Celebrate the Silent Night

For Sunday school at Saucon Bible Fellowship Church this month, we have been doing what's called hymnology for particular Christmas hymns. Hymnology is the scholarly study of religious hymns and songs, and I found it to be quite interesting because I love history and I'm a nerd at heart. My goal for this post is to examine the origin, historical significance, and Scripture behind Silent Night.
I'm currently sitting with my feet propped up on a coffee table and listening to my new favorite recording of the hymn by The Glass Child, who is a Swedish musician now residing in Bristol, in order to get in the right mindset for typing these words. The simplicity within the recording, along with the power of her vocals give me chills almost every time I listen to it, especially on the line, "Son of God, love's pure light." It's as if she is bringing the majesty of that moment to life out of the silence of that night so long ago.
Silent Night, or Stille Nacht, actually dates back to 1816. It was originally written in German by Joseph Mohr in 1816, but the music composition by Franz Gruber didn't develop until 1818. It was first sung at the 1818 Christmas Eve service in Oberndorf, Austria. It's popularity soon spread with the help of traveling musicians, being published as a hymn in 1838, and being translated into the English language in 1863. It has since become a Christmas staple for people around the world.
A surreal moment in history where Silent Night stands out took place during The Great War, specifically in 1914. It was a war that many thought would be over by Christmas, but alas, both sides were still heavily entrenched on the Western Front come Christmas eve of that year. Remarkably, on that evening, it is said that the Germans began lighting candles and make-shift tannenbaums while singing a stirring rendition of Stille Nacht. The British couldn't believe their eyes and ears, but soon both sides were singing, each in his own language. A truce was suggested, and leaders from both sides entered no-man's-land to shake hands. For that Christmas, enemies became friends, sharing pictures and gifts. Time was set aside for a soccer match, but more importantly, to bury the dead. Though it only lasted for that day, it's considered a miracle that such a truce was even possible during such a fiercely fought war. I would definitely recommend that you all watch the French film, Joyeux Noël, which depicts that miracle from 98 years ago and the moving rendition of Silent Night that took place that night.
Now I think it's time to begin a methodical dissection of the lyrics and the powerful meaning behind these carefully crafted words. The first verse goes as follows:

Silent night, holy night

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon virgin mother and child

Holy infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace

This verse mentions key points, such as the mother being a virgin and her child being a Holy infant. This clearly points to Luke 2:6-7, which states, "And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn." Earlier in Luke 1:26-38, it is revealed that Mary is with child, even though she's a virgin, because she was blessed by the Holy Spirit to conceive the Savior of the world. Not only was this a miracle, but it fulfilled the prophecy revealed in Isaiah 7:14 that said, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
Verse two continues with the following:

Silent night, holy night

Shepherds quake at the sight

Glories stream from heaven afar

Heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah

Christ, the Savior is born

Christ, the Savior is born

Immediately, I take note of the fact that the shepherds were uneasy about what had been revealed to them from heaven. This imagery lines up perfectly with what is written in Luke 2:8-9, which reveals that, "And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear." The angel does reassure the shepherds to not be afraid and that they come bearing good news from heaven about a Savior being born in a manger. The angel and heavenly hosts were extremely exuberant, which is outlined in Luke 2:13-14 ~ "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'"

The third and final verse goes as follows:

Silent night, holy night

Son of God, love's pure light

Radiant beams from Thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace

Jesus, Lord at Thy birth

Jesus, Lord at Thy birth

When analyzing this verse, one must first turn to John 1:9, which says, "The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world." This statement was describing Jesus as the true light, much like the "love's pure light" from the verse. Continuing through the verse, the "dawn of redeeming grace" clearly points to the words within Romans 3:24 that say, "And are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." The light of the world is also our great Redeemer; through Him our grace is found. One must also not forget that Jesus was the Lord upon birth, which is depicted in Luke 2:11 ~ "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

In light of the link to Scripture, we should remember that God fulfilled His promises to the people of Israel on that silent night with the birth of Jesus in that lowly manger. God blessed us with His Son in order to save us. Upon the birth of Jesus, the world was blessed with a Lord, Savior, and Redeemer. The words of this simple hymn really drive this point home, and it is my hope that more people will examine the powerful meaning behind the lyrics as they sing them. They tell part of the most important and lifesaving story that exists.
This Christmas, be in the mindset of Relient K. In their song, I Celebrate the Day, they ponder the true meaning behind the birth of Jesus. They question whether He felt the impact from His own birth into this fallen world. It's profound that they say the following:

And the first time

That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior?

And the first breath that left Your lips

Did You know that it would change this world forever?

Even more profound is how the song ends with these lyrics:

And I, I celebrate the day

That You were born to die

So I could one day pray for You to save my life

During Christmastime, instead of dwelling on the stress of shopping, writing cards, baking cookies, and trying to make plans to visit friends and family, focus on the magnificent miracle of the birth of Jesus. Celebrate His coming into the world in a humble manner so that He could be your Lord and Savior. Without Jesus as our Redeemer, we have no hope of eternal life. Christmas is a time to celebrate the great impact of Jesus on that silent night over 2000 years ago. Take the time to concentrate on that fact the next time you listen to a rendition of Silent Night.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Resources:
Origins of Silent Night
The Center for Church Music, Songs, and Hymns
The Truce of Christmas, 1914 by Thomas Vinciguerra

Believing Truth

But the things you're telling me

I can't yet believe

Yet can't ignore

But I'll just have to accept

That my mind is so inept

And the only thing that's left

For me is to trust you

Put the emphasis on the evidence

Begging for the proof

Sometimes the hardest thing to believe is the truth

Cause sometimes when you're trying to sleep

And all your doubts and your faith don't agree its cause

Sometimes the hardest thing to believe is the truth

~The Truth by Relient K

When I was out driving around the other day, The Truth by Relient K came on my iPod. I've heard the lyrics many times before, but I was struck by the words this time around. I don't think I always consider how hard it is for nonbelievers to accept the Word of God as truth. I've been a Christian for almost ten years, which sometimes puts me at a disadvantage with those around me trying to come to faith. I don't remember what it's like not to believe and how to convey the message in a way that will make others turn to Jesus and examine the facts on the table.

