Pre-order my new book, I Believe

I Believe is now available for pre-order. The release date is April 14th, but you can order your copy now. When it goes live for sale, it will automatically download to your reading device.

 

 

Here is a sample from I Believe.

 

Remember Me

It’s nearly time to pay for all of my sins.

I have to be completely honest. I don’t want to die. I’m sure anyone can understand those feelings. Even though you might judge me for all the wrong I’ve done, I hope you can see me as just another man. A son. A brother. A loved one. Someone who has messed up in life, but not a horrible person.

I don’t want to be remembered for my failures, but rather as a man who took responsibility for his crimes. I am a thief. Of that fact, there is no doubt. Everyone knows it. I guess most will remember me for that reason alone. And I can’t say that I would blame them.

If there were a way I could atone for everything I’ve done, I would most certainly make every effort. Unfortunately for me, the list of my wrongdoings is far too long. The judge has decided that I will no longer be held prisoner.

It’s been decided that I will be put to death along with two other men. Other criminals.

There is nothing more I can do but accept my fate. I have been a prisoner for quite some time. At least, in one way, death will be freedom. It’s not exactly how I imagined my release, but it’s a release nonetheless. I’m tired of staring at bars where rays of the sun barely peek through each morning. Where guards toss unrecognizable food carelessly into my cell. I can’t remember the last time I ate something that wasn’t picked up off the floor.

I’ve had plenty of time to sit in silence and contemplate what death might be like. I’m not entirely sure what I believe. From time to time, men would come and speak to us about God. They would tell stories of Heaven and Hell, good and evil. We were shown the error of our ways and the eternal punishment that would follow this life. Just a couple of days ago, they spoke of the Messiah, Who had finally come. The one prophesied about in the ancient scriptures.

That would explain the feeling of chaos that filled our city walls. We heard stories of miracles, healing, and about a rebel who didn’t follow our religious leaders. He spoke of Heavenly things, but not in a similar fashion as everyone was accustomed to hearing. It was reported that He claimed to be the Son of God.

That, in itself, was blasphemy. A crime punishable by death. We had only one king, and everyone knew the consequences of not bowing at his feet. The Romans were known throughout the land as being ruthless when it came to enforcing people’s obedience. There was nothing they deemed off limits in their methods of torture and ways to make people suffer for doing wrong.

They were going to crucify me. Crucifixions were common in our day and age. It was the Romans preferred method of dealing out punishment. I had never witnessed one myself, but the stories I heard were enough for me to get a clear picture of the process. Such a painful way to die. The unsettling fact was that most people didn’t die right away. It could take hours or even days.

I didn’t want to suffer. Since childhood, I had considered various ways I might die, and none of them were favorable. My biggest fear was drowning. I would never have been a good fisherman. I had several friends who had met death at the hands of an angry sea. Some of their bodies had never been found.

Being crucified had never occurred to me. The Romans would either tie or nail me to a cross. The rusty nails would hurt more, but in the end, it wouldn’t matter which method was used. My fate was sealed either way.

I awoke that morning with a heavy heart. It’s a strange thing to realize I wouldn’t live to see tomorrow. It wasn’t long before the guards came and pulled me from the cell. It was time to march up to the mountain where they would carry out our sentence. They pushed me toward the massive crowd that had gathered in the temple courtyard. I had no idea what was happening, but many people were shouting.

The guard pulled me to the front, past the throng of people, and shoved me to my knees. I wasn’t sure if I was just a spectator or would soon be an equal participant in the punishment. A man was chained to the whipping post, and the soldiers argued about who would take the first turn. They had completely stripped away his clothing and dignity. I could see bruising on his face blood dripping from cracked lips.

He didn’t utter a sound. Not even one word in protest.

 

To be continued…

Labels

Everything has a label. Actually, everyone has a label as well.

I read in my Bible that we aren’t supposed to regard people in the flesh once we are born again. Well, here, let me show you. 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 says (emphasis mine):

¹⁴ For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; ¹⁵ and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

¹⁶ Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

This is one of my favorite passages of scripture. Truth just leaps off the pages and screams from the mountaintops. If you combine this with the other passage about our fight not being against flesh and blood, it all begins to make sense.

