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Why I deleted my Facebook account and got rid of my smartphone

1/12/2013

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Three years ago I got a smartphone. It was amazing. It did everything for me! I used it to schedule my meetings, track my calories, email colleagues, photograph my surroundings, and a million other useful and important things. I pulled that little thing out of my pocket constantly. It quickly became second nature for me to reach for my phone...even if there was nothing for me to do on it. It felt foreign for me to not have it in my hand, so I'd keep it in my grip as much as possible. If I was grabbing coffee with a buddy, I'd lunge for it the minute they left the table for a bathroom break. If I was walking down the street, I'd pull it out and flick through my home screens or try to read a quick news article. Instead of gazing into my wife's beautiful eyes over a nice dinner, I was gazing into the sterile glow of my screen, answering texts and allowing what should have been deep and life-giving conversation to be interrupted by people who weren't even at the table with us. Instead of playing with my daughter at the park I was busy trying to capture the perfect picture of her, find the right Instagram filter, and come up with some witty caption to post to my social networks. In short, I had become so connected to the “alternate world” found within my phone that I was disconnected from the real world in which I lived.

What was supposed to enhance my life, was actually ruining it. I had allowed that hunk of plastic to constantly vie for my attention. I was always anxiously waiting and wondering when the next notification would come in. If I didn't hear any notifications for a while, I'd turn on my screen and check anyway. I felt restless and distracted; overstimulated and over-connected. Downtime disappeared. There were no moments to decompress, no time to think, no minutes to reflect on the events of my day. Each spare moment was filled with news articles, emails, photos, and texts. It wasn't until my wife and I were switching cell phone companies and had to go without our phones for a week that I realized how anxious my phone had made me, and how happy I was to be without it!

So after much prayer and consideration, I decided to disconnect. I sold my smartphone, got a cheap dumb phone and decided to only occasionally carry my small tablet to work meetings so I can take notes or schedule appointments. In the process of disconnecting, I figured I might as well delete my Facebook too. I hated Facebook anyway. I mean, who cares what your old High School friends are eating for lunch? Your half-eaten plate of food is gross anyway! If there are important people in my life, I'm sure we'll stay in touch. Heck, we might even actually call each other and have a real conversation since I won't be catching every unimportant detail of their life in my news feed. So I deleted my personal Facebook account and  haven't regretted it once. 

The smart phone was a little harder to let go of than my Facebook. The first few days without it were rough. I missed my constant companion and kept reaching into my pocket only to be let down. Soon, though, the letdown turned into a sense of freedom. Life became more enjoyable. It was the little things, like being aware of the beauty in nature while walking down the street (I was actually looking up for once, not down at my feet!). I didn’t feel the pressure and anxiousness of wondering when my next alert would come in. It was so relieving to know that my emails were locked in their “cage” (on my PC) and couldn’t come growling at me whenever they pleased…indeed, I had the power to access them when I was ready. I've been able to do some serious thinking and planning for the different ministries God has entrusted me with. I'm able to reflect on the events of my day, and my interactions with people. My wife and I are having more fulfilling conversations because my attention is no longer divided. I am enjoying time with my sweet daughter because I have no "intruding adults" trying to get my attention while I am with her. Besides the emotional / spiritual health and freedom that I've found, I recovered all sorts of time to do productive things around the house and even take a second job to make some extra income!

Yes, life is good without my smartphone and Facebook. Better than it's ever been. After three years in the alternate universe of the internet, it's good to be back in the real world. I look forward to whatever lies ahead.  
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The Fragility of Life

9/8/2012

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I could be dead tomorrow. I know that sounds unnecessarily morbid, but lately I’ve been realizing just how true it is. Our lives are so incredibly fragile; our health is so unbelievably delicate. 

A few months ago my wife started experiencing a dull pain in her upper abdomen. Over the course of a few weeks the pain progressed in severity, longevity, and frequency. Soon it was so intense that after every meal she was curled up on the couch in extreme pain that lasted between two to four hours; and this happened several times each day! After two absolutely awful days we took her to the emergency room where (after waiting for four hours) they ran a gamut of tests (all deciphering absolutely nothing) and sent us home. My wife toughed out the next few days and slowly her stomach returned back to its normal digestive habits. And though her stomach is now pretty much back to normal, I am not. Ever since that month, I have been overly aware (and honestly afraid) of any and every health problem that arises in her, because I have seen how quickly things can go badly and how little I can do to solve them. At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, that month was as traumatizing for me as it was for Liliya because it stripped me of all my false sense of security that life and health are always going to be there and that things are always going to be happy and bright. The reality is, things can drastically change in an instant. Our bodies can give up and shut down in any millions of ways. A stroke or an infection might significantly alter the way that you or your spouse experience life. A heart attack or cancer might end it altogether. 

That month I experienced a wake-up call.

All these years I had been taking health for granted and now the Lord has shown me that each day of health and life is a gift. It doesn’t have to always be there. Indeed, it might be removed at any instant. 

Some might think that this is an awful way to live (with a constant awareness of our mortality and frailty), and in a sense they are right: it's not fun to always be thinking about how quickly I, my wife, or my daughter might be dead. But in another sense, it is amazingly freeing to be cuttingly aware of our mortality. It helps us realize that we are completely reliant on our Heavenly Father for our existence. It helps us realize that we are truly living on borrowed time...that each second and each breath is a gift from God. It helps us to be thankful for what time and health we have.  It helps us to prioritize what is important and what in our lives needs to be reconsidered. As we stare our mortality in the eyes we are able to live wisely and rightly. I am thankful for the gift of our delicate lives and for the reminder He recently gave me of their frailty. I know I’m probably still a little too anxious about all of the health stuff, and I am working on trusting a sovereign and loving God with my life and the lives of my wife and daughter. Yet at the same time, I don’t want to lose this awareness of life’s fragility. I want to stare my mortality in the face so that I might live well and honor God. Lord help me do it! 