I think I also tend to forget about the huge "behind the scenes" battle, so to speak, most commonly referred to as spiritual warfare. Satan is always trying to keep people from discovering and believing God. Paul spoke of this fact in 2 Corinthians 4:4, which states, "In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." It is important to know what we are all up against, mainly the opposition forces determined to hinder any spiritual growth in an unbeliever. As Christians, we need to share the Gospel and pray for these people to accept the truth. Preach John 14:6 so that people know that Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" Only when Christians align with God to campaign against the Great Deceiver can any ground be won for unbelievers in beginning to accept the truth. We must continuously plant seeds in people's lives in order for God to nurture them into faith if they are willing to dismiss their doubts and choose belief in Christ.

I think the best verse that highlights the discrepancy between Christians and unbelievers can be found in 1 Corinthians 1:18 ~ "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." Those who haven't accepted Christ into their hearts believe that the Gospel and Jesus dying for the world are complete foolishness. Their hearts and minds can't fathom how this is possible, and thus, they dismiss it based on it being utterly ridiculous. They refuse to accept the facts of the Bible. Instead, they claim there is no substantial proof for God's existence. The Christian, on the other hand, chooses to accept Christ into their hearts, even if it's difficult to believe the truth at first. It's not until this acceptance of the Gospel that we are blessed with the Holy Spirit, which can slowly reveal to us the spiritual truths that our human minds cannot begin to comprehend (1 Corinthians 2:13).

If you are a nonbeliever and reading this, I urge you to take that leap of faith and accept Christ into your heart. Once you accept Him, the incomprehensible truth about God will slowly be revealed to you on your journey of faith. Remember, sometimes the hardest thing to believe is the truth, but it is also lifesaving and essential for eternity.

Heart for the Lost

Do you ever feel drawn to certain people, but you don't know why? I've come to notice that I tend to interact with people in life and in social media who are struggling with issues and feel lost. I'm not quite sure why I'm drawn to such people. Maybe it's because I have such an intense desire to help and encourage others, even though I know that my impact on their circumstances is minimal. Maybe it's because the broken are always more honest and open about who they really are and I thrive on honesty. I'd much rather spend time with an admitted alcoholic than somebody who appears to have it all together, but is hiding part of who they really are. I don't have time for shams because I can always sense it.
I think a lot of it lies within my personality. I've taken the DISC personality test and there's no question that I represent steadiness. If I look at the list of attributes for someone with a steady personality, I come across the following: demonstrating patience, helping others, showing loyalty, being a good listener, and calming excited people. I like to think that my personality has some striking similarities to this list, which reinforces why I am drawn to those that others might not give the time to get to know. I've also taken surveys that highlight spiritual gifts, and the winners for me tend to be having mercy and encouragement. I have always noticed that I'm blessed with the ability to encourage certain individuals at just the right time, or I feel moved to send an encouraging text or email for no real reason. There are some who find this a bit odd, but I'm a firm believer in the fact that everybody needs a kind word to get through the day sometimes, so why not send something in the hopes of brightening a person's day?
My point in all of this is the fact that we all need to be sensitive to other people's needs and try our best to understand how we might be able to reach out and touch others. We are living in a difficult time where violence and unrest seem to be sprouting up and the most important thing for us to do is share the Gospel and have a heart for the lost. Proverbs 24:11 says, "Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to slaughter." All around us everyday are people who meet this description. There are so many lost people out there who are caught up in greed, addiction, idolatry, and adultery that need a kind word of encouragement and deserve to hear about the Lord. Heaven is not for people who have their lives together, but for misfits who realize they need a Savior. Nobody is good enough in God's eyes, which is why we are saved by grace and it's the job of Christians to share this message with the world. It won't be easy, but take the time to consider your words when sharing with other people. They might not feel worthy or knowledgeable about God or Christianity. Try to formulate sentences to allow them to open their hearts to the possibility that they are wrong. Tell them to pray and believe in Jesus. God is the one who will save them in the end, but have a heart for the lost and be the salt and the light in somebody's life before it's too late.

Resist Denying Someone's Generosity

"Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, 'Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.'" ~Luke 21:1-4 & Mark 12:41-44