When we label people, we are regarding them in the flesh. We fail to see their created value.

You’re pro abortion.

You’re a homosexual.

You’re Catholic.

You’re Presbyterian.

You’re Mormon.

You’re a devil worshiper.

You’re an alcoholic.

People find their identity in that stuff. The bottom line is this: We are all people, human beings, created in the image of God. Period.

Galatians 3:28 says:

²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

That’s awesome.

Insert a label into that verse to take the place of Jew or Greek, slave or free.

Paul isn’t saying we are all the same. Like robots. We are all one in Christ. Everything was made through Christ. We were created in His image. We are all sons and daughters of the King. We all have a destiny and purpose. It’s why we were created.

To manifest the image of God here on Earth.

To become love. That’s why we’re here. How can we do that if all we see is a label?

If you’re a Baptist, and you come across a Lutheran, you’re already thinking about differences in beliefs and how you will defend your doctrine, etc. It’s crazy.

We get so tied up in debate, the desire to be right, and our own arrogance, we fail to see people through the lens of God.

And there is only one way He looks at us. With love.

How do I know that? Because the Bible says that God so loved the world, that He gave. And you know what is truly awesome? It will say that same thing tomorrow. And the next day. And the next.

There is only one way I want to be labeled, and that’s as a believer.

I’m not any one denomination. I’m not a result of my past. I have been bought with a price. I’m born again. The old is gone, and all things have become new. Not some things. All.

Once we realize that, and understand that we are no longer bound by sin, it will change everything.

Let’s throw away the labels of denomination and society, and see people through love.

When did it become God incorporated?

Satan’s plans rest on one, simple thought process.

That we, as Christians, only need God, we don’t actually love Him. There is a huge difference. One that can keep us from the intimate relationship with God we were created for.

Let’s back up a bit.

Genesis 1:26-29 says (emphasis mine):

²⁶ Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all^[b] the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ²⁷ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸ Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Look how many times it talks about us being created in God’s image. That’s amazing. It was repeated several times in just those three scriptures. It must be pretty important.

Man was created in complete perfection, without the blemish or stain of sin. Adam had fellowship with God in the Garden. They talked together. They walked together. There was nothing separating them from intimacy. Everything was amazing and awesome until the fall placed an unbreakable barrier between God and man.

Many years passed. Mankind had the chance to enter the promised land and taste the goodness of God. The children of Israel wandered forty years in the desert for one reason. They were consumed with self. Thanks to the fall, people cared more about what they could get, than Who they could live for. They had food on the ground every morning. They had shaded during the day, and fire at night. God parted the seas in order for them to escape Egypt. Still, they griped and complained about everything.

God was right there, in their face, and they didn’t want Him.

They enjoyed the provision, but still refused to follow the Provider.

Let’s leap ahead to the day when the sky turned to black, and an innocent man hung dying on a tree. God wanted His children back. He wanted intimacy and communion with His creation once again. Like it was with Adam. He sent Jesus to die, not to expose our sin, but to reveal our true identity. The identity that was lost in the Garden.

God said if they ate of the tree, they would surely die. They ate, and didn’t fall over dead, so it must have meant something else.

That perfect, blameless, stainless image they were created in, fell to the wayside, died, and they took on the very nature of the enemy. Christ had to die in order to reconcile us back to our Father. He defeated sin and death forever on that day. The power of sin could no longer keep us from our Creator.

The value of something is determined by the price paid. God paid the highest price imaginable to get us back. He wants to live inside of us. I’m pretty sure our worth and value are high.

Yet, we’ve reduced the Gospel to saying a prayer to get into Heaven.

I don’t believe God paid that high price so we could incorporate Him into our lives in order to have a better day.

If we only need Him, we will only talk to Him when we’re lacking something. If we love Him, we commune with Him constantly. We will want to build a relationship. We will die to our self, and allow Him to consume everything we are.

Jesus said to die to our self, pick up our cross, and follow Him. We have to become love. If we don’t have a solid relationship with our Father, how can we ever love someone else?

Why do we so desperately hold on to something that we were never created to be in the first place?

Galatians 2:20 says:

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Let’s not live for ourselves and try to incorporate God when things go wrong. Hoping He can make it all better. He’s not a genie in a bottle, waiting for our rub.

