In the Secret Place

Many books of the Bible are often misused or misunderstood. Therefore they don't get the kind of fanfare that other books do, such as Genesis, Psalm, or the Gospels. Old testament books (like Leviticus, Numbers, and Song of Solomon) seem to be thrown out of the mix more often than not. When you think of it, it is pretty sad, because there is so much daily application that we are missing from these books.

For a little while now, I have been going through Song of Solomon. However, I have put a different twist on it. Instead of reading it as a man and woman speaking, I read it as if God Himself was whispering these words directly to me. Now before I proceed any farther, I know that this is a book for lovers. It seems appropriate though, since we are the bride of Christ, to become acquainted with our Lover. Here are just a few notes that I have come away with.

One of the chapters that impacted me the most is Song of Songs 5:2-6

² I slept but my heart was awake.

Listen! My beloved is knocking:

“Open to me, my sister, my darling,

my dove, my flawless one.

My head is drenched with dew,

my hair with the dampness of the night.”

³ I have taken off my robe—

must I put it on again?

I have washed my feet—

must I soil them again?

⁴ My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening;

my heart began to pound for him.

⁵ I arose to open for my beloved,

and my hands dripped with myrrh,

my fingers with flowing myrrh,

on the handles of the bolt.

⁶ I opened for my beloved,

but my beloved had left; he was gone.

My heart sank at his departure.

I looked for him but did not find him.

I called him but he did not answer.

Ashamedly, I feel as though I can relate to this passage all too many times. This, however, is exactly what God does. He stands at the door of our hearts, knocking, desiring for us to open. How many times have you said, "Go away, I'm tired" or "I'm too busy to spend time with you right now." Laziness and apathy have overtaken us. Time and time again we tend to shut God out. Then when we search for Him, it seems as though sometimes we can't find Him.

It is a very sad state of affairs when Christ is shut off from our lives and used as a genie of sorts, summoned by our every command. Who are we to pretend to lock God, the creator of the Universe, in a little box safely hidden away until a more convenient time (read Job 38-41 to get an idea of the greatness of God http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+38&version=NIV)? Has it ever occurred to you that in the moments when God seems to not answer, that you have pushed Him away rather than Him just maintaining silence on an issue?

Another passage that has really spoken to me is found in Song of Songs 8:6-7

⁶ Place me like a seal over your heart,

like a seal on your arm;

for love is as strong as death,

its jealousy unyielding as the grave.

It burns like blazing fire,

like a mighty flame.

⁷ Many waters cannot quench love;

rivers cannot sweep it away.

If one were to give

all the wealth of one’s house for love,

it would be utterly scorned.

This passage automatically takes my mind back to Romans 8:37 where Paul declares that NOTHING can separate us from the love that Christ has for us. His jealousy for you is intense. He desires all of you! When we break away to sin or find our meaning in a guy, girl, technology, whatever your idol is, it breaks His heart. The love He lavishes on us is incomprehensible. Yet we still take pride in acting like the very thing that He has saved us from. To see that disobedience and hate, especially from Christians, towards God makes me appreciate the fact that He still can love us. Yet at the same time it makes me wonder just how much more terrifying Judgement Day will be. To know that despite His love, we crucified Him again, and again, and again.

I encourage you to go through the Song of Songs again, and read it all...make notes on the side of the page, and notice how the lovers interact. This should set a guideline of how our relationship with Christ is. Posted below is a song that, while it is getting older and older, it still holds a valuable truth for all of us. No matter where you are or who you are, we all need to have a secret place where we seek and become more intimate with God. I challenge you to turn off the iPod, e-Bible, and sermons. Spend true quality time with God, ALONE. This is very hard to do, however the benefits far outweigh the costs.

Become intimate.