Unless you live under a rock, you're aware that Christmas is next week. If you do live under a rock, I hope it's comfortable. Anyways, Christmas is the celebration of Christ's birth and the coming of our Savior into the world to reconcile us to God. It is a time for family and gift giving. Many have great joy in being able to share with others, trying their best to pick out the perfect gift for Christmas. It's also a time when churches and other groups within the community make a point to help the needy and give to those less fortunate. But have you ever encountered a situation where one of the needy you were serving wanted to serve you? What would you do in such a situation?
I personally encountered this when I was volunteering with Samaritan's Purse. There were trailer owners who would offer to go buy us coffee and donuts, and we would turn them down at times. It just seemed so hard to allow someone who had so little as it was to go out and buy for us when we knew that we had lunch in the truck and would have a warm meal provided back at the church. There was always a part of me that felt bad saying no, though. I felt as if I was denying that person in some way. It wasn't until the Wednesday before Thanksgiving that I actually allowed one of the least of these to serve me. We were working on a shed in a woman's yard and her neighbor, who was a Vietnam veteran with PTSD, offered me a bottle of water. Even though we had a case of water with us, something inside me told me that I should accept this offer because he was giving up something in order to help, and that's what community is all about. We can't deny the service of a member just because we feel guilt for receiving a gift.
God dispenses blessings and the ability to bless on everybody, and we must remember that we are all equal in his eyes, no matter how much or how little we have. The Scripture at the top of this post demonstrates that it is better to give out of your poverty rather than your wealth, so why would we want to stand in the way of the generosity of somebody that God has moved to bless us? A very moving story about a situation like this can be found in the book Weird by Craig Groeschel. He was on a missions trip with his family and his daughter, Mandy, really touched the people of the community. They wanted to bless her with a dress that they had made that would cost one month's wages. Pastor Groeschel offered to pay for it and wanted the translator to pass that message on. Instead, his translator stared at him and said, "Please, it would be very rude for you to rob them of the blessings they would like to give you and your family on behalf of God." Luckily Pastor Groeschel got the point and realized he was wrong to even suggest paying for the gift. As he said, "Mandy's dress reminds me still of how arrogant we can become to assume we need nothing from the poor."
Offering to pay for a gift from a friend is considered a slap in the face, so why would we consider doing that to someone else just because they are poor? Rather we should accept the gift with the upmost joy, completely understanding the sacrifice that is being made in order to offer up the generous gift. God moves certain people to give no matter what it costs them in the long run, so I believe that we all must recognize these gifts as blessings and accept them as such.

Prayer is the Best Answer in Tragedy

Today, a senseless tragedy took place. At the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, a gunman opened fire and killed 26 people, 20 of whom were children. The news is still unfolding, but from what has been reported, a man in his 20s was targeting his mother, who was a kindergarten teacher, and her class. I have no words to express the anguish and sorrow I feel for the friends and families of those killed. It seems so senseless, especially with Christmas being only 11 days away.
There are many who will spend time asking why this has happened. Others will ask how this was possible. These are both valid questions, but I feel that prayer is the best way to get through a time like this. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 urges us to "Pray without ceasing," and I believe that is all we can do right now. Prayer is our open communication with God and we must ask Him for His comfort, love, and mercy for those impacted by this awful tragedy. He is aware of everything that goes on in this world, and we must make our requests made known to God. Prayer is powerful, and we must utilize the opportunity to communicate with God. Bible Gateway has provided this information on their blog, which might come in handy for prayer during this tragedy.
It's unfortunate to witness how far humanity has fallen into evil ways, and people need to pray, and as a friend of mine posted, "One thing remains the same, no one knows their number of days. Get to know Jesus people... the sooner the better."

When God Chooses to Be Burger King: Have it Your Way

"Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah  and said to him, 'Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.'  But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, 'Give us a king to judge us.' And Samuel prayed to the Lord.  And the Lord said to Samuel, 'Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.'" 

~1 Samuel 8:4-7

It's been a little over a month since Obama won the recent election. Even though I do not agree with America's choice, I am at least thankful that I am no longer being bombarded with political ads and recorded phone calls telling me who I should vote for. There's always some form of light at the end of the tunnel, I suppose. But I digress.
I've been quite aware of those who were disheartened and discontent by the result of the election. Some might even be wondering why God even allowed Obama to be re-elected, especially in light of the imploding economy. But asking why never solves anything. Also, we may not agree with the reason why, particularly if we realize that it could be due to national disobedience and God granting the majority their desires, even if he does not agree.
A perfect example of this occurring in biblical history was when God granted Israel a king because they no longer wanted judges presiding over them. Samuel was the last judge and the elders did not approve of his sons as judges because they were crooked and did not follow in the ways of Samuel or the Lord. Samuel was distraught when he went to God with the elders' proposition for a king, but the Lord told Samuel to grant them their king. God was essentially saying, "Have it your way," since he was well aware of the true hearts of his people. The Lord knew that continuing on with judges would not appease Israel, but he also knew that an earthly king was not the answer. Instead of denying them a king, though, he granted their desires in the hopes that Israel would backpedal from their own decision and turn back to God as their presiding king and judge.
I believe the path of America has some similarities. The majority of Americans have turned their backs to God and are choosing to live in ways contrary to His ways. The laws that states are trying to pass that are contrary to the Constitution serve as proof of rebellion and how we contradict ourselves. Where else could abortion be legal, but murdering a pregnant woman is considered a double homicide? Also, how can it be illegal to utilize marijuana in America, but certain states can pass laws to make it legal?
Rather than trying to fix the problem, I believe God allowed Obama to get re-elected in the hopes that America would realize how far she's fallen away. America seems numb to her moral compass, and the people have developed hardness of heart. I believe this is something God has allowed, much like in the time after King Uzziah when the Lord had Isaiah say to the people, "'Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed,'" (Isaiah 6:10).
The only clear solution is for us to be sensitive to what our eyes see, ears hear, and hearts understand and turn to be healed by God. We must answer his call and allow him to be our Shepherd. God might have a Burger King moment, but only to serve the grander purpose of calling His sheep back to Himself. It is our job to heed the call and be zealous for the Lord. 