He is the living God of all creation. He became a man and modeled the Christian life here on Earth. He wants to live inside each and every one of us.

Recently, I took communion alone in the secret place. It was just me and God. No one else was around. It was one of the most intimate and amazing things I’ve ever done. Let’s stop playing church, and get alone with our Father. Time is short, and there are so many in this world who are lost and in need of what we say we have.

Let’s quit talking about it. Let’s live this thing out and become love.

Christ in us, the hope of glory.

What if Jesus meant what He said?

I wrote an article last year entitled What If. (Click HERE to read) It was one of those moments where I just kept asking the question over and over about a variety of things. It’s something that sparks inner dialog and even more questions. It makes you think. I know it did for me anyway.

I’ve been a Christian for quite some time now, but I haven’t truly known what that means until just in the last year or so. See, we’ve been taught so many things in churches, and unfortunately, many of those things are just plain wrong. It’s time to open our Bibles, get alone in the secret place with our Father, and allow the Holy Spirit to speak truth.

Something that baffles me is how easily we stake our belief system on what someone says. Or teaches. Or preaches. Before you light up the torches and fashion a stake, hear me out.

There is a place for teachers and preachers. No doubt about it. What scares me is when these people base their doctrine, or beliefs on what they’ve experienced or seen, and not on what Jesus said.

Hebrews 2:6-9 says (emphasis mine):

⁶ But one testified in a certain place, saying:

“What is man that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man that You take care of him?
⁷ You have made him a little lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
And set him over the works of Your hands.
⁸ You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” 

For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. ⁹ But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

This is an amazing passage of scripture. 6,7,and 8 talk about how ALL things have been put into subjection under our feet by God. We are after all, man…mankind. That’s who he’s talking about here. When I read this, I think of praying for someone to get healed, taking authority over demonic spirits, and situations where we can’t see God working. These are areas where we might be easily shaken because immediate results are lacking.

We might pray for someone to rise out of a wheelchair and walk, and they don’t. That shouldn’t determine our belief system on healing. From that one experience, we can’t say healing isn’t for today. Why? Because the evidence we don’t see with our own eyes, doesn’t change the truth of God’s word. Jesus said one of the signs that follow believers is that they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. Hebrews says we might not see everything yet, but we see Jesus.

It’s a clear directive to keep our eyes on Christ no matter what we see or experience.

If we pray for someone, nothing happens, and we immediately feel like a failure, we have no faith at all. Faith is believing what Jesus said, praying for someone, and praising God no matter the outcome.

So many doctrines and beliefs come from human wisdom and experiences. It’s a tool used by the devil himself to deceive people.

I’m sure everyone on the planet knows who Brittany Maynard is by now. The 29 year old woman with terminal brain cancer who moved to Oregon so she could take advantage of the death with dignity act. This story is so sad to me. Let’s get something straight right off the bat. God came to give life, He doesn’t take it. Satan is here to kill, steal, and destroy. Cancer is straight from the pit of Hell, and it’s God’s will to heal people from the horrible disease. Jesus laid hands on people, and they were healed. If it wasn’t God’s will to heal, Jesus would have been going directly against His father. That just wouldn’t happen.

There is no such thing as terminal illness in the Kingdom. We’ve been given the same power that raised Christ from the dead. I believe 100% that Brittany could have been healed from that horrible disease. I’m not mentioning this as judgement towards her or her family at all. Not even close. It’s just an modern day example of whether we believe the words of Jesus or not. And there is no guarantee she would have even allowed a believer to pray for her. And that’s okay. Cancer is one of the largest, fear causing words in the English language. Fear isn’t of God. We don’t need to fear cancer. We need to believe we have power over it through our Savior.

And please don’t get me wrong. I’m not being insensitive to those who have lost loved ones from any kind of illness or disease. I am so very sorry for your loss.

The body of Christ needs to wake up and embrace the truth that we have power. God is the giver and creator of life. Satan is here to destroy us.

Mark 16:15-18:

¹⁵ And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. ¹⁶ He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; ¹⁸ they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

What if Jesus meant what He said?