Psalm 90:12  Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. 
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Cross Walker

6/23/2012

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The other day while driving the 156 I saw a man trudging along the shoulder of that narrow two-lane highway lugging on his back nothing other than a large, wooden cross. The bottom of the beam scraped the ground with each step as he slowly lunged down the long, lonely road to wherever he was headed...probably nowhere in particular. "How interesting," I thought to myself, "He's taking Jesus' command to daily carry your cross literally." As I drove passed him I was both inspired and troubled. What he was doing was pretty cool, but it was obvious that the man was confused about what it means to be a Christian. But as I got further along into my drive I started to realize that he wasn't the only one confused about what it means to be a Christian. The truth is, most people today are confused about what it means to be a Christian. The very term "Christian" has nearly entirely lost its meaning here in the United States. It's a title thrown around lightly, taken up by almost anyone and everyone.  "Are you a Christian?"...."Ya, of course I'm a Christian." Why? Because you're not Muslim or Mormon or Jewish or Atheist? Because you live a "good life" and you don’t drink or chew or go with girls that do? Because you go to church a couple times a year...maybe even every week? What is it that makes you a Christian? Being a Christian is not just some default state of being. You’re not a Christian because you’re American. You’re not a Christian because you aren’t Muslim. You’re a Christian because you are Christ follower.  At some point in your life you made a serious, life-altering decision to follow after Jesus the Messiah and trust in His sacrifice for your sins. Now you have a living relationship with Him and He guides you by His Word and His Spirit. Now at the beginning of each day you take up your cross, die to yourself and your desires and follow Him wherever He leads you. If those things aren’t true of you...namely, if you’re not dying to yourself and following Jesus... then you are not a Christian. You are not a Christ follower. We should start asking people, “Are you a Christ-follower? Do you follow the teachings of Jesus, trusting in His sacrifice for you? Do you die daily to yourself and your desires and walk, with your rugged cross on your back, in the footsteps of your Savior? Are you a Cross Walker?” That’s what we should start calling ourselves: Cross Walkers. I realize it’s just semantics, but sometimes new words help us understand what we’re really talking about. Let’s not just be “christians”, let’s be Cross Walkers.

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. - Luke 9:23 
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Salvation by Suffering

5/18/2012

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We are in a season of suffering. It seems to be everywhere I look. Friends, family, church members and others are all going through an intense difficulty or trial of some sort, and it all seems to be occurring during this specific window of time. Liliya and I are definitely not exempt. My poor wife has been suffering from extreme abdominal pain for the last four weeks. We’ve been to several doctors who have been of no help. On top of that there have been some very difficult circumstances at my place of work, plus a teething ten month old! What is going on, God?! It makes me mad. It makes me doubt. There are often times when I wonder why God doesn’t break out of heaven and do something! “If you’re there, and you’re good, and you care, why are you just leaving us here in our pain?!” But sometimes, in the midst of my anger and doubt, I have moments of clarity and understanding. During those times I realize that God is bringing this suffering and pain so that He can give me more of Himself...so that I can cling more tightly to Him. In a sense, it is because He is good and because He loves us that He is allowing us to suffer, because in suffering we grab hold tight to the only thing that matters: Him. God is getting our attention, and attention to God is what we need.

C.S. Lewis famously stated that “pain is God’s megaphone.” Lewis couldn’t be more right. It is in our moments of distress that we cry out to God, seek God, need God. He uses suffering to rip our eyes and hands off the things of this world and fix them on the the only thing that lasts for eternity: Himself! He uses pain and suffering to give us the only thing we need. Wow! I should be thankful for suffering! It is, in fact, God’s mercy that He allows me to suffer, if suffering draws me to Him, since knowing Him means Eternal Life. No wonder then, why James 1:2 says, “Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds...”, and why the Apostle Paul says that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” If suffering and pain is the means that God uses to make me cling to Him in wholehearted trust and faith, thus securing my eternal home in Heaven, then bring on the suffering! I'll gladly take a few years of pain to inherit an eternity of glory! Let me rejoice in my sufferings for they lead to my salvation!

But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. - 1 Peter 4:13 
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If God Wrote a Book...

5/16/2012

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What if I told you God wrote a book? The invisible, unknowable force that put every star in its place, that knows all mysteries, that directs human history, and that is holding the fabric of existence together, decides to put letters and words on a page that you and I could read and understand. Letters and words that reveal his mind, his character, his purpose, our origins, our ends...everything we could ever want to know about everything! What a magnificent book! What a treasure to have! A gift above all gifts! To know the mind and mysteries of God! How often would you read a book like that? With what sort of intensity would you study a book like that?

Unfortunately, for me, the answer is: not often enough, and not intensely enough. I find this to be typical of the human experience...many of us are just not attracted to, drawn toward the word of God with the type of interest and zeal we should have toward a book of such immensity! When my students read through my lesson outlines, I often notice that they like to read the paragraphs that I write about a given topic, but they quickly breeze over the Bible verses from which I drew my conclusions. The same goes for me when I read a Christian book. I love to read, investigate, and consider the point that an author is trying to make, but when he inserts a Bible verse pertaining to his point, I skim over it quickly or forgo it altogether! Shouldn’t it be the other way around?! Shouldn’t I be obsessive about my investigation of the words of God, and dismissive of all other penmanship?! Shouldn’t I pour over the words of the Creator of the universe...studying His words with intensity and fervor, trying to suck every ounce of marrow that I can from each precious morsel?! Why is it that we don’t love the words of God with passionate, burning, magnetic love? Why don’t they pull us in the way that they should? Why is it that we spend lots of time reading the latest magazines, newspaper, and internet articles about our hobbies and interests, and yet can’t find time for serious study of the words of God Almighty, “the revealer of secrets, of mysteries unknown”?

When we consider how much time we waste reading and thinking about frivolous things, it is pertinent to remember that in the end, only God (and by extension, His Word) will remain. Everything that we think is so important will literally be burned by fire... “The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.” (2 Peter 3:10). Everything that we obsess about: celebrities, movies, recipes, home decorating, cars, toys, vacations, electronics...none of it will matter in the end. Only one thing will remain: God. Shouldn’t we spend time getting to know the Only Thing that we get to keep? I confess that I need to spend less time reading and thinking about things that don’t matter. I want to know the Unknowable. I want to know the God who has revealed Himself in a book. I better get reading!