Hell's Flames, Heaven's Gates

The other night I had a nightmare. I remember waking to a sense of fear and hopelessness. Once I woke, and the initial shock had worn off, it caused to me to start thinking about Hell, of all things. Then I realized the sense of dread that I had felt in that same moment, is one that millions are experiencing every day (except on a much greater scale), once they hear the words, " I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers." (Matthew 7:23)

In an age of political correctness and tip toeing around sensitive issues, I believe my generation has become desensitized to the real issues at hand. Fact is, Hell is a real place, and there are people spending their eternity without God, because we REFUSED to speak up. We didn't want to step on anyone's toes, because, "What if I have to defend my faith." or "I might offend someone's beliefs." My least favorite one is when my generation has taken to the asinine idea that somehow living like the world will show them how cool Christianity is, and how little effort it takes to get to Heaven.

Wrong...guess what, in the world's view, it sucks to be a Christian. I mean who would really truly want to give up life's riches and ambitions to surrender it all and take on a nature that is totally contrary to the environment in which we have been raised? Yet in our attempt to be nonchalant about the whole topic, we aren't attracting anyone to Christ. In fact we might as well be pushing them closer to Hell.

Fast forward to the day you die and stand in front of God. You no longer have your Apple computer or Xbox 360 in front of you. All the hours spent on Facebook and in the gym working out have faded away. Your multiple sex partners aren't by your side. Cars, trivial theological arguments, and our self inflated pride completely melt. It's you and God. As He gazes on you, you stand in awe of His majesty. Its a moment of complete, peaceful bliss, where you stand with your Creator. Then all of sudden, it fearfully hits you. The realization of what He is about to ask is to much for you. With all stripped away, you are bare before Him. You realize that excuses won't work here. Then He asks the inevitable, "What did you do for me? How many did you rescue from the very grasps of Hell's flames? How many did you lead to My Gates?" You break down weeping because you finally come to the realization that what we thought was important, is secondary to the real issue.

I for one am guilty. I have passed by poor people who are in desperate need of help, in an attempt to get to Wal-Mart so I can buy extra food for myself. That's probably one life that has been lost. In my selfishness I passed up a need and a chance to forever change someone's life. Their blood is on my hands because I failed to act. How many people, within your sphere of influence, have you let slip away? Be aware, you are responsible for those you come into contact with. Be driven with the passion that sent Jesus to the cross.

If we claim to be Christians, yet deny the very essentials of becoming like Christ, how are we any different from those who aren't in Him? I pray this is a wake up call for those who read this, because I fear that many will have a rude awakening, when they are actually told,

" I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers."

The Story of a Lifetime

What I am about to share with you is a view into my past...a snapshot into a defining moment of my life, if you will.

I was youngster, at the tender age of ten. I had already accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Early on, my parents had instilled in me the importance of living a devoted life to Christ. As many of you know, it's not easy trying to live up to such standards. I'll admit I was a bit legalistic and ignorant of many things at the time...what else would you expect from a ten year old that just wanted to live according to the Bible.

Having grown up in a Christian environment, it was only a matter of time until I heard about the unpardonable sin. This is based on Mark 3:29, which says, "But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." Now, for those who take the Bible in a literal manner, this causes a deep introspective look at one's life....I don't know, maybe it only happened to me. Aware that I was ignorant on the subject, I sought out advice from my dad. I'm sure he was surprised by the question. Think about it, what ten year old asks that kind of question any ways? In an effort to make it simple for me to understand, he said that the unpardonable sin, is basically calling Jesus "stupid."

I meditated on it for a couple of months. However, on a family trip to Panama City (actually in Panama...not that wannabe place in Florida:), things took a turn for the worse. As I mentioned before I was a bit legalistic in the sense that I wanted to make sure that I didn't do anything that would constitute as blaspheming the Holy Spirit. I thought, that if I would even think the thought "Jesus is stupid," that would automatically send me to hell. Anyways, we were staying in a hotel as we visited some of my mother's family in Panama. While in that hotel, I really do think there was some kind of demonic presence there. All of a sudden, during our stay, I became even more paranoid of trying not to think this particular thought. As the days wore on, the torture in my mind became even more intense. There was a war going on inside my head, and eventually I gave in, and thought the unthinkable.

