Be Prepared

Ever experienced that utterly helpless feeling of wandering into a situation completely unprepared? As your stomach drops and you begin to sweat you desperately search for a way out of the situation you find yourself in, but to no avail. In case there is someone reading this that does not understand this feeling let me give you an example from my own life that occured recently, I hope you find it entertaining! 

So I am a barista at Caribou Coffee here in Chicago. A barista is responsible for taking orders (easy), and making sure those orders get out promptly and in a quality fashion (less easy). Well for my first few months at Caribou I was responsible for the first step in this rather simple equation. Things went along smoothly as I calmly took orders and took care of simple coffee or pastry requirements and left the morning rush to the more experienced baristas. Well upon returning from Christmas break I learned that our branch had pretty much cleaned house which meant it was now my responsibility to take care of those nasty rushes on the bar (where we make your more extreme drinks). Saturday morning rolls around and my first test begins, and yes this is where the unprepared part comes in. I take my place at the bar and cringe as the rush begins. People begin lining up...my heart starts pumping faster than it ever should...and the sweating begins. 

We got slaughtered. 8 point buck during deer season slaughtered. You see, during my first few months at the store I spent all of my free time humming one of the million songs I seem to always have stuck in my head rather than studying up on the 14536 drinks we serve at Caribou. The result was an utter lack of preparedness and embarrassment that reached every crevice of my 5'9 frame. 

Now I could give more examples of this type of situation but I believe that last story made my point. The point being that when we choose to go into a situation unprepared we will undoubtedly get burned. Now in the example above the consequences were minor. I kept my job and even got better as the shift went on! There are situations, however, when the consequences can be far more destructive. I, unfortunately, have another real life example for this type of situation. Serious time.

CNN. One of the most commonly used sources of news for the people on this country if not the planet. I found my self perusing this website searching for a topic for my Research Writing course here at Moody when I stumbled upon something that hurt my heart. An article, near the top of the website, simply named, "Why I raise my children without God". The article was written by a mother of two living in Texas and it outlined the seven reasons that she chose to keep God out of their lives completely. 

I read the article from start to finish and then began going through the comments (this iReport, as they are called on CNN, would draw the most comments ever) and was amazed at what I saw. Just in case you choose to not read the article some of her points included: God is a bad parent and role model, God is not logical, God does not protect the innocent, and God teaches narcissism. I was, quite frankly, unprepared. I was left even further in shock when I began making my way through the comments. Just as the people had poured into the coffee shop that fateful Saturday morning, people were pouring their support out for the author of the piece and I was left feeling rather helpless. 

To make what could be a rather long story a bit shorter I will simply say that I eventually created my own CNN profile and began commenting on the post myself. Naturally, as a trained Bible scholar (I'm kidding, I'm a freshmen), I would have an easy time defending my faith to commenters on a blog post, right? Wrong. You see, the people commenting on this article were not simply people who could kinda sorta relate with this woman, but rather people who had been looking for an arena in which to battle against people like myself for what seemed like decades. One woman commented, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! We are raising our two daughters without religion. We are excited to think that they will be free to live their lives without the burden of guilt, shame and fear that religion installs into it's followers. They are becoming wise, logical, compassionate and loving human beings. I can't wait for the day that being an atheist or just having a spiritual connection isn't looked down upon as harshly as it is today. I think it is funny that religious people aren't supposed to judge, yet they are the most judgmental people I meet." (COmom2). How do you respond to that!? Do you respond by telling this lady that God is the only source of true freedom? That God is not the hateful judge she seems to think she is? That the "religious people" she has met aren't truly the right type of religious people to go by? 

There is an answer, but the only way that that answer will come to your lips to speak or fingers to type at the time it needs to is if you are prepared. I was not prepared. I had answers to the assertions that my God is not logical, loving, or a good parent, but I had no answer for the lady saying that the so called "Christians" she meets judge her instead of love her. The fact of the matter is that the people of this world have been led to believe that God is the author of destruction and depression rather than love and salvation and the only way their minds will be changed is to show that love in any and every way possible. 

I feel obligated to put a simple plug in here for what the absolute wrong answer is. The wrong answer is to fight fire with fire, which is exactly what some people tried to do. They courageously posted comments saying that the author was dead wrong and proceeded to bash her in any way possible. Wrong. As easy as it can seem to lay into those that accuse our God of being anything less than the perfect, loving, almighty God He is, this is not what we are told to do. When Jesus is accused of being a sinner due to his association with sinners (Luke 15) Jesus does not respond by opening up the Heavens and allowing a host of angels unleash glorious havoc so as to prove His perfection, but instead tells parables that make His point clearly and concisely. We are called to do the same. Do not back down from an opportunity to defend our Savior, but instead be prepared through prayer and study and then speak lovingly and show the world what real love looks like.