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. - Isaiah 40:8 
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God's Sovereignty, Man's Freedom, and A Baby's Rattle

3/30/2012

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Being a dad is pretty awesome. One of the great things about Fatherhood is getting to see the parallels between my relationship with my child, and the Heavenly Father’s relationship with His children. I’ve seen many parallels already, like unconditional love, discipline, protection…but one I stumbled across recently deals with the hot topic of God’s sovereignty and man’s freedom to choose. There is no denying that the Bible teaches that God is absolutely sovereign, causing everything to come to pass just as He intended (Is 46:10, Ps 115:3, Dan 4:35, Rom 9). Yet at the same time, the Bible clearly calls us to make choices, and informs us that we will be held responsible for how we make those choices (Josh 24:15, Jn 7:37, Rev 22:17). How can this be? How can God be sovereign, yet man be free to choose? Well, I don’t claim to have the final word on this intricate issue, but I think it may work like this:

I know my baby girl will pick up whatever is in front of her and put it into her mouth. It’s her nature, it’s who she is and what she does. I know my daughter and I know this is what she does EVERY time. If I wanted to ensure that Sophia picked up a rattle and put it in her mouth, I could be 100% certain that she would do so simply by placing it in front of her. I don’t have to coerce her into putting the rattle in her mouth, she does so happily of her own volition…I simply have to place the rattle in her path. She chooses to put the rattle in her mouth, and I, knowing who she is and what she will choose simply orchestrate the circumstances so that there is a rattle nearby. I get exactly what I planned, and she remains responsible for choosing. And it works every time.

In a similar vein, it's possible that God so orchestrates every variable in every situation of our life so that He, with 100% certainty, accomplishes His purposes. By manipulating the variables, by placing the “rattles” in our path, God ensures that we will freely choose what He intended us to choose. We happily chose what we wanted, yet God so brings to pass all that He intended. Some may be offended by this apparent “false” freedom, but it is an undeniable fact of our existence! Think about all the things you don’t control in your life. You don’t control when, where, and to whom you were born. You don’t control how you look, what your talents are, and how you were raised. You don’t choose what elementary school you went to, who your teachers were, what they taught you or who sat next to you in 5th grade. You don’t choose how long the bank line is going to be, or if you’ll get caught at all the traffic signals on your ride home today. You don’t choose if the grocery store will be out of your favorite cereal, or if a loved one will be diagnosed with cancer. We are not truly free no matter how we spin it.  We have uncontrollable variables pushing down on us every second of every day. Could it be that God is orchestrating all that comes to pass AROUND us, in order to do what He wants to IN us? I believe the answer is yes, and I believe the Bible affirms it. “…for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Phil 2:13). See, God is the one working. He is the one causing. Yet, just prior to that, in verse 12, Paul writes a command that “YOU work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” It is we who choose to do so.

We must be careful not to minimize either God’s sovereignty nor our responsibility to choose. Both are absolutely vital to a Biblical understanding of God and ourselves. Be thankful that God is sovereign and in control. Trust Him. And ask Him to help you choose well…every time. 

"...lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil..."
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Is Facebook the new "Announcing with Trumpets?"

1/18/2012

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Let's face it. You're a glory monger. You like people to think well of you. You want people to like you. You are just like me. 

We are all glory mongers. The truth is, we ALL seek the praise of men. The weird thing about Christians though, is that often we seek the praise of men about our "Christian-ness". We want other Christians to think we're awesome Christians! Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. Here's an example: You are walking down the street and you see a homeless person begging for change. They ask for some cash, but you have none....so you shake your head and keep walking. But as you pass by, you think to yourself, "I may not have cash, but I've got a credit card, and there's a yummy taco shop across the street." You stop, gather your courage, and walk back to the beggar. "Hey, you want to grab some lunch?" "Sure!" he says. You're excited, he's excited and so off you go to the restaurant and have a nice lunch and some good conversation! "What an awesome thing the Lord allowed me to do!" you think to yourself as you part ways. And it truly was an awesome thing that the Lord used you to do, but the problem is in what comes next. After a few minutes of thankful excitement, pride starts to creep up in your heart..."I'd like someone else to know what I just did." So for the rest of the day you start to look for opportunities to bring it up in the middle of a conversation. You try to sneak it in here, and squeeze it in there, and nonchalantly mention it "in-passing" to whoever will lend you their ears for a few minutes.

This kind of thing happens all the time (at least with me). Maybe you give a significant amount of money to a family in need. Maybe you share your faith with a stranger on the street. Maybe you have an awesome quiet time in the morning while reading God's word. All of a sudden that little prideful part of your heart wants others to know. You want to share with others what an "awesome Christian you are." So you do! One of the newest, easiest, and most dangerous ways to pridefully promote yourself to others is via Facebook. "I just want to encourage my fellow Christians! I want to be a good example to them! That's why I share." Do you really? Or is it an ego thing? Announcing your good deeds on Facebook is a dangerous game and you can never be sure of your motives. A quick post to Facebook for a fleeting moment of pride could lead to an eternal loss of real riches! 

The Hypocrites in Jesus' day used to announce their good deeds with trumpets. When they'd tithe money in the temple, they'd blow those bad boys nice and loud! "Look over here! Check me out! I'm giving my money to God! Hello! Look at me! Aren't I awesome?!" Jesus says "I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full," (Matthew 6:2).

Jesus says, when we give and when we pray we should do it in secret..."Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

The bottom line is this: Whenever we do anything for the praise of men, we ultimately forfeit our reward from our Father in heaven. I'm not saying to be a concealed Christian, but beware not to be a boastful one!


“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." - Matthew 6:1
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People Are Problems and I'm a Person

12/28/2011

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People have this thing that they do: When problems arise, we run and hide. We've been doing it since the garden of Eden. It's our thing. Things get difficult in our marriage and we decide that we want out...or that we'd be happier with someone else. Things get difficult in our ministry and we quit. Things get uncomfortable in our church and we look for a new church. It's the "Grass-is-always-greener-on-the-other-side" Syndrome. Problems arise and people run away. We think "in this new place" or "with this new person" or "at this new job" or "away from these people" we'll be free of all the problems that plagued us in our previous situation. Problem is...that is rarely the case. In fact, we find that those same problems that we fled from keep showing up wherever we are! Do you know why? Because WE are the problem! People are problems and we are people! The things that we run from are things that God is trying to change in US. God allows difficult situations so that we might face them, not flee from them! He has purposed difficulties so that He can change you! But when we continually run away from our problems and never face them (and in His strength overcome them) we never learn what He intended us to learn or become what He intends for us to become. And THAT is a problem...because we enter into a cycle of constantly battling the same burdens again and again. We would be wise to face our issues the first time they arise, thinking how we might creatively, consistently and calmly conquer them. Overcoming the problems and sin in your life is what God intended by letting the problem arise in the first place. Don’t flee...face it! Kill it! Conquer it!