One day, my family and I spent some time on the roof of the hotel, while waiting for the laundry to finish. As anxiousness continued to tear away at me, I confirmed with my dad (who was not aware of the battle going on in my mind) that Mark 3:29 did indeed refer to calling Jesus stupid. Confirming the already known, I separated myself from my family. I went to the part of the roof that overlooked the front of the hotel. As I did, the enemy, using my limited knowledge against me, began to fill my mind with thoughts that, at the time seemed rational. These thoughts were presented in the third person, but I eventually came to own them. Thoughts such as, "You might as well throw yourself off this building." "Whats the point of living? I'm going to hell anyways, so I might as well spare God, my parents, and myself the hassle of living any longer." "God hates me."

I began to pace the roof. I remember distinctly going to the right side of the building...there was another building there...I wouldn't be able to throw myself off there. So I went to the left side of the hotel...down below was an alley, however there were a bunch of dumpsters. I figured that I could easily throw myself off there, but I was afraid the dumpsters would break my fall and I would live. Finally, I came to the front of the hotel. There was nothing in my way! In fact, I could imagine what would happen after I threw myself off. I could see the headlines of the following day, "American boy throws himself off of a hotel in the middle of the City." As the attacks on my mind got worse, chaos and desperation ensued. I became more determined to end everything then and there. I can remember as if it were yesterday, my leg muscles tensed as I was bending so I could jump off. My mind was so clouded with the barrage of thoughts, I didn't sense any fear of jumping.

Just as I was about to climb on the ledge, there was a lone thought that crossed my mind. Like light at the end of a very dark tunnel, it said, "What if your wrong?" This stopped me for just a second. This thought was the needle that penetrated through all the chaos in my mind. It was as though it released medicine into my system. The thoughts that came after that were not thoughts of suicide and condemnation, they were thoughts of love and compassion. Even though the voice wasn't audible I knew it was God. The thoughts came one after another saying, "Stephen, I love you. I forgive you. You are mine and I have an amazing plan for your life." His words sent sweet relief all throughout my body. The agony that I experienced had subsided and I began to cry. Again I approached my parents and they could tell something was wrong. I told them that I had been worried that I had committed the unforgivable sin (I did not tell them until years later that I had actually thought about killing myself). Once we arrived home, a couple days later, my dad and I went out and he explained in greater detail what this specific verse reference was talking about.

You may ask why I would, on a public network, share such a personal story? I do realize that there will be people out there that may criticize and will claim to have all the theological and psychological answers as to what happened. I don't care. I do know one thing though, the message I received on the ledge of that hotel was not meant just for me. There are so many people out there living in sin, doing they want (teetering on the line of being indifferent), oblivious to the fact that God is trying to get their attention, or maybe your going through a really hard time in your life. Let my story be a lesson to you. God loves you so much and if you would only give yourself completely to Him, He would begin using you in ways that you could never imagine! If your reading this, It doesn't matter if your life is perfect at this point or if your in shambles right now. There is always one common denominator. God has you in the palms of His hands. Your life is precious to Him. Surrender everything you are, to truly gain all that He is.

Remember, we are all small and insignificant, however that doesn't stop a great, awesome, and more than capable God from using us.

Surrender completely.

Tik Tok

I'm sitting in complete silence...except for the clock ticking on the wall, above my left shoulder. The ticking is a reminder of how quickly every second passes by.

Did you know that most estimates show that nearly 1.7 people die in a second. Just for arguments sake, I'll round it to 2. This means that there are 120 deaths around the world in one minute. This leads to a daunting 7,200 deaths in an hour. In one day 172,800 people die, while at current estimates, 63,072,000 pass into eternity every year. Tik tok.

Faced with these facts, my curiosity gets the best of me. Just how many of these 63 million+ souls go to heaven after death? How many are we letting slip through our grasp into the flames of eternal damnation?

I've found that most in the church lack motivation. Simply put many do not have the compassion that drove Jesus to the cross. Often times in church, it is easy to get caught up in the moment of "worship." We say, "God, I desire to know your heart! Let me reach the nations!" There is a full knowledge that something needs to be done...but not right now, right now is for someone else to take charge of.

