What was that?

Listen. How many time do we do that each day? My guess is more then you think. Maybe you're at Starbucks and listening to make sure they got your drink right. Or maybe you're on the other side and making sure that you get the customers drink right! Anyway you look at it, listening is not just a every once in a while thing. You are doing it all the time.
Now the listening I'm talking about here is stuff that if you miss something then really no big deal usually.


What about those times when you really need to pay attention? In today's culture do we take time to actually listen to other people? And what about listening to the Holy Spirit?


During this Christmas season it is almost impossible to go anywhere that isn't playing Christmas music. Its on at the store, its on in your car, it on at your house, you have it on your iPod, its EVERYWHERE. Now I would venture to say that it is this way year around. Probably not with Christmas music but the news, the latest podcast, music, or your favorite talk shows. We are inundated with noise! And while none of those things are necessarily wrong per-say, when they are always on we lose a chance to hear something else. That still small voice.
¹¹ So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORDwas not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, butthe LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”  1 Kings 19:11-13


God wasn't in the great, strong wind. He wasn't in the earthquake. Nor was He in the fire. He was in the gentle blowing. Now when I think of gentle blowing I think of that being in the Colorado mountains next to an aspen grove. And you might not feel the breeze but you can see it moving through the top of those aspens. Not even noticeable unless you are looking for it. I feel like that is the way that God talks to us. Unless you are looking for it, pursuing and seeking after God, you might just miss what He has to say to you.    Now there are other ways that God speaks to you. Through what is commonly known as you "Conscience." For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, ¹⁵ in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, ¹⁶ on the day when, according to my gospel,God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. Romans 2: 14-16


You know what I'm talking about. As a kid did you really need someone to tell you that it was wrong to steal or lie? No, you knew that it was wrong in your heart. And that same conscience "pricks" us sometime as an adult. 
"You really shouldn't run that red light"
"It is really the best use of your time to play video games for 6 hours on end?"
"Haven't you been on Facebook just a little to long???" (Guilty as charged...)
We all have felt that nudge from the Holy Spirit now and then. Sometimes we "listen" and sometimes we just drown it out. 


Imagine if you will, a guy (lets call him... Bob) at work who walks around all day with his really nice, Bose noise-canceling headphones in and his music blasting. Bob doesn't take them out for meetings, phone calls, conversations. Nothing. At the end of the year there is this big project due. So the day before it's due Bob takes out his headphone while everyone else is finishing up last min details, making last min revisions and asks "Hey what do you want me to do?" Do you think anyone is going to answer? He hasn't been listening all along so why should they think that Bob is starting now?
Is that you and I sometimes with God? We are always immersed in everything else and he is trying to talk to us. Tell us whats going on. Tell us "The Plan." But we can't hear anything. And then when we really need to know the plan we quickly pop out of our loud environmental and are like "Hey God I need that plan like RIGHT NOW!" And God's like "I already told you the whole thing..."


I wonder how much we miss cause we aren't listening to God? If you look back at the great men of faith in history, from Moses to David. From St. Augustine to R.C. Sproul. These men had devoted prayer lives. And when I mean prayer lives I don't mean praying for hours on end for every little need they could think of. No, you see prayer is not your monologue to God. Its a conversation with the Creator of the universe. The Alpha and the Omega. The Beginning and End. The Always Has and the Always Will Be. The King of kings! And yet, He cares enough about you to not just listen to your grocery list of needs/wants/desires/ect. But he wants to have a relationship with you. So much so that He sent His own Son to die on the Cross for our sins. If that doesn't impact you then I don't know what will. Doesn't matter how many times you hear that truth. You hear it again and should just be in awe that the one who could have just destroyed us after Adam sinned, and started over. No! He loved us so much and desired relationship again that Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Phil 2:6-7 
This is the Christmas story. A story of a God who loved us. A story of one who left all his majesty to come to this earth and be born in a dirty stable. And have a bed of half eaten hay. This is the greatest story ever told. 


So this Christmas season, in the midst of shopping, working at a busy Christian retail establishment, planning parties, going to parties, making food, entertaining relatives, decorating, ect, ect, ect, ect. 
Make time to be silent. To listen. To hear what God wants to tell you. And to thank and worship the One who came for you. 

Long Time, No See

Well hello everybody.
Its been a while since my last post. I have tried to start 4-5 different post but they are all still in rough draft stages. Why you may ask? Well. They just haven't finished themselves yet. I'm sure that a few of them will eventually make the blog someday. But see the way i write blogs is to just kinda type for a while and see what has come out and go from there. Sometimes its bad. Sometimes its awful. Sometimes it works. (those would be the ones you see =D)


So why the hiatus? Well there are a couple of things.