Love Never Fails

Earlier this year, I published a collection of 10, first-person perspective Bible stories entitled I Was There. (Click HERE to purchase) I had such a great response to the book that I decided to write another one. The proposed title for the new one is I Believe. I plan on publishing first of next year. I still have a couple more stories to write, and then the editing process. I wanted to give you a taste of what’s coming. This story is entitled Love Never Fails. It’s not the complete story, because that would be more than just a taste. Let me know what you think. (This is not the completely edited, polished manuscript, so please ignore any errors)

 

I wasn’t sure how the day was going to end, but there was a feeling deep inside my being that would not go away. Regret, mixed with dread, churned in my stomach and clawed at my conscience. I have done some things in my life that I am not proud of, but I may have gone too far this time. The addiction had rooted itself into such a level of my soul, that I feared its hold would never be broken. I felt so ashamed.

No one knew anything when we met to break bread together. The secret I carried in my heart would more than likely destroy many people. Some of whom were my closest friends. That fact alone caused me to hesitate, but unfortunately, the damage had already been done. The money burned like hot coals inside my cloak. Even though I loathed the very thought of what I had to do, my greed claimed a larger piece of my soul.

The men I had met with earlier knew my weakness. They devised a plan that would ensnare me and render me helpless to refuse their enticing offer. I always said that loyalty could never be compromised by gold or silver. Apparently, I was dreadfully wrong. They had purchased my services and would force me to hurt someone I truly loved. By the time we met that night, it was far too late to change my mind. They owned me, and they knew it.

I wasn’t sure what the others would say if they found out. We were so closely tied together, like a family, for several years. The friendships I had formed were real, not just casual and fleeting. There were times we didn’t all get along, but that was to be expected. We were following a man who was different than anyone else. We didn’t’ always see things the way he did. We couldn’t possibly. I could honestly say I loved each and every one of them. They knew things about me that not even my blood relatives knew. Hidden things. Secret things.

If they had any idea about what I would do that night, they would be devastated. Somehow I had managed to live a double life for a period of time, and had covered my tracks very well. I would be labeled a traitor; there was no doubt about that. I would have to accept it, and somehow move past the hurt feelings and broken hearts. Somewhere down the road of my life, I would once again find peace. That was my hope.

Things had become rather chaotic leading up to our last meal together. We entered the city under the praises of most everyone just a few days earlier. We were accepted at first, but things began to take a turn for the worst. The religious leaders couldn’t stand our Teacher. On several occasions, they attempted to trap him in lies and deceit, but always failed. They began to see him as a threat and not the promised Messiah. That’s when they contacted me. I guess they could sense my wavering dedication to the man I had lived with for three years.

Shame burned through my veins as I sat there wondering if anyone knew. I had been extremely careful with my meetings. No one ever seemed to notice I was gone. Although I was confident my secret was safe, I had a sinking feeling at least one of the men at the table knew exactly what was going on. Would he say anything to the rest?

When we had all finally gathered at the table, there was an uncomfortable silence for several moments. It was hard to describe. Jesus looked troubled. He sat there looking at us as the soft candlelight danced inside his soft, brown eyes. I had noticed him in that mood occasionally during our travels over the years, but something was bothering him even more on that night. His stare met mine and I couldn’t blink. His eyes bore deep into my soul. Even though he could read my every intention like an open book, he suddenly smiled.

I wanted to feel at ease, but I couldn’t. I looked down and waited until he stood up from the table. He took a bowl and carefully filled it with water. He knelt before Thomas and began to wash his feet. There was a tenderness and sincerity in the action that nearly brought me to tears. This was God’s only son, born into the earth as a man, removed from his throne as a king, and was now honoring the men he called family. I couldn’t understand. I looked around and realized everyone else was confused as well.

He finished with Thomas, and moved over to Peter.

“Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Peter asked quietly, almost in a whisper. The silence felt like a fragile vase that no one desired to break by speaking too loudly.

The guilt and shame gripped my heart even tighter as I watched the scene unfold before me. I had accepted money in exchange for betraying my Master. That was something I would have to live with until the day I passed from the earth. I swallowed the lump of emotion that had formed in the back of my throat. I was so thirsty, but didn’t dare move to get a drink.

“You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand,” Jesus replied as he knelt down.

