Boldness With A Humble Spirit

     If there's anything this world needs, it's strength.  We need courage to stand up for what is just and righteous.  Christians need to break through their shell of fear to find the boldness that comes with accepting God's gift of salvation.  Previously, I discussed the cold condition of the heart of society.  In order to break the trend of cold-heartedness, Christians NEED to find their inner boldness.  Our world is in desperate need of the truth.  

     We need more people like Paul who wrote, "And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. (Ephesians 6:19)"  Did you hear the way he phrased that?  The MYSTERY of the gospel... Many things allude me about the Bible; I learn something new every single time I pick it up, but the fact that the gospel itself is a mystery is what should open our eyes.  The Word needs to be delved into and proclaimed.

     God's love is the only thing that can bring warmth to many longing hearts.  Although nobody is accountable for another person's spiritual condition, it's crucial that God's people work toward exposing the gospel to lost individuals.  Acts 28:31 states, "Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding."  Confidence in The Lord is the greatest thing a man can have. It's a righteous confidence that never fails.

     Do not let confidence become mistaken with pride.  The Lord looks for a humble heart in His people.  Romans 12:3 says, "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."  This verse reminds a person to not get puffed up in what he mistakes as his own glory.  For example, if you play a part in leading a person to Christ.  That does not mean you did the saving - only God can handle that.  Although the role we play is small, it's necessary and it's something we have to do out of love.  We don't witness because we expect some kind of payment from it - we do it because we don't want their soul to go to Hell.

     The Lord knows that the flesh does get in the way.  Even the apostles had troubles such as this.  Nobody is perfect.  For this reason, The Lord sees fit to put us through trials that not only humble us, but ultimately strengthen our Christian walk of life.  It makes us a better witness and gives us the strength to be bold.  Romans 5:3-5 states, "(3) And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; (4) And patience, experience; and experience, hope: (5) And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."  As Christians, we benefit greatly from tribulation.  The beautiful part about these verses is the fact that it warns us we will have difficult times, but we will always overcome through our Savior.

     Trials and tribulations seem so complex and hard to understand when they happen in our lives.  Prayer is certainly key in such situations.  Prayer is important in every situation, but trials seem to broaden our prayer life.  It brings us closer to God.  1 Peter 4:16 says, "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf."  If we simply sit down and realize that we are in a trying time that will strengthen us, it becomes easier to praise God through the storm.  He knows what's best so what right do we have to panic?

     Another thing we must realize is the fact that God knows exactly what we're going through.  Not only does He see what happens in our lives, but He had to endure sending His son to earth and watching Jesus suffer.  He understands our burden because He's been there.  Philippians 2:5-9 says, "(5) Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (9) Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:"  Here we see Jesus coming down to earth in the lowest form, a servant, to show His humble and loving heart.  God exalted Him for never losing faith during this trying time.

     As Christians, we should be modeling our life after Christ's.  Christ lead a perfect life, but the Bible tells us to strive for perfection.  Obviously we can't be 100% perfect because we're not God, but we have the ability to differentiate between right and wrong.  1 Peter says, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time."  Just as Christ did, we are to humble our hearts so the Lord may find it fit to lift us up out of our trial.  God wants to see our strength grow and our faith increase.

"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.  Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." - James 4:8

     Each of us will endure many humbling experiences in life; it's our duty to cling to God and embrace what can be learned from trials.  Our testimony will grow as well.  This is our time to be bold for God.  This means we have the opportunity to help others who may be facing trials or spreading the Word to somebody who may be lost.  1 Corinthians 3:9 states, "For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building."  Don't miss out on an opportunity to labor for the Lord.

     Praise the Lord in the hard times.  Praise Him in the easier times.  He's still the Savior of your soul no matter what part of life you're experiencing.  Be bold in your praise and testimony.  Humble yourself before our mighty God.  There's nothing more fulfilling in life than a close walk with the Lord.

The Seed We Sow Is What We Grow

     In today's highly independent society, it's very common to hear phrases such as "I'm living for myself" or "As long as I'm happy, that's all that matters."  When did we become so self-centered?  This kind of attitude is damaging to every kind of relationship and it hardens the hearts of those who embrace the ideology.

What would Jesus do?

     Don't get me wrong... I'm certainly not saying you shouldn't do things in your life that make you happy.  I'm simply saying that this fake "independence" that is currently trending has made people cold-hearted.  Of course, it is necessary that we all grow up and have our own lives; that's normal.  Growing up does not mean growing cold.  God didn't put us in this world to be alone.  He also didn't mean for us to clam up and allow our light to be dimmed.  He wants us to have companions and He especially wants us to find happiness through Him.