1. This past 2-3ish months God has been really working on me. And I have to say that some of it hasn't been easy. In fact some of it has been downright hard. But I know that He is slowly trying to mold a stubborn me into the image of His Son. And while that is sometimes Un-Fun, there is a verse in 1 Peter that has helped.


So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.  1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT


2. (Though its more like 1b ;D) For the 1st time in my life I have faced intense spiritual warfare. I knew that it existed, like when it says in Ephesians that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. but until recently this was head knowledge that was "oh ya I believe in that stuff" but figured that it happened to "other" people. 


Let me tell you something. The devil IS a roaring lion. Seeking whom he may devour. And he will NOT give up. Well their may be "cease fires" at times this is the time when your defenses MUST be at their highest. When your defenses are down is when he will attack the hardest.


Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹ But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. ¹⁰ After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect,confirm, strengthen and establish you. ¹¹ To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Pet 5:8-11 NASB




So that is what I have been up to. While this time has been some of the hardest of my life, I wouldn't give up what God has been molding me into during these trials.


"To Him be the dominion forever and ever. AMEN!!"

Erasing Hell??

So as most of you know I really enjoy Francis Chan's books, both Crazy Love and Forgotten God. Well he is coming out (releases July 5) with a new book, Erasing Hell. Now I could tell you what the book is about but I'd rather let him do that. And please take the 10 min it takes to watch and/or listen to this video cause what this book is about is more then just hell and whether it exist, ect. But this goes to the core of who we really are as Christians. When we say Jesus is Lord over all do we believe that? Do we believe that God is ACTUALLY a Just God?
Please watch:



Did it make you go hmmm?

See what so many people miss in the debate about hell is the simple fact that there might be people who are going to spend the rest of eternity separated from God. In eternal torment and utter damnation. Doesn't that make you stop? And if it doesn't, shouldn't that be a warning sign for you? The guy at the gas station, the lady at the fast food place, your co-workers, your boss, the person in the car next to you on the road, who among those people are not going to spend eternity in communion with God?

And what are YOU going to do about it?

"Your" Stuff????

The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains,The world, and those who dwell in it.
Ps 24:1


I'm sure that you have all heard this verse before, but do you actually realize what it is saying? Every in/around/on/contained/happens on the earth belongs to Jesus. 


See if you look at the New Testament we see that Jesus is called "The firstborn of all creation." Now to understand what that actually means we are going to have to look at the Old Testament. If you look at the story of Jacob and Esau (Gen 27) we see how the firstborn was given the blessing of being the heir of his father's estate as well as the fact that the other kids were supposed to serve/worship the firstborn. 


So since Jesus is the "Firstborn" of all Christians then guess what??? (I thought you would never ask...) Our purpose on this earth is to worship and serve our "Older Brother!!" And everything on the earth is actually his and we are just supposed to "take care" of all of it for HIM!!!


So this begs the question. Why are we so selfish when it comes to "Stuff?" Or our time? "Where ever you treasure is, there is your heart also" 


So I challenge you. What is one thing in you life that you just "can't" give up? 


Whatever it is, do whatever it takes to make CHRIST the center of everything you do and everything you are!!

How can you not love Him?

The face that Moses had begged to see—was forbidden to see—was slapped bloody. 
The thorns that God had sent to curse the earth's rebellion now twisted around his own brow...

"On your back with you!" One raises a mallet to sink in the spike. But the soldier's heart must continue pumping as he readies the prisoner's wrist. Someone must sustain the soldier's life minute by minute, for no man has this power on his own. Who supplies breath to his lungs? Who gives energy to his cells? Who holds his molecules together? Only the Son do "all things hold together." The victim wills that the soldier lives on—he grants the warriors continued existence. The man swings.

As the man swings, the Son recalls how he and the Father first designed the medial nerve of the human forearm—the sensations it would be capable of. 


The design proves flawless—the nerve performs exquisitely. “Up you go!” They lifted the cross. God is on display in his underwear and can scarcely breathe.

But these pains are a mere warm-up to his other and growing dread. He begins to feels a foreign sensation. Somewhere during this day an unearthly foul odor began to waft, not around his nose, but his heart. He feels dirty. Human wickedness starts to crawl upon his spotless being—the living excrement from our souls. The apple of his Father’s eye turns brown with rot.

His Father! He must face his Father like this!

From heaven the Father now rouses himself like a lion disturbed, shakes his mane, and roars against the shriveling remnant of a man hanging on a cross. Never has the Son seen the Father look at him so, never felt even the least of his hot breath. But the roar shakes the unseen world and darkens the visible sky. The Son does not recognize these eyes.