Compassion is defined as the following: a human emotion prompted by the pain of others. More vigorous than empathy, the feeling commonly gives rise to an active desire to alleviate another's suffering. Jesus was moved by the pain of the people. He would seemingly go out of His way to comfort others. There were many opportunities in which Jesus was thrown into what we would call inconvenient situations, such as the feeding of the four thousand in Mark 8 or throngs of people swarming Him as He sought solitude with the Father in Matthew 8.

Seeing just a few of Jesus' examples, how dare we ask Father for a closer and deeper relationship with Him if we are going to sit around and be disobedient to His heart's desire. Often times we want to see great miracles and lives forever change on just 1 minute of prayer everyday. This is laughable.

Have you ever noticed how in ancient times miracles seemed to be more in abundance, lives more easily changed? Am I the only one who has thought about why more visible miracles happen on the mission field than here at home? Its very easy. Even though Daniel didn't have internet, he still had the distractions of being an administrator of Babylon. Incredibly he found time to pray and seek God at 3 different times during the day. As a result he came out unscathed from a den of lions. Even though Jesus didn't have a cell phone to keep in touch with the disciples, he was busy training up followers and caring for others...He was a mobile Dreamcenter, if you will. Yet He would forcibly remove himself from the public spotlight, to seek His Father's will. To bring it home, in today's age there are as many excuses for distractions as there were back then in Jesus' time. It all comes down to a matter of priorities. Compassion isn't one of those priorities because it requires commitment. Since we don't commit, we aren't disciplined in our Father's business. I would wager to say that we spend more time learning and memorizing regulations for the companies we work for than we do for the Bible.

The short and sweet of it boils down to this, if you are really passionate about rescuing as many souls as possible from the grasp of Hell your priorities would shift. We would put down our iPhone, books, or work to seek the Father. During that time we would become compassionate and as a result more concerned about every soul that passes into eternity. What I'm going to wear to a date tonight or what form of entertainment I want to pursue would soon become trivial in our lives as we become more sensitive to the Spirit.

Just to put things into perspective, during the movie Inception, which is two hours and twenty eight minutes long, 17,760 people slip into eternity. Those are 2 hours that you could've spent on the streets changing a life. While at work during a normal eight hour day, 57,600 pass away. You may say,"But Stephen, surely you don't expect us to quit work to go elsewhere...I have a family to provide for." Well yes, however how many of your co-workers know Christ? Even though we can't stop people from dying, we can certainly help determine their destination. By the time you read this post, it took you approximately 2 minutes 40 seconds. Three hundred and twenty just walked into eternity. We need to become so compassionate that we aren't afraid to go the most needy, even if they are the people in the apartment next to you. As I sit here, the ticking continues...

Tik tok...two more slip away...

New Video

Here is a new video about the Abraham Project, located in Costa Rica! Enjoy!

The Abraham Project from Lauren Schroeder on Vimeo.

Thanks to Lauren Schroeder who made the video for us.

American Fried

Now for those of you who don't know, I have actually taken a liking to country music. The overall tune and the instruments used, are enjoyable. It seems that these songs are usually more patriotic and country lovin' than other types of music (and if you haven't noticed yet, I love my country!) Anywho, I was listening to Zac Brown's "Chicken Fried," and the following verse caught my attention (Minute 3:36-3:50):

"Salute the ones who died

The ones who give their lives

So we don't have to sacrifice

All the things we love..."

I have utmost respect for the service men and women who have given their lives for us. It is a courageous act that makes people lay down their lives for a cause or an ideal. In this case for the freedom and the ideals that the United States of America represent. For centuries the USA has been known for the "American Dream." It is one of comfort and luxury. It is the dream to make anything you want to come true, you are in control of your life and your destiny. It is a land in which, if you work hard enough (or smart enough), you can open yourself up to a world of possibilities.

This is great! However, I fear that too many Christians have taken the American Dream as the dream that God has for their lives. Now hear me out. I'm not saying that prosperity and wealth is a bad thing. Au contrair, I believe that God can bless people with wealth and that it can be used for furthering the spread of the word.

What I'm trying to point to lies in the third and fourth verse of the song that I pointed out, "So we don't have to sacrifice all the things we love." Isn't this opposite of God's plan? I'm pretty sure that when Christ died for us, He meant for us to sacrifice everything in return for His gift.