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” He shook his head and drew his feet back. I knew Peter was stubborn, but there was something else going on in that moment. Something I couldn’t explain.

Jesus reached out and rested his hand on Peter’s knee. “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me,” he said.

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you. You are not all clean.”

My heart dropped after hearing those words. Of course he knew what I had done. He was Jesus. He knew our every thoughts, desires, and secrets. I bowed my head and stared at the floor. If any of the other disciples looked me in the eye, they would see my guilt and shame. They would know the Master was talking about me.

When Jesus was finished with Peter’s feet, he knelt down in front of me. The weight of the silver in my pocket couldn’t compare to the heaviness that hung over my shoulders. Darkness like no other had invaded my heart. I didn’t want to look up.

“Judas?”

 

To be continued…

A Christian perspective on Halloween

I’ve changed. I see things so differently now. That’s what happens when we become born again and allow ourselves to be pottered by our Father. Our hearts change. Our way of thinking changes. It’s awesome.

We start to see people, not for who they are standing in front of us, but we see them as God does. We see their value, worth, and potential. We see them as being created in God’s very own image. We see a life that has purpose.

Halloween is the one night of the year when hundreds of people you haven’t met come knocking on your door. Yes, most are children in search of candy, but think about it. How often do people walk up onto your front porch and ring your doorbell? I don’t see witches, sorcery, and darkness. I see opportunity.

I used to slam churches for having Trunk or Treat in their parking lots. I would say things like “They are still celebrating Halloween and worshiping the devil” and “They just change the name to make it sound better” or “God is up there shaking His head in dismay.”

Please punch me in the face. I have since repented for being so…well…judgmental.

I personally don’t believe there are different levels of love. Telling someone God loves them and He thinks they are awesome has the same effect as praying for a cripple, and they climb out of a wheelchair. It’s all about motive. To love someone means we show them unconditional love, without expecting any certain thing to happen. We love. The Holy Spirit moves. Maybe in that moment. Maybe later when that person is sitting in their car holding a gun to their head. We may never know how our words and actions impact someone.

How can we be a light to the world if we only interact with those inside a church building?

I’m not saying sacrifice animals and play with Ouija boards. I’m saying don’t turn away Iron Man when he rings your bell and holds out his hands for candy. Tell him how much Jesus loves him while you’re handing him a Snickers bar.

As Christians, we have to get over this mindset that if we accidentally see, hear, or touch evil, we become contaminated. That’s just fear, and fear isn’t of God. Jesus lives inside of us. Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world. It says that in my Bible. Do you really think He is repulsed by someone who isn’t born again? Do you think that God is up there covering His ears when someone is swearing? Come on, that sounds so ridiculous, doesn’t it? But yet, that’s what we do.

Jesus ate with tax collectors and pharisees. He laid hands on the lame, blind, and diseased. He showed mercy and forgiveness to prostitutes and murderers. People touched His cloak and became healed. I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

Dressing up and trekking around the neighborhood in search of candy isn’t going to damn you from ever walking through the pearly gates of Heaven. Our goal isn’t to just say a prayer and get into Heaven anyway. Our purpose on this planet is to manifest the image of God and love others. Unconditionally.

Love the cashier at Walmart who is constantly complaining about his/her life.

Love that person who stands behind you at the bank huffing and puffing because it’s taking too long.

Love the obnoxious customer who says you have no idea what you’re doing.

And love every Hulk, Minion, Zombie, Witch, Captain America, and Vampire that graces your doorstep tomorrow evening.

Instead of locking our doors, turning out the lights, and hiding in a dark corner clutching our Bibles, let’s see them how God does.

Lovable. Reachable. Redeemable.

This isn’t goodbye, just see you later

Just wanted to let everyone know that this will be my last post for a while.

I greatly appreciate all who read and take the time to comment. Yes, even the ones who want to point out how wrong I am. Lol. The internet contains millions of people blogging, and the fact that you read my little corner in cyberspace means a lot.

I am actually going to unplug from all social media as well. Facebook. Twitter. Instagram. WordPress. I did this once before, and it made me realize how much social media consumes our lives. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with it. It allows us to connect to people from all over the world in ways that were impossible several years ago. It provides independent authors such as myself a platform to promote our work. I’ve reconnected with long lost friends via Facebook. There are so many benefits to social media.