By God's grace and in His strength, let us face, climb, and overcome whatever mountain range of problems that lies in front of us. Let Him transform you more and more into His image so that you might become less and less of the problem!

"He must become greater; I must become less." - John 3:30 
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Starving Children and Christmas

12/26/2011

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The image to the right is one of Time Magazine’s “Photos of 2011.” It is a picture of a young mother kissing her malnourished seven-month-old baby in Somalia, Africa. The caption says: “The US government estimates that some 30,000 children have died in southern Somalia in the last 90 days due to famine and drought.” I don’t know what changed in my heart since becoming a father, but these types of images now crush my spirit and bring tears to my eyes. I think, “What if this was my little Sophia?” and “How can this type of situation exist in our world?” My heart breaks as I think of the plight of millions of children around the globe who know pain, loss, abuse, hatred and hunger. I think of all the babies who have never known the touch of their parent. Who will hold them? And I think of the parents who can’t provide food for their own crying infants. Can you imagine what it must be like to stare at your hungry child and know that there is nothing you can do to remedy the situation? Hopelessness. You can only sit and watch as your own child wastes away before your eyes. If it was my daughter who was dying of starvation, I would hope that someone would come to my aid...that someone, somewhere, would hear and care and act and save. 

I write this the day after Christmas...the day when millions of us Americans eat platefuls of food larger than our stomachs can handle, and then scrape what’s left into the trash can. Right now, on my kitchen counter I have a basket of hand baked desserts that I can’t even eat. I’m contemplating throwing them away. We are so wasteful! And food is only half of the Christmas story...each year Americans spend billions of dollars on gifts. This year, on Black Friday alone, American’s spent fifty-one billion dollars. That’s $51,000,000,000! On what? iPads, and Kindles, and sweaters and scarves that we’ll wear once, or twice, or immediately drop off at he Good Will. And as we sit in our cozy living rooms, playing with our new toys, kids are dying because they have nothing to eat. 

God would want us to do something. The book of James says the “religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress...” God Himself is said to be a Father for the fatherless (Ps 68:5) and even within the Christmas story we find Joseph caring for a baby who was not his own. 

I know God wants us to do something. He has put this burden on both Liliya’s and my heart. We both have a deep desire to care for the unloved children of the world. It has exponentially amplified after the birth of our own daughter, Sophia. We don’t know exactly what that means right now, or how it’s all going to play out...but we know God wants us to do something. Maybe He wants us to move to Africa and open an orphanage...and if so...we’re more than willing. Maybe he wants me to pastor a church that has orphan care in it's DNA...(wouldn't it be awesome if a church had the goal of starting one orphanage in Africa per year and spent much of it's resources toward accomplishing that goal and training and sending it's parishioners?!) Maybe He wants us to adopt a child from one of these impoverished countries. Maybe He wants us to spend less and give more.  It’s obviously going to play out in different ways for different people, but whatever we do, each of us who calls Christ our Lord must do something to stand on behalf of the hungry and hurting children of the world. It is Christ’s command! And surely you would hope that someone, somewhere would hear, and care, and act if it was your child in the picture.

Merry Christmas.
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Don't Go Digging (The Date of Your Death)

12/3/2011

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What's the second date on your tombstone? Mine is November 24th, 2004. That's the day that Jesus Christ dug a ditch, threw Alexon Haig Enfiedjian in it and buried him under ten tons of dirt. He's been dead and rotting down there ever since. "You died." (Col 3:3) "You were crucified with Christ." (Rom 6:6) "The old you is gone." (2 Co 5:17) "Your old life is over." (Col 3:3) "You've been buried with Christ" (Rom 6:4) "You can't live like you used to anymore, because that you is six feet under." (Rom 6:13). The Bible tries to make it abundantly clear to us: The moment you trusted in Christ's death and resurrection, you died. The purpose of your death was to free you from all the sin that you were enslaved to (you're dead...dead people can't sin), and to give Christ an opportunity to raise you to a new life...a life that could be free from all of the sin and sickness that you caused when you were alive, and can be full of all the glory and grace now that Christ is alive in you! We can't live lives of sin any longer...we literally can't. We're dead. Now it is Christ alive in us (Gal 2:20) and He empowers us to live lives of purpose and passion to the God who slayed us and brought us back to life through His Son. The purpose of your new life is to glorify God by living your new life for Him...not sin! 

But sometimes we like to go digging. Any time you use your new life for sin, you're essentially going to your grave site, digging up your odorous, rotting corpse, attaching strings to it's arms and legs and puppeteering it into sinful, sensual situations. Pretty sick, right? But that is what it is like when a Christian tries to sin. You can't go back to that. Your old life is over. That you has long been dead, gone, buried. Christ lives in you. Your hands, your feet, your mouth, your eyes, your ears, your life: they are His; for the accomplishing of His will and purposes. That is why you died and why you now live!

Sin died with you, don't go digging it up. 


"Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness." Romans 6:13

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God's Will = Your Good

11/13/2011

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Sometimes while teaching at youth group I have these "Ah-ha!" moments. I had one the other night. This time it happened while teaching the High Schoolers to be "doers of the Word not just hearers." I went through and gave them all these scriptures that tell them that God is not interested in how much you know, but in how much you obey what you know! But while standing there teaching obedience I felt a major disconnect from my audience. Obedience sounds boring...old fashioned...threatening.  Nobody likes being told what to do, especially teenagers! "Why should I obey?" Then it hit me. God wants you to obey his word, not because he's some grumpy old man in the sky that likes to boss people around. He doesn't make rules just so he can shake his fist at you when you break them. That's not his purpose. God creates rules and wants you to obey them because it brings you the greatest blessing! He's in it for your joy! Obedience is the smartest thing you can do for yourself. Disobedience is the dumbest. In reading James 1, we see that "whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do." By knowing God's will and doing it you ensure blessing. By knowing God's will and not doing it you ensure to bring pain and trouble into your life. In disobedience you are your own worst enemy and the chief cause of calamity in your life. This is exemplified in Jeremiah 32, where God is telling the Israelites all the trouble they are bringing upon themselves! But in verse 39 God promises that He "will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them." As creator of the "machine", the omniscient God of the universe is telling you what will make you the happiest. When He reveals His will to you it's like He's holding out a huge slice of mouth-watering cake. "Take it," He says. When we refuse to obey His will it's like we're pushing his hand and the cake to the floor. "No thanks...we'll keep eating our manure," we say...even though it is the very thing that is making us sick. Disobedience shouldn't just make you feel guilty, it should make you feel dumb. God wants to bless you. He wants your life to be full of joy and love and peace! He's showing you how! Obey Him. His will is for your good. 