Matthew 16:24- Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

Furthermore, while the American Dream promotes freedom and an ability to do whatever we want, we as Christians have given up such luxuries. We are now under the rule, not of sin, but of God. Notice how I said, we are under the rule. 1 Corinthians 7:21- "...he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave." This isn't a verse commonly preached from the pulpits of America. Like it or not, when you accepted Christ, you accepted His yoke and His burden (while it is lighter than the world's, you still have a yoke to carry. Matthew 11:30) We are His slaves. He is our master, and He didn't die so we could live passively on earth in total comfort. Sorry, but God's dream totally rules out an American Dream (as we know it) for us.

Yet in my generation (and in our parent's generation) there are people living as if God meant for us to live Heaven on earth. This type of thinking has created monsters that are constantly preoccupied with how they look or what others think of them. These are Christians that live for themselves year round. Then in an effort to make themselves look more holy, they take a week long vacation/humanitarian run (aka mission trip). All the while they sleep with different people (before marriage), get drunk on the weekends, smoke socially so that they can "blend in with the world" (sadly I've encountered people that believe that this will somehow be a testimony to others.) Not only that, but they are full of gossip and hate people!

Our generation has been reduced to insignificant arguments on theology. Instead of following the Jesus in the Bible, they try to make Jesus follow them. We try to justify our actions by saying, "I'm working on it," or my all time favorite, "No one is perfect." Yes no one is perfect, but come on, do not put excuses up to try to justify living in sin!

It is time for our generation to man up and take responsibility for our own actions. The American Dream has dulled our senses and made us so lazy that Christ isn't even recognized through us anymore. Again I'm not saying that if your wealthy you are sinning. However the desire for wealth and comfort has desensitized us so much, that we now try to convert the reality of the Cross to a mere idea that some nameless face has to experience in another nameless part of the world.

We are so caught up in the American Dream and freedom, that the thought of becoming a slave is foreign to most of us. While our worship songs are filled with verses of freedom, little is it mentioned in those same songs that we are slaves to Him...freedom, therefore, is all about perspective. Yes, while we are free from sin and death, we are now captive to God.

Our generation has had a bad start, however its not too late. What if we really turned to Christ, imagine what he could do through us. We wouldn't feel the need to market the gospel, trying to disguise light as darkness, as if it would attract people to its true power. Its time for men and women in our generation, that are sick of what we have let Christianity become, to stand for change. Will you be one that will no longer offer excuses for your lifestyle? Will you no longer replace God's dream for the American Dream and dare to see what happens?

Be slaves.

The Breastplate

I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.

I arise today through the strength of Christ with his Baptism, through the strength of His Crucifixion with His Burial through the strength of His Resurrection with His Ascension, through the strength of His descent for the Judgment of Doom.

I arise today through the strength of the love of Cherubim in obedience of Angels, in the service of the Archangels, in hope of resurrection to meet with reward, in prayers of Patriarchs, in predictions of Prophets, in preachings of Apostles, in faiths of Confessors, in innocence of Holy Virgins, in deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through the strength of Heaven; light of Sun, brilliance of Moon, splendor of Fire, speed of Lightning, swiftness of Wind, depth of Sea, stability of Earth, firmness of Rock.

I arise today, through God's strength to pilot me: God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me, God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me, God's host to secure me: against snares of devils, against temptations of vices, against inclinations of nature, against everyone who shall wish me ill, afar and anear, alone and in a crowd.

I summon today all these powers between me (and these evils): against every cruel and merciless power that may oppose my body and my soul, against incantations of false prophets, against black laws of heathenry, against false laws of heretics, against craft of idolatry, against spells of witches, smiths and wizards, against every knowledge that endangers man's body and soul. Christ to protect me today against poisoning, against burning, against drowning, against wounding, so that there may come abundance in reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ in breadth, Christ in length, Christ in height, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of Christ. May Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us. Amen.

This reflection comes from St. Patrick. I want to draw your attention to the second to last paragraph. I love it because it shows just how much we should desire to be saturated with Christ.