“Son of Man! Why have you behaved so? You have cheated, lusted, stolen, gossiped—murdered, envied, hated, lied. You have cursed, robbed, overspent, overeaten—fornicated, disobeyed, embezzled, and blasphemed. Oh, the duties you have shirked, the children you have abandoned! Who has ever so ignored the poor, so played the coward, so belittled my name? Have you ever held your razor tongue? What a self-righteous, pitiful drunk—you, who molested young boys, peddle killer drugs, travel in cliques, and mock your parents. Who gave you the boldness to rig elections, foment revolutions, torture animals, and worship demons? Does the list never end! Splitting families, raping virgins, acting smugly, playing the pimp—buying politicians, practicing extortion, filming pornography, accepting bribes. You have burned down buildings, perfected terrorist tactics, founded false religions, traded in slaves—relishing each morsel and bragging about it all. I hate, loathe these things in you! Disgust for everything about you consumes me! Can you not feel my wrath?”

Of course the Son is innocent. He is blamelessness itself. The Father knows this. But the divine pair have an agreement, and the unthinkable must now take place. Jesus will be treated as if personally responsible for every sin ever committed.
The Father watches as his hearts treasure, the mirror-image of himself, sinks drowning into raw, liquid sin. Jehovah’s stored rage against humankind from every century explodes in a single direction.

"Father! Father! Why have you forsaken me?!"

But heaven stops its ears. The Son stares up at the One who cannot, who will not, reach down or reply.

The Trinity had planned it. The Son endured it. The Spirit enabled him. The Father rejected the Son whom he loved. Jesus, the God-man from Nazareth, perished. The Father accepted his sacrifice for sin and was satisfied. The Rescue was accomplished.


~From Joni Eareckson Tada's When God Weeps

Good Works....

Have you ever heard the idea that "Oh God will have to let me into heaven cause I did all this good stuff on earth"?

Well I can't remember where I heard this but I saw/heard a quote that said something like "Trying to save yourself by good works will never work because the motivation for your good works is simply an extension of you selfishness"

Which is really true. If you true to "earn" you way to heaven, you will fail every time.

"I am the way"~Jesus



Thats all for today. =D

I really like this song =D One of my favorites that is played during the Thorn each year.

What your favorite "Easter" song?

Easter

Every year for the past 6 or so years during the Easter season, I have gone to a production that New Life Church puts on called "The Thorn" I'm sure many of you reading this have been to the Thorn sometime. It is one of the highlights of my year. Not only because I love good theater and drama, but because its almost like a refocusing on what Christ did for YOU and ME.


And while I could go on and on about that, there is something else I would like to focus on. A very small part that often goes un-noticed in the Easter story: Read here from Matt 27:15-26

 15Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over.

      19While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message,saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” 20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. 21But the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!” 23And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”

      24When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” 25And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” 26Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified. 

So I'm sure we have all heard of Barabbas. How the crowd picked him over Jesus. But is there something deeper? In the Thorn it is referenced how possibly the 1st person to realize what Jesus was doing was Barabbas. He was supposed to be in Jesus' place. (We aren't specifically told that but can imply it from the text that he was a dangerous criminal and would have possibly been executed) He should have been the one to have been beaten and crucified. 


Aren't we are all Barabbas'. We have all done horrible things deserving (eternal) death. But Jesus took our place. 


"He who knew NO sin became sin on our behalf"
"By His stripes we are healed" 


As we enter this Easter season, While it is nice to think about the grave and the empty tomb let us not forget the price that Jesus paid for each and everyone of us. 
THIS is how much he loves us (here is a link to a friend's blog to a post that she did which is really powerful): Forgiveness

Footprints

One night I dreamed a dream.

I was walking along the beach with my Lord. Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me and one to my Lord.

When the last scene of my life shot before me I looked back at the footprints in the sand. There was only one set of footprints. I realized that this was at the lowest and saddest times of my life. This always bothered me and I questioned the Lord about my dilemma.

"Lord, You told me when I decided to follow You, You would walk and talk with me all the way. But I'm aware that during the most troublesome times of my life there is only one set of footprints. I just don't understand why, when I need You most, You leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you."

Yes I know this was in a different post but i really like it so it gets it own spot 

I Walked

I walked through life like it was fading away
Putting on that plastic smile 
Acting like nothing was wrong
While my heart was breaking all the while

I walked through life as I did each day
“Pretty good” was the response I gave
Put deep within the hurt abounded
Though I’m not sure where it had founded

I walked through life not knowing myself
Sometime not know whether I could make it one more day
No one to build me up, or carry me along
Except Jesus, the answer to my song

I walked though life with Jesus beside
Through around was still a abyss of silence
Struggling through life with only Jesus
That’s all I need I know…

Tyranny of the Urgent

NR Johnson-Tyranny Of The Urgent

This is a article that a friend sent to me which I really liked.I really encourage you to read the entire thing. But here are a few excerpts to wet your appetite:

When we stop to evaluate, we realize that our dilemma goes deeper than a shortage of time; it is basically the problem of priorities.  Hard work does not hurt us.  We all know what it is to go full speed for long hours, totally involved in an important task.  The resulting weariness is matched by a sense of achievement and joy.  Not hard work, but doubt and misgiving, produce anxiety as we review a month or year and become oppressed by the pile of unfinished tasks.  We sense uneasily that we may have failed to do the important.  The winds of people’s demands have driven us onto a reef of frustration.  We confess, quite apart from our sins, “We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.”