In conclusion let me just say this. As the years continue to go by, the opposition to the message of salvation and God in general is going to grow exponentially. It's a fact. So put your armor on (Ephesians 6) and get out there all the while knowing you have an all-powerful God watching over each and every step you take. 

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

Ephesians 6:10-12

Fresh Start.2

As this second semester at Moody begins I am realizing that I have come along way, and yet have so far to go. God has been so good to me and I want to do a better job of conveying the many ways I am learning how great my God is, and also the many ways in which I am being challenged day by day. My goal is to post weekly (probably Mondays) and hopefully encourage anyone who reads this to keep the faith, find perfect joy, and trust an almighty God in everything you do!

Never forget that life without God is life unfulfilled. The world is constantly attempting to drive us from His unfailing grasp, but we need to remember what we are promised in 1 John 5: 4-5. "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

Joy

My Uncle, Pastor Brian Wiita, gave me the wonderful opportunity to write an article for the Proctor Journal over my Christmas break and I thought it would make sense to put it up on here as well! I hope the joy of God's love is real in your life. Only through His love are we truly fulfilled.

Joy is a theme that this time of year often is tied to, but joy is a funny thing. It’s a concept that I believe our culture thinks it understands, but in fact does not.  You see, if we understood the true meaning of joy then I do not think we would need so many different outlets in which to search out joy. Media, food, and holidays are just three examples of such outlets, and let’s be honest how much joy can be extracted from one tray of cookies and brownies before joy turns to pain? Now I understand the argument that family can be a source of true joy, but even that is interlaced with inevitable conflict and at least a dash of frustration here and there.  So what is true joy? True joy is that overwhelming sense of happiness that does not fade when the party ends, food runs out, or family departs. It cannot be conquered by the sometimes daunting tasks this world requires, nor can it be affected by the time of day, week, or season. It is supernatural.

Here is my challenge to anyone who happens to read this article. Give the supernatural joy that God offers a chance this wintry season. For those of you who have accepted God’s plan of salvation and have therefore at least tasted of this joy, I would challenge you to forget tasting and drink deeply of the living water that Jesus Christ offers to those who believe. Let it overwhelm every facet of your life. For those of you who haven’t a clue what any of that means; stop searching for happiness in the very temporary pleasures of this earth and realize the joy that God offers to those who remain in Him. All it requires is belief in the perfect act of love Jesus demonstrated with his death on the cross, burial, and resurrection, and an acceptance of the salvation He so freely offers.

In conclusion I would just like to add this: Life was never meant to be easy. This is never more apparent than this time of year, a time in which holidays come and go leaving only the heaviness of a long winter ahead in our fragile minds. With that being said, there is a remedy. God’s word tells us to “Cast all your cares upon him, for he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). There is a God in Heaven who loves you and is willing to accept any burden you may have in exchange for an everlasting peace. You are loved. 

Life Lived with a Resurrection Mentality

This is a paper I wrote for my Spiritual Life and Community class. I felt like it might be fun to share some of the things we touched on in this class and share it in a format that resembles an article. 

The Problem:

What does it mean to live differently? That is the question I have for you. In a world where everyone strives together towards being “unique” resulting in one large mess of not really all that unique, how do we as Christians stand out as being different? Do we stand on the rooftops proclaiming the coming day of judgment? Do we hold the message we have inside us and merely exude Christ through our actions? Or does it maybe go a little bit deeper than that? I will spend the first part of this article explaining the problem we have as believers in this modern, ever-changing society, and, God willing, we will then work towards a solution to this problem.

            Westboro Baptist Church. Heard of it? Well if you haven’t than you probably know someone who has. Maybe it will jog your memory if I mention the fact that this church has taken the most radical steps towards confronting homosexuality in the United States in the past few years. They employ various tactics, but the one they are the most famous for is their classic picket sign holding conventions around town. These signs say things that I would rather not repeat in this setting, but quite honestly it is sad. To give you an idea I will simply say that they have the guts to say God hates people who claim a homosexual lifestyle.

