O Holy Night

A marriage that is clothed in scandal, angelic hosts, a young girl suddenly pregnant, a king with a thirst for blood, three wise men from the east and the fate of the world in the balance. This is the story of a newborn king who would be found in a little town called Bethlehem.

Over these next few weeks, I want to address what I like to call "The Charlie Brown Syndrome." All we see is commercialism and Santa. Not a whole lot is focused on the reason we celebrate Christmas. this won't be a "I hate Santa" and it won't be a "His heart grew three sizes that day" post. I want us, as a community and a people, to take a moment and just ponder the grandeur of who Christ is and what he did for you and me.

Many years ago, a young woman named Mary and her betrothed husband Joseph went to the town of Bethlehem to be counted in the census of the Roman Empire. This was when Mary was about ready to have her child and it would have been very dangerous for her to travel. However, they made the journey and there was no room in the inn so they went to a stable and Mary gave birth there to a baby boy.

While this was the very short version of the story (and there will be more elaboration on it as time goes on), many people have already heard this and wonder why is this a big deal? What does this have to do with the commercialization of Christmas? (There is a point to all of this so humor me)

"But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the peoples of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one who origins are from the distant past." (Micah 5:2 NLT).

Micah is one of those books that people kind of skip over in the Bible. It is not a big book of the Bible and to be brutally honest, those little prophet books are hard to read through. But this verse speaks volumes! 600 years or so before Mary gave birth, this prophet said, "HEY! Yea you with the face! Guess what! A while from now, in this little no name town a ruler will be born!" This is like saying someone from a little hick town in Nebraska or Alabama is going to become the President (No offense to Nebraskans or Alabamans).

Let's take a different perspective here. If you could be the son or daughter of anyone in the world, who would it be? Some of us would say presidents, rich people, famous people, or athletes. God had the ability to come into this world in any way he wanted. However, he chose a young girl from a no-name town called Nazareth (Nazareth was like the Arco of Ancient Israel...Yes there is a town named Arco, yes I am from there, and yes I get to make fun of that). Women were looked down on in that time and Mary wasn't even married to a rich or powerful man; but she was exactly what God was looking for. The heart that it takes to serve. After being told that she was going to give birth to a son (Just as a heads up she had not had sex yet, try explaining that one in Health class), she said this, "Mary responded, 'I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true.'" And then the angel left her." (Luke 2:38). 

Do you want to know the key to enjoying the holiday season? The key is not in how rich or how powerful you are, whether or not you get that Xbox One, or if you just so happen to find yourself under the mistletoe with the guy/girl of your dreams. The key to enjoying the holiday season is to be a servant. Serve the people around you in any way you can. Maybe it is inviting that incredibly annoying friend over for Christmas dinner. Maybe that is sharing the story of Christ with your friends and family. Whether you are in a no-name town or in New York City, lets see the example that Mary gave us that first Christmas so many years ago. 

Seek to Follow

These past few months have been an incredibly interesting time of growth and maturing for me here at Bible College. I have seen God move in ways that are incredibly exciting and terrifying at the same time and I want to share with you guys a little bit about what he has been doing.

Have you ever seen the ocean? When the waves are crashing all around you, the smell of salt in the air, the cry of seagulls above you, children playing in the waves, and the sun beating down around you, do you ever wonder at the power and strength of the ocean? How about the sun? When it comes riding through the afternoon sky on her fiery chariot, bringing warmth and light to everyone it touches, do you ever wonder at its power? Both of these creations represent, to a much smaller extent, how we should feel about God. I am reminded of Psalm 8 when the singer says, "What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them" (Psalm 8:4 NIV). This is how I feel in response to this awesome God that I serve.

I am amazed that God would work in an individual like myself. I mean, I am not exactly the best candidate but neither were most of the people in the Bible. The Bible is full of people who were adulterers, murderers, liars, cheaters, blasphemers, and so many more that God used to fulfill his purpose. God uses people today that most people would not look at as worthwhile. Corrie Ten Boom is a good example. She was a woman who lived in Nazi-Occupied Holland and she saved numerous people from the regime. Pastor Saeed, who lived in Boise and is now imprisoned in Iran, is another example of the people that God is using throughout the world. Which leads me to this main point, "What am I doing with what God has given me?"