There is also a dark side. There has to be moderation.

Email has replaced writing a letter to someone and actually placing it the mailbox. Texting people and Skype have become the normal substitutes of face to face interaction. We spend more time looking down at our phones than we do at the people standing in front of us. We learn more about people on Facebook, YouTube, and Vine than we do by engaging in actual conversation.

With the advances in modern day technology, it’s inevitable that we will utilize those things in our lives. We just can’t forget that there is so much more to this life than our phones. Growing up, I spent the daylight hours playing outside. My parents would have to drag me into the house at night. I would be dirty, sweaty, and covered with new bruises, but it was awesome. This generation has no idea what life is like without smart phones, iPods, and laptops.

We need to show them.

Take a break from posts, tweets, and uploads. Get outside with your kids. Go visit someone you haven’t seen in a long time. Reconnect with family, friends, and loved ones. We will all be much better for it.

Starting tomorrow, I am taking the unplug challenge. Who’s with me?

My love/hate relationship with October

I love Fall. It’s, hands down, my favorite of all the seasons. Football on a lazy Sunday. The crisp air that kisses your face when you step outside. Sweatshirts and jeans. The crunch of colorful leaves underneath your shoes. The steady crackling of a warm fire. S’mores under a darkened sky illuminated with brilliant stars. The intoxicating smell of pumpkin oozing out from every coffee shop within a three mile radius.

It’s the time of year when the windows can remain open almost the entire day. The steady sound of leaf blowers in the distance. The blanket of bright red and dazzling yellow that envelopes the mountains. The plume of breath that escapes your lips on the really cold mornings. Ahhhh…it’s so amazing in the Fall.

October is an incredible month, because I married the love of my life back in 1999. I was the guy who said he would never settle down and get married. Now, nearly 15 years and two kids later, I am blessed more than I could have ever dreamed.

It’s also a month marked by the everlasting stain of loss.

On October 14 2008, I lost my Dad. Hard to believe it’s been that long. I’ve changed allot during those years. I’ve grown spiritually, and many of the views and beliefs I used live by have radically shifted perspectives. For quite a while after Dad’s passing, I questioned God. I blamed God. I wondered how a God who is supposed to be love could rip my father away from us. Now I know the truth.

God didn’t take my Dad.

He received him, yes. But He did not take him.

The Bible is very clear that satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. The very same scriptures also point out that all GOOD things come from above. People will always go immediately to Job and quote “The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away.” Job honestly believed God was doing all those things to him, when in fact, He wasn’t at all. I don’t believe God is sitting up there playing games with our faith. It would be very hard to trust someone who says they love you, but at the same time makes you suffer. How could you ever trust someone like that?

One of satan’s biggest accomplishments is causing believers to blame God for everything. He wants us to be in a state of confusion when it comes to trusting God. He hopes we step into our secret place not with boldness, but with a divided heart. Part of it loving God, and the other part wondering why God is causing bad things to happen to us. Think about all the horrible things that have happened in your life. The stuff you blamed God for, or at the very least figured God was allowing to happen to teach you something. Wouldn’t your relationship with Him be even more incredible if you just let it go and realized there is an enemy roaming this earth trying to destroy you?

I expect many of you will not agree with my last two paragraphs, and that’s okay. I’m not here to debate and argue about these things. What you believe is entirely between you and God. As Christians, it’s our job to love people, pray for people, and speak truth when we can. We aren’t here to beat people in the head with a Bible and accuse them of having false beliefs. We weren’t created by God to fight with people. Jesus paid much too high a price for that. It’s up to the Holy Spirit to bring about conviction and repentance. We sow seeds. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to have an opportunity to water those seeds. But we may never see them bloom into fruition.

I had the great blessing and opportunity of having an amazing earthly father. He was never shown love from his own father, but that didn’t carry over to me at all. I knew without a doubt that Dad loved me. He was my friend, my golf partner, and the man I went to for advice and guidance when I was growing up. There are memories, good memories, locked away in the vault of my mind that only myself and family will ever know about. Moments that were never documented on Facebook or Twitter. Images that will never see the scrolling pages of Instagram.