            Now contrast that with any number of churches that take the completely opposite approach in their battle against the sin of our society. Rather than confront the social vices, they stay inside their church and quietly warm their pews whilst simply soaking in several sermons each week. No real action is taken, prayer being the exception. Now I do not want to downplay prayer. I also do not want to put down these churches that tend towards a more passive approach towards the issues of our country today.

            So there you have it. Two radically different church settings that are very much present in today’s United States. So which way is the right way? Aggressive? Passive? Both? Neither? I believe the answer lies not within the church per say, but rather in the individual minds of each believer in each church throughout this world. Notice that I said world this time. Reason being that the body of Christ is global, and the issues we experience here in the United States are not altogether unique.

The Solution:

            Alright so now it is time to dive headfirst into our solution. I am going to do this by simply giving you my opinion on this matter and surrounding it with Scripture. The overall basis for my solution is probably already understood seeing as it is the title of this article. Life lived with a Resurrection mentality. What may not be understood, however, is just how powerful this type of a mentality can be. The following section of this article will explain three ways in which a Resurrection mentality should transform the mind of a believer.

           

            The first thing that I believe that should result from having a Resurrection mentality is an opening of our eyes. We need to realize that we are living in a world suffering from the effects of sin and death. We are surrounded by people that have the potential to live lives worthy of Christ’s call but are so lost in the darkness this world embraces that they see no way out. A song called “Give me your eyes” by Brandon Heath properly captures this spirit when he says, “Give me your eyes for just one second, give me your eyes so I can see. Everything that I keep missing, give me your love for humanity.”

           

            Jesus Christ lived in a day in age where sin was every bit as prevalent as it is in 2012. The Creator of the universe was surrounded by a disease that was not in fact part of His original creation, and yet instead of openly judging those around Him, He loved them instead. John 7:53-8:11 contains one of the best examples of this type of love as it tells the story of a woman caught in adultery. Upon the scribes and Pharisees testing Jesus by throwing the law in his face (the law called for the woman’s death) Jesus seemingly calmly replied, “Let him who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (8:7b ESV). The Jewish leaders sink away from Jesus upon hearing this and Jesus and the woman are left alone. Even in their privacy Jesus does not judge the woman, but instead says, “Neither do I condemn you, go and from now on sin no more” (8:11b ESV).

            In application I do not believe the actions that churches such as Westboro incorporate are in any way biblical. Jesus did not call us to hate sinners! He called us to hate the sin and love the sinner in a way that will show them the love our Savior freely gives! If we are living with a Resurrection mentality than this is something that will come naturally as we will see the people of this world in the same way Jesus did. As lost sheep. “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again” (John 10:16-17 ESV).  

            The second thing that should come as a result of Resurrection mentality is a sense of urgency. When Jesus Christ gave his disciples the commission in chapter 28 of Matthew he did not say to go and preach the Gospel when it was convenient, but rather he said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:18 ESV). He said go! As in take action now! There is a world of lost sheep helplessly lost without their shepherd and it is our job to be the light that guides them back!

            In application I believe that the believers that choose the passive approach are also a bit off when it comes to their evangelistic strategy. It is easy to sit back and be comfortable with life. I understand that because I often find myself in that same mindset. What we need, however, is to act like the transformed beings that we are. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2 ESV).

The Conclusion:

           

            The Resurrection means everything to me. It is the very foundation on which my faith is built, and without it my faith is futile. There is simply nothing more to it than that. So by that logic it is my responsibility to live with a Resurrection mentality. It is my job to open my eyes to the hurt that this world has been exposed to as a result of sin, and to kindle a fire in my heart consumes every last bit of apathy towards the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is time to step out in complete and total obedience and realize that I am far from alone in this quest.

“It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:7).

Blood

I just spent the last few minutes of my Tuesday evening reading through my older sisters blog. After making my way through some of her posts I realized I had this ridiculous smile plastered across my face. Not one of those half-hearted smiles you get during an episode of "Wipeout", but rather the kind of smile that literally takes over your face. I took a moment and evaluated what it was that was happening to me, and more importantly why? I realized that the same thing had happened only a few hours earlier when I was walking home from work and I was talking on the phone with my mom, dad, and little sister. That little buzzer went off somewhere in my brain and I realized what it was that brought this unexplainable joy to my entire being. Blood. My family. The people that I have spent the better part of 19 years laughing, fighting, and ultimately bonding with. Only now that I'm 8 hours away from them do I truly realize exactly what they mean to me. Everything.