True Character Overflows From the Heart

"But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.'" ~1 Samuel 16:7

David was "a man after God's own heart," (Acts 13:22) but had a weak external appearance. The Lord knew that Samuel was jumping to conclusions when he first saw David, which was why he instructed Samuel to look deeper at David. David was a pint sized shepherd compared to his brothers, but the Lord knew the heart that dwelled within his chest and that David's heart loved the Lord. It was his heart that forged the way for him to become a great king, not his outward stature. Samuel thankfully trusted the Lord and anointed David king, despite his original consensus about him.

I believe that society needs to remember this key story in the Bible and return to the old ways of "judging" someone's character. Too often in this day and age people are judged based on their outward appearance, rather than their true inner character. Snap judgements keep the media stories rolling with journalists no longer willing to dig beneath the surface. It's a shame when your character boils down to the clothing you opted to wear or the social circle you decided to surround yourself with. What ever happened to getting to know someone's heart and truly understanding their character before dismissing them after a glance?

Honestly, I feel bad for people in the media who are known only for their fashion sense because once their tastes go out of style, they have nothing to fall back on. Since people would rather see what they're wearing, as opposed to peeling away the layers to expose the person's heart, their identity gets lost in the melee. Too often we focus on how smooth someone is in conversation or how sharply they are dressed. The Bible warns us of this in Proverbs 31:30, which states, "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Unfortunately this advice seems to fall on deaf ears since we all seem to be too engrossed in the superficial characteristics of high society.

I've endured my fair share of snap judgements. People have made up their own mind about who they think I really am based on superficial encounters, and I just laugh at their laziness in social settings. Rather than asking me about my interests, people run rampant with assumptions. Instead of learning that I wear bright neon colors because of my years as a runner and knowing that I refused to pass up an awesome $5 t-shirt deal in California, there was one person who automatically assumed I was gay based on the San Francisco shirt I wore one evening. 

The flip-side to this is that I am also guilty of making snap judgements of others, which is a trait I'm determined to change. I need to dig deeper and make attempts at getting to know people for who they truly are, and not just what I see on the surface. I have come to realize that I'm a tough nut to crack, so why would anybody else be different? Personalities are deeply intricate and can't be revealed in a single day, let alone a five minute encounter. What comes to mind for me is a Saturday two weeks ago where I began my day working for Samaritan's Purse, went to a wedding, and then finished off my evening with dinner with my SP family. Throughout the course of the day, I went from wearing multiple layers of filthy work clothes, to a strapless red cocktail dress with heels, to jeans and a hoodie advertising the punk rock band, Icon for Hire. If anybody had encountered me in only one of those scenarios, they would assume they could make a judgement based on my appearance. But if somebody had seen me in all of those outfits, they would quickly realize that there's more than meets the eye.

This is why God so thoughtfully reminds us, especially women, how to base our judgements of others, and how to present ourselves to the outside world. The following is written in 1 Peter 3:3-4 ~ "Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." God doesn't want us to be attention grabbing with our clothing ensembles. Rather, He wants us to have a gentle spirit to attract people to us, which is much more enchanting than any wardrobe. Your inner beauty will shine brighter than any jewels, and will serve the purpose of drawing others to God when they realize you possess something they don't have and they can't put their finger on it. Likewise, seek the true heart of others so that you don't miss out on all that their spirit has to offer. Look past the superficial and delve into the sincerity of their hearts.