Prayerful waiting on God is indispensable to effective service.  Like the time-out in a football game, it enables us to catch our breath and fix new strategy.  As we wait for directions, the Lord frees us from the tyranny of the urgent.  He shows us the truth about Himself, ourselves, and our tasks.  He impresses on our minds the assignments He want us to undertake.  The need itself is not the call; the call must come form the God who knows our limitation.   




Yet we know from experience that only by this means can we escape the tyranny of the urgent.  This is how Jesus succeeded.  He did not finish all the urgent tasks in Palestine or all the things He would have liked to do, but He did finish the work which God gave Him to do.  

Trust

Trust: Reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, ect of a person or thing; Confidence (as defined by dictionary.com)


I never really understood the concept of actually trusting in God completely until recently. Do you ever have that issue/problem/request/decision that you are constantly praying about but you don't seen to see an answer? Well for me in the past couple of months it has been the issue of a job. Since the end of last summer I have been looking for part-time work while I attend classes at PPCC. From about Sept to Oct I put in probably over 30 applications at different places. I actually had a couple interviews but nothing seemed to pan out. I was pretty bummed out but in the middle of November I ended up picking up some work with Honey Baked Ham seasonally for Thanksgiving and Christmas. (Something I did in 2009 also) After Thanksgiving the manager mentioned he was going to be hiring a few part-time positions and was wondering if I might be interested. So I was pretty excited because it seemed like my prayer was finally being answered. 
Then after New Years I called them to ask about the positions and the manager informed me that those positions were no longer open due to budget restrictions. 


I was crushed. Coming on the heels of some other stuff that had been going on, I was just devastated. I cried out to God, asking why?? Why me?? 


Shortly after this I was at the MILL and something said there  really rocked my world. I don't remember what was actually said but I got me to just thinking how God had been providing for me. 1st it was through doing a side job for my Dad's business where I was making just about enough to get me by ever month. Then through Honey Baked Ham enough to have some extra over the holidays. And through some snow plowing which has put me a little ahead right now. All in all God has been answering my prayer every day. I just couldn't see it. He did have something better in store for me, He just wanted me to learn about trust.

Trust can be really hard. Take a min and think about that 1 person (God/Jesus excluded) you REALLY trust. If you really have a problem who do go to 1st? How many other people do you really confide in? My guess is that your list is pretty short. A quote I really like: When you die, if you've got five real friends, you've had a great life. ~ Unknown


But trust in God? That can be a whole different adventure! That's something I was really challenged to face. Take something and put it completely in God's control. 


It wasn't easy. I had my nights of "arguing" with God. Trying to explain why "We" should do it my way. But every time I would stop talking long enough for Him to get a word in edgewise, it always came back; "Do you trust Me? Then prove it" 


So I gave my job situation over to Him. Completely. For a good week I didn't do anything about a job. Didn't look, didn't put in any applications. Nothing. Then in the middle of January, Emily was like "Hey Trevor I saw they were hiring over at Mardel." At that point I still was like, "Ok God this is still your deal. Make it really clear that I should apply for this job." And within a week 2 other people mentioned it to me. At that point I was like "ok I'll apply" So I submitted an application online and within 24 hr I was called in for an interview. So I went to the interview and I thought it really well but they said they were going to be interviewing more people so it would prob be 1-2 week before they got back to me. So after I left there I was like "Well God It's up to you now. I'm not going to worry about it. If you want me to get this job then I will get it." 


So today I got a call...... I GOT THE JOB!!! (WOO HOO!!)


But this was a long time in coming. I kinda feel like Isaiah when he says: 
"Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. Is 48:10 


You know the old saying "Hindsight is 20-20" but looking back on the past half a year I really can see how true that is. God's plans are so perfect they totally boggle our minds. We could never wrap our minds around just how awesome God is. There is just no way to describe how great He is!

Trials and Tribulations

Romans 5: 1-5

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

These past couple of months have been pretty hard for me for a variety of reasons. And I'm sure we have all gone through this some time or another but we end up having a pity party for ourselves. (And I throw a mean pity party...) But it's during those time when God is trying to teach us something. This is something that Paul had a good grip on; both trials and tribulations as well as how to respond. (See passage above) So the next couple of posts will be centered on what God has been teaching me. And while it has been painful at times, I know that the end result is just being drawn closer and closer to my savior

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

1 Pet 1:6-9

hmmmm....

“A true friend is someone who sees the pain in your eyes while everyone else believes the smile on your face.”

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!