"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." - 1 John 5:3 

"To walk out of God's will is to walk into nowhere."  - C.S. Lewis
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Technology Idolatry

11/5/2011

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"At what point does a hobby become an idol?" That's the question I've been asking myself a lot lately. For some reason technology has intrigued and entranced me. I'm captivated by its seemingly limitless promises of function and information. I'm "wowed" by the amazing new things it does to make my life more comfortable and productive. Simply put, I love the latest gadgets, neat new toys, and helpful web-tools that our generation has created. Practically, this translates into a lot of time spent reading about the newest "smartphones", "tablets", "apps", websites, and the like. But since technology is progressing at such a blindingly fast rate, it takes a lot of reading to keep up. But how much reading is too much reading? How much focus is too much focus? And how much time is too much time? This is a hard question to answer because technology in and of itself is not morally wrong. Because it's not a moral issue it makes it conveniently easy to blur the lines and justify our obsession. "It's just a hobby...everyone has hobbies." "It helps me get my work done faster." "It's a great tool to communicate!" "It helps me stay in touch with the people I love". All of these reasons are true and none of them are wrong. Still, the question remains..."when has a hobby turned into an idol?"

I don't think there is an easy, cookie-cutter answer that applies across the board, but I do believe the first commandment can help: "You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3). A god is something you are devoted to. It is something you give your time, energy, thoughts, and money to. A good way to find out if your hobby has become an idol is to see where your greatest devotion lies. For example, something is wrong when you can name every "smartphone" on every telephone carrier, but you can't name all of the books in the Bible. Something is wrong if you've memorized every batting average in the MLB but don't know Proverbs 3:5-6 by heart. Something is wrong when you know every Star Wars character, but don't know who Nehemiah or Zephaniah is. Something is wrong if you run to your email or facebook rather than your Bible when you first wake up in the morning. Something is wrong when you've learned how to speak Star Trek language and not Biblical Greek and Hebrew! (Yes, people know how to speak Star Trek, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings languages!) Something is wrong when you spend more time working on your classic car than you do serving the Church of God. Where is your devotion? What do you spend the most time thinking about and meditating on? Is it the God of the universe? Or something else?

For me, God was convicting me that technology was becoming an idol to me. It was competing with Him for the throne of my heart. He told me to shatter my idol. "But God...it's useful!"..."But God...it's fun!"..."But God..." Shatter it. I know that when God calls me to give something up it is for my greatest good and deepest joy. I need to trust Him and give it up. So I'm trying. I've put a "time-limit plug in" on my web browser that limits the time I can spend on useless sites like Facebook and Google Reader. I've deleted all my RSS feeds about technology and have added new feeds about God, Christianity and ministry. I've tried to stick with a rule that says "before you touch anything electronic, you should first touch the Bible." I no longer want to be consumed by my consuming. I want to live a life with purpose and meaning. It's hard to break old habits, but I'm excited to see how much more I can accomplish for the Lord and learn about Him by freeing up all of this "wasted" time. I'm excited to have more time to have meaningful conversations with my wife. I'm excited for more effective ministry. It's going to be a good year. Pray for me.

"Only one life, and gone so fast. Only what's done for Christ will last."
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Is God An Egomaniac?

10/24/2011

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"Is God egotistical for wanting every single person to worship and glorify Him?" That's what one of my students asked over coffee the other day. It's a good question and I've heard it voiced many times before in one form or another. I had never given much thought as to how to answer it, but for some reason, sitting there in Starbucks, the answer just plopped into my brain. "No," I replied. "That doesn't make God an egomaniac at all. Think about it: From eternity past, the three members of the Trinity have ever existed in perfect love, joy, peace and communion. In their interrelationship perfection is found. And God in His kindness is simply inviting His creation to join in on that joy and perfection! He didn't need to create us...He was totally satisfied with Himself...but He did create us and now invites and even demands us to participate in the pleasures of His perfection. Commanding people to worship Him is the most loving thing God can do! In essence He's saying...'Hey, you! Come get in on this action! It's awesome! I've got perfect love, joy, peace and communion just bubbling over in boundless excess! I want to share it with you! And by the way, there's nothing else out there for you besides me!' By demanding people to worship Him and nothing else, God is actually sparing us from a life of nothingness. He's not some insecure old man looking for false validation and forced praise. He is a loving Father who knows what will bring His children everlasting satisfaction: Himself! That's why He commands us to worship Him because by worshiping Him we receive exactly what we've always needed and more than what we've ever wanted!"

"Oh," said my student. "That makes sense."

Yes, it does. Yes, it does. 

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 
   Worship the LORD with gladness; 
   come before him with joyful songs. 
Know that the LORD is God. 
   It is he who made us, and we are his
   we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

                                                     -Psalm 100:1-3
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Going To Church Is Dangerous!

10/15/2011

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I've heard it said that going to church is one of the most dangerous things you can do. The reasoning behind this statement is that the more frequently we attend church, the more we hear God's word, the more accountable we become if we don't keep God's word! We will be judged according to the knowledge that we have! 

By and large, a problem with American Christians (myself included) is that we are hearers of the Word but not doers. We love input but have very little output (that's called constipation, by the way). In Jeremiah 22, God tells King Shallum to do what is right and just and defend the cause of the poor and needy. Then God adds, "Is that not what it means to know me?" In other words, knowing God equals ACTION! Knowing God is DOING what God does. Knowing God is not in our brains but in our HANDS. We become more like Him in our actions as we come to know Him more with our minds. 

