strength left and don't even want to consider what would've happened if I hadn't bought a board that could support my weight.

As I floated up and down on the waves and watched the shore continue to pull away from me, I must admit that I went into a quiet panic.  In my head I knew that I had to do anything I could to get back to a place where I could touch the bottom and make it back to the shore.  In my desperation, I dropped into a wave that was way to large and very dangerous and ultimately ended up getting raked across the bottom and tearing up both my shoulder and face.  I did make it back to the shore but I walked out in broken and in pain.

If I can be honest tonight, I feel like I am back on my board watching the shore pull farther and farther away.  I am doing everything I can to survive and find direction right now.  I am desperate to get back to that place of peace and strength in the Lord.  I would give anything for a week to recuperate, recenter, and recharge both physically, mentally, and spiritually.  Unlike when I threw myself into a wave that broke me, I am hoping that the Lord will throw me a lifesaver and pull me back to center.

Have you ever felt this way?  Have you ever known where you needed to be and yet you felt like everything was against you and that you weren't strong enough to make it on your on?  Well your in good company because I know many brothers and sisters, including myself, who have been and are there.

I write all of this because I have spent the whole day dwelling on how to get back to the shore.  MY heart has been wrestling with what the Lord is asking me to do and what I am willing to do.  Some of these things are so simple and yet our flesh fights so adamantly against us doing them most of the times.  Here are some of the things the Lord has laid on my heart and I hope they will be helpful to you also.  

First, the Lord has convicted my heart of my lack of love for the Bible.  It seems that I put everything else in my life before the Bible.  My heart selfishly desires rest over God, not realizing that true rest is found in God.  I have a million excuses for why I never get to the Bible and yet none of them override my need to firmly place my life within the Bible.

Second, the Lord has been challenging me on my need of mentors in my life.  I have two wonderful brothers in Christ whom I am so thankful for in my life but unfortunately both of them are hours away from me right now.  The Lord has been showing me my need for a man of God from my church to train and challenge me in my walk.  No matter whether you are a man or woman, you need Christian brother and sister's to come beside you and help give you strength and and guidance in Christ.  I would also recommend finding someone close to your age whom you can walk beside with as accountability partners and someone older and stronger in their Christian walk to train and develop you in your own walk.

Third, though I, especially as a new parent, have a great desire for sleep and downtime, I need to be diligent about spending time fellowshipping with the body of Christ at my church.  The church is where you should grow, mature, and center yourself in Christ.  You should be able to find a group of friends to fellowship in Christ with.  You should feel as though your Pastor is pulling you deeper into a walk with Christ through faithful Biblical teaching.  Most important of all, you should find a ministry to actively serve in.  This is because, as Christians, we are to actively serve for Christ.  If all we do is take from the church, then we will the honor of teaching and serving for Christ.

Please pray for me as I struggle to grow closer to Christ through implementing each of these in my life.  Each of us how areas in our life where we can grow in our walk with Jesus.  We will all go through mountain tops and valleys.  I pray that each one of you will grow closer to the Lord in your daily walk.  Know that even if you feel like I do at time, floating far from shore and desperate, the Lord will always be there to pull you to shore.  Just call to Him and know He will be there for you.  I hope this blog will help your heart and walk tonight.

Blessings,

Greg Ivey  

Greater Love Has No One Than This

There are times that it is easier to blame the tragedies of this world on anything and everything than to realize that we are all sinners.  In some ways, I feel shame for blaming media for the shootings in Aurora.  There are so many times that I teeter back and forth on whether certain media is okay to participate in or whether we should run very far from it.  I guess the argument could be made quite succinctly for why indeed we should not participate in many of the forms of media around us.  Many Christian movements in the past have made the argument that we should essentially hide from the world and keep our hearts from encountering any sin.  Ultimately, I believe this is more a cowardly position than biblical position.  

In the Bible, Paul says in Romans 12:2, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."  It is very easy to speak that verse and come up with all types of things that it means including isolating ourselves from the sin of the world but I don't think we are doing the Bible as a whole justice by taking that stance.  Paul also said in 1 Corinthians 9:22, "I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some."  When you combine these verses, we begin to see that Paul did not mean for us to isolate ourselves from the world and yet he was adamant that we not conform to it.  

Now let's build on Paul's words with the examples of Jesus.  Jesus loved being around sinners so much that the Pharisees accused him of being one.  His response to them in Matthew 9:12-13 was this saying, “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.”  Jesus also actively went to Zaccheaus and told him to come down so He could go to Zaccheaus' house.  Jesus did not condemn the adulterous women but rather told her to go and sin no more.  Jesus spoke to the samaritan woman at the well.  Jesus told the parable of the good samaritan, which spoke of religious leaders passing by an injured man due to not wanting to be made unclean and yet a samaritan man, who was considered an outcast in Jewish culture, had enough love and compassion to tend to the man and pay for his hotel stay and cost to be healed.  

Jesus and Paul were not afraid of getting down and dirty in the pursuit of reaching people for the kingdom.  I, all to often, try to avoid being uncomfortable by being around sin.  I do not enjoy spending time with someone who does not listen to the Christian music I listen to or watch the clean shows I watch or speak the clean language I speak or live the clean life I try to live.  Am I greater than the Son of God??  I am not.  In writing my last post, I realized that avoiding everything that could be conceived of as sinful and unwholesome was more for my own comfort than my concern for the souls around me.  

