God Loves Sinners

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.'' - 1 Timothy 1:15

"I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17

"Christianity is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for Saints." - Tim Keller

Strange Comfort

Job 38-40:6

I read this the other day when I was upset about some things that were going on in my life. The kind of things I wish weren't happening, or I didn't have to go through. Then I read this. For some reason, it brings me comfort. God has a way of putting Job in his place, letting us know sometimes we don't get to talk. We just need to put our hand over our mouth and shut up. Not easy.

Honesty/Humility

Yesterday was a rough day. I checked my email in the morning and saw an email from a friend who was asking for prayer because he fell into a sin that he has been struggling with. He's in the middle of the battle where the mind seems to take over at times and it looks hopeless. As my heart went out to him and I started to pray, I was flooded with what has taken place in my life, as well as those who I run with. Another friend of mine found out that their father is in stage three of cancer and his drinking and smoking have finally caught up with him. Another close relative is going through a foreclosure on a significant land transaction that fell through.  My best friend is going in for a check up on their unborn baby and trying to prepare for the worst as they have had three miscarriages already. He is struggling to find joy and peace when all they have had loss and heartache. My mother wrote us today and told us about my grandfather and his pain that he is experiencing. He also has cancer and is about to go through radiation at the age of 73 and needs the 24/7 attention from my grandmother, bless her soul. There have been tears and sorrow as we prepare for the worst. Then my wife comes home from work and tells me that she started bleeding. We found out six weeks ago that we're pregnant, and now there is fear of miscarriage. We have had family and friends experience several miscarriages, we just hoped we wouldn't be added to the list. All of this and I'm sitting here waiting on a job. I haven't been working for four months and it's starting to take it's toll. I'm getting restless and fearful I'll have to wait longer, or that it won't work out at all and I'll have to get a job doing who knows what.

This is all overwhelming. I just started to cry as I thought about the pain that God's people go through. There are a lot of times when life is just hard, really hard. There is no perfect answer, nothing can take the pain away, things seem to just go really bad. And then I remember that we have a God who loves us, a God who is on our side, a God who cares about his people, and although allows it to happen, is right in the middle of it all with us. Where do people turn that don't know the Savior? Where do they go in times like these. It's hard enough being a child of the King, I'm so blessed to know that He is in control and this is part of his sovereign plan. I got some great advice from a friend:  it's a combination of honesty/humility that we need to come with before the King. Honesty that this hurts, honesty that we don't like it, honesty that he could change the situation, asking for it to work, but also being humble enough to accept what God delivers, accepting the way it turns out. Accept the life God has written for me before the beginning of time, has great purpose.  And ask for grace needed to do so. Jesus gave the prime example for this right before his death:

And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Luke 22:39-44

JTH

Satisfaction

I was laying in bed last night thinking about something that I have heard these past few years in church, and in most of the books I read. (John Piper, Randy Alcorn). Nothing in this life will satisfy you. Nothing. I remember hearing this for the first time while I was in college at The University of South Alabama. Our college minister, Shane Black, talked one night about how nothing satisfies. I was in the middle of my college baseball career that was headed down a rough road and watching my childhood dreams slowly being crushed. Something hit me and for some reason God used that in my life and still does. It never fails that God usually reveals something to me and then it takes about 5-10 years for me to get it. (Oh, that's what he means) I just like anyone else still to this day struggle with the belief that something in my life will bring me some sort of happiness, something this world has to offer will "satisfy" me. Even when I know nothing will, when push comes to shove, and I am living my life, not typing on a computer, I tend to fall back into the sin and disbelief that this world has something to offer me. Proverbs 26:11 –Like a dog that returns to its vomit Is a fool who repeats his folly. There are quite a few times in my life that I have experienced great success or what the world would call pivitol points in ones life. Going from High School to collge, now if I can just get that scholarship, then professional ball, then degree, then masters, then the right job, then if I could just get married, then children, then start of over doing that same thing through my own children. Then on a more personal level of success. Winning the high school baseball championship. Personal success and acolades, all-star teams, newspaper clippings, all-district teams, and school records. The funny thing is I was never satisfied. If I achieved it, I wanted more. I wanted the next level. None of it ever was what I though it was going to be. The excitement, if there was any, was so short lived. Fleeting, fading, non-existant.