It is a legitimate question, what are you doing with the gifts that God has given you? Not for your salvation by any means, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). However, many people miss the verse right after that, which says, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10). God created us to do good works to those who are around us. Which leads me to ask again, "What are we doing with what God has given us?"

God has been seriously challenging me in my heart to give every part of who I am to seeking Him and to glorify Him. Each and everyone of us has to ask ourselves, what does that look like for us? For me, I am feeling a pull towards missionary work. I do not know what form that will take but it has been something that God has been challenging me in since my freshman year of Bible College. Perhaps I will try it and say that missions is not for me and I will serve the church in America. This is something that I have to try though. What would my life be worth if I continually just said no to what God would have me do? I mean really, if God says go somewhere, shouldn't we go? Maybe you are feeling that way right now. There is  big opportunity to serve God in another context or another setting, do not just walk blindly into it by any means, but by all means seek and serve God where you are at while working towards where he has called you.

In the book of Joshua we see a very similar situation to what we face today. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9). Now, while the situation is different, the concept remains for you and I today. If God has called you to something, seek wisdom and counsel, but be strong and courageous! We serve a God who created the oceans and the stars. He is mindful of you and he cares for you so I say go for it! Maybe you will fall flat on your face or maybe, just maybe, you will go on the adventure of a lifetime.

Re: Press on

The past two weeks have been hellish to be blunt. Just a combination of family drama, heart sickness, and physical sickness. Throw that together with being in a very new area and this question comes to my mind...am I doing what God has called me to do? Are the choices I make what God wants me to do? My goal while here is to bring glory to God. I want to give it all to the one who gave himself for me. Every day, it is a matter of saying no to what I want and saying yes to what God wants.

I want to live the words of Paul every day. "As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me-the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing." (2nd Timothy 4:6-8)

My goal is to serve Christ. Even through the hard times. As of right now, my goal is to serve God to the absolute best He can do through me while here in Newberg, Oregon. Every challenge we face prepare us for an even more difficult challenge that we will face later in life. This terrifies me but it also gives me hope. God is walking me through this challenge. Sometimes he is dragging me. The verse in Hebrews gives me hope. "This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin." (Hebrews 4:15) Everything we walk through is something that he has walked through. He knows my hurts and my fears.

All I can say is, God this is my life. Here is what I have. I know its not a lot but I want you to take it. Send me where you need me. Be it here in America or across the seas in Myanmar or Kenya. I want to serve you even though I am not worthy to do so. Take my life all of it, the good the bad and the ugly. Use it for whatever you would have me do. Shine through me God. Just don't let me fall back into who I was.

Am I the only one who feels this? I don't think so. I think that there are a lot who want to serve Christ. Its whether or not we press on through those hard hours, days, weeks, months, or even years; that's what defines who we are. However, the nice thing is this...we don't press on alone.

Our Biggest Fears

If there is something that this past month has shown me, it has to be the fact that Satan knows exactly what our biggest fears and weaknesses are and then he hits them with everything in his arsenal. This can take on a variety of forms, sex, drugs, alcohol, relationships, and anything else imaginable. It is a terrifying prospect.

This past month, I have found that my great weakness is insecurity. I focus way too much on people's opinion of me. Satan knows this and has used this to keep me from being effective for the kingdom. Whether it is my family, close friends, or someone I barely know. What is it about people that make us so afraid? Why do people care about other people's opinions?

People have this unique ability. The ability is to become close to other people and the closer someone is to you, the more potential they have to hurt you. God knows this. When God made Adam he saw that it was not good for man to be alone. So he made Eve to compliment their personalities. But this comes with a cost. The cost is being vulnerable. When someone knows your deep secrets, the things that you want to hide in the darkness and let nobody see, they have this power to reject that which has helped shape you and mold you. When somebody rejects that, they are essentially rejecting who you are and this can be incredibly painful. 

But the opposite end of this spectrum can be pretty awesome. This is when someone who knows your deepest fears and insecurities comes alongside of you and supports you through them. This is what the church is supposed to do. The early church did this. They came alongside of each other every day and worshiped God. People do not spend that much time together without getting to know each other's inner secrets and fears. But they were able to come alongside each other and minister to the world. 