Satan: The Father of Lies

"'He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.'" ~John 8:44b-44d

Every Christian needs to know and be aware of the fact that any fears they have in this world are not of God, but derived from Satan. Satan knows our weaknesses and tells us lies in order to keep us from getting close to God. He is the prince of manipulation, even going so far as to twist God's own words to deceive Eve in the Garden and to tempt Jesus after his time in the desert. Like Jesus, we must rebuke Satan as a liar in order to keep him from having the upper hand in our lives.
Earlier this year, I penned a post entitled W.A.I.T. Part 8: Fear of Man, which outlined how fearing our fellow man causes us to stumble in evangelism. Some of my more recent posts also have the underlying theme of Satan utilizing our weaknesses to stall our progress as a Christian. I believe the reason behind my dwelling on fear and Satan is not only because we all need to be reminded of its origin and his existence, but also because it has been a personal struggle of mine as of late.
Doubt and fear have been all too familiar to me in the past. I believe I have allowed them to hinder me because rather than resting in God's love and joy, I insist on analyzing and reanalyzing my past failures. Through this unnecessary hyper-analysis of the negative, I believe I have developed within myself a touch of athazagoraphobia, or the fear of being forgotten or ignored, much like the psalmist who penned Psalm 31:12a, "I have been forgotten like one who is dead." I agree that this seems ridiculous and almost laughable, yet I know the fears that haunt my brain when I allow Satan to have his way. Satan likes to remind me of all of those who have walked away from me in life in order to make me doubt myself when I forage new friendships, especially with fellow believers. In moments of weakness, I can convince myself that certain people wouldn't possibly want to be friends with me or stay friends with me if they truly knew all about me, or I might drive them crazy by keeping in touch too frequently. Deep down I know this isn't true because I have maintained some strong friendships over the years, but I wanted to present a demonstration of how fear can infest one's whole train of thought and completely skew reality.
In order to keep Satan at bay, it is very important for Christians to utilize fellowship with other believers and to turn to God and the Bible. Fellowship and communication with other Christians is important because it doesn't allow us to become isolated, which is Satan's goal. The only way his deception can completely control us is if we separate ourselves from others and we keep our fears locked inside. As my pastor said in one of his sermons, "Suppressed fears can conquer us; speak out about your fears." Having Christian friends to go to with your fears is essential for overcoming them and growing closer to God. I'm thankful to have someone with whom I can be completely honest and receive valuable advice on how my thinking is skewed. When I expressed my fear of being an annoyance to friends, I was so thankful for her encouragement and her honesty. Some of the best advice I've ever received was this: "If you annoy them, they aren't the right people. You need to let go of it and just be yourself. You're not annoying, you're never a bother. You just seem to have friends that are jerks to you. Don't change yourself to accommodate someone else, especially when there is nothing wrong with you."
The amazing part about fellowship in the body of Christ is that advice from one member can help another member, even if they have never met, but have mutual friendships. This occurred recently in my life. Using the advice I received from a friend on my own fears, I was able to repackage and present fresh advice to another friend dealing with her own fears. In presenting my advice, I also encouraged myself to not be a hypocrite. I can't tell someone that "living in fear of screwing up isn't how to go through life and that the best thing you can do is be yourself," without being impacted by my own words. I must practice what I preach in order to bring life and meaning to my words so that I myself am not spewing out lies.
In our struggle with internal fears, it is also essential that we turn to God and His Word. As C.S. Lewis put it, "To what will you look for help if you will not look to that which is stronger than yourself?" God is bigger and stronger than our deepest fears, the great conqueror of the father of lies. In order to remind ourselves of this, we must delve into the Bible for instances where God assisted others plagued with fear.
Last week I came across the notes I took on a sermon back in May. It centered around the chapter of Joshua 8, and was aptly entitled "Facing Fear." My pastor spoke on how Joshua was fearing the upcoming battle at Ai due to his past failure there. He was reluctant to press forward because he was paralyzed by memories of failure. Joshua was in need of God's encouragement in order to get him to continue on rather than hesitate. God was aware of Joshua's fears, which is why God came to him in Joshua 8:1 and said, "'Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land.'" This is exactly what Joshua needed to hear. He needed a reminder of God's faithfulness and that through Him, Joshua would be granted success in the future.
Getting caught up in past failures can put a damper on your future. Instead of dwelling on what's gone wrong in your life, get closer to God because He is greater than your fears. Only God can provide the soothing words that we need to press forward in life. Remember that God is always present in your life and won't forsake you. Take comfort in Psalm 139:1-3 ~ "O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways." Knowing that God is completely aware of your being and each aspect of your thoughts should draw you closer to Him. By having a relationship with Jesus, you will remain safe in the Father's arms, far from the reach of Satan. As Anne Morrow Lindbergh wrote, "When the heart is flooded with love there is no room for fear, for doubt, for hesitation." By filling your mind with thoughts of love, your brain won't have time to process all of the fear and lies that Satan is trying to use to deceive you.
So continue to read your Bible in order to come to a better understanding of the ways of Jesus. In doing so, you will become enveloped in the joy and love that are ever present within Him. Building a strong bond with God is the best defense against the deception that Satan bombards you with.  Remember the words of 1 John 4:18, which says, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." Since God is love, fear will be far from Him. Those who live close to God reside within His love and won't be prone to unrelenting ambushes of fear from Satan. But if you ever do feel that fear is creeping in, rebuke Satan and discuss your fears with a close friend and God. They will help you through the difficult times and serve as a reminder to dwell in love, not fear.

Don't Look Back

"Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.'" ~Luke 9:62

I believe it is key to know your own weaknesses in order to be aware of where Satan might try and exploit you. Satan's goal is to deceive us into questioning and doubting God's goodness. He is happiest when he can exploit us and drive us into a state of despair and helplessness that clouds our view of God. Rather than allowing this to happen, take the time to prepare yourself for the spiritual warfare that swirls around day and night, being aware of your vulnerabilities.

A weakness that I have, and probably share with countless others around the world, is the habit of looking to the past. It can seem simple and painless, but it essentially entrenches you in a rut that is hard to extract yourself from. By looking to the past, you get caught up in how things used to be, whether good or bad. By dwelling on the past, it's impossible to focus on the present or look towards future eternity in heaven. People can become convinced that either their happiness is behind them or that happiness could never be on the horizon, depending on past circumstances. Many wish to "go back to the way things were" without realizing that there is a reason and purpose to moving forward. Transitions in life, though hard to handle at times, are essential for growth. We can't go through life dreading change or else we will miss out on the beauty of new experiences or new relationships with people. Frequent glances over your shoulder won't help bring back the past and it'll cause you to miss out on the present and future. The past can serve as a learning experience, but one that we must all move forward from. We must resist the temptation to look behind us in order to keep moving in the right direction. Don't be like Lot's wife, who couldn't resist the temptation to glance backward, and turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26).
If that's not enough of a motivator for you to stop looking behind you, think of it this way. Jesus is ahead of you to lead the way through life towards the end goal of heaven. If you have your back turned to Him, you'll miss the mark and may not end up where you intended to. But by focusing on Christ, the path to heaven shouldn't be hard to miss. Trust God to map out your future. He knows what's important to you and all of your favorite memories. Allow Him to guide you into the future and let the past take care of itself.

Life Changing Experience Working With Samaritan's Purse

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." 
~1 Peter 4:10-11

Following Hurricane Sandy, I felt the need to assist with the cleanup efforts since I know a handful of people who live in and around Queens, Staten Island, and the Jersey Shore. I searched CNN's website for ways to assist and was very happy to have discovered the Samaritan's Purse organization. Not only would I be able to serve others, but I would be able to glorify God in the process. I immediately filled out a volunteer form and waited for a phone call to set up my scheduled time, which ended up being from November 10-15 (for starters) in Teterboro, NJ.