I've grown to realize that this is exactly what our culture does, Christians not excused. We set up our lives in such a way that we truly are seeking happiness, but trying to get it fulfilled by things that can't do the job. Have you ever wondered why celebrities take on more jobs when it seems like they have three already? Why they have to have more than one motorcycle, car, house, etc... Why they have to dabble in every form of entertainment ( singing, acting, producing, writing, television, films). Why people kill themselves when they are healthy, successful, and have more money than what they know to do with. Why do guys like Brett Farve, Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong, George Foreman, Roger Clemens, Bob Cousy, Mario Lemieux, and Sugar Ray Leonard come out of retirement for more? I think I know, because I feel it on a much smaller level. They have gone to the top, success was there's yet it didn't seem to be enough. Where do you go from the top with this incorrect view? My main concern here is the way we raise our children. When it comes to our kids, why do we push them in the areas we do. Sure all parents want their kids to be happy. We are wired that way as people, God created us to seek happiness and be satisfied. As believers we all know that the only true happiness and joy comes from God and his kingdom. So why do we encourage our kids, push our kids, force our kids into some of the things we do. I believe most of this comes from what we call "extra curricular activities." Sports, dance, band, etc...Why do we encourage our kids or hope our kids do well and spend their whole lives chasing after this things that won't give them eternal happiness. Sure it can be exciting, you learn great lessons through these avenues, but don't you think most of the heart ache could have been avoided if we taugh our kids how to view this stuff. How to not make it the end goal. For if they were to get there, how despressing a life would it be. You encouraged your child to seek happiness in something it will never find happiness in. It didn't work for you, why do you think it will work for them? What if we taught our kids from the beginning what will bring them happiness in this life and the next? What if we taught them that it will look completely opposite to what the culture tells them? What if we told them that it's all very tempting and many times they will fall to the temptation? What if we lived our lives in such a way that they saw an example of this in our relationships, in the home, in our bank account, and in our speech? What if they saw us fall to the temptations of world and saw us repent and ask Christ to show us the true treasure again? What if they were able to enjoy their talents, know who they came from, but not make it the most important thing about them? I pray for my own family and someday my own children, that most of all when they remember the teachings of their earthly father, that not only in my words, but mainly in my actions, they will see a father who points them to true happiness, true satisfaction. In Christ alone.

Recovery

What I have learned from my recovery program that I have gone through:

1. Nothing good comes out of us apart from Christ--The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it. Jeremiah 17:9
2. We are not capable of judging fairly--
3. Our "good" things don't go on our inventory--
4. All sin comes from my trying to take what I believe is mine and not relying on God to give it to me or not give it to me.
   
5. The closer I get to God, the dirtier I become--
6. God came to bring us out of the shame and guilt
7. God died to shed light into the dark areas of my life
8. It is our human nature to try and hide our sins--God came so we don't have to
9. Hiding is saying God died for nothing
10. We don't clean ourselves up before we come to Christ, we come broken and sinful, he takes care of the cleaning.
11. Any cleaning we try to do ourselves is short lived, insane (I am the one who got myself into this mess, how am I going to get myself out), I'm acting like I'm God-and I'm not, keeps me from growth, keeps me from healing.
12. I need to learn to repent well-it becomes a life long exercise
13. We weren't designed to handle the sin of this world on our own. We were given each other to come together to fight, pray, encourage, stand next to. Jesus' ministry was never done alone. He sent the disciples out in pairs. We shouldn't try to fight the things of this world on our own. We have the body for a reason.
14. Now we fill our lives with the things that stir our affections for the father. Whatever we fill ourselves with will ultimately control us. Eph. 5:18-Be filled with the Spirit-the fruit of the spirit. What do you fill yourself with...money-greed, food-gluttony, adoration of man/women; when your speaking well of me-people,
    
15. Greatest tragedy that man has ever know-in the garden-man chose to go about it alone-independent of Christ.
16. You have to know Christ in order to enjoy him and reflect him. Matt 7:21-23--Col. 2
17. God is more concerned with my heart than with the outward behavior. Matt 15:8--its not to check boxes
18. He is the source of all joy pleasure and peace. Treasure in a field
19. You can't rest on what you did yesterday Matt 6:9-13 It's a daily self examination