When people think of you, who do they think of, you or Christ?

Do you do whatever you want or do you follow the One who gave you life? (Instead of dis-respecting authority and "sticking it to the man," honor your parents every once in a while and seek wise council...it never killed anyone.)

When people talk about you, who do they talk about, you or

Christ?

Are your actions like those of Christ? (Do you stand up for whats right, or do your all your different partners talk about how good you were in bed last night?)

When people see you, who do they see, you or Christ?

Do you hang out with your friends get drunk and party or do you try to represent Christ in a way that is different from this world. (Society already has its fair share of drunks, it doesn't need more.)

When people hear you, who do they hear, you or Christ?

Is every word that you speak a representation of Christ? (Think about it, whether you criticize, joke, or in everyday conversation.)

Christ's life was saturated with God. Everything He did was for the glory of the Father....it was the Honor of His name that drove Jesus to the cross.

What in your life have you not given to God? Are you driven entirely by the motivation of the cross? Its not enough to claim Christ but then continue living our lives as hell raisers. We have to begin taking action to change those areas in our life that are not pleasing to God. We have to become more saturated with Him. Die to yourself and to the desires of this world.

Become Christ Incarnate.

The Heart Behind It All

Pacing around the small room of the church, the Russian captain nodded towards the cross on the wall. “That is a lie, you know,” he said. “It’s just a piece of trickery you ministers use to delude the poor and make it easier for the rich to give you money. Come on now—we’re alone. Admit to me that you’ve never really believed Jesus Christ was the Son of God.”

Pastor “George” looked at the cross and then smiled. “Of course I believe it. It’s true.”

“I won’t have you play tricks on me!” cried the captain. He drew the revolver from the holster at his side and held it close to the minister’s body. “Unless you admit that it’s a lie, I will shoot you.”

“I cannot admit that, for it would be a lie,” said “George.” “Our Lord is really the true Son of God. Shooting me will not change that.” The captain flung the revolver to the floor. The pastor was surprised when the soldier grabbed him by the arms with tears in his eyes.

“It’s true!” cried the captain. “It is true. I believe, too. I could not be sure men would die for this belief until I found it out for myself. Oh, thank you! You have strengthened my faith. Now I, too, can die for Christ. You showed me how.”

Its stories, such as these pull at your heart strings. Tears fall from our face as we read of men and women ready to lay everything down for what they know to be true...for what we know to be true. Yet as we read stories of great men and women who adamantly refused to reject Christ, many may feel a pang of guilt. They know that if they were faced with such a decision they would probably reject Christ for fear of the torture or loss of life. They continually ask: What would drive a person to abandon everything for God?

The answer to such a question should always be: "Look at the heart behind it all." Fact is, God sent His Son to earth. He loved us so much, that even in the midst of our depravity, faithlessness and outright rebellion towards Him, He would sacrifice something so dear to Him to save us once and for all. Three very important things should be highlighted.

1) Jesus came with a Purpose. His purpose was to save humanity. His desires were always His Father's desires. God wanted to restore the relationship that was lost in the beginning between his most intimate creations, humans. Somehow, God has always had a love for the filthy sin laden creatures we are. Jesus' purpose was to reconcile us, to bring us back into the family. His one purpose was to save the lost, bring healing to the broken hearted and to set the captives free.

2) Jesus died with Passion. The definition for passion is a strong emotion or feeling. All throughout John 17, we are offered a glimpse into a prayer Jesus offered His Father. We can see the passion with which we are cared for. In this Chapter, only 4 verses are a prayed for Himself. The remaining 21 verses are a prayer for His followers and disciples. Jesus' passion is what drove Him to the cross. Some call that reckless abandonment. As for me, I call that sweet love.

3) Jesus rose victoriously. Death couldn't hold down the Son of God. The Bible mentions that Jesus took the Keys of life and death from the grasps of Satan. He then rose from the dead, completing what the Father sent Him to do. We were promised that as Christians, that the same power that raised Christ from the dead, would now reside on us. Not only that, but our works would be greater than those of Jesus'.