"No man is an island."

     Thank goodness that Jesus didn't have this modern, independent view.  It would've been so easy for Him to say, "Meh, dying for them won't make me happy.  This is my life and I'll do with it as I please."  Suddenly, all of our lives would be hopeless.  We'd have nothing to live for or to look forward to in our afterlife.  Just let that sink in...

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." - John 10:10

     Jesus was the most selfless person to walk the face of this earth.  He made it possible to be saved.  We can be Christians, which means being Christ-like.  How can one be Christ-like, yet have a permanently selfish attitude toward life?

Let go and let God.

     There's no way to have a cold heart and a warm spirit.  When your heart is cold, everything is cold.  Ephesians 4:18 says, "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:"  Don't let this attitude distance you from The Lord.  Only God can understand the depths of your heart.

"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." - John 14:18

     On a different note, this kind of attitude is particularly evident in feminist views.  Women have the desire to be equal to men.  In many cases, this has been taken to an extreme.  It seems as if women are fighting to be dominant over men.  This can't work because each gender has its strengths and weaknesses made for a specific duty in the household.

     God created women to be the center of the household, which is incredibly rewarding.  We have the honor of giving birth to children.  We have the opportunity to be with a man we love and to spoil him to no end (which, in my opinion, is what a good wife should do.)  We are helpers.  We are motivators.  We play a very important role.

"And the Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him an
help meet for him." - Genesis 2:18

     God created men to be the head of the household.  I refer back to my favorite movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, when I say, "The man is the head, but the woman is the neck and she can turn the head any way she wants."  Men are supposed to be the dominant leader of the relationship, but they also have to be caring of their wife's needs.  Colossians 3:19 says, "Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them."  Men were placed in a very difficult role of taking care of us ladies and our offspring.  I say that with the most love in the world.

"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body." - Ephesians 5:23

     With that being said, I believe it is necessary that ladies keep these roles in mind when in a dating relationship.  I don't mean you should live together and act like you're married immediately.  I'm talking about embracing your significant other as a prize; make them feel special and wanted.  There's no room to be selfish or independent in a happy relationship... Especially a relationship founded on God.

     In essence, let God in your heart.   When we can accept God, we put aside our independence and give it all to Him.  It's a new beginning.  We can accept others into our hearts with warmth and create lasting, meaningful relationships.  We will have children that will want to grow in God because they see how wonderful it is in they're parents' lives.  Let your life be a light to all who you encounter.

 One must seek God to have a warm heart.  One must have a warm heart to be in a healthy, happy relationship.

     Let's not embrace cold-hearted independence since that only plants seeds of dysfunction in our relationships.  Let us embrace God in the hope of gaining a new heart and a new zeal for life.  There's no room for anybody within a cold heart.

     Show love, compassion, joy...  There's nothing more refreshing than a happy heart that beats for God.

I want a heart for God - a heart that envelopes warmth and happiness.

Living in a Luke 23:34 World.

     When I look at the world today, I ask myself, "What happened?" I've never heard so many stories about chaos, heartache, and tragedy.  We are falling apart.  We're a nation that is losing our vision.

We've lost our eyes that only sought out God.

"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.  And they parted his raiment, and cast lots." - Luke 23:34

     When Jesus walked the earth, he faced an incredible amount of persecution.  Individuals openly denied Him to His face.  People whom He created, loved, and came to save were calling Him a liar and trying to find wrong in Him.  They compromised the Word of God and His house.  They quit following His law.  They were submerged so far in sin that they couldn't even see what they were doing was wrong.

Is this sounding familiar?

     We are living in a world of Luke 23:34.  "...they know not what they do..."  These words are the essence of our current existence.

     Jesus is a man of patience.  I want to take a moment to admire His plea to The Father.  When Jesus spoke these words, He was hanging on a cross before people who despised Him and hurt Him deeply - physically and emotionally.  It would have been so easy to lash out at the people who surrounded Him.  Jesus didn't start a riot, cuss everybody out, or hide in fear.  He talked to His Father.

     As a Christian, we are supposed to be as much like Christ as possible.  Obviously, as humans, we can't be perfect, but we are supposed to strive for perfection.  I believe a good place to start is crying out to The Father.  We see the chaos and corruption everywhere.  We should be praying without ceasing.  We should be begging God to open the eyes of our nation.  Do as Jesus did.... Let our first thought be of The Father.

     Jesus is a man full of mercy.  Not only did Jesus go straight to The Father, He asked forgiveness on our behalf.  I can't even comprehend that level of selfless love.  To have compassion on a people who were so eager to turn their backs on Him...... It's beyond me.  Jesus has the most beautiful form of compassion - not only while He was on the cross, but even to this day.