Though I know not all would agree, I believe the new testament makes it clear that reaching people for Christ involves stepping out of our comfort zone and into others sin filled lives to be able to show them Jesus' salvation.  I do not believe that Jesus or Paul sinned as they ministered to people but they were willing to walk beside them in the sinner's world to speak truth to them.  Ultimately, I believe this is what Paul was talking about in Romans 12:2.  It is not necessary to conform to the sinner's world to reach the sinner but it is necessary to walk with the sinner, maintaining the pure walk of Christ, to have the opportunity to speak truth to a sinner.  

Yesterday, I chose to watch the last installment of Batman: The Dark Knight Rises.  At the end of the movie my friend and I spoke about the souls around us.  We spoke about how easy it is to condemn their actions and judge them.  It is much more difficult to see them with the love Jesus has for them.  It is much more difficult to acknowledge that each person around me is a soul worth reaching even if I have to participate in uncomfortable things to be able to share the truth with them.  Everything in the life, as a Christian, should be centered on Christ and sharing the truth of His salvation with as many people as possible.  

As the stories of the victims of the Aurora shootings continues to unfold, we are beginning to see glimpses of Jesus' love in people who may not have know Jesus.  There were many acts of love lived that night by people giving their lives to protect those near them.  There are glimpses of God in each one of us Christian and non-Christian alike.  Are we willing to risk our lives that someone else may come to a saving knowledge of Jesus?  Would we have given our life to save another in that theater?  Would you have given your life for a non-Christian in that theater so they would have another day to know Jesus' love and mercy?  Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."  Do you love the people around you enough to walk beside them and tell them the gospel even if it means being uncomfortable or the possibility of death.  I hope so.

Blessings,

Greg Ivey

Do We Still Seek What is Pure?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

Cool Waters on a Hot Day

Blessings While Living for Christ

I am so thankful for the many things God is doing right now in my life.  It has been so incredible to see Him grow the following to the blog.  I am looking forward to seeing the miracle of my son being born soon!  We have finally taken the first steps towards career missions.  We have found a church that is faithful to teach the Bible, who love on us like family, and in whom we find so much joy to attend and be a part of.  God's blessings are so immeasurable!

As I think about all God has been doing in the life of my family, I have realized that God moves so much more when we move also.  In Matthew chapter 24-25, Jesus talks about the end times and then continues to talk about how we are to act till those times come.  The main themes Jesus brings out in these chapters are: being prepared, being steadfast even when it feels like you can't go on, and to beware of false prophets and teachers who come in His name.  We are to live this life dependent on Jesus.  We cannot forget who we are living for and that this life is only a vapor.  We must live for the eternal.  We must seek the truth of the eternal in the Bible.  We must walk towards the day we are face to face with our Savior and Lord.

I know I have said this many times but we cannot get wrapped up in the things, ideas, and pleasures of this world.  We must walk everyday like it is our last.  We must live our lives like Jesus could come in the next moment.  We can't keep wasting our lives on silly things.  We can't keep wasting our lives living for ourselves not when there are so many people who have never even heard about Jesus Christ.

Now I know how completely counter culture these words are but I hope anyone who has read the gospels would understand that following Jesus isn't exactly swimming in the mainstream.  You are following a Savior who was crucified for His words and actions.  The people of His time couldn't even wrap their heads around what He was saying.  Jesus was completely counter cultural.  If you find yourself like everyone else around you, it is time to take a serious look at who you are in Christ!

I grew up during the time of DC Talk and the song Jesus Freak.  I have to say that I love there song especially the part talking about John the baptist.  Jesus, the disciples, John the Baptist, and Paul, were all counter cultural for their time and almost every single one of them died for their passionate faith.  They LIVED for Christ.  They BOLDLY shared Him with others.  They WILLINGLY died for Him.  When you examine those last three sentences, can you see yourself in any of them?


Many have said, "It has been 2000 years.  Jesus must have been lying because He isn't back yet."  The thing that is most interesting about that statement in that in the chapters Jesus speaks directly to it being a long time before He returns (24:13, 36-44, 48; 25:5, 19).  He spoke specifically to enduring till the end.  2 Peter 3:8 says, "But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."  Just because Jesus has not come yet does not mean we can be lax about following Him.  Jesus said that not even He knows the day or time when He will come back.  How can we live our lives so selfishly when He could literally descend upon this earth before you even finishing reading this blog.


I do not write these words to shame anyone or make an argument for works reliant salvation.  You are saved by the grace of Jesus alone.  Beloved, I must tell you this though.  If you can read both Matthew 24 and 25 and not be moved, then you need to check your heart.  If you read these chapters and cannot see yourself in any part of them, you need to check your heart.  Jesus made it clear in both these chapters and other parts of the Gospel that He will turn away the "Christians" He does not know.  


Here are a few questions you might think about in qualifying where your heart is in relation to your love of Jesus.  When I speak about Jesus coming in soon, does your heart leap for joy at the prospect or instantly rebel against the idea and hope I am wrong?  Are you more worried about being prepared for your Saviors arrival or fulfilling your bucket list?  Does your heart break for the non-Christians around you or are you satisfied with ministers, missionaries, and the extra talented laity to reach them?  Do you help your brother or sister in Christ when they are struggling or are you to worried about your own woes?  Jesus speaks to each one of these questions in these chapters and the rest of the Gospels.  


I hope you will take the time to check your heart and your relationship with Jesus.  Do you know truly Him?  More importantly, does He know you?  I hope you will take these next few weeks to freshen up your reading on Jesus by looking through the Gospels.  I pray you will not look for the easy verses and words of Christ but will also take the time to work out his difficult words, like the ones in Matthew chapter 24 and 25.


Blessings,


Greg

Enduring for a Precious Soul

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

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

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

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

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


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


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


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


Blessings,


Greg

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

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