One of the guys on my floor said something earlier in this insane semester that really hit home. He said "The two things you realize when you leave home is how badly you treated your family and how awesome your childhood really was". Now I'm not 100% sure this is how the quote went (this was like early September and I don't write anything down) but this is what I took from it. God blessed me with an amazing childhood as a part of an amazing family, and I totally failed to realize this until I arrived in this crazy city.

It was at this point that I was feeling a tad bit low. I felt as if I had let my family down by not truly appreciating everything they had done for me. The way they would show up to basketball games despite knowing how bad we were gonna get plastered. The way they kept their cool when I went all high school on them. The way they poured themselves into me despite my refusal to allow any such act of love. I found myself desperately wishing I could go back and fix everything, try again, hit restart, make it right. I was clawing at the edges of my new reality trying to find a way to fix a past that had sailed away like Frodo at the end of Return of the King.

It was only a matter of time before I came to the realization that I was overreacting. I attributed this temporary feeling of overwhelming guilt to homesickness (people I miss my family. true story) and put my man pants on. God was giving me an incredible opportunity! Sure I may have dropped the proverbial ball at one point or another in my first go around back home, but that doesn't change the blood flowing through my veins. I am connected to my family by something that goes so much deeper than any amount of mistakes I could ever make, and that is what brings that ridiculous smile right back!

Go back and read that last sentence one more time. Please. Okay now I don't know about you but the spiritual implications absolutely destroyed me. God has blessed us with so many things in life that picture the love He has for us. It's like the almighty creator of the universe is dropping little hints in front of us all the time in an effort to make us realize just how much He loves us. This feeling of unconditional love I feel for my family, and they feel for me, is just an immaculate portrait of the love God has for us. I am connected to my Master by something that goes so much deeper than any amount of mistakes I could ever make. That something is blood. The blood of Jesus Christ.

I am once again convicted as I think about that smile I spoke of earlier. My sister's blog brought this unconstrained joy to my heart as I read about her daily struggles with her son, and yet where is this joy when I read through God's love letter to me? In John 15 verse 11 Jesus says "I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." There is a joy that is offered to us that goes so much deeper than any earthly relationship could ever go. This joy is promised to be completed in the relationship we gain through Christ's act of love (1 John 1:3-4).

I don't know about you, but I want my joy to be complete. I want to experience whatever this world has to throw at me and still have some ridiculous smile on my face. I want people to look at me and wonder what the shrimp is wrong with me. I want my joy to be contagious. I want other believers to see me and yearn for that joy, the way I currently yearn when I see these joyous people.

I've strayed from my original topic. I want to bring it back for one more moment before I turn in for the night. My family and I have a bond that goes beneath the skin. We are connected by the very DNA that makes us who we are. In this same way my relationship with Christ goes beneath the skin. It flows from His wrists, from His brow, from His side, from His feet, from His back, from His fleshly casing that He so mericfully inhabited so as to create an unbreakable bond with a wretch such as I. When I think about that blood flowing from my Savior it brings me to tears, but then I think of the joy He promises as a result of this sacrifice and a smile reaches the corners of my mouth. It's not a huge smile, but it's a start. I'm on my way to experiencing a joy that is only complete in my relationship with my Master, and let me tell ya, I can't wait to get there!

Not Once

How easy is it to get stressed out!? I mean for real it is so incredibly easy to let the things of this earth grab a hold of every single thought and sink us into a vast void of some form of depression. I write this because I have contracted this disease and quite frankly it's pathetic. I sit back and start letting my mind crunch numbers and I wonder how I will ever pay these school bills...people I am going to a school that pays for my tuition. How weak is my faith? That is what it has come down to because if I truly trusted God with every aspect of my life I would never feel lost to this worlds temporary "problems". I put problems into parentheses because is it really a problem?

So missions conference just rolled through Moody Bible Institute. What an experience! I was blessed to hear the testimonies of people that have left all to follow Christ. Modern day Peter, James, and John's spoke from the pulpit of Torrey-Gray Auditorium and spilled their stories of life, loss, and most of all an unyielding faith that I pray I one day attain. What I seem to see only now is that the problems I mentioned earlier are not really problems at all. They are, instead, tests of sorts. God doesn't let his children coast through life whilst being effective in ministry! It does not work that way! The two just don't go together! Ask any person who has made any impact for God's kingdom and they will tell you a story that will no doubt include trials that make my little school bill "problem" look like that ant you accidently stomped on earlier today. Talk about a reality check...