But this is not the case for many American Christians. Quite the contrary; many of us attend church, bible studies and prayer groups, cramming our minds with all sorts of information about God, yet do not let that information transform the way we live. Let's use an example: We know that God commands us to take care of the poor and needy. It's a command of God! We know the command, but how many of us have actually taken proactive steps to fulfilling that command in a serious way? I know I haven't. That is just one of many examples of how we fail to do what we know. But neglecting to practice the things that we know is to our own detriment. 

The Bible says that we will be judged according to how much we know. Luke 12:47-48 says,“The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. In Romans 2 we see that the Gentiles will be judged by their conscience, "the law written on their hearts", and the Jews will be judged by the law. But both groups will be judged for not practicing or living up to the law that they each have. Paul goes on to say "For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous." (Romans 2:13). James 4:17 says, "If anyone knows the good they ought to do and fails to do it, it is sin for them". The list of verses could go on and on, but the point is clear: The more we know, the more strictly we will be judged. 

It is not enough to know...we must also do. Otherwise, you'd better quit going to church!



What are some things you know you ought to be doing (or not doing) but have been neglecting to do?
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The Cross is Plan A

9/13/2011

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What if all of creation was broken, simply so that God could fix it? What if all the hurts of human history took place so that Christ could enter into that hurt? What if everything in this messed up world is exactly how it is supposed to be, in order that God might have a means to reveal His nature as a loving, kind, compassionate God; a God who lays down His own life to buy back His broken creation? What if this is the way by which God receives the most glory? What if there was no other way? What if the cross is "plan A"?

Revelation 13:8 tells us that Jesus is "the lamb slain from the foundation of the world." That's a pretty heavy statement. What it's saying is that before God created even a single molecule, Jesus Christ had already been slain for the sins of the world. In other words, the cross was not plan B. It is not as if God created a perfect world and said "this is plan A," but then Adam sinned, and God had to scramble to come up with a "plan B." God was not surprised by Adam's sin. God is not surprised by our present day suffering and pain. God is a God who "makes known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. He says: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please," (Isaiah 46:10). Creation, the fall, the cross, the resurrection and the future glory of the saints, are all part of God's plan to reveal His character and show Himself glorious. They are plan A. 
God’s mission from all of eternity is to make Himself look good by reconciling unworthy people to Himself through the cross of Christ. He is the center of the story. We are just characters who are invited to participate in (and benefit from) His story. We have two options in how we react to this truth: We can question His character and complain that He created this broken world in the first place, or we can marvel at His kindness and compassion; that He would be so humble, so loving, so caring to enter into our brokenness, lay down His life for our unworthy souls, and fix this broken mess that we live in. He is glorious, and our broken world demonstrates it. It can't be any other way. This is plan A. 
(Disclaimer: I am not at all removing our responsibility for our part in this broken world. Genesis 3 and Romans 8 make it very clear that our sin is the cause for the curses God placed upon this world. Sin is the cause of death, sickness, and suffering...but God sovereignly uses it in His perfect plan.)




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Meditate More

9/7/2011

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Everywhere I look people have their head down. Usually they're looking at their smart phone or sending a text message. Occasionally I'll see someone with their head up, but usually their phone is pressed up against it and they're yapping into the mouth piece. It seems we've lost the ability to be comfortable doing nothing. Anytime we have a free minute we are cramming our head with more information: surfing the web at a bus stop; checking Facebook as we wait for the waiter to bring our lunch; texting a friend while we walk to the post office. We always need some sort of digital stimulation. We are restless if our minds are free to wander. 

But how are we to think, meditate, ponder, or process if we don't give our brains the time and space they need to do so? And more importantly, how are we to meditate on God's word, if we only give it ten minutes in the morning and then keep our minds delightfully distracted for the rest of the day? Sure, reading scripture is great, but if you leave it in your study instead of taking it out into the world, doesn't it lose some of it's effectiveness?  Joshua 1:8 says "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." God's transforming power comes not just when we read His word, but when we consider it, mull it over, ponder it, and apply it. I confess that I am much too distracted. I spend my time with the Lord in the morning, and then forget about His word for the rest of the day as I fill my mind with all sorts of useless information. My desire is that I'd be a man who considers what I read. That I'd "delight in the law of the Lord, and on His law meditate day and night" (Psalm 1:2).

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False Prayer?

9/2/2011

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I noticed I pray a lot in public, but not so much in private. That's pretty lame. I'll pray at a church meeting, or over dinner, or on stage during Sunday service, or before bed with my wife, but I don't pray about many of those same things when I'm alone in my office, or out for a walk, or early in the morning alone with the Lord. If the things I'm praying for in public are important to me, shouldn't I be pouring over them in private prayer? Or am I just praying in public because that's what a "good Christian" is supposed to do? Is it just a token prayer? Are they authentic prayers? Or is it false prayer? I'm not quite sure...but it seems to me that authentic prayer is one that is done in the private chambers; in our rooms, in our private prayer closet as we spend time wrestling with God over matters that are important to our hearts. Jesus said: when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:6). True prayer happens when we are alone with God; when no one else is watching or listening in. That is when we see and reveal the true contents of our heart. That is when we know that we aren't praying for show or because we feel like we "ought" to...but we are praying to engage the Father with a sincere heart and zero pretense. Without private prayer, public prayer can become a farse. But if we are authentic in our private prayer life then, when we do end up praying about those things in public, they are in agreement with the true sentiments of our heart...they are outpourings of our deepest desires, longings, and hopes...they are authentic prayers. 

Lord, help me to be an authentic prayer.
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Open Your Mouth and Cry

7/31/2011

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"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Jesus did not say that the kingdom of heaven belongs to children...what He said is that the kingdom of God will be filled with people like children. In other words, being a child does not automatically mean you go to heaven (ie: age of accountability...but that's another blog for another time)...but being like a child is what gets us into heaven.

I've always had a vague understanding of what this meant until baby Sophia was born. I have spent the last twelve days holding our brand new baby girl and being amazed by her utter reliance on mom and dad. When I hold her in my arms, I can't help but note how she is so extremely small, and weak, and fragile, and....helpless. Helpless is really the key word. She can't even hold her own head up straight. She's stuck wherever I lay her down and she can't even change her position if she's uncomfortable because her muscles and fine motor skills are not yet developed. When she is startled she can't protect herself, she can only jerk and flail her arms in an brief uncoordinated moment. She can't do anything. She can't feed herself, burp herself, change herself, swaddle herself. She brings nothing to the table. Nothing. But she can cry. And when she cries strong, safe arms swoop down and pick that little baby up out of whatever predicament is ailing her. Liliya and I love that small, helpless little girl with a deep and powerful love and we would do anything, give everything for her. All she needs to do is cry. 