I had no idea what to expect going into my volunteer work. I was going on my own, which is always a bit nerve racking because it sometimes takes me a little while to get out of my shell and get to know people. Thankfully, everybody was really welcoming and I slowly acquired a whole new family over the course of the almost two weeks that I volunteered.

Other than my first day, I spent all of my time working in Vanguard Trailer Park, which is situated right behind the Teterboro Airport. The runway blast wall is literally right across the road from the entrance, so needless to say, it took a little while to get used to the sound of jet engines everyday. The trailer park had been flooded because of a levee breach about 3 miles away that brought a deluge of water 3-4 feet deep. The majority of our work orders for the park involved removing the insulation from underneath the trailers due to the flooding. This was an attempt to help stop the spread of mold throughout the structure.
My main job throughout my time in the parks was to help bag insulation that the guys pulled out. It might sound like a simple enough task, but when some of the insulation is soaking wet an others are the size of cotton balls, it's hard to rake, lift, bag, and carry. Thankfully we got some systems setup to ease the burden of insulation removal. That was the joy of my crew. We all worked well together as a team and essentially became a family after the countless hours working shoulder to shoulder in adverse conditions.
Over the course of my almost two weeks of volunteering, my job description slowly expanded and occasionally took me outside of my comfort zone, which I'm quite thankful for. Since I carried a notepad in my pocket, I became the note taker and direction writer for all of the new day volunteers. I wrote out the directions to Vanguard so many times that I can now probably get there in my sleep. This knowledge of the directions also gave me the unofficial title of team navigator since our fearless team leader, Jim, admitted to being easily distracted....SQUIRREL! Under Jim's direction, I also expanded to an assistant leadership role on certain days when he was busy running around assessing work orders. I would call home owners, lead a small team in shed cleanup, or just thoroughly explain how to bag insulation depending on what was needed of me. My other unofficial job also became critter removal due to the fact that, when asked, I was willing to pick up a dead possum by the tail to dispose of it. I guess growing up in so-called Pennsyltucky has its advantages.
My favorite part of the whole experience, though, was being able to interact with all of the people. The people within the trailer park had all been dealt a blow and needed their hope restored, which I believe opened them up to hearing about Jesus and the Gospel. Some were distraught when we first met them, but softened over the hours or days that we interacted with them and took the time to not only help in cleanup, but to listen to their story. So many just needed an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on and God blessed each one of us with the ability to reach certain individuals. Some jobs that involved going through belongings were especially hard and tedious, but also ended up being the most rewarding. The simple act of disinfecting shoes, peeling apart wet pictures, or salvaging a family Bible opened some hardened and hopeless people to a new or restored faith in God. It was a blessing to be able to see these folks in their lives, whether that being happiness, distress, or addiction. Doors were opened for us to be able to share about our lives and each team member could always relate to at least one person's plight every day.

I think the greatest part of the ministry was having all of the crew personally sign a Bible before presenting it to the homeowner. From conversing with the owner, we were all lead to share specific bits of Scripture that the Lord hopefully will utilize in each of their lives as they continue to move forward after this disaster. Being able to stand in a circle and pray for all of these people was heartwarming and powerful. Seeing God use us to help shepherd certain people was simply amazing.
I'm so thankful that God burdened me with the purpose of serving those in Moonachie, NJ. I met some extraordinary people within the trailer park and I came away with a family I never even dreamed of having in my crew. Each and every person from that core group took the time to befriend me and learn about who I am, and in turn, I gained much insight into their lives. We all easily melded from strangers, to teammates, to family. It's such a blessing to come away feeling loved and spiritually refreshed that I won't soon forget this life changing experience.

God as Our Focal Point

It is often easy to drift from God as the central pillar of our existence. In new social situations, other people can become our focus and impact how we act. Part of us wants to be loved and accepted, so we either change our actions to blend in with others, or we question whether or not people will like us for who we truly are.
To be honest, I tend to fall into the latter category of constantly questioning whether people will like the real me. I'm typically very upfront about who I am and will share any and all aspects of my life because I would rather people know me for me than somebody else. The problem is that I can become consumed with doubt. There are times that I feel I share information that others would rather not know, and then I question if that'll cause them to avoid me or distance themselves from me.
What I've come to realize and have been convicted about in my heart is the fact that I can become too concerned with how I'm perceived by my peers, rather than how I am perceived by God. The verse that really struck me was Galatians 1:10, which says, "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." This is what Paul presented when he was questioned about the Gospel he was sharing. He wasn't doing it to get man's approval, but he was serving Jesus.
In the same fashion, I must remember that I am here on Earth to serve God by sharing the Gospel and living as the unique creation that God meant for me to be. I cannot allow the assumed opinions of others to hold back my potential, nor can I doubt people's sincere interest in my life. Both reduce who I am and allow Satan to utilize my weaknesses to try and turn me against God. Rather, I must embrace who I am and my personality because God has blessed me with every aspect of my individuality and I must not think less of myself in light of others.

Is There a Solution to the Problem of Evil?

I recently found a paper I wrote during the Spring of 2010 when I was taking a mandatory philosophy course. I remember dreading the class because the first eight weeks were spent trying to disprove the existence of God. I wrote this paper as a bit of a rebuttal to those first couple of weeks. I believe I ended up getting a B, which I think is entertaining because philosophy is opinion based and technically can never be considered wrong. But I digress.