Whatever our deepest fears are, no matter how deep or dark they can be, one of the most painful incidents in the world is being rejected by someone who you thought you could trust. But one of the greatest feelings in the world is knowing that there is someone you can trust and that they can trust you. This is why God calls us to community with each other and not to being solo Christians. This can be painful and it can be one of the hardest things in the world. But in the end, God knows that it is worth it for us and that is why he makes us do it. God never said being a Christian would be easy. 

Focus

We are very small people in this world. There are 7 billion of us all around the world and each one of us has our own separate fears, hopes, dreams, joys, and sorrows. We have the ability to affect each person around us whether or not that is positive or negative. That person that we affect can then go and affect someone in a positive or a negative manner. This has the potential to spread throughout the world.

Now think about it this way. You walk into a coffee shop. You see your friends in a relationship having coffee together, you see another friend working behind the counter and then there is a random montage of people drinking coffee and going about their every day lives. To you, these people are only the extras in your life. They are comparable to the fish in Spongebob Squarepants that yells "My leg!" You see him now and then but you don't really focus on his life or his story. You are the main character in your life.

Now think about it from their view. That person sees you walk into a coffee shop and you are only an extra to them in their daily life. They may never see you again or they may see you again in a couple of days. They face their own fears, trials, and heartaches, just as much as you face your own.

With this being established, throw in every other random circumstance to their lives. What is their view on life? Are they married? Do they have trust issues? Do they like sports or do they prefer books? Do they believe in God? Were they scarred as a child or an adult? With all of these different factors in play, those are the people we are trying to connect with as Christians. 

When Christ called us to follow Him. He did not call us to live lives of isolation. He called us to be salt and light to a world that did not believe in Him. So how do we even begin to connect with people that may have a completely different worldview than we do? 

The answer is actually pretty simple. We draw the focus off of our own lives. If there was a movie made about every person in the world, we would not be the main character. The whole of our being is designed to worship Christ. If we bring the focus off of ourselves and more onto God...then I think we might start making a change in this world, one person at a time. 

Night of Choices.

I wrote this for my Life of Christ class and I really became invested in this story.

The Night of Choices

                It was dark as I walked the streets of Jerusalem. In the distance I saw the last of the altar fires burning in the temple. The potent odor of the burnt Passover lambs filled the air. My anticipation grew more and more, but the men around me marched silently with grim expressions. Walking beside me was a lonely figure. His long hair and beard betrayed his eyes. The eyes of a man who knew how to get what he wanted. I did not trust this man but my master did. His name was Judas Iscariot and he had agreed to betray Jesus of Nazareth. “Jesus of Nazareth”, I thought with disgust. “Can anything good come from Nazareth? That man has caused more problems for the Jews than the Romans!” I quickened my pace for the time had come to finish this quandary once and for all.

                Judas halted at the foothills of the Mount of Olives. He said, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize him!” I nodded my head, eager to pursue and finish this deed. I had no idea that this walk up the mountain would change my life forever.  The air grew colder the higher we walked. Far away from the cramped city, I felt as though I could sleep here and be at peace. This garden was truly a paradise for the weary traveler. Unfortunately, I could not rest here; we had to press on and find this Jesus.

                Judas stopped the crowd and for a brief moment I heard a voice carry over the darkness. “Get up and let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!” My stomach lurched at that moment. I saw Judas’ face go white but he pressed forward. As we stepped through the last of the foliage, we saw the small group of about twelve men standing there, just waiting for us. One of them stepped forward, there was nothing special about his appearance, but he stood with such authority that my knees could not help but tremble ever so slightly.

It was Jesus. He asked, “Who is it you want?” We replied with one voice, “Jesus of Nazareth.” He replied, in a voice that could stop men in their footsteps, “I AM he.” Judas fell backwards into me because of the power of this voice. I fell backwards into Hosea. All of the men had fallen down and were hastening to get back up. We came to our feet, slightly embarrassed, and Jesus said, “Who is it you want?” Slightly annoyed, we said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” He replied calmly, “I told you that I am he, if you are looking for me then let these men go.”

As I prepared to arrest Jesus, Judas stepped forward and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. I heard Jesus say very quietly, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss? Do what you came for.” At this point, I knew I had to act. So I stepped forward to arrest this so-called prophet.