Sometimes we just need to create a memory for ourselves, and not ruin it with likes, shares, and hashtags.

My Last Night

So many people are lost and hurting. The ministry we used to be a part of was full of youth who struggle with major issues on a daily basis. I’ve talked to many of them who have faced suicide at one point or another. Like everyone else on this planet, they need love. They don’t need to be judged for what they’ve done in the past. They need to know who they are in Christ. I wrote another song this morning as I sat here thinking about that.

 

My Last Night
Copyright 2014 Chris Martin

(verse one)

Standing at the edge of silence, time is no longer my friend
In this moment, I have to decide, no one will hurt me again
The tears stream down, I tremble in the shadow of my fear
I cried out to You, no reply, thought You said You were always here

Candlelight flickers in the darkness, cold steel pressed against my skin
A note on the table, reasons why, I can’t be hurt again
You won’t understand, might force a smile through the tears
But no one will ever know, what you did to me all these years

(chorus)

This is my last night
I give up the fight
I can’t take this pain anymore
Time to step through the open door

I’m so alone, I need to be strong
I’ve carried this burden for way too long
Does darkness await, or will it be light
No matter what, this is my last night

This is my last night

(verse two)

Sitting at the edge of my bed, time is my only friend
In this moment, I have to decide, I want to let you in
The tears stream down, I tremble, but not in fear
I cried out to You, the answer came, I feel You here

Candlelight flickers in the darkness, cold steel cast to the floor
A note in the trash, I have no reason to doubt You anymore
You’re the only one Who understands, I smile through the tears
Soon everyone will know, You’ve been calling to me all these years

(chorus)

This is my last night
I don’t have to fight
I won’t carry this pain anymore
On bended knee, I step through Your open door

I’m never alone, You make me strong
I’ve carried this burden for way too long
The darkness is gone, I now walk in the light
No matter what, this is my last night

This is my last night

Why religion doesn’t work

I’m not sure exactly where I’m going with this post. Some thoughts have been swirling around inside my head all weekend, so this is an attempt to write them out.

My heart is burdened for the lost. Earlier this year, I wrote a post entitled The But Stops Here. You can read it if you like, but the main point is that we put too many conditions on our love for others. “I love you, but…”

We, as Christians, should be known for our love. Unfortunately, we are known more for what we stand against than Who we stand for. We are quick to point out the faults of others before we even show them love. We expect people to change before we are willing to love them. We love others when they are doing good, but when they do something to “hurt” us, we retract that love.

We can attend church every Sunday. We can start up home groups targeted to specific individuals. We can pray. We can read the Bible. We can quote all the required scriptures. We can feed the hungry. We can shelter the homeless. We can lift our hands in worship.

We can do all these things, but without love, it’s all a big fat zero. (1Cor 13)

Religion can do all the activities I just mentioned just to look good, check items off a list, or complete an outreach quota for the month. It’s just going through the motions of dead works.

The most sincere form of ministry and outreach will never be seen on the pages of Facebook. 

You can serve thousands of hours in the community, give millions to local ministries, and even hand out hundreds of hot meals. You can do these and saturate social media with your proof, but I don’t believe it has the same Kingdom implication as helping the homeless man on the corner by taking him to McDonald’s for a meal. And no one knows about it except him and God.

Why do we strive so hard for the approval of man? A ministry leader? A pastor? You will only receive their approval if you’re doing things to make them happy. I have experienced this first hand. That’s why I’m done trying to please man. I won’t be standing in front of any one man on judgement day. God created me in His image. Man didn’t. God sent Jesus to die on a Cross for me. Man didn’t. I will love others, but not try and please them.

Pastors and leaders are very important, but they are mere men. We can’t forget that. Jesus is our ultimate authority.

Our approval was determined long ago when God created us. Our value was sealed when the blood of Jesus ran down the old rugged cross to reconcile us once again to a Father who longed to have His children back.

We can’t avoid showing love to someone because they swear.

We can’t avoid showing love to someone because they use drugs.

We can’t avoid showing love to someone because they are gay.

We can’t avoid showing love to someone because they refuse to attend church.

We can’t avoid showing love to someone because they had an abortion.

Why doesn’t religion work? Because it is completely void of love.