David Hume argues that there is no solution to evil. He also claims that God cannot possibly exist, and if He does, God is imperfect. Hume's conclusion is based upon the conclusion that is God is all knowing, all powerful, and all good, He would not allow evil into the world, or He would prevent it. Hume outlines the basis for his conclusion in four succinct circumstances.
The first circumstance states that all creatures should just function through pleasure, not pain. As declared by Hume, "It seems, therefore, plainly possible to carry on the business of life without any pain" (85). Simply put, it is the pain suffered by animals that leads to evil in this world.
The second circumstance determines that the general laws of the universe also lead to an influx of pain through uncontrollable events. Hume reiterates his hope that all matters of the universe should create happiness and not cause calamity in nature through the use of pain (86). In his mind, if God existed, all would be right with the world since He would not want suffering to occur.
Hume's third circumstance targets the endowments, or lack thereof, in certain creatures. Hume highlights the laziness that has sprouted in human nature and describes it as one of the main downfalls in society (87). Without determination, Hume feels that mankind will crumble away.
Finally, Hume proclaims that the universe is derived from "inaccurate workmanship" (88) and nature is not protected from turmoil. If not for this inaccuracy, pain and laziness may not lead to the existence of evil in our world. This is Hume's culminating statement, which he feels ties his circumstances together, as proof that there is no God and no solution to the problem of evil.
I disagree with Hume's assumption that pain and laziness lead to evil. Evil exists in the world due to the serpent deceiving Eve and causing her to eat from the tree of knowledge, which led to free will (New International Version Bible, Genesis 3:5-6). That means that we can each choose from the path of righteousness or the path of evil. Through this course of events, the only clear solution to the problem of evil is fearing the wrath of and faith in God.
Many consider pain evil, but I feel that it helps build faith in God. It is when we are completely hopeless that we seek a solution to relieve the extreme discomfort. Numerous people turn to drugs and alcohol, which magnifies the feeling of hopelessness. Therefore, the answer must lie outside ourselves through the channel of prayer. If we truly seek an answer from God, He will guide us towards a solution and then end our suffering. For example, when we break an arm, we are not foolish enough to think we can fix it on our own. Instead, we go to doctors who specialize in healing broken bones. The same goes for our soul; we cannot be foolish enough to think we have all the answers, so we must seek God to heal our souls from pain and evil. By building this relationship and faith, evil will be reduced because, "The highway of the upright avoids evil" (Proverbs 16:17).
Another flaw in Hume's argument regards his hope to eliminate all evil and replace it with all good. Contrast is necessary to fully enjoy goodness. Also, if everything is considered good, then all actions, or lack thereof, are permissible without consequences. I believe this would cause perpetual laziness, which, according to Hume, actually leads to evil. Consequences to actions provide us with learning experiences that guide us down a more upright path. Fearing God's wrath could keep individuals from acts of evil, slowly dissolving that issue in the world, for it is said that, "A wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil" (Proverbs 14:16).
Evil is a choice that has been given to the world in order to demonstrate free will. Evil serves a purpose to accentuate the goodness in humanity. When we plunge into evil actions, our lives take a turn for the worse. This is when we must ask God to intervene and save us from our downward spiral into evil. Being aware of the wrath of God and His eternal consequences can guide the lost towards salvation. Trusting in God for guidance and building a foundation of faith with Him will ultimately reduce the evil in the world.

Classical Philosophical Questions, edited by Robert J. Mulvaney, 13th edition. (Prentice Hall, 2009)

One's Faith Must Involve the Law and Love

"'Love' is a command of the law. If you enjoin people to love, you are giving them law. Conversely, if you tell them law doesn't matter, then neither does love, which is the summary of the law." ~Kevin DeYoung

I've been contemplating the content of this post for a couple weeks now. I began considering the importance of both the law and love when I was out at the Quakertown Diner late at night after picking my brother up from the airport. The conversation turned to evangelism and the importance of bringing others to Christ by teaching them not only about His great love, but also about the law, which helps people understand their need for a Savior. Another reason that I've been considering the unique ties between the law and love is because I began reading The Hole in Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung. Both my late night discussions and excerpts from the book have helped me formulate the content of this post.

There are some in the world of Christianity that feel the law of Moses no longer holds any significance in the Christian life because we are under the New Covenant and saved by grace. These individuals might turn to Romans 6:14, which states, "For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace," to establish their claim. If this was presented to me, I would have to agree that, yes, we are under the New Covenant that was established by Christ dying for our sins on the cross, thus allowing us to be saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). Where I would disagree, though, is if this verse was used to reject the significance of the law. True, we are no longer under the letter of the law, but that does not mean that it is a tool to be discarded. Instead, the law can be utilized in evangelism to help people understand that in their sin, these laws are violated, and that the only saving grace they have is found in Jesus Christ.

Others within the Christian community zero in on the love that Jesus preached and focus their entire list of sermons and all of their evangelism efforts promoting the love of Jesus. Their supporting verse for this desperate need to only share about the love of Jesus might be, "'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another,'" ~John 13:34, or the summarized version in John 15:12, which states, "'This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.'" Now don't get me wrong, the love of Jesus is a very important topic within Christianity, but we must not have blinders to other aspects of the faith. Yes, God is love, and promotes love, but He also despises sin. Where in the course of talking about the love of Jesus can one explain why sin is so awful?

The missing link that sometimes gets missed by those consumed by Jesus professing us to love one another is our need for repentance. One cannot merely say that they love Jesus and automatically be saved. Repentance of sins must also be a part of the process of declaring Christ as our Savior. We must not forget that the beginning of Jesus' ministry was not about love, but repentance. Matthew 4:17 clearly presents it this way: "From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" My question to you is how would people know they had to repent without knowledge of the law? The simple answer is, it's not possible. The two cannot be separated because in order to know and understand the depth and disparity between our worldy self and the self that can be found and abide in Christ, one must understand the law and what it commands. 