So money is a bit tight in room 611 of Culbertson 6. Naturally this isn't something I just shrug off, but it also shouldn't be enough to send me into a state of panic. Anxiety is a human emotion, we all feel it from time to time. My mom, however, loves to send me straight to Phillipians 4 whenever I sound anxious. Verses 5b-6 clearly state "The Lord is at hand, do not be anxious about anything, but in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." With what? What does He want to me to pray with? That's right, thanksgiving. And now I see it! How blessed am I? By this world's standards I am well off. I have shelter, education, and a family that loves me! That list could get so much longer but for sake of space lets just assume that I have more to be thankful for than I could ever deserve. Now couple that with the fact that I have been blessed with eternal life as a result of my Savior's death on a cross.

I see three steps that NEED to follow this realization:

1. Get to my knees. Right where I belong. I am so undeserving of God's love. He is the Creator of the universe and I never once leave His mind. As He turned His back on His Son, my Savior on a tree that He created, I was on his mind. I never left it. Not Once. So I pray for forgiveness, and I thank him for the innumerable ways He has blessed a sinner such as I.

2. Get on my feet. Time to take action. The kind that doesn't just attempt to fix my financial, emotional, or (fill in the blank) problems, but the problem that is plaguing the majority of mankind. So many people have yet to see God's face, have yet to accept the gift He offered from the cross. The gift I so easily neglect and forget. Time to make a difference for God's kingdom, and while I do it I can know that I never leave His sight. Not Once.

3. Get on my cross. "And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:38-39). Time to put this world behind me and start living for a kingdom to come. Is it easy? Nah, it's tough. Missions conference showed me real life examples of those that have lived this life and in every single case it was worth it! There is a joy, a peace, in living for Christ that passes all understanding. When I leave this earth I will enter into eternity and hear those precious words "Well done my good and faithful servant" and it will all be worth it. I will live eternity with my Savior and never regret the life of difficulty I lived on earth. Not Once.


Jesus Christ payed the ultimate price for you and me. The prayer of my heart is that I would start living a life that will show that same selflessness for the people I encounter. That I would have the faith to trust God in all circumstances, not just the ones that are easy. I hope this can be the prayer of your heart as well.

Just Breathe

Life is such a blessing. Even more the ability to view life and observe it on a daily basis is a blessing that is so underserved, and yet so undervalued. Here I am in the third largest city in the United States of America and still I fail to grasp the sheer weight of my fortune. The only thing that is becoming more clear to me is that I don't belong. I don't deserve this. Why me? Why don't I get to suffer in the vast emptiness of my own despair? I pass the homeless as they cry out for change, I don't flinch. I see the child wandering the streets, I hardly notice the bruises. I hear the cry of the drunken and stoned, I pretend to feel some deranged form of pity. The truth is I just do not care, but WHY!? I have been saved from sin and death by the unmatched love of my LORD JESUS CHRIST yet I fail to show even a portion of this love to the less fortunate around me. Failure.

So I Breathe. I remember that tomorrow is a new day. But no, the next minute is a new minute. Why wait for tomorrow to show the love I have been freely given today?

So I Breathe. I remember that God has bestowed upon me a spirit of POWER...not to mention a spirit of love with which to love the humanity I encounter.

So I Breathe. I quiet my cluttered mind and embrace the SOUND MIND my Father in Heaven has been so merciful in providing.

So I Breathe. I remember that tract in my pocket. Not the one that condemns the recipient, but the one that shows her need for a Savior, his need for redemption.

So I Breathe. I refuse that nagging feeling trying to remind me of my PRIDE. Trying to make me feel ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So I Breathe.

I approach humanity through the eyes of a carpenter. A man, just like me, and yet nothing like me, for this man was God. He looked down on mankind, but not as those who look down as a result of pride. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, firstborn over all creation, looked down at me from a tree. My master banished my sin with one victorious act of utter humility coupled with complete power.

The point I am driving at is that when I walk the streets of Chicago I want to put on a new pair of glasses. A new viewpoint, perspective, vision; and I want to embrace the humanity I encounter in the same way my Savior did. Unlike my Savior, however, I am no better than any person I meet. I am a sinner, albeit saved by grace, but still a sinner. I fall short on a daily basis so how can I possibly judge the homeless man who asks for change?

So I Breathe. And I thank God for his creation, ALL of his creation. I thank him for the beauty of the sunset, for the begger I gave change and a tract to today. I thank him for the family I've been blessed with, and for the addict I prayed with on Wells Ave. Most of all I thank my Savior for the cross from which He looked down on me, saw my need, and offered me the living water of his salvation.