The glint of steel on the moonlight was obvious. One of the larger men in the group came rushing at me with a fire in his eyes that I knew did not bode well for me. I could not draw my sword fast enough so I dove to the side. All of a sudden a fierce pain came upon my ear. I felt the warm blood trickle down the side of my face. I clutched at the bloodstained remains of my ear and wept from the pain. But then, I heard Jesus say, “No more of this! Put your sword back in its place! For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” Jesus continued speaking but at that point I was rapidly losing focus.

I felt a hand on my ear and I saw the man I had come to arrest, this Jesus, putting my ear back in place. I felt the ear attach itself back together and the pain quickly dissipated as though it had never existed. Jesus looked at me with a love that made me ashamed of what I had attempted to do. He straightened himself up and rebuked the crowd I led for arresting him in the dark when he had been in the temple every day this week. The mob moved forward and his followers deserted him very quickly. Still kneeling, I saw two guards grab a young man but he broke free and ran home, even though he was naked. Then the guards escorted Jesus to the temple.

While these events were transpiring, I just knelt on the ground and I wept. I wept as I realized the enormity of what I had just committed. This man, the one I wanted to arrest merely hours before, did not call angels or fire from heaven. He did not curse me or spit on me. No, he healed my ear and then he went as a lamb to the slaughter. Who is this Jesus of Nazareth?

Excited about Life and Christ

God is doing some incredible things and I am so excited to see what he is going to do next!

I see God moving in my friends around me. Even over this past semester at Bible College, I have seen people grow more mature in their walk with Christ, what they want to do with their lives, and just letting Christ move through them. I love seeing people grow in their love and maturity because it shows that they are letting Christ move through them. So if you are that person keep it up, God is going to keep moving through you if you let him and that is great!

I have seen God work through churches and missions over these past few months. God is moving incredibly throughout the community and throughout the world. His church is continuing to spread throughout persecuted countries like China and Iran, as well as growing in America. If it does not excite you that God is moving and the church is growing then examine yourself and ask why you aren't excited because this stuff is awesome!

In regards to getting excited about Christ and what he is doing, I am in the process of reading this book called "Not a Fan". This book is written by Kyle Idleman and it is such a good read! The main premise of the book is if Jesus was with us right now and he wanted to have a define the relationship talk with us how would that go down? Would your relationship with Christ be defined as one of commitment and devotion? Or is your relationship suffering? Maybe it is nonexistent? But if you are going to get excited about what Christ is doing in the world, it is high time that you as a person look at your relationship with him. This book is hitting me in between the eyes because I see areas in my life where I admire Jesus and I love what he is doing but I don't walk in his footsteps.

Maybe that's where you are? Maybe you love God so much and admire what he is doing! Maybe you can spout off any number of Scriptures, you go to Bible College, and you are ready to go serve Christ 100%! But are you truly following him? Is your heart following him? Or is it something your family has done for years and you wanted to follow that? If you are following Christ let it be lived out by your actions and the motive behind those actions. Because you can do the right thing for the wrong reasons and still be wrong just like you an do the right things for the wrong reasons and still be wrong.

I am not pointing fingers at anyone I know because I do not know their hearts. I will say this though. If your heart is not completely devoted to God... then stop faking it! God does not expect perfection but he does expect authenticity. If you look at every follower of Christ in the Bible you will not see one person who followed Christ perfectly. Paul murdered Christians, Peter denied Christ, David was a murderer and an adulterer, Rahab was a prostitute, Martha worried too much, and Moses got angry and murdered a man! However, the thing about each and every person who followed God was this. They were authentic and they wanted to follow him with all their being.

Now I am not saying that this gives us permission to go and do all these things but what I am saying is that God understands that we are not perfect and wants us to continue following him. BUT if you are going to follow Christ then actually follow Christ! Weird concept right?

The other thing I am super excited about is what I see Christ doing in my own life. I am guilty of all kinds of sin and I am nowhere near worthy to be called a follower of Christ. But God has accepted me as his and I want to dedicate my life to following him. While Paul wrote this to the church at Philippi I am convinced that this applies to Christians today. "For I am confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6 NASB). He began a good work in us and he will continue to perfect it. However, we have to continue to follow him.

Get excited! Christ is moving and we are a part of it!