That is what Jesus means when He says that the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. He is looking for people who know they bring nothing to the table; who do not rely on their own abilities...but who are weak, helpless, meek and humble. All we need to do is cry out to Him and He will swoop down as a loving Father to save His beloved child. That is it. Salvation is not complicated...all you need to do is open your mouth and cry.

Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, save me!”...The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.   -Psalm 116

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Sophia is home!

7/21/2011

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Sophia Lily Enfiedjian is born! We just got back home with our 7 lb bundle of joy! God was so good and faithful to us while we were in the hospital. He provided us with the most amazing, kind, and caring nurses anyone could ever ask for (a special thanks to Terri and Angie, you ladies were incredible). We are glad to be home and are going to spend some time adjusting to new family life. Thanks for all your prayers!
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Hot baby momma! (The Ultimate Reality)

7/16/2011

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Holy moly! Liliya and I are about to have a baby in just a couple more days! Our life is about to change forever as we get ready for the birth of baby Sophia! We’re really excited and very ready and it’s been a long and awesome process of preperation! There have been a lot of lessons that I’ve learned over the last 9 months as I’ve watched my wife’s belly grow and stretch, but none of them have been as pogniant to me as this: The pregnancy process perfectly parallels the Christian’s present progress through life: from new birth to final glory. So bear with me as I try to stretch things a bit.


It starts with a seed...a spark. New life. Something miraculous and mysterious happens on the molecular level and new life comes into being. This life is simple and primitive in its’ first phase, but it quickly grows and progresses, accumulating new abilities. Soon, the ear drums develop and baby catches its’ first hearing of momma’s voice; the first hint at a greater reality beyond the placenta and umbilical chord. The womb is not her final destination, though she does not know it yet. Occasionally, things from this outside world press themselves upon baby’s simple, small sphere: a police siren, a barking dog, bright light shining through the window, a loving rub from an expectant papa...all evidences of this greater reality bumping into baby's world. Yet, the details of that reality remain scarce...and the instances happen with rarity, so baby settles back into her safe, soft little world thinking that this is all there is for her. In the mean time, all of the cells in her body are growing, expanding, pressing, preparing for their 'real life' in the ultimate reality. All of the things she will need to exist in the real world are being formed in her. Her senses are coming in: sight and smell; her skin is filling in with fat cells to keep her warm. The womb is not her home and her body is making sure it's prepared for its final state of existence. And so baby grows...and grows...and grows... and soon she has grown so much that there is no longer any room left for her in her once soft and spacious womb. She has been fully matured and it’s time for her to leave. Contractions begin. It is a traumatizing experience; frightful in every sense of the word. She is squeezed down and out of everything she's ever known and everything she is familiar with. She's pressed out of a tiny tube...out and into the light. Steady hands grab her, and light floods into her small pupils. Her lungs breathe in real air for the first time, doing what they were always intended to do. She has entered into the world she was created for...a world much more marvelous than should could have ever conceived or imagined. She is...Alive.

So, that is the process that I have got to experience for the last 9 months (well, most of it anyway). Everything my daughter is experiencing in the womb is preparing her for her ‘real’ life...for existing in the ultimate reality. The time in the womb...though in her mind is the end and the only state of being (because it is all she ever known), is in fact, only the preparation process for what she was actually created for. Let us always remember that our time in this world is simply a time of preperation for our true state of being...for our ultimate reality...a reality far more marvelous than we could ever dream up or imagine. I can't wait to see what it's like on the other side! 

     "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"
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Isn't my wife gorgeous?!
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The Lostness of Humanity

7/4/2011

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I've been thinking a lot about our selfish, "me"-mentality when it comes to the gospel. Most of the thoughts stem from a lesson I taught to my Jr. Highers last week from 1 Timothy 2 where Paul says we should pray for ALL men, because God wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. God wants ALL men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. God wants to bestow His blessing and benefits and goodness and kindness on ALL men. Why is it, then, that I so rarely think about "all men"?  Why is it that we so often let the gospel stop with us? Why do we partake in the benefits and blessing of the gospel and neglect to share those blessings with others who so desperately need them? We forget that outside of our happy little Christian bubbles people are lost, confused, hurting, hungry, broken and blind. I live my happy little Christian life filled with joy and peace and purpose, and I completely forget that so many others continue on, wandering about in darkness, looking for a way out, only not quite sure where to find it. We don't think of the masses of humanity at the movie theater, or Six Flags, or the U2 concert as lost, as needy, as searching; but the truth of the matter is, they are.  Each face in the crowd represents a different story of dispair, of hopelessness, of confusion, of meaninglessness. We forget about the business executives wandering down Wall Street trying to fill their life with something that'll never satisfy them. We forget about the single girls who fill up the bars on Friday night trying to find "love". We forget that outside of our nice, warm, loving, God-centered family, that there are families filled with violence and hatred, and screaming and pain, because they know no other way. We assume that everyone's lives are as good as ours. But they're not. We assume that everyone has the peace, and joy, and purpose that we have. But they don't. We have something that other people do not have. We have been recipients of God's grace, and we enjoy special benefits and blessings that most others do not. We know who we are, why we're here, and where we are headed. But so many others do not know the answers to these most fundamental questions. We have answers that people need and the hope that people long for. So I'm issuing a call. This is a call to again see humanity's lostness...This is a call to again pray for their salvation...that God would mend their broken hearts the way he has mended mine and yours...and this is a call to not only be recipients of God's grace, but distributers of it. 

God speed, dear soldier. 


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Greatness vs. Godliness

7/1/2011

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Desiring greatness is not a sin. I think on some level, all of us desire to be great; to have power, presence, and influence that can be used for the Lord. Whether you want to be a great mom, a great soccer player, a great teacher, a great architect or a great musician, I don't believe these desires are wrong in and of themselves, but I believe they can become wrong when the desire to be great supplants the desire to be godly.