     Only The Lord can ask forgiveness on another person's behalf.  Because this is the case, Christian's can't ask forgiveness for anybody, but themselves.  We were not the ones to die for all humanity.  Also, as humans, we can't express that kind of compassion for EVERYBODY.  Thank God that this duty is left to Him.  What Christians can do is pray for those who need forgiveness.  We can also analyze our own lives and ask God to mold us into the Christian people He wants us to be.  We need to be asking God to use us as a light in our world of darkness.

     Jesus is a man who understands.  While Jesus was on earth, he was 100% man and a 100% God at the same time.  He knew the heart of every person He ever encountered.  He understood that the people killing Him were fulfilling His purpose.  He came to die for our sins and He did exactly what He set out to do.  This is why He said, "They know not what they do."  These people were so blind to the truth.  In fact, they resented the truth, which is very similar to the people we encounter today.

     We weren't meant to understand everything in life.  If we did, we wouldn't need God.  This is why I can't stress prayer enough.  We don't know everything so we need to talk to the One who does.  We aren't meant to be alone.  If we were, Jesus wouldn't have died.  We have a friend in Jesus so we need to talk to Him.

     Finally, Jesus is a man who gives.  The ending of Luke 23:34 is the saddest of all.  These people completely ignore Jesus's mercy, forgiveness, and understanding.  They took what they thought were Jesus's last earthly possessions and divided them among themselves.  While they were taking from Jesus, Jesus was giving to them.  Because Jesus died, everybody could be washed clean in His blood.

     As Christians, we can give people the Word of God.  We can spread His name.  This is our job.  We are meant to be His messengers - happy and unashamed.  Let the way we conduct ourselves differ from that of the world.  Let our Christian countenance speak volumes that words can't say.  The power of corruption is strong, but the faith of a Christian is stronger.

     We have a God who is patient, merciful, compassionate, giving, and understanding.  We have no reason to be afraid.  This is our time to stand for Him.  Let's be a nation on our knees.

"The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" - Psalms 118:6

     Let's not live in a Luke 23:34 world.  We have God on our side.

So I'm an adult now...

Tis the season for graduation.  In other words, you're being thrown out into the world to be an adult.
How does that work?
It's scary... It's exciting... and nobody ever feels totally ready.

     Many people go off to college.  Many people begin to tackle the workforce.  A lot of people have to try to juggle both.  It's hard and time-consuming.  It takes up so much of your life.  The stress and the burdens of adult life start tumbling into your head.  One day you sit down and ask yourself, "Is this adulthood?"

     Let me be the first to say.... NO, that is not true adulthood.  At least, that isn't a happy version of adulthood.  If there is an adult out there reading this blog and experiencing the unhappy version of adulthood, listen up; this is for you too.

     A lot of the time, we get so overwhelmed with our day-to-day life that we don't stop to realize that we have a hole in our heart.  This hole is so large that we don't even understand how we overlooked it.  When the day comes that you realize this gap, it hits you like a ton of bricks.

"What have I been doing with my life?" - You

     That hole should be filled with freedom, happiness, and appreciation.  All of these things come in one free package called salvation.  Your entire life here on earth and beyond depends on this gift.  So let's talk about this...

     A person's freedom is found in Jesus.  Accepting His gift of salvation frees you from an eternal life of torment in Hell.  When you accept Jesus in your heart, the freedom affects every aspect of your life.  Suddenly, you have a person to turn to at every hour of every single day.  He wants you to talk to Him.  He wants to help you through every part of your life.  He will not fail you.

"I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." - Psalms 37:25

     A person's happiness is found in Jesus.  Happiness is having a Savior, a friend, a father, an all-in-all, and the list goes on.  Every part of your life is covered and that relief turns into happiness.  Every burden can be unloaded.  Every care can be released.  Notice I used the word "can"... You have to be willing to let go and give it all to Him.  This is where happiness begins.

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." - Matthew 11:29

     A person's appreciation is found in Jesus.  This part comes naturally.  The change in a Christian heart takes over your entire person.  It becomes easy to thank God and praise Him for this new life.

"Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable." - Psalms 145:2-3

     Although I have been a Christian for 8 years, beginning adulthood taught me that I NEED Christ more and more.  If it wasn't for Him, I wouldn't have made it through my first year of college or dealt with getting my first job without having a mental breakdown or a feeling of emptiness.  I NEED Him.  I surrender all.

     My advice to you is to give it to Him.  Let Him take it into His control.  His ways are best.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." - Jeremiah 29:11

     I'll leave you with this...

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." - Romans 10:9

     It's that simple.  Jesus loves you.