It is important to note two verses, John 14:15 and John 15:10. These verses pretty much state the same thing, but I believe it is important to take note that Jesus repeated these phrases within close proximity to each other in Scripture, probably due to their significance. The first states, "'If you love me, you will keep my commandments." The second states, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." These verses are proof that the law and love are closely intertwined. Jesus obeyed the commandments of God, and we are to obey the commandments of Jesus. By doing so, we demonstrate our love for Jesus. In essence, if we try to follow the law, we are demonstrating that we love Jesus. Remember, the Father and Son cannot be separated, which essentially makes God's commandments Jesus' commandments.

By no means does obeying commandments save us; only by grace are we saved. But obeying the law of Christ can assist in the sanctification process as we mature as Christians. Something that The Hole in Our Holiness has taught me is the fact that the obeying the law not only demonstrates your love for Jesus, but also helps to transform you in your walk as a Christian. The mark of a Christian who has truly accepted Jesus into their heart is evidence that he/she is attempting to live by the fruits of the Spirit. This by no means happens overnight, but at some point, there should be a measurable change or transformation within a Christian. The time period could be weeks, months, or years, but if there is no discernible difference between the now and when you first left your fleshly desires behind to become a Christian, you might want to question whether or not your heart has truly changed for Jesus. As Kevin DeYoung wrote, "Any gospel which purports to save people without also transforming them is inviting easy-believism. If you think being a Christian is nothing more than saying a prayer or joining a church, then you've confused real grace with cheap grace."

I think what we should all take away from this is that the law is in place for a reason and should not be discarded like last year's fashion. The law demonstrates how God wants us to live, and obeying the law helps us show our love as we abide in Christ. This obedience to the commands set forth in the Bible will in turn help show the outside world how you have been transformed by God's saving grace and will hopefully draw others to the faith so that they, too, can repent and be saved by grace that is only available from God through our acceptance and love of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

You Can't Bargain With God

There was a visiting speaker at church today by the name of Jim Knakal. He is raising funds to become a missionary in Germany, but that was not my main interest like some might assume. The message that he presented to the congregation was something that I really needed to hear and it helped me realize that I needed to change my ways.
The focus of his sermon was on Romans 12:1, which states, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Mr. Knakal spoke about what a sacrifice means in biblical terms, which boils down to being an atonement for sins to God or an offering of thankfulness. The emphasis was on the fact that any sacrifice should be done willingly and wholeheartedly, with no strings attached. He presented us with a hypothetical situation involving a man living in Old Testament times bringing a lamb for sacrifice to the rabbi, but determining for the rabbi how the sacrifice should be utilized. Mr. Knakal stated that, in essence, this was what we sometimes do when we approach God with our issues. We want God's guidance, but we lay out the guidelines. This is no way to be a living sacrifice to the Holy God. This is self-absorbed control over all life matters, and then we wonder why we fail or "plans" don't work out.
Mr. Knakal instead said that we should be more like the Prodigal Son. Once he had blown all of his funds on foolish worldly desires, the Prodigal Son realized what he had done and rather going to his father for more money, he went seeking to be his father's servant because he felt unworthy to be deemed his son. This is a demonstration of being living sacrifice, and something we should all strive to model in our interactions with God the Father. We need to understand and realize that He is the provider of bread and water and that we must submit and serve Him to fulfill our purpose.
What I really needed to hear, though, was when Jim Knakal said, "You just don't bargain with God if you're going to offer yourself as a sacrifice." He was speaking in terms of how those who feel called by God to become missionaries might respond. Some might be like, "God I really want to serve you, but I don't want to go to this or that region of the world, and I really don't want to have to deal with rats or snakes or spiders."
That's when it hit me. We need to remember that God chooses how to use us and that we can't choose our own purpose from God. In a sense, this is how I approached my job application process. I've been praying for a full time position within exercise physiology, but I've been narrowing the criteria for God by picking and choosing locations to apply. I've stayed along the east coast because I don't feel like moving across the country, completely uprooting my life and starting over. At least that's what I did up until today. Today I began broadening my search and applying to any full time position within my field no matter what the location was. I applied in Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Idaho, some of which are states that I didn't really want to apply to, but felt that I had to stop bargaining with God.
A few weeks back, I was visiting Saucon Community Church and a woman there said something to me that really struck me. She said that she felt that God must have a very specific job in mind for me since I'm struggling so much to locate a job in a field that supposedly has plenty of jobs available. That comment combined with today's message makes me feel like I've been limiting where God can potentially place me for His purpose. It's practically urging me to throw myself into the unknown, trusting that God will utilize me as He sees fit. So here's to no longer bargaining with the Almighty God.

Submission

I think most people cringe at the word submission. It's a word that potentially detracts from their pride or supposed authority in this world. Merriam-Webster even defines the word as: "an act of submitting to the authority or control of another." What many may not realize is that submission is key to their Christian faith and relationship with Jesus.
We are taught to worship God and to give Him all praise. This in itself is submission. We must humble ourselves to approach the Cross of Christ, realizing that we are broken humans in need of a Savior. Without submission, there is no way to accept Christ into our hearts. Those who can't submit choose to covet material objects and seek pleasure to fill the void that only submission to Christ can begin to fill.
Some might be afraid to submit because it means a loss of control. What we need to all realize, though, is that we aren't in control in the first place. God created each and every one of us for a special purpose. Without making the decision to follow