As a young pastor, I have a lot of men who I very much look up to. Every morning I go running and during my runs I listen to some of the world's best preachers: John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Francis Chan, James MacDonald, Matt Chandler and the like. I pick apart every aspect of their sermons: their speech, their cadence, their word choices, their pauses, their illustrations and their passion. I think, "Wow! These guys are incredible! They really know their stuff, they are passionate about God, they are great communicators of His truth, and they are effecting large numbers of people for the kingdom! I want to be like them!" In the bottom of my heart, I want to have a ministry like theirs and to be as effective as they are. But that's the problem...I want to be like them. My desire is to be like these great men...when in reality, the only reason these men are great, is because they are godly! The only reason these men are effective is because they earnestly desire to know and love the Lord. That is why God blesses them and entrusts them with awesome ministries; that is why they are able to speak boldly without the fear of man, that is why they have such effective ministries. They are great only because they are godly.

God has been really challenging me with this lately. I should not desire to be a great pastor...I should desire to be a great God-lover. I should not desire anything else but to know God, love God, and please God. If I desire anything else above that, I will sabotage all that God intends for me to be. He should be my greatest and highest longing. Love Him more than anything else, desire Him more than anything else. Truly, there is nothing greater than loving God and being in the center of His will; it is in this that we become great. True greatness comes only from godliness!



Seek first the kingdom of God....


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Media and Morality

5/27/2011

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Not sure about this, but I may have had a revelation: the devil is using media to steer an entire country and culture. Liliya and I were on a drive down to LA and we turned the radio on and scanned to the first channel that came through the static. "Hits 93.1 Bakersfield". The first song that came on was about dirty sex and chains. I turned it off. A few minutes passed so I turned the volume back up. Next song: Also about sex...sex with aliens. I decided to start counting. The next ten songs that played were primarily about sex. Two out of the ten weren't, but they were about partying. (Also interesting to note, four of the songs had the phrase, "I'm a devil/demon" or "you're a devil/demon" in them). Pretty amazing, the top songs on the radio right now are all about sex; painting their pictures with extremely graphic words. These are the songs that most of my students listen to, memorize and sing along with without consideration. Wow...scary stuff. They get 30 minutes of Bible lessons each week at youth group and the rest of the time their minds are blasted with Kanye West, Katie Perry, The Bachelor, Twilight, Cosmopolitan and countless other outlets of trash. I was trying to think back to what was on the radio when I was younger. "KISS FM": Backstreet boys, Ace of Base...sappy love songs mostly....but no vulgar sex. 

An aquantance that teaches Jr. High said there is a pandemic of pornography amongst the Jr. High students at their school. Twelve and thirteen year old girls are taking pictures of their naked bodies and texting them to boys from class. Teachers are catching seventh graders having sex in the bathrooms! Where are these young children learning this stuff? Turn the T.V. on and you'll find the answer. It's no wonder our youth are engaging in insane activities...their eyes, ears, hearts and minds are swimming up a constant stream of filth that pours from T.V's, movie screens, and radio stations. They are simply repeating what the media tells them is normal and acceptable behavior. Media hasn't always been this vulgar. The great deceiver knows that this stuff would've been boycotted had he started pushing it out immediately in the potency that we see today. He's been working at turning this ship for a long time. It has been a slow, methodical process of brainwashing and conditioning. Things we laugh at today would've never been tolerated fifty years ago. But that's the whole point...He's steering this ship, and we're letting him do it. 

What do you think? Am I being oversensitive? Would we see the same corruption of our youth if there was no media? Let me know your thoughts.  
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Will Heaven Be A Vegan's Paradise?

5/13/2011

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Can heaven really be heavenly without hamburgers?

It's seems that it might be. As I've been reading through Isaiah I keep finding these strange little doors that lead me into whole other worlds I never knew existed. Recently I stumbled upon Isaiah 11:7 "The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox." Interesting. During the future reign of Christ even the most vicious carnivores will eat the grass of the fields. In many ways the Millennial Reign of Christ directly parallels the time in the garden of Eden where God's rule and reign is perfectly obeyed, so I wondered if maybe this was how God had originally created the system: a no death, non-meat-eating order. I was a little skeptical, honestly. I don't know about you, but I've always found it weird to think of animals in the garden of Eden not eating each other...I mean, come on...look at the crocodile! Do you really think God gave him those teeth for chewing the cud? Or the black widow? Why would God give her a venomous bite if she was supposed to suck on pollin all day? Well, despite my preconceived notions, I flipped over to Genesis, and you know what I found? Eden was a vegetarian's paradise! Check out Genesis 1:29-30 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.  And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. In Eden, according to God's design, everyone ate only plants.

 We know that Eden was life as God intended it to be, and that one day God will restore that perfect state at the end of the age and we will be with him forever in heaven. Does that mean that there will be no meat eating in heaven as well? Revelation says that there will be no death. You certainly can't have hamburgers without dead cows. (bummer). We also see in heaven that there is the tree of life that bears twelve kinds of fruit and that those who are in heaven have the right to it. So, as far as my study led me, there will be only fruit and plant eating in heaven...but I could be wrong and there might be an In-and-Out there!

What do you think? Will we only eat fruit in heaven? Will we even eat at all in heaven? Here's one more...if we do eat, and we have our glorified bodies, will we produce waste in heaven? Sound off with your comments below!
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The Death of Osama and the Christian's Response

5/2/2011

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I find it slightly un-nerving reading all the "Burn in Hell, Osama" posts on Facebook and Twitter. Yes, I understand he was public enemy number one. Yes, I understand that his entire life was a constant plotting of wickedness and violence. Yes, I understand he took the lives of many innocent people, and yes, I even understand that I will never be able to fathom the crippling loss and drowning sorrow that fills the families who lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks. Still, as Christians, it seems wrong that we should ever rejoice or gloat that someone is in hell. Anyone who jokes or makes light of someone being in hell obviously does not understand the horror and utter agony that hell is. Hell, in all honesty, is so terrible and eternal that the weight of it should cause us to not wish it on even our worst enemies. God did not create hell for people (Matt 25:41) and it was never his intention that people should suffer there. God does not delight in the death of the wicked. "Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?" (Ezekiel 18:23)

I think God is grieved when people turn their back on His love and mercy and so choose hell and eternal death. I think we should despair for all lost souls, but rejoice in God's justice.

Thoughts or comments? Am I wrong? Let's dialogue. 
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