via l'amour
Via l'amour, or by way of Love. It's how I try to live my life. And there is no more perfect an example of this than the life of Jesus Christ. It is only through Him that I am able to live via l'amour.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Waiting to Boil
Monday, April 25, 2011
What is Faith?
"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
"For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. James 2:14-19
We show that our faith is real not by the words that we speak, but by the things that we do. Jesus says that his true followers will be recognized by the fruit that they bear (Matt. 7:16). Further, we will one day be judged by the things that we do.
“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.” Matt. 12:36
“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they [the Pharisees] answered.
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. Matt. 21:28-32
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27
These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules. Isaiah 29:13
“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Greatest Story Ever Told...and You're in It!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Living the Dream! and why the American Dream is a Lie
“Why Peace Corps?”
It’s the most common question I hear when I tell people about my Peace Corps application. Strangely, I am finding it difficult to articulate an answer. It’s not that I haven’t put any thought into it. I started the application in July of 2010. It is now the end of February 2011 and my medical packet is still under review. I anticipate leaving by early June of this year. The application process has been long and strenuous; not something someone would go through without putting a lot of thought into it. I even wrote an essay on why I want to join Peace Corps as part of the application process.
If you don’t know already, Peace Corps is a program through the US government in which qualified applicants serve overseas for two years to help train people in developing countries in things like health, sustainable agriculture, and business, to give a few examples.
“Well you aren’t going to make any money doing that!” my Grandpa told me.
I understand his concern for my prosperity, but I couldn’t help but reply indignantly, “It’s not about making money.” Then what is it? What draws me to want to sell my possessions and live in another part of the world away from my family to volunteer my time for two years?
After meditating on it for several months it is difficult to put together an answer. It just seems so natural to me. It’s like asking a person why they like chocolate. Why wouldn’t anyone like chocolate? Why would I not want to join Peace Corps?
I spent several years going to college not knowing what I wanted to do with my life. I was going to school because that’s what I was supposed to do. It’s step one on the journey to fulfilling the American dream. We go to college to get a good job so that we can make lots of money and buy a nice car, a house, and afford a lifestyle of luxury and comfort. But coming upon graduation from university forced me to evaluate the direction my life was taking.
I was right on track for obtaining the dream. I had the girl (read my last blog post for more on that), the car, and the degree to line me up for getting the well-paying job. We even had plans for buying a house that her parents were going to sell to us at a very low price. Everything was going so smoothly.
But I was empty.
I imagined myself in the future with this girl, this car, this house, the money and the luxuries. And it was all so unfulfilling.
When I was younger I always dreamed of traveling the world and helping other people. I didn’t know what exactly I was going to do, but I knew that this was the kind of life I wanted. In high school, I thought that the military would be the best opportunity for me to have that lifestyle. But I chose the girl, the school, and the American dream instead.
I continually sacrificed my dreams because that’s what society told me to do. The American dream told me to play it safe. I did things the way that things are supposed to be done and I didn’t ask questions.
When I started looking at job postings through the career development center at the university, I saw nothing that excited me. Sure, there were lots of good paying jobs that would challenge me and use my newly acquired skills. But none of them mattered. Not to me, anyway.
See, I’m a big picture kind of guy. I have to know that the work that I am doing is making a difference. The only difference that I saw most of these jobs making is to stoke the fire of consumerism, thus driving more people into the threshes of the American dream.
Then I saw the posting for Peace Corps. It reminded me of my dreams that I had given up on so long ago. The idea of living in another country, learning a new language, and helping improve people’s lives on such a huge level was very exciting to think about. I had already been looking into volunteering somewhere overseas for a couple of weeks, but this seemed so much more impactful. I thought about it, I talked to a close friend about it, I prayed about it, and then I applied. And this application has kicked my butt!
The Holy Spirit has used this experience to teach me a lot. It has forced me to give up the idols in my life. Peace Corps volunteers cannot have any debt. One of the hardest things for me was accepting the idea that if I could not pay off my car loan, I would have to sell my car. And women are out – there is no way I want to attempt a long distance relationship. Over the past few months I have been selling my most prized possessions: video games, computers, electronics. It has transformed the way that I live my daily life. It has been liberating to now spend my time doing things like studying God’s Word, learning Greek, and spending more time with friends and family. I wouldn’t trade my dreams for the American dream ever again.
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” (1Tim. 6:6-7)
Thank you Father for giving me your Spirit to guide me in my life decisions. You give each of us different passions; gifts that should be used to glorify You. Please give this generation the courage to say no to the American dream and to pursue the dreams that you have breathed into us. Let everything that we do bring honor to Your name! To You be the glory and honor alone! Amen.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Without Expectations
Monday, August 30, 2010
Vheissu: Who Are You?
Our Identity is found in Christ
What makes up our identity? Is it the jobs we work? The cars we drive? The clothes we wear?
If we acknowledge that there is something greater in the world than us, then we have the hope that we can each be something greater than ourselves. We don’t have to live our lives pursuing simple pleasures. There is something greater ahead that we can daily look forward to!
Without a loving Creator, what meaning does your life have besides seeking simple pleasures? What a sad, purposeless life it would be to live without a relationship with God. And nobody has to live that way! Jesus wants to have a relationship with you. Every human being is equally guilty of sin, so do not tell yourself that you are alone undeserving of God’s grace. We are all undeserving of God’s grace. That’s what makes it so gracious! But those willing to admit their guilt and ask forgiveness will have God’s blessings poured out on them. If you are done with pursuing simple pleasures, always looking for the next high, never feeling fulfilled, and you want to start living your life with a higher purpose, then begin your relationship with Jesus today. Pray to him. Admit your guilt. Ask for forgiveness. Receive forgiveness. No longer be a slave to sin!
Questions
Who would others say that you are? Who would you say you are? Who do you want to be? Is there any discrepancy between the answers to these three questions? Leave your comment!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Sanctum: Living in and apart from the world
A look at daily Evangelism
If you knew Jesus were returning in 24 hours, what would you do? I recently read an interview with artist Jimmy Needham that asked a similar question. His reply made me think hard about the way that I live my daily life.
If we knew Christ were to return tomorrow, many of us would excitedly share the gospel with everyone we could. The reality is, nobody knows when Christ is coming (1 Thessalonians 5:2). So the question is, why are we not living that way now? We hold in our possession the greatest news the world has ever known! We should be passionate about sharing it with everyone we can.
Before his ascension, Jesus Christ instructed us to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). This requires us as Christians to live among those blinded by the world system in a way that is holy; holiness that God has given us through his grace. We must be “in the world, but not of the world” (1 John 2:15-17). We must walk this fine line, being “all things to all men” in order to save some (1 Corinthians 9:22).
What do you think?
If you knew Christ were returning tomorrow, what would you do? What things should Christians do in their daily lives to evangelize? Leave your comment!
Song of the day
Grace Amazing - Jimmy Needham ft. Trip Lee