Everything these men and women do points back to Christ. Their actions are mirrors of what Christ already did. They have fallen so deeply and hopelessly in love with God, that giving up their life is considered to them a foolish and reckless thing NOT TO DO. As hearts are truly given to Christ, He transforms them radically. Once touched by His saving grace Christians should no longer be embarrassed by the cross. As G.K Chesterton once said, "Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair."

The disciples came to this realization. This is why most of the original 12 were imprisoned, tortured, beaten and subjected to horrific deaths.

The early church came to this realization. This is why early Christians were thrown into the Colosseum to be eaten and mutilated.

Modern day missionaries have come to this realization. This is why there are thousands now giving up everything to save souls from the grasps of hell.

C.T. Studd said, "Many wish to live within the sounds of a chapel bell but I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell." Many have realized that Jesus' call was much more than living a comfortable life on earth and in heaven. The true difference makers spend time in intimate communion with the Father. As they develop this relationship they come to realize that there is a greater purpose and higher calling than themselves. They begin to search out God's will. Soon they become enraptured with His will, just like Jesus.

As the Holy Spirit transforms their hearts and minds, these men and women of the faith no longer care for things of the world. Luxury cars and million dollar houses are for fools. They begin to realize that this is not God's heart. His heart burns for the lost. His will is bent on saving every soul from an eternity without Him. Fueled by His passion and purpose they start to touch a broken world and bring hope to the hopeless. Awards and recognition are a thing of their old life.

Driven by His Spirit, some live to see great moves of God. Others, such as Jim Elliott, do not even start their ministry. However, God has a way of using their obedience for the greatest works. While Jim Elliott and his fellow missionaries were murdered before they even made contact with the Indians in Ecuador, God used their obedience to save an entire unreached people group.

The heart behind it all. This is the heart that God uses and transforms.

The heart behind it all. This is the heart that is obedient to Him abandoned to all fear and doubt that it may feel.

The heart behind it all. This is the heart that breaks for the things that breaks God's heart.

The heart behind it all. This is the heart the desires the things that God desires.

The heart behind it all. This is the heart that diligently seeks God in every area. It is the heart that forgives. It is the heart that has denied itself every right for the sake of others.

“Men choose a religion, but a Christian is chosen by Jesus Christ. To be a Christian means to belong to Christ. Jesus asked me to renounce even my life, to follow Him faithfully, not to fear the world even if my body must perish. I prefer to know that God, the Almighty, is with me, even if it means that the whole world is against me."

“I am in God’s hands. For 45 years I have walked with the God of miracles, and His goodness is for me a shadow that protects me in His love. The God of Daniel, who protected his friends, protected me during my nine years in prison, and all torments changed to my good, so that I have the fullness of love and gratitude. Of all the prophets, Jesus alone was resurrected from the dead, and He remains our living Mediator forever. I gave my life into His hands. For me, life is an opportunity to serve Him, and death is the privilege of getting to be with Him.”

Pastor Mehdi Dibaj of Iran was on trial for his life, and these words were the defense he gave in court. An upper-class Muslim, he and his family had converted to Christianity. He had dared to translate Christian radio programs and books into the Farsi language. He was arrested in 1985 and accused of apostasy, denying the Muslim faith. For this, he faced the death penalty. In Iran, social and political pressure is sometimes used to force Christians to recant their new-found faith in Jesus Christ. Some are even tortured. Dibaj was imprisoned alone for two years in a cramped hole with no room to stretch his legs. While he was in prison, his wife, Azizeh, left Dibaj and was forced to marry a Muslim. When Dibaj steadfastly refused to deny his faith, the court condemned him to death. But after one month he was set free because of international attention that had been brought to his case. Soon after this, however, he was found dead in a park. It is believed by some that Islamic leaders had called for his execution.

1 Timothy 6:11

"But you, man of God, flee from all this and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession..."

Fall deeply, Fall hopelessly.

What if...?

What if?

It may be one of the most, if not the most powerful two worded question in the English language (the other question is: Got milk?:).

Asking What if, changes the entire playing field of any scenario, if you take it seriously. Now please, sit tight with me now, as I ask a series of questions from a Christian point of view. Hopefully they will make you think a little bit.

Before though, I want to encourage you to always strive to see where YOU are in your relationship with Christ. There are always changes to be made and sin to get rid of. Of course, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not perfect. However, that is no excuse to be made. I believe that as Christians we should do everything in our power to honor God with our lives. This way Christ will ultimately be represented through us.

What if...

What if we decided that instead of living an abundant life according to the world, we wanted to live a successful life according to God's standards?

What if we threw mediocrity to the side and took up our CROSSES? Who ever said the way was easy?

What if we stopped acting like the rest of our friends do, and act like Christ instead? Wouldn't that be a better testimony?

What if we actually began to care about our testimony? We would not be coming out of church looking for the nearest bar or hookah joint for "social interaction".

What if we fell on our faces and dared to give God our all?....not just in words done in a special church service...but in action.

What if we dedicated ourselves to rescuing as many people from the very grasps of hell as we could? Instead we waste our time listening and watching things that are an abomination before God.

What if we decided we would rather die reaching out to a country in need, instead of sitting in the comfort of our leather, La-Z-Boys and fancy TV's?

What if, instead of complaining about what we don't have, decide to thank God for what we can give away?

What if we did everything in our power to help those in need, in place of buying the latest True Religion and video game system.

What if we decided to give God more time in our busy schedules...have you ever wondered what kind of change that would bring?

What if we were always grateful and never content with where we are in our relationship with God? We would seek more of Him.

What if you knew that when you get to the judgement seat of God Almighty, when everything has passed away, and you stare in awe at your Creator with tears streaming down His face, He says,

"Who are you?"

Our testimonies would be different.

Too loud?

Weak from the journey,
The long traveling days,
Hungry to worship,
To join in the praise.
Shock met with anger
That burned on His face,
As He entered the wasteland
Of that barren place.

And the Lamb is a Lion
Who’s roaring with rage
At the empty religion
That’s filling all their days.
They’ll flee from the harm
Of the Carpenter’s strong arm,
And come to know the scourging
Anger of the Lord.

The priests and the merchants
Demanded some proof.
For their hearts were hardened
And blind to the truth.
That Satan’s own law
Is to sell and to buy.
But God’s only Way
Is to give and to die.

And the Lamb is a Lion
Who’s roaring with rage
At the empty religion
That’s filling all their days.
They’ll flee from the harm
Of the Carpenter’s strong arm,
And come to know the scourging
Anger of the Lord.

The noise and confusion gave way to His word.
At last sacred silence so God could be heard.

And the Lamb is a Lion
Who’s roaring with rage
At the empty religion
That’s filling all their days.
They’ll flee from the harm
Of the Carpenter’s strong arm,
And come to know the scourging
Anger of the Lord. (© Michael Card)

I heard a part of this poem while listening to a sermon, and it really made me stop and think. Am I too busy for God? Do I go throughout my day and am so caught up in what I'm doing, that I don't have time to meditate on Him? More importantly, if I do think more about His word, how would that change how I live my life?

I wonder how many lies of the enemy would be brought to light if we just spent time in the Bible. Those days, mentioned in the poem, weren't the only ones filled with empty religion and hollow words. What is the status of your relationship with Christ? To evaluate this, you should ask, how much time do I spend listening to Him?

I think that confusion and uncertainty in our lives would be zero to none if we took the time to actually meditate on God. I challenge you to make more of an effort to think of His goodness. Remember where He brought you from, and what He snatched you out of. I guarantee that many of our priorities would change if we would...
Be silent, so that God can be heard.

Help!

Omar is a five year old child who was brought into the world because his mother was raped by a gang member. Despite this tragic incident Omar’s mother has fought to give him the best life possible. Tragically, his mother was murdered when she was shot shot, ten times in the head about six months ago. Due to what happened, Omar was left as an orphan. This is why we are asking for your help. We are trying to bring Omar to Costa Rica so that he can be raised in a different and in a more secure environment. We need your help to buy his plane ticket. If you are able to help or if you want more information, please contact: gutierrez07@gmail.com.