The Work - Philippians 1:1-26

For me, the greatest thing to know is that God is still at work. Sometimes, even now, I get so bogged down by the world. I see so much hurt, so much pain, so much suffering, that just living daily life makes me depressed. I get depressed not because of how bad I have it, but because there is such a world in need. Even today, I see people hurting; I see people confused, and it pains me. I see people that know God and have experienced Him personally, yet they still live in hurt. I know some day I will also go through serious pain - it is a part of living in this world. However, the best thing for me is knowing that God is still God.

I read here in Philippians of how Paul was literally in bondage - a prisoner for the Word - but even through that God was still at work. Through the pain that the Apostle was living in, God still had a plan. He was still in control. He was able to take a horrible situation to advance His word - the only thing that can deliver people from pain.

Paul talks about how sometimes he even wanted to die! That is a profound statement. Just think about that for a second. For someone to actually want to die, that must mean they have to be in some horrible pain. He was probably beaten, hungry, and tired. He was ready to die! But even then, he still had peace. He still knew that there was work to be done. He was able to look past his sufferings, and instead of blaming and being mad at God, he took light of the situation to see that his suffering actually led to the advancement of the Gospel. How I wish I was that mature! I wish I had the insight to actually put aside all of my pride, all of my self-righteousness, and all of my greedy beliefs, and simply put God first. That is what Paul did here in Philippians. He was in pain but he didn't care - he simply wanted to serve the Master.

After meditating on this, I get peace from it. I can look at the world for what it is worth. I can see the pain and the suffering, and know that even through all of this God has not forgotten about us. God is not in some faraway place - He is hurting too. He is right here with us during every tear shed. He is right here with us through every cry out, through every shaking body, through every stomach churning in starvation. God is not barbaric. He does not "take pride" in the evil of this world. If we could feel fully, even for a second, the pain that God must get from the world we would not be able to take it. How do I know? Because all of that pain was put on Christ on the Cross, and it was unbearable. He cried out in the agony of being forsaken. He cried out in the agony of bearing the pain of the world. He felt it. It is more real to Him than it is to us. So don't think that God doesn't care. He cared enough to bear the burden for us so that we can rest assured knowing that He is right here bearing it with us.

My inner self cries out sometimes after seeing the evils of the world, but I know that God cries out even more. God has a plan for it all, even when we have given up on the fact. The war is won but the battle must go on. Why, you ask? Because He is not satisfied. Satisfied with what? Satisfied with who He has. He could end it all right now if He wanted. But there are still people out there that need Him. There are still people that need to know they have salvation given to them if they just believe. When we give up trying is when the battle will be over. Whenever we stop trying to draw people in to the kingdom is when things will be done. We don't want that to happen! People are hurting, and now that we know God hasn't given up, then why is there still so much pain? Because we have begun to give up. That is a scary thought! We have begun to give up trying to help the pain - we simply sit back crying about the pain without doing anything about it.

People do not need a self-righteous person looking down their noses at them. They need people to get down in the dumps to where they are, to do what Christ did and bear the burden with them. How are people ever going to really grow in Christ if we don't quit walking by complacently instead of reaching out our hands to them? How are people ever going to know that Christ really does care about them when the people that say they follow Him just walk on by without even a nod? When they see us not caring, how are they ever going to come to the realization that God cares?

Through this election and time in America, people in the church are worried that things are going to get worse. They are worried that our morals are going to weaken. They are worried that less people are going to come to Christ, and more people are going to fall by the wayside. The problem, friend, is not Democrats or Republicans. The problem is not conservatives or liberals. The problem is not Obama or McCain or Bush or anyone else. The problem is the Church! The problem is that we have sit back and watched, expecting God to just zap everyone that is against Him. What an immature view (and I am talking to myself more than anyone)! What we need to do is quit complaining and do something!

That is what Paul did. When he was locked up in chains, he could have given up. He could have said all hope is lost. He could have just said that God must be done with him and moved on. But he didn't do that! He found even more encouragement in his bondage. He was able to see through the veil and see that God was still at work. This is what we need to do today in America. We need to look through the veil and see that God is still trying to work in America, but we are stifling Him. "We" being the Church! The liberals and anti-Christians aren't pushing God out of America - "we" are because we have given up. Now it is time more than ever to lick our wounds, get back on our feet, and face the Enemy for who he is, knowing that God is crying out to us to move. We need to set aside our differences, set aside our viewpoints, and simply say to each other that "God loves you and so will I", come together, and do something about it.

I sit here tonight contemplating on the pain in the world and I realize that I haven't done much about it. I have sit back and complained and whined, but when it comes down to it, what have I done? Not much really. Well, it is time to mature a little bit. It is time to take the mindset that Paul had and know that while things may hurt, God is still at work. It's my choice if I am going to keep working with Him or not.

True Faith

I have been pondering for the last week or two on what true faith really looks like. It began to bother so much that I really had to look into it. This is the aftermath of the last two weeks of meditating and thinking on what it really means:

What is true faith?

We learn from God’s Word that there is only one-way to have salvation: faith in Jesus Christ. But when one stops to think about what that means, it can become very confusing. What is meant by faith? How can I know that I have that faith? I believe in God, is that good enough? Or does it require more? That starts to sound like legalism then. So, what does true faith look like?

That is what I hope to cover: the meaning of true faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. But before we start defining it, let’s take a look at what true faith looks like. There are many instances in the Gospels where Jesus heals someone because of their faith, but I want us to look at one instance in particular. This is from Mark Chapter 10:

“46Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging.
47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
48Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
49Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you."
50Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."
52"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”

That is an amazing encounter that Bartimaeus had with Jesus, and one that he was sure to never forget. Here we have a man that has been blind for who knows how long, possibly since birth, and with one sentence, “Go, your faith has healed you.”, he could see again!

It was because of Bartimaeus’ faith that Jesus restored his sight, and it’s because of faith that Jesus will restore your soul. Bartimaeus exhibited the three basic principles of true faith as recorded by Mark.

The first of these three principles was that he (1) knew God’s Word. True faith always starts with knowing. You can’t believe or listen to God if you never first knew He was there. If you don’t know anything, you can’t have anything to put your faith toward. Knowing starts the basis of every single piece of faith that you have. Bartimaeus knew that Jesus could heal him, or he would have never called out to Him. He knew that Jesus was a miracle worker, or he would have never thought that He could heal him. At some point, Bartimaeus had to have been told that this Jesus guy from Galilee was able to heal people, and to make them whole, and once he was told that, it began a process that led Bartimaeus to true faith.

It works the same way today. Before you can be saved, you have to know that you need saving. You have to know that ultimately, you are simply a sinner and nothing more. You have to know that nothing you can do will ever lead you to righteousness, and nothing you can do is ever good enough for God. Don’t get me wrong, true faith is not mere head knowledge (we’ll talk more about that in a bit), but it does start with head knowledge. For you to believe or trust anything, you have to know that that thing is there.

There is an age old illustration of faith where one person stands directly behind another, and the first person falls back while the other is supposed to catch them. It is a great illustration, and one that I use a lot, but that person falling has to know that that person is back there before they can ever trust them to catch them in the first place. Faith begins in the head as a seed that grows.

This is why it is so important as ones already following Christ to go out and tell others about Him. Not only that, this is why it is important for us to let others know what sin is. If they never know that they are sinners, they will never know that they need to be forgiven of that sin.

Now, I know this is rocky ground because people throw the word “judge” around a lot. You start telling others what they are doing is sin, and they are quickly going to be offended and come back with, “Don’t judge me!”

This is true – you are not supposed to judge others. But, there needs to be a clarification of the word “judge”. To judge someone is to criticize them. It is to say that you have it all figured out, and you are looking down on that person. A lot of the times, not every time, people who judge are simply hypocrites who think they are super-spiritual.

However, telling someone what sin is, is not judging. In fact, we are called to do it! James ends his epistle with, “remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover a multitude of sins.” It is our job to help lead others to Christ, and that all begins with letting them know that they are sinners. But it is important to never forget that you too are a sinner! This is the point when people start becoming hypocrites. The godly way to go about it is to point out to them, through the Word of God (because remember true faith begins with knowing God’s Word), that the activities they are taking part in are sin. Once you do this, you can drop it. You have done your job. You have let them know that it is sin, and not that you are any better, but simply what they are doing goes against the Will of God.

Secondly, though, remember that we are to also tell them about Christ. Once a person realizes that they are a sinner, and that they need a Savior to get to God, then we can show them to Christ, and (again, using God’s Word) show them that Christ can and will forgive them of their sins.

Now, the second attribute of true faith that Bartimaeus exhibited was (2) believing that Jesus was who He said He was. Bartimaeus had heard that Jesus could heal him, and that he had done all of these miraculous things, but he would have never called out to Him if he didn’t truly believe that Jesus could do it. The head knowledge led to something else: a belief.

A belief is defined as an acceptance that something is true or that something exists. Someone can have all kinds of beliefs. They can believe strongly in one political party or ideology, they can believe whole-heartedly in a certain product, or that something or someone will make them happy. All of these things are beliefs, and believing is the second step of true faith; it is believing that Jesus Christ truly is the Son of God, and that He came to earth to die for our sins on the Cross, and then three days later, He defeated sin by rising from the death and ascending to Heaven.

Hailing from the Bible belt, most people truly believe this. They have learned their whole lives about Jesus, and if you were to say that they truly didn’t believe it, you would offend them much. Many people believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. But if that is so, then why do not all people have true faith? Well, lets look at this verse from James 2:19: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.”

The demons even believe in God, and they believe in Jesus Christ – they have even seen God with their own eyes! – but that belief does not save them. So, if they are not saved by this simple belief, then what makes us think that we can be? We can’t! Simple head knowledge and belief together does not save you. There is another aspect of true faith that is missing here.

You see this is the main problem with the American church. So many people know what God’s Word says, and they believe in God, but it ends there. There is nothing more. They go on about their lives and think that they are in good shape. By now, I probably have your attention, and I hope so, because this last part is very important to having true faith.

Bartimaeus knew who Jesus was. Bartimaeus believed that Jesus really was who He said He was. But he did one more thing that showed that he had true faith. What was that one thing? He actually called out to Jesus.

True faith involves (3) doing God’s Word, or in other terms, taking action. So many people hear about Jesus, so many people believe that it is true, but not a lot of people actually apply it. This is why the American church is in ruins. This is why abortion rates are so high among believers and non-believers alike. This is why there is not much difference in “Christians” and non-“Christians”. This is why!

James asks the question just a few verses up, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?” (vs. 14). Then he goes into a parable: suppose you run across someone who is without clothes or food, and you say to them, “God bless you! I wish you well.” – but you do nothing about it! What good have you done? You haven’t! That person is no better off than before. There is action that is required.

Now before I go any further, I want to make a separation so that you don’t think I am legalistic. What is legalism? Legalism is the belief that you get to God by what you do. The fact of the matter is, though, that legalism is so contradictory to the Bible. Of course I can’t get to God by what I do because nothing I can do is worth anything. Jesus Christ did it all for me on the Cross! The Bible firmly teaches us that there is only one-way to be saved: by grace alone, through faith alone. Meaning that you can only be saved by the grace of God (grace meaning something that you do not deserve, but get anyway) through a faith in Jesus Christ.

So, you ask, if that is the only way to do it, then why are you saying that I have to do anything? Because true faith still involves action! Bartimaeus had to call out to Christ before Christ healed him, because when he called out to Christ (and not just once, but continually), Christ saw his faith and healed him.

For more clarification, the difference in the two is something like this: a legalistic person believes that for them to be saved, they have to follow a certain guideline of rules. Meaning that if they do this, this, and this, then they will surely be saved. However, all of their faith is in themselves, not in Christ. A person relying on grace alone by faith alone does just that – they let the Holy Spirit guide them and they live their lives accordingly. What James teaches us is that true faith involves action – it doesn’t require it. In fact, he even says in verse 17 that faith without action is just plain dead!

You see, a legalistic person believes that what they are doing will save them; a grace person will do the things because they are saved. They are complete opposites. A legalistic person knows what God wants, and they do it, but they don’t really believe Christ saves them; they believe that what they are doing is saving them.

Why do I love people? Because I am saved, not so that I will be saved. Why do I try my best to live according to God’s Word? Because I am saved, not so that I will be saved. It is because of the grace of God that He has poured out over me, and the Holy Spirit that guides me that I walk in what God teaches. The faith is part of the action, not a separate entity.

It all goes down to one basic principle: what (or should I say, who) are you doing the action for? I can either do it because I truly believe that God’s ways are better than mine, and I have faith that in that concept (notice it takes on the form of an action-word here), or I can do it because I think that by doing the action, God will look on me with favor. The first is a life of grace; the second is a life of legalism.

The truth is that I can do nothing to please God. The Bible teaches that the best I can do to please God is like filthy rags that the leper’s used to tear off of their skin. That is not too well! The only way to ever please God is by putting your faith – true faith – into Jesus Christ, His only Son, who died so that your “filthy rags” could be clean before God.

But this true faith involves the actions of living according to what God says, because this is saying to God (through your actions) that you really believe that He is God, and that He is Lord of your life, and that He truly knows that is best. It is also saying that you realize that you are nothing, and that He is everything, and that you are going to “die to yourself”, meaning putting off the things that you want, so that He can live through you. This is the life that God calls us to. This is the life He wants for you and me.

Whether you believe it or not, God really does know what is best. He really does have a plan for everyone, and really does want everyone to come to salvation. However, He is not going to force it on you. Just as Jesus never forced the healing upon Bartimaeus, God is not going to force you to come to Him. He has given you a choice – life or death, His way or your way. But if we choose Him, we have to do like Bartimaeus and call out to Him. We have to take action and reach for Him. He doesn’t make it hard either. In fact, He says that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Rom. 10:13). He is simply waiting on the edge of His seat for the lost to make that first move. That is all He wants – that first slight hint of action and then He comes running just like the father of the Prodigal son to embrace His child and take them home.

In more layman’s terms, remember the trust fall earlier where one person falls into another’s arms? Well, this trust fall involves all three aspects: (1) first they know the person is behind them and that person has promised to catch them, (2) they truly believe that person is going to catch them or they would not blindly fall, and (3) they actually do the action of falling. If one of the three steps were missing, it would not work, and the person would not have true faith in the person behind them. This is especially true of three because they could say all they want about how much they trust that person, but until they actually do it, they are tacitly (without expressing) saying that they really don’t trust them after all.

I am reminded of the story of the man who was caught in a flood, and so he goes atop his house because the water is too high. A boat comes by and tells him to get in, but he declines saying, “God will take care of me.” A few hours later, and a few feet deeper, another boat comes by telling him to get in, but he again declines saying, “God will take care of me.” Finally, the man is treading water because it is so high when a helicopter appears and drops a rope. The pilot yells for him to climb, but the man declines saying, “God will take care of me.” Soon, the man drowns and stands before God. He is sort of confused and asks God why He didn’t take care of him. God tells him, “I sent two boats and a helicopter – what more did you need?!”

Sometimes, though, we are just like that man. We sit back and know about God, and truly believe in God, but our faith is dead because we don’t do anything about it. We go on about our lives just living for ourselves, even though we know better. We go on about our lives living of the world instead of just in the world. We have no action. We have no works. We are unlike James who says, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” Sometimes our faith is head knowledge and nothing more. This isn’t the life God called us for. This isn’t the life He wants for us.

He wants us to be like Abraham who, by faith, did the deed of offering up Isaac for the sacrifice. Because of his true faith, Abraham and Isaac both were saved. He also wants us to be like Noah who, by faith, performed the action of building the ark even though it had never rained on the earth before. Before of his true faith, he and his family were saved. Finally, he wants us to be like Bartimaeus who, by faith, called out to this Jesus that he had heard so much about and believed that he could him, and because of his faith, was healed and restored.

Remember that knowing and believing only is disobedience. Knowing and doing only is legalism. Believing and doing only is Christian Existentialism, which is a false view that anyone can please God in their own way, without need for the Biblical commandments.

True faith requires all three: (1) knowing God’s Word, (2) believing God’s Word, and (3) doing God’s Word.

I am going to leave you with these words of Dr. James MacDonald: “Put some action behind what you believe and watch God work.”

Not Good Enough - Galatians 3:2-4

I was reading The Message translation tonight, and began to think about what Paul had writeen to the Galatians in Chapter 3. Check this out:

"Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God's Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren't smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!" (Galatians 3:2-4, The Message)

No one ever said the Christian life goes uphill after you are saved. In fact, the Christian life, with all of its spiritual highs and lows, looks more like a heart monitor, or a printout of an earthquake. There are going to be times when you are so spiritually high that you just have to tell everyone you know run into about this Jesus who saved you, and then there are going to be times when you are so spiritually low that it is totally discouraging.

But after reading this, I stopped to meditate on my own walk with Christ, and on my spiritual highs and lows, and something occurred to me: when I am at my lows is when I take my eyes off of Christ!

It is not new information, and something that is so obvious that I probably new it, but I just never brought it into consciousness. It is those times when I start thinking that I have this whole "Christian" thing figured out, and I really start feeling good about myself, that I come crashing down. When I really start puffing up my chest and feeling super spiritual because of what I have doneand not because of what God has donethat I fall flat on my face. Why? Because I can't do it on my own!

No, it is impossible to live the Christian life yourself. In fact, the way the Bible puts it, you can't live the Christian life at all! Paul says that nothing he does has anything to do with his Christian life - it is ALL JESUS! That is amazing, disheartening, and encouraging all at the same time.

It is amazing because of the sheer supernatural activity that occurs. God lives through me! I don't know why He would even want to, but He does, and that is amazing in and of itself. God knows what is best for my life, and as long as I believe that and focus on Him, then the best will come about for my life. However, when I decide that I know what is best (which is what happens, either consciously or subconsciously whenever I choose sin over God), I usually mess things up horribly and have to run back to God to clean it up.

It is disheartening because, as a human, I can't do it. Paul says that to live by the law is void. You can try your whole life to live by the Law, and it still will not be good enough because you can't do it. Jesus said on the sermon on the mount that to even look at someone with lust is sin, or to hate your brother is the same as murder - so there is no way a human can make it through this world without sin!

But, in the end, it is encouraging, because I know that I am not good enough. That sounds like an oxymoron, I know. But the good news of the Gospel is that, while we were not good enough, Jesus Christ decided to step down and take the punishment for us so that we could be good enough. He started the whole process of salvation, and He will end it - not us.

So, we must stop thinking that we can do it. We can't. We have to give our lives totally to Christ every second of the day if we are to live this Christian life. That is what is meant by the phrase "dying to ourselves". We have to say no to what we want and focus on what God wants, and in the end, we have a much happier life because of it - and also an eternal home in Heaven.

Bring It! - James 2:14-26

This summer at Nettleton Baptist Church, our Youth theme has been "Bring It!", as our theme book of the Bible has been James. It is a phrase that we have heard over and over all summer - "Don't sing it; bring it!". But tonight, I was reading from The Message translation and just love the way it is written:

"14-17 Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

18 I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department."

Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.

19-20 Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That's just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?

21-24 Wasn't our ancestor Abraham "made right with God by works" when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar? Isn't it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are "works of faith"? The full meaning of "believe" in the Scripture sentence, "Abraham believed God and was set right with God," includes his action. It's that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named "God's friend." Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works?

25-26 The same with Rahab, the Jericho harlot. Wasn't her action in hiding God's spies and helping them escape—that seamless unity of believing and doing—what counted with God? The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works and you get the same thing: a corpse."


Wow! It is like a slap in the face! I believe the problem with American Christianity today is summed up in the verses above: we have a lot of people professing, but not a lot of people doing. A lot of people claim to be Christians, but it ends there - they no more follow Christ than an unbeliever.

Look at verse 19-20 again. The demons believe in God, "but what good does it do them"?! It doesn't. What counts with God is a faith combined with action. Do the actions save you? Absolutely not. The only way a person is saved is through a trust and faith in Jesus Christ. Period. But if you say that you are saved, and there is no change in actions, then you need to check yourself. James is telling us here that a faith without actions is a corpse! It's dead!

You see, a lot of people have a hard time separating a "belief" in Christ with a "faith" in Christ. They are two completely different things. A belief is just a head-knowledge of knowing that God is real, and even that Christ died for your sins. Anyone can know that - including the demons; but it does NOT give them salvation. Salvation comes through faith alone. A "faith" in Christ is giving Him your life, and letting Him be the boss of it - running your life for you! It is saying that His ways are better that yours. It is saying that you are going to trust in what He says, and are going to do what He says, because you truly believe that is the best way. It is also, and very importantly, saying that you are going to trust that He has forgiven you of all of your sins, and that is all that you need for salvation - nothing more!

There is quite a bit of difference there. You see, because a person that just "believes" in Christ can still live for themselves without any problem. They can go out into the world and do whatever they want. They can live it up, party hard, and have fun. But the person that has put their faith in Christ can't exactly do that, because that person believe that the ways of God are better than their own. That person has the Holy Spirit that will guide them in and out throughout the days. The person who has their faith in Christ is not of the world anymore. They are of God. They do actions of faith simply by living. They are truly saved.

Are you going to be just another person in America who falls through the crack of "just believing" in God? Thinking that just because you know that Christ died for you that you are going to heaven, that you are really forgive of your sins? Or are you going to whole-heartedly put your faith in Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins, trust that His ways are best, and let Him be the boss of your life? Are you going to give Him all of you, and put your money where your mouth is (so to speak) by living what you are professing? Are you truly going to live for God? Well if you are, don't sing it - bring it!

Our Sufferings; Our Comfort - 2 Cor. 1:3-7

I haven't forgotten about the Romans meditations, I just haven't had a chance to upload them yet. However, this reading has really stood out to me today, so I felt like sharing.

I love how Paul starts off this section: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,". What an amazing statement, and a glorious praise to God! He truly is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort; I mean, He is the one who sent His only Son to die just so we could live. He is able to forgive us of the sins that put His own Son on the cross! If that is not compassion I don't know what is.

However, it is the next verse (v. 4) that stood out so much: "who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." Paul tells us, and answers to the question, to why good people sometimes go through bad things! I have this argument so many times from unbelievers, but here is the answer right here in the Bible! God allows things to happen to us, so that we can help others in their time of need. It is a sort of I'll-help-you-so-you-can-help-them deal.

He explains how this happens in the next verse, "For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." What a powerful statement! I can't believe I have never noticed this before. The sufferings of Christ actually overflow into our lives! I think we sometimes forget that when we become Christians, we actually become a part of the Body of Christ, and that was the same body that was mutilated on the cross. When the body of Christ is hurt - we are hurt! I can't explain it, but there it is in writing! If Christ suffered, why do we think we should not?

But the good news is in the second half of the same verse: "so also through Christ our comfort overflows." This goes back to the fact above that the comfort we receive from God is so powerful and so much that it actually flows from us into other people. People notice someone who is at peace, and being around that person is a peaceful experience in itself. Somehow, supernaturally, the comfort we get during our hard times can actually help others - even unbelievers - in their hard times! It is an amazing thing that can only come from the Father of Compassion.

So, remember this the next time hard times fall. It is inevitable that it is going to happen. Just know that God will lead you through, and that through the hard times you will learn things that will allow you to be able to "overflow" the compassion that God gave you.

Only Christ - Rom. 8:1-11

I have decided to do a small, in-depth meditation on Romans Chapter 8. Romans itself is a powerful book, and personally, I love this chapter because it covers many deep theologies. Now, I am no theologian so remember that the things posted here are simply from my meditations. You can take them for what their worth. I write for myself more than anything because it helps clear my thoughts. My posting is only because I hope they can help someone out there.

I first read Vv. 1 - 11. I am going to break them down one by one.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (v. 1)." I want to focus on the first phrase primarily (before the comma), mainly because this is the "meat" of the verse, and also because the earliest manuscripts do not have the following phrase. Anyways, this first phrase is part of the founding thought of the Church! The whole reason for the Gospel of Jesus Christ (which actually means "Good News"!) is that there is no condemnation for our sins! The word condemnation entails a judgment that we are in the wrong and will have to pay our due because of it. What Paul says here is that there is none of that for the one who believes! Profound! Because of my belief and faith put into Christ Jesus, all of my sins (past, present, AND future!) are forgiven 100%. There is NO condemnation...

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (v. 2)." Paul continues by explaining this a little further. Through the law, we only received because it was through the law that we sin. You see if it wasn't for the law, I wouldn't know that anything against it would be sin, so therefore sin is dormant. However, I do know what I am and am not supposed to do, therefore I am held accountable. Because I have ultimately failed (many times, to be frank), I am therefore a sinner. And that sin has a hold on me because the price of sin is death (6:23) and it wants its due. However, because of my faith in Christ and because there is no condemnation, I am set free from not only my payment of death, but also the hold sin has on my Spirit.

"For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, (v. 3)" Paul reiterated two things here: (1) our flesh keeps us from coming to God because it is IMPOSSIBLE for us to sinless our whole loves, because our flesh is way too weak; and (2) since we couldn't do it on our own, God sent His beloved, only begotten Son to pay the price for us just so we could be free, because He loved us so much that He couldn't stand to watch us be in bondage and condemned to Hell for all eternity. So, Christ not only saved us from our condemnation, He condemned sin while being in the flesh of a human! It is the ultimate irony and paradox.

"that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (v.4)." I want to only focus on the first part because the next is covered in the next few verses. The Law requires our utmost best and purest obedience in every area of our life. That is the "righteous requirement". We have to have pure actions, pure words, and pure thoughts, 100% of the time. We can't. That is why we HAVE to have Christ to save us from our own selves and our own sin so that we can come before God. However, Paul shows us in the second half of the verse it is ONLY for those who have put their faith in Him to be their personal Savior.

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (v. 5-6)". The basic difference between a true believer and an unbeliever goes all the way to the heart. Those that are only focused on themselves, and do not give any thought to God are the ones who have their minds on the flesh. Those who live according the God, and they do the things they do for God are the ones who are spiritually minded and have life and peace. You see, it doesn't matter WHAT you do. You could be a preacher for all it matters, but if you heart is not right with God, all of it is void and you still need Christ to save you from your sin. Does this mean you are going to think on God 24/7? No. But it does mean that God has an effect on your life, the way you live, and the way you think. You suddenly find yourself doing things that you once did, but feel bad about it, and actually lose interest in it. You find yourself not thinking as harshly as you once did, or at least finding yourself trying to stop the things of your old self. All of this is evidence that you are trying to set your mind on the spiritual things and away from the flesh. It is not an instantaneous event. It is a long, long process.

"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (v. 7-8)" Paul makes a very profound statement here. The carnal, or fleshly, or worldly mind, is in enmity against God. Even if it is not giving God any thought at all, it is still at war against God. Paul says that those in the flesh CAN NOT please God, because they are still lost in their sin and sin has total control over that person. The only hope for that person is a faith in Jesus Christ.

The remaining three verses of this section reiterate the lesson learned from the last eight: Christ is our only hope. Without Him, you are utterly lost in your sin and condemned to eternity without God (Hell). However, a faith and belief in Him will cause all of your condemnation to be filled, and you will be set free from your condemnation and sins hold on your life. Again, this ONLY comes through Jesus Christ - no other way!

The Great Exchange - Mark 8:14-38

I write this post with utter amazement with the Gospels. I have read this section (Mark 8:14-28) and picked up on things I have never noticed before, but they all seem to run together with the same theme. This whole section seems to deal with the disciples and their relationship with Christ (excepting the few verses about the blind man), but what I find so amazing is how this section shows how the relationship between Christ and His disciples was so rocky. I want to look at each break and look more closely.

The first part (vv. 14-21) is about how the disciples do not understand what Jesus is saying. They have no bread, and Jesus gives them a warning about the Pharisees, which they determine to mean something about having no food. Immediately, Jesus comes down on them! That's right - comes down on them! He seems flabbergasted that His own disciples still does not understand. "Is your heart still hardened?" He scolds. I can imagine his voice rising in three octaves at His utter disbelief in them! He reminds them of when He fed four thousand with only 12 loaves of bread and how they had seven baskets full when it was over! I picture his ending statement as almost a whisper, and a tear forming in His eye - "How is it you do not understand?"

Jesus, God's own Son, was actually amazed at the amount of sin in His own disciples. This is the first time I noticed this and was shocked by this discovery! Why was I shocked? Well, basically, because I believe it related to our relationship with Christ. Remember - when we give our lives to Christ, we too become one of His disciples!

This same theme is echoed in vv. 27-33 when Jesus is talking to Peter. Christ had just took the Twelve to Caesarea Philippi and asks them the question, "Who do men say that I am?" They tell Him John the Baptist, Elijah, or just a prophet. But then Jesus asks them one of the most profound questions in the Gospel: "But who do you say that I am?"

Immediately Peter says, "You are the Christ!". Here Peter makes a profession of faith and is shown as being a true follower of Christ. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus actually applauds Peter's statement and tells Him that on that statement, He was going to build His church! Back in Mark, only FOUR VERSES LATER, Jesus is looking at Peter and calling Him Satan!

Now, how can there be such a huge switch in such a short amount of time! This is still in the same conversation! Here is where I take what we just read and apply it: I think it shows how utterly sinful even Christ's followers still are, and how real the spiritual warfare is in life.

To reiterate, I think God is showing us through this that even after we are saved, it doesn't mean that you are not going to sin anymore! There is this heresy in America that a lot of people believe that if you sin, then you can't truly be saved! If this was true, then there would be no such thing as a Christian! And also if it was true, there would have been no disciples in the Bible!!

The Gospel of Mark just revealed to us how Peter was used as the mouthpiece of God, and then in a few moments later, was used as a mouthpiece of Satan! Such a switch it is almost unimaginable! But this is the reality that we live in.

Every second you are alive, there is a war for you! It doesn't matter whether you are saved or not, Satan is still out to set you against God, and so we must always be on guard. Some of the people Satan and his demons work on the most are people that are already saved by Christ. This is because he wants to stop them from working for God and doing the things that God has set aside for them to do. If he can wedge his way in between them, then he can get a small victory for his side, even though he has already lost the war for the person.

Now, don't misunderstand me here - once you truly belong to Christ, Satan can not get you back! Once you are God's, you are God's and as Paul writes in Romans 8, "Nothing can separate us from the love of God!". However, Satan can still influence you, and he will try his best! This is what we get from these sections out of Mark, and this is why Jesus follows up with what He says next:

"Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his sould? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

Jesus told us that following Him was not going to be easy - in fact, it was going to be like taking up a cross of our own! But, He says that not taking up that cross is actually worse! No matter what anyone else says, the Christian life is probably the hardest one to live on this Earth because you are constantly going against every fiber of your body. The question is: Is Christ worth it to you? What will you exchange for your soul?

Being a Showman - Matt. 6:1-18

During the sermon on the mount, Jesus gives three illustrations: (1) When you give do it in private; (2) When you pray do it in private; and (3) When you fast do it in private.

Why all the privacy? Because Jesus wants us to make sure we are doing these things for the right reason. A common theme throughout the Sermon on the Mount is that it all boils down to the heart of the matter.

Jesus is telling the people something extraordinary here: it doesn't matter how much you give, how much you pray, or how much you fast - if you are not doing it for God then it is all worthless! He is saying that you can give a million dollars, fast for a week, and pray without ceasing - but if you are doing it for the glory of people instead of the glory of God, you are wasting your time and money. Don't even do it!

This is what God wants us to make sure of - are we really worshiping Him or are we putting on a show? Only you can answer that question for yourself!

I'm Going to Pump...You Up - 1 Tim. 4:6-8

I read this a couple of times, trying to pull what God was saying out of it, and it took me a minute but I feel like I have it...

What Paul writes here is for us to "reject profane and old wives' fables, and exercise [our]selves toward godliness". So, what does that mean exactly?

Well, on face level, we understand we are not supposed to fall for false teaching, and that we are supposed to be holy. But, I don't think that is all of the connotation meant here.

First of all, "old wives' fables" means superstitions and old tales. There is a lot of that that happens today! Many people incorporate their old superstitions into their Christian faith. It is simply lunacy! If it is not in the Bible - don't incorporate it into your faith. Period. Many pagan and Wiccan beliefs have seeped through into the Christian faith and I think that it simply makes God sick, because all of these derived from Satan himself. Think about that the next time you try to live by a silly superstition!

The next part, though, is where I think the meat of the verse lies. Paul says we are to "exercise toward godliness". The word "exercise" shows that it is something that is not necessarily fun, but extremely important to continue on. Exercise means discipline. So, in turn, the exercising (or disciplining) of ourselves is what we are called to do!

Don't get me wrong - it's not what saves you! A faith and belief in Jesus Christ is the only thing that saves you from Hell. End of story.

Now, we are called to repent, but that only comes through this faith in Christ. Some people believe you have to repent first, and then you are saved. I don't see that as Biblical principle. You CAN NOT repent unless you already have Jesus Christ because the Holy Spirit is the ONLY way you are EVER going to overcome sin! It is a process - which is why Paul uses the word "exercise".

Have you ever tried running? I try to run every day when I can. Some days I can go three miles and not really be tired at all. Some days I make it a mile and almost pass out. Exercise fluctuates and some days you are better than others. But, you always need to work at it nonetheless, because if not you aren't going to be able to make it at all. Even the days when I don't do well, I still do it because I know the following days it will be worth it.

The longer you work at it, the better you become.

It is no different with "spiritual exercise". You are to always be doing it, even if you aren't doing a very good job at it. THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN DO A "BAD JOB" AT IT ON PURPOSE! This is not a license to do what you want! I am talking about the times when your flesh ultimately wins the fight and you give in. It happens - a lot!

Even though you may feel like you are failing horribly, simply stay with Christ, continue to repent and give him yourself, and together you two will finish the race set before you. But, if you try to run it on your own, you are going to fall flat on your face. God does not call you to be perfect as soon as you are saved - but He does call you to try!

Can't Touch This - 1 Timothy 1:1-11

Paul is writing to Timothy, and the first thing he does is charge him to remain in Ephesus so that no unsound doctrine leaks in. Humans are very fickle, and many times we will take something sacred and tweak it until it fits what we like. That is what is happening in Ephesus, and Paul is not happy about it. What is happening is that they are letting old stories and superstitions from their culture and from Judaism to seep in to their new found faith, and a lot of it was hurting the Gospel. The main one - the Law.

Now, we know (and Paul says it here, too!) that the Law is not a bad thing! God created the Law, and it is the whole foundation of the Christian faith. It is not bad indeed! However, it is how the people were using the Law that was bad. Verse 8 says that the "law is good if one uses it lawfully". Well, what is the lawful way? We get more of a sense of this in the next verse where Paul says, "knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for..." and then he goes into a long list of sinners.

So, who was the Law made for?

It was made for people to see their sin, not to work their way to Heaven! What Paul meant by it not being made for sinners is that the people were reading the Law, and thinking they were good because they kept most of it - and therefore didn't think they needed Christ! Paul wants to show them that this is totally wrong! The Law was to show you just how utterably sinful you really are! There is no way anyone could keep the whole Law for their whole life - and because of this we need Christ!

So, what does this do to the Law?

I don't think God wanted us to rid the Law completely. Yes, we live by Grace, but that does not mean we can go out and sin all we want! God wants our hearts and wants us to repent from sin so that we can focus on Him and focus on doing what He wants. You are going to fail, and you will fall from the top, but Christ is always there to catch you every single time you fall!

David vs. Goliath - 1 Samuel 17

This is one of the most famous of all Biblical stories: David versus Goliath. I love this story because of how it shows what God can do through people, and how He prevails all the time, and so forth. But then as I read I think, "Man, these Bible stories can seem barbarous sometimes!" Really, why did God work in such barbaric ways back in the biblical days? We know that today, he doesn't deal with people like that? All we hear about today is the God of Grace and the God of Love; never the God who will help me kill giants!

I think the answer to that lies in the fact that God was dealing with barbaric people. Therefore, for Him to get the glory, He had to deal with them in different ways. Today, when we hear of miracles, or peace, or something along those line, we give God the glory. Then, however, they gave God the glory in battle, and in fights, and so forth. It wasn't so much that God hated Goliath so bad that He wanted David to just go and slaughter Him - no, Goliath was created by Him too! It was just that Goliath was mocking Him and defiling Him, so He chose to rid Goliath so that everyone else could see that He was the living God! And for Him to do that, He had to show them that it HAD to be Him doing it. So, he took a kid (probably 13 or 14) and a sling shot and defeated this nine foot tall guy in one shot! He figured that should show them, and it did! From that point on, everyone knew who David was and many wanted to know who David's God was!

I'm Back...

Sorry it has taken me so long to start posting again. I have been swamped and just sidetracked really. But now I'm back and hopefully for a while!

Matters of the Heart - Deuteronomy 22

I have been reading the laws transcribed throughout Deuteronomy these last couple of days and trying to figure out what God is saying through this (other than just rules). This is mainly the reason I have not posted anything lately, simply because I have been trying to figure it out!

Anyways, I finally feel like I know what God is trying to say, and it jumped out in Deut. 22:22-29. This gave rules concerning the handling of adulterous affairs. If both parties were in on it, then both shall die or be punished. If one was raped, then only the one doing the raping was killed. Finally, I felt I knew what God was saying - it's all about the motives of the heart!

My mind goes to the beatitudes in Matthew 5 when Jesus says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." God does not want us to follow a basic set of guidelines to get to heaven; no, God wants our hearts! He wants our full being. Our everything!

This is what the Law, and what the Gospel, is all about! God wants us. He wants us to do things, not out of fear, but out of love. He wants us to trust in Him that He really does know what is best for us, and by following what He says WITH THE RIGHT HEART, we are putting our full trust in Him because of the sacrafice He made for us - because He simply loved us first!

This was the problem Jesus had with the Pharisees: they followed the Law outwardly, but their heart wasn't in it. God could care less about our rule following if our hearts are not in it. It's only when we do it for Him that it really matters, and only then does it touch His heart.

The Parallels - Deuteronomy 6:10-25

Isn't it amazing at how much of the Old Testament lines up with what happens today with salvation? In this section, Moses starts by telling the people to remember what God has given them - things in which they don't deserve. He then tells them to worship this God, and this God only! The God who gave them something they did not deserve. Then he goes on to say that when their sons ask them why they are so diligent in keeping these commandments that they should say that it is because of what God delivered them from.

Wow! Isn't that so true today?! God has given us something that we don't deserve - Christ - and this is the One that we should serve only! This God that loves us so much as to give up so much so that we may live. And then when people ask why we serve God so much, our reply is that we serve Him because of what He has brought us out of. For me, He brought me out of a many great sins and I am forever greatful. He released me from the bonds of addiction and set me free! Because of that, I trust Him and serve Him only. That is our reply, much like the reply of the Israelites. This Book just keeps getting better!

Enough Said - Deuteronomy 4:29-31

"But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them."

Don't tell me the God of the Old Testament was one of wrath, and not one of Love! All God has ever wanted was for His children to follow Him on their own free will, and even when they didn't, or turned away, He is always waiting for them with arms wide open. That is a merciful God. That is a loving God. That is the God of grace. That is my God!

Enough said...

The Outsiders - Deuteronomy 4:1-14

What a great passage to keep in your heart! Here, Moses is telling the people why it is important to follow God's laws. For one, it brings life. We know from Romans that the price for sin is death - well, death is simply the absence of life. Everytime we sin, we lose life. It's a deep concept and one I am not going explicate on any further.

The second, and the one I want to look at, tells why God gave such strict rules and laws to follow: it was to separate the people from everyone else. God wanted it so that when people saw the Israelites, they could see God. They would see that something was different about them, and therefore they would believe on God because God would be the only one that could provide that kind of power over the flesh. Nothing has changed! God wants to the same thing for His people - Christians - today! He wants it so that when people look at us, they see Him. When people look at us, they should see something different - something more! - and should want it. This is why some of the laws may seem redundant, stupid, or downright outrageous, but God wanted it to be known that He was in control and that His people were going to be different than the rest of the world!

The Power - Deuteronomy 3:23-29

Isn't it great that we live in an age where we can be reconciled with God? Before Christ, the people had to pay pricy penalties for their sin! In this case, Moses was not allowed to see the promise land. And while there are still consequences for our sin, it is so awesome to know that nothing will ever change God's love for us (Rom. 8:38-39)! Because of the sacrifice of Christ, I can approach God's throne as one that is Holy - that is a powerful thing! Someone that is a sinner like me to be able to enter the throne room of God AS ONE THAT IS HOLY is a big deal! That is the power of the blood of Christ! Here, in Deuteronomy, is Moses - whom is considered one of the greatest prophets! - and I am better off than he was! Is that not amazing! Oh, the power of the sacrifice! If I had a million mouths, I couldn't thank God enough for it.

Spring Break 2008 - Beach Reach Panama City

This past week has been the most amazing of my life thus far (minus the time I was saved!). When i went into the week, I was really skeptical. My thoughts were that these people were there to party and if i tried to share the Gospel, they would probably deck me one. I couldn't have been more wrong!

On the night we arrived, we went for a prayer walk around the main drag of Panama City Beach as everyone rolled into town. We were yelled at, cussed at, and talked about - and I was getting pretty nervous! I was thinking "Man, God, is this what I have to put up with all week??!!". Well, anyways, we went back to our room to get a good nights rest (only one of the week btw!), and got up Sunday for our training. Sunday night was our first night to hit the streets - and it was the most amazing thing!

Throughout the week, I rode in the van. I was the back seat guy and got to talk to a lot of people. God really opened my eyes to see that these people were just that - people - and that they weren't "evangelical projects". I was just supposed to love these people and if the Holy Spirit compelled, well then share Christ with them. To my amazement, between the whole group (11) the Gospel was shared A LOT!

Our group was able to witness 6 people come to know Christ, and 1 person rededicate their life during the week. God was amazing! It was so awesome to step into the spiritual warfare and actually watch God win! It was so amazing!

(My favorite conversation during the week was when I was talking to a guy named Eddy at the Pancake Breakfast one morning. He was sitting by himself so I sat down and just chatted with him. Well, God allowed the convo to turn spiritual and so I began to talk to him about Christ. After sharing with him what a personal relationship with Christ has done for me, he looked at me and in all seriousness asked, "A Personal Relationship with Christ? Well, how in the Hell do I get that?!")

I simply thank God for letting me be there, because the week has totally changed my outlook and has ignited a fire in my heart that I never want to burn out. If you have nothing to do next Spring Break - go to Beach Reach for a life-changing experience!

Fear Not- Numbers 33

I am sitting at Laguna Beach Christian Resort in Panama City Beach, Florida, and it is 11:59 pm as I type this sentence. I am recapping todays' events as i reel in my head what I read from the Bible tonight. I am currently on a mission trip here at Spring Break 2008 in Panama City Beach because there are tens of thousands of college age kids from around the country here that do not know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Tomorrow, we will begin giving rides to drunk people so as to keep them off of the road and maybe share things with them in the mean time. We wlll also be sending out Street Evangelism teams to be talking to people on the street.

As I was going over this, Jesus' words popped in my head: "I am sending you out as sheep among wolves."

I'm not going to lie; I am nervous about tomorrow! I am scared - not about sharing my faith - but for my own and the groups personal safety. These people are drunk and belligerent, and may react in a harsh way to us because Satan has such a stronghold on their lives. However, as I sat down to read tonight's passage of scripture from Numbers 33, it began recapping where God had brought the children of Israel, and suddenly my faith grew even more in the fact that God really will protect me. He brought me here, and I should have nothing to fear. "To live is Christ, and to die is gain." I am going to try and step out boldly as God commanded the children of Israel, and will do it knowing God has my back. "And if God is for us, who shall be against us!"

Keep us in your prayers as we have a long week ahead of us.

The Whole Kit-and-Caboodle - Numbers 32

This chapter, yet once again, shows us a great insight into the character of God. This is important because, as many of us fail/forget to realize is that the God of the Old Testament is the same God as the new. Though the covenants are different, the character is the same. It is as if you make a deal with someone, and then years later make another that builds upon the old deal. Your personality and character doesn't change with the new deal. And the character that is revealed in this chapter is one of the most important: God wants people to be whole-hearted about their service to Him.

Verse 11 says God became angry with the people of Israel "because they have not wholly followed me". God wants His people to be His 110%. He doesn't want 10%, 50%, or even 99.9999-%. God wants it all. God deserves it all. He did not say that He was angry at the people because they did not follow Him at all; He says He was angry because they didn't give Him their whole heart. They didn't give Him their 100%, they only gave some of it.

This character of God is echoed throughout the Bible in both Testaments. The fifth beatitude of the sermon on the mount shows Jesus telling the crowd that the people who are "pure in heart" (pure in their service to God/giving 100%) were blessed and will see God. In the Revelation of John, he writes that God says He will spit the "lukewarm" out of His mouth. Straddling the fence doesn't cut it with God. He wants it all or nothing.

Now some would ask why He would rather you give nothing than to just give some. Well, the answer is quite simple: He doesn't want you ruining the name of His followers (as has happened a lot in the last century). To be called a Christian should be an honor, but to many around the world, it can actually be an insult. The reason for this is because so many who only followed God half-heartedly has ruined the reputation. Because they proclaim Christ and live like the world, they hurt the witness of all Christians. We are probably guilty of this at some point in our life, but the question is in the present: Are you giving God 100% right now?

If the answer is yes, then great! You are giving God's people a good name, and it should be a encouraging to do so.

If the answer is no, then you should know that it is not too late. Commit 100% to God right now, and start fixing what has been broken. "Through Christ, all things are possible" (Phil. 4:13).

God's judgement is not pretty on someone who has only given some of themselves. God wants the whole kit-and-caboodle. He wants everything you have and He wants it all the time. In the words of Paul, run this race worthy of the calling you have received. It is easy to become a Christian; anyone can profess it - living like it is where it counts!

Newtonian Sin - Numbers 27

Numbers 26 and 27 can be long and boring in a sense because it is basically a census and is more of a historical record. However, what I find most amazing is in the latter part of Numbers 27 when God tells Moses to pass on the leadership to Joshua. Now, there is a lot to be learned here in the fact that God will not let His people go without guidance, but that is not what I picked up on most. The major thing that God said to me through this is how He still uses people.

Moses had committed a sin against God. He rebelled. He disobeyed. God passed judgement. And while the judgement was a major one - Moses couldn't see the Promised Land - He still did not jerk Moses right out of service! People in the ministry mess up. It's a fact! People of God mess up. It's a fact! The amazing thing that I think God shows us here is that, even though there are consequences to pay for our sin, He still loves us. Moses had to pay the consequences, but yet he still did not get exactly what He deserved. The payment of sin is death. Moses should have been struck down right then, but God didn't do that. He paid the earthly consequence, but He still did not have to pay the fullest of judgements. I guess what I am trying to point out here is the graciousness of God. He is saying, "Yes, sin has consequences - both earthly and spiritual - but I still love you!"

God did not jerk Moses' title away completely, He just made him pay his debt. He allowed Moses to still pass on His leadership and still ultimately used Moses, and allowed Moses to talk to Him after the sin. When we do things, God is not going to compeletely save us from the consequences every time. There are still debts to pay. But He never takes His love away from us!

I am reminded of a recent news headline in which a Youth Minister somewhere here in America confessed to a crime he committed decades ago before he was a Christian. (I believe it was a robbery.) The man still had to pay his earthly debts. He was sentenced to prison. God had forgiven him of all of his sins, but the man still committed the crime nonetheless and there was a debt to be paid. We must know that sin carried consequences and that is why we should avoid it at all costs. A law of physics says that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Sin causes things to happen on Earth, and in the spiritual sense. Sin is not a minor thing, no matter how minor we think the sin may be. Whenever we do something that is sinful, there is going to be a reaction, and that reaction is probably going to be a bad one. God still loves you because He is love, but God is also Just, and He is fair, and there is still a debt to be paid. Jesus paid the debt in the spiritual realm, but He can't do our prison sentences for us (or whatever else the debt may be)!

Three Characters; One Point - Numbers 25

This short, 18-verse chapter really tells a lot about the character of God. It reveals certain aspects about Him, and how He thinks and feels. I want to run over a few of these quickly.

The first is that our God is a jealous God (vs 1-5), and why shouldn't He be! He is our creator. The very essence of our being. If I created something that could think and feel, and it worshipped something else, I would probably be pretty upset too! It would be like getting a puppy, and being really excited about it. You go and buy it all of the nicest toys and beds and food and snacks - and then it runs off to the neighbors house and will not come back. It doesn't even like you! That would hurt. Or even worse, lets say you find someone and put your heart on your sleeve, and take this person as your spouse because you love them so much - and they run off with someone, and does not even love you. Things like that hurt! And with God, when we turn from Him and give something else our worship - our love - it hurts Him too! We see examples of this throughout the Bible, and God makes it known that He loves us very much, and doesn't want us to leave Him.

The second character that stands out is in verses 6-15. God reveals that He loves it when people are zealous for Him. In the same way (using the same example as above), when we love someone with all that we have, we want them to love us back. And if they do love us back, we want them to show it. God feels the same about us. He wants people to love Him with all they can possibly muster - not because He demands it, but because that is how He loves us! He loved us enough that He even gave up His own Son so that we may live and unite with Him again; that is powerful love! It was because of Phinehas' zealous love for God that God turned back His wrath from Israel and allowed them to live. Because of his zealous love for God, God made atonement for Israel, and also made of covenant of peace for Phinehas and his family. It's just an example given to us of how God loves us, and how He wants us to love Him back with everything that we have - and in all that we do!

Finally, in the last three verses, God shows us another character of His: His protection for those He loves. God was pretty upset that someone had messed with Israel, and so for that He turned His wrath upon them. He told Moses to attack them and strike them dead. Now, at first glance, this sounds horrible! When we think of God, we don't like to think of a God who wants us to strike people down! But look deeper -- the reason He wants to strike them down is because they hurt someone He loved deeply! Not to beat a dead horse, but lets look at our analogy one more time. Let's say you finally get that spouse, and that spouse really does love you as much as you love them -- and then someone tried to hurt them badly enough to kill them! You would be pretty upset with that person, and would probably put your wrath against them as well. What looks on the surface to be mean, nasty anger is actually beautiful love that God shows for His people! What is even more beautiful is that through Jesus Christ, God opened up His family to even more people - us - and loves us with the same zeal as He did the Israelites. It gets me excited to think that I am love by God this much!

All three of these characters of God point to one thing: His love! If you don't think God really loves you, just pick up a Bible and start reading. It won't take you long to figure out that He loves you more than you could ever imagine! Why do you think Satan attacks us so much?! It's not because it is fun for him or anything like that - it's because he knows how much God loves us and that is his only way to hurt God. He hates God, and the very sight of us (since we are created in God's image), repulses Satan and he wants to destroy us. This should make you hate sin even more! When you realize that your sin actually hurts the God that loved you so much as to send His own Son to die a brutal death, it makes you think twice about doing it! It is a powerful love that I don't deserve in even the least, and I think God that He decides to continue to love me so.

The Truth Shall Set You Free - Numbers 23 and 24

I think Balaam has just been added to my list of heroes. Here is a man, whom God had to use a literal ass to finally get through to him, but once He did, Balaam gave Him everything He had. He would not waiver in the sight of riches and gold, he would not waiver in the sight of fear -- nothing stopped him from proclaiming only what God wanted to be said.

If only I could do that more! If only I didn't feel like I had to "butter up" a message, or not say certain things for fear of being politically incorrect. What is wrong with me! I should be proclaiming God's Word just as it says it in the Bible. If it is God's Word, it is good enough -- err, it's better than good enough! I should not be sweetening God's Word just to make people feel better. I need to proclaim it as it says and nothing more. That is a new goal I have set out for myself. I am going to speak the truth and only the truth.

God Uses Asses - Numbers 22

In one of his last concerts before his untimely death, the contemporary Christian artist Rich Mullins said, "And never forget that God used an ass to talk to Balaam, and He has been using asses ever since."

This is one of my favorite Bible passages, because as a minister, it helps to keep me humble. Sometimes, us in the ministry really start getting the big head, and the pride starts welling up. We start to realize that God is using us to get His Word out, but then I simply remind myself that God used a donkey to talk to Balaam, and that I should not think so highly of myself. I am nothing; God is everything. He is going to use whatever it takes to get people to hear Him, and I am just a voice to be used. Period. And in all reality, that is the way I truly want it. I hate being prideful (even though I struggle with it A LOT), because when I am prideful I am saying that I am worthy -- and that is the last thing I am!

That is one of the main themes of this passage, but there are also a couple more. One of those themes is that we should respect anyone who is giving the Word of God, even if it is just an ass (pun intended). Anyone is being capable of transmitting the Word of God to us and we should be conscious of all of those mediums. A lot of people say that only "special" people could be used to bring us God's prophecy, but I don't believe that. I think the truth is, God can use anyone and anything to get through to us. On Facebook just today I noticed where a friend wrote a note saying that God really speaks to him through movies. We should always be aware that God is talking to us and trying to tell us things, we just need to look for it more. There is a hit by George Strait that is out entitled "I Saw God Today" and it is about picking up on God's voice in the normal, mundane things of life. And just as the song says, we need to look and listen a lot more than we do.

This leads me into the final theme I picked up on in this passage. It was a sin for Balaam to not pick up on what God was saying to him. A sin! That puts it into perspective how much we really should be listening to God and searching for what He is telling us right now! When you stop listening and looking for God, you are bound to step out of His Will, and anything that goes against God is sin. Plain and simple. Search for God, listen to what He has to say, and do it. You follow that, and I think you will then really have life and have it more abundantly.


Now, just as a side note, after reading this today I really find it amazing about how true and real God's Word really is. It seems like my daily quiet time just fits right in with what is happening in my life. Nothing else I could have read could hit more close to home than this passage with what has happened in my life today. It answered so many questions for me and was so in my face that it was like God slapped me on the back of the head and said, "Open your eyes, son!". God truly is amazing, and it makes me hunger and thirst for His Word even more because it helps me to see just how alive His Word truly is. Thank you, God!

Our Serpents, Our Hope - Numbers 21:4-9

This was a really amazing read for me, but not at first glance. The passage simply goes that the people were whining once more about God and Moses, so God sent judgement upon them and sent a slew of snakes that were poisonous. People started dying, and then they ran to Moses to apologize. Moses prayed, and God told Moses to build a bronze statue of a snake and if someone was bit, they could simply look upon it and be healed. Simple story, right? Well, I thought so too at first glance, but then I realized: God didn't remove the snakes, He just provided a way out of dying from them.

What a great analogy to us today! God sent judgement upon sinners (death, snakes), but then sent Christ to die for our sins (life, the bronze statue). God could have just fixed things with the snap of a finger and removed all sin, but He didn't - He simply provided a way to be healed of it. The people that were bitten were going to die, and all they had to do was look on a bronze statue. They had a choice of looking and living, or not and dying. The same goes for us today. God is not going to make the choice for us, He is going to allow us to do that. We can simply sit back and die from our sin, or we can look upon Jesus and live with Him! It is really amazing that people can know this and still sit back and do nothing. The question is: Are you dying? Or have you looked upon your Savior?

God's (Painful - sometimes) Will - Numbers 20:14-29

Sometimes when things go wrong, we instantly put the blame on Satan. But, sometimes, I think Satan takes the blame when it wasn't actually his doing - it was God's! Now, I'm not trying to have sympathy for the devil or anything, it's just that sometimes God's Will is not exactly what we had in mind. Moses thought that he would take the Israelites and simply pass through Edom, and everyone would be happy. However, the king of Edom said a big fat, "No!". He even said that if they tries, he would send his army to destroy them.

Now, God could have just softened his heart and allowed them to pass through, but He didn't. Why? Because God had already passed judgement and said that Moses and Aaron would NOT be going into the Promised Land. So, He didn't want them to get there any faster. It was all part of His Will!

God's Will is not always roses and sunshine; sometimes it is not what we want at all! However, we are not called to make up His mind for Him, we are just called to follow what He says. Remember: He is God. We are not.

In my own life I have been faced with opportunites (that I created) that fell through and I was truly upset about it. However, looking at where I am now, I realize that what happened was for the best, and that it was all in God's amazing Will. We have to learn to trust Him more and stop sobbing over things when we don't get it our way, and start rejoicing when God gets His! His way is much better than ours could ever possibly be. It is amazing that we know this and yet still want our way so badly. It is one of the paradoxes of humanity, really.

So, the next time one of your plans fall through, or you don't get your way, or things just don't seem to be happening like you planned - just remember that it may not be going the way you planned, but it is probably going the way God planned; and for that, rejoice!

To Err is Human - Numbers 20:1-13

Alexander Pope once said, "To Err is Human...". How true this is! When I read this passage I am amazed at how one of God's greatest prophets - Moses - had made a grave error before the Lord. He was told to speak to the rock to bring forth water, instead he decided to take matters into his own hands and spoke poorly against the people and struck the rock with his staff/rod. This error caused God to bring forth judgement upon Moses and Aaron, and they were not allowed access into the Promised Land.

This is not the only example of God's chosen people making big mistakes. David, whom God had said was a "man after His own heart", slept with a woman then killed her husband to cover up for it. That's a pretty big mistake! Peter, whom God used to build His own church, denied Christ three times in one night. Throughout the Bible, we see people messing things up, and God still using them. I think this shows us that God realizes we are in a fallen state. He understands that we are not capable of living a perfect life. That is why He sent Jesus!

Does this mean that we are free to do whatever because we're going to mess up anyway? Absolutely not! A quote I use with my youth a lot is this: "We are not called to be perfect; we are just called to strive for it!". God knows we are going to miss the mark every once in a while - or more realistically every day - but He still chooses to love us. That is the amazing thing! We are no-good, law-breaking, lying, thieving, little wild children that live in a sin-filled, sin-loving world; but yet Christ still died for us. That shows the love of God in one action. We will never be able to comprehend the love that He has for us. That would be almost like a Jew dying to save Hitler's life. Or like a victim of 9/11's family member dying to save Osama Bin Laden's life. It is incomprehensible - yet it is reality!

God loves us that much - you and I - and that in itself should be enough to strive as hard as we can. The full quote goes like this: "To Err is human; to forgive, divine." How true it is!

The Mundane - Numbers 19

When I first started reading this passage, I was thinking, "Man, this is just another long boring section of the Old Testament." However, two things jumped out at me as I was reaching the end of the passage: it is important to God that we stay clean, and that it is all for our protection.

First of all, we see throughout the whole Law that it all has to do with cleanliness, and that all sin produces uncleanliness. God wants us to be pure, and that is the bottom line! He has called us above and beyond the world, and He wants us to be "worthy of our calling". It is important to God that we stay clean. So, while it may seem mundane to us, there is an underlying reason (which leads me to the second point)...

God does it all for our protection.

He loves us. We are His children. And like any good parent, He wants to protect His children. This passage may seem mundane, and in today's terms, touching a dead body is not a bad thing. Many people when they pass by a casket at a funeral either give a loving touch, or even kiss the body on the forehead. It is common today. However, in the day this was written, dead bodies meant disease. Just being in the same tent (vs. 14) could mean catching the disease. So, it was for the people's own protection that until they were proven clean after seven days that they be cut off from the people. It was not so much a punishment, per se, as just a healthy plan.

You see, the same goes today. God doesn't give us rules and laws to abide by just to quench our fun. He does it because He knows that the things of this world is not healthy for us. He knows what they produce - spiritual death - and He wants us to steer clear of all uncleanliness so that we can live healthy, happy lives. Now, I do not mean to sound like a Health & Wealth Televangelist who promises fortune and to never be sad again, but I do think God ultimately wants us to have joy. Throughout the Bible, we read how God wants us to have "joy from our salvation", and how "God is our joy". He knows that a pure life is the only truly happy one, and that's why it is so important to Him - even if it seems mundane to us!

Behold, My Gift to You - Numbers 18:7

As I was reading through Chapter 18, one thing stuck out that I had heard before but I don't think I have ever applied it: To work for God is a gift, not a responsibility (vs. 7).

God doesn't need us. Period. He could do everything on His own if He wanted - but He doesn't. Because He loves us, He lets us take part in His ministry. He lets us do some of the work for Him so that we can have a taste of some of the joy and happiness that comes from it. And this isn't some sort of Tom Sawyer-scheme, this is the real deal!

Yes, God's work is demanding. It was for Aaron and Moses in this passage; but even though it was demanding, it was still a joy to take part in. God's work is tiresome, and in all reality, is somewhat of an uphill battle. We are facing the very Master of Darkness and all of his imps, and that is not an easy task. Paul tells us that we do not battle with flesh and blood, but with principalities of darkness. It is a very real spiritual battle taking place that all of us who work for God are in (and not just ministers - any Christian!), and like any war, it is rough. But we should feel privileged to even be a part of this war, because while the war is rough now, there is still some glory and joy that comes from it (and the ultimate prize is coming soon!)

So, just when you start to feel bogged down by ministry (like I do so often), just remember that God's work is a gift, and we should accept that gift with joy, because that is what it was intended to be.

Taming the Lion - 1 Peter 5

Something that is so very true, yet so overlooked, is that Satan is alive and well and is "walk[ing] about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (vs. 8). Satan is here. This is his domain. This is him place. This is his home. And he is not too happy about us Christ-followers intruding on hi turf. Satan does not spend much time on the non-believers. Yeah, his little imps work on them just enough to keep them, but it is the believers whom he keeps close tabs on. It is us whom threaten his kingdom. It is us whom are trying to take away from his "flock". He wants to take us down, not because he can get us back, but because he doesn't want us to take any more of whom he considers his own.

Peter approaches this and tries to show us just how real this spiritual battle is. He calls for us to be sober and be vigilant. Basically, what he is saying is that we must be on guard. One thing that is interesting about the armor of God is that there is no armor on the back. I think this is God's way of saying not to turn our back on Satan, because as soon as we let our guard down, he will take us down in a second. We have to always have our armor on, and ready to resist the devil.

One exhortation Peter gives us is that we are not alone (vs. 9). These same sufferings are being felt by every genuine believer yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Satan uses the same tricks, just with different masks. Feel comfort in knowing that others are experiencing this and that is the reason for the Church - to confide in each other, and to lift each other up. Just do not forget that it is ultimately God that gives the power to continue on. Satan must submit to God because - well, God is God! If we stick close to God, He will protect us. He will show us His grace? Does this mean that the closer we are to God the less pain we will feel? Couldn't be less true! In the very next verse, Peter says that while the pain is hard, just remember that it is necessary so that Jesus can "perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle" us. The pain is just part of the road to get us where we are going.

If you have ever seen even a piece of military action (even on TV or in books), you know that basic training is not a fun place to be. In training for the military, the recruits are put through gruesome tasks, hard-nosed action, and downright painful stuff. This is because the leaders know that war is rough and that when they see battle, they are going to need to be tough as well. In the same way, God has called us into a battle field. He wants to send us into the enemies territory to try and gain other people to "our (His) side". This is rough, just like any war! So, to be ready for it, we are going to have to endure somethings.

Does this mean that once we get past "basic training", things are smooth sailing? Well, does a soldier quit training after basic? No, not at all. They keep conditioning and trying to get better. True, it gets a little easier, but it doesn't quit. And neither does it stop while you are in the Christian battlefield (Earth). It gets easier as you mature in faith, but it is still battle nonetheless. You become better at it, and maybe even become the "Rambo" of the spiritual war, but you still are going to face the roaring lion, and so it is still going to be painful.

I don't tell you this to dishearten you, I tell you this to encourage you. This should be exciting to be a part of God's war against the Evil One. It is a privilege to be called one of God's own, and so it should encourage you to live up and live worthy of the calling. It should make you want to be a better "soldier" and to fight for God. It will continue until the end of the Earth as we know it, and a matter of fact, the Bible says the war just gets rougher and rougher. Are you ready for battle? If not, you better get that way soon because Satan probably already has his sword drawn and pointed straight at you! God has given you the power to tame the lion. Do it!

Oh, for the love of (the glory of) God! - 1 Peter 4:7-19

This chapter covers two main themes with one main ending: Serving and Suffering for God's Glory. Peter covers the fact that no matter what we do, we should be doing it solely for the glory of God for the declaration of salvation to the whole world. Or in laymen's terms - we do it to try to show people God.

The first speaks of serving for God's glory. His main point is in verse 8 where he says, "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins'". This is probably one of the most defining verses of the Christian faith! It is God's love that covers our sins, and it is the love of others that allows us to look over their sins and live in harmony. Period. Love is what allows us to carry on. Love is what gets us by. We love to serve. We love for the glory of God.

Love is not the only way we serve, however. We also serve by using our spiritual gifts. The Bible teaches that everyone who is saved recieves the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit has a special gift designed for that person. The purpose is for that person to use that gift in God's ministry. No, I do not mean full-time, pastoral service as it is for some; no, God's ministry involves everyone who proclaims His Name! If you are in the Body of Christ, then you have a job to do. God wants you to figure out the gift the Holy Spirit gave you, and use it for His glory. It's your responsibility! (Hey, no one ever said this is going to be easy! And if they did, they lied!)

The only excuse for someone not serving is for them to be suffering. However, they still do this for the glory of God. As a matter of fact, the Bible teaches that this is an even greater privilege to suffer for Christ than the serve for Him. There is a special place for those who have to suffer for the name of Jesus, and it is not overlooked in the least bit. If you experience a time when you are suffering for the name of Christ (and it doesn't have to be martyrdom, it can simply be missing out on the pleasures of the flesh, being talked about, etc.), God says to do it with joy because through it His glory is revealed (vs. 13) and that by glorifying Him in time of suffering, you are doing a great work for the Kingdom.

So, these are the two main ways in which we glorify God. They cover just about everything we do in the Christian life. If you're not serving, you better be suffering; and if you're not suffering, you should be serving! Are you doing either one?

Why We Try - 1 Peter 2:11-3:17

The freedom we attain from Christ is amazing. It completely separates us from sin, and that in itself is the most freeing of experiences. However, some take that a little too far and wonder why even bother. I think we are all guilty of this at some point. It's those moments when you think "well He'll forgive me for it". It's a moment of weakness, and one that you know you shouldn't even be thinking about, but you do it anyway. But when you look at it vertically, one can't help but wonder why we go about not sinning when it is going to be forgiven anyway? Peter attempts (and does, actually) answer this question in 1 Peter 2-3.

He takes us through many scenarios so as to try and include all believes. These include Jews and Gentiles, wives and husbands, children and parents, and workers and bosses. I think that pretty includes everyone! The basic theme that runs through all of these scenarios, however, is simply to refrain from sin.

What Peter teaches, and it is quite basic when you look at it, is that the reason we try not sin is so that we can spread Christianity and bring others to belief. When a redeemed person is seen sinning by a non-believer, then that person may have a hard time believing that the redeemed one is truly free from sin. They see no difference in themselves and the redeemed. So, they wonder why even bother because it doesn't show them anything. The only reason God leaves us on this Earth after we are saved is to tell and show others Jesus Christ so that they too may be saved. It is our job - our responsibility! It is God's purpose and Will that we show others Him by our basic living. This is why He does not want us to sin anymore!

Every time we sin, we could be helping determine someone else's eternal fate. That is a big thing! I do not want to know that because of my actions, someone may never get to see Glory. I don't want that on my conscious, and I know you don't either.

It's a basic lesson, but a powerful one. Resist temptation and run from evil because God's not the only one watching - everyone else is too!

Oh, the humanity! - 1 Peter 1:6

I believe the true mark of humanity is the fact that we are sinners. Period. Even though our spirit is saved, at salvation, from sin, our flesh is still a byproduct. We still have to live in a world fraught with peril, and is in all reality, the Devil's Domain. So, as Peter states in 1 Peter 1:6, we are going to face trouble. Imagine being an American living in the heart of Iraq right now. You are indefinitely going to face some hardships. In the same way, we are "pilgrims of the Dispersion" (1:1) in this world that is not our home. Living in the heart of the enemies barracks, he is going to try everything he can to bring us down and get rid of us. 

I am reading a book called "An Arrow Pointing Toward Heaven", which is a biography on the life of Christian recording artist Rich Mullins. There is a chapter in the book about sin and temptation, in which it talks about how Rich believed that it was the mark of a Christian to be tempted. If we are not being tempted, that means Satan is not worried about us. We aren't a threat to him. It is when we grow closer to God that he starts to get worried!

He comes to us in many forms, which is where he gets his name, "The Great Deceiver". Some of the troubles that we can run into is feelings of inadequacy, hardships in relationships, and just good ol' fashioned temptation to run wild and sin. Whichever may be the case, Peter is showing us five very important things in this one verse.

The first is that trouble isn't going to last very long ("though now for a little while"). Whatever the situation is, it is fleeting. It may last an hour, a day, or a month, but it is inevitably going to end. The Bible teaches that if you resist Satan, he must flee. I think this is one of the most comforting aspects of what Peter teaches here.

The second is that when trouble comes, it has a purpose ("if need be"). We learn in Job that God has to give Satan permission to start picking on one of His children. Now, you may ask why in the world God just doesn't give Satan permission anymore! But the reality is that, just as stated, our flesh is still worldly, and the only way that we going to grow spiritually so as to beat it is to face trouble in life to grow from it. Although God gives Satan permission, He promises us in His Word that He is never going to give us something we can not handle. So, if you are facing something and you think it is just too big for you, remember that even if you do not believe in yourself, God believes in you because He is allowing it to happen. The bigger the issue you are facing, the bigger reason you are facing it.

Thirdly, and almost without even mentioning, trouble brings grief ("you have been grieved"). We don't like trouble, and when it hits we aren't too happy about it. Plain and simple. More on this in the fifth section.

The fourth thing he teaches we have already touched on, so I'm only going to mention it: trouble comes is all shapes and sizes ("various trials"). We know that Satan brings it on us in more forms than we can imagine.

Lastly, and the most important, trouble should not take away from your joy ("greatly rejoice"). All throughout the Bible, we find verses praising God for distress and grief. It is one of the paradoxes of the Christian life. When it all boils down, we are still God's beloved children, and nothing is going to take that away from us (see Romans 8:38-39). We have salvation, and that in itself should give you more joy than anything. 

No matter what you are facing, know that you are not facing it alone. I know that no matter what I go through (and it is a lot everyday), that in the end it is going to bring me closer to God as long as I keep my eyes on Him. I'm going to level with you - Satan has been knocking on my door a lot here lately. I don't why, but he has been attacking me almost more than ever lately, so when I read this verse, it really helped me out and opened my eyes. I must look back at the spiritual markers in my life, much like Joshua said to do in the Old Testament when he set up a marker of a rock on the path to the church. These markers (salvation, rededication, call to the ministry, deep spiritual moments, etc.) are all there to reflect upon to prove to me that God is right here with me, and He will never leave my side even when I try to turn my back on Him. The markers show me where God has brought me thus far, and its His little reminders that I shouldn't fear, and face the trials with gladness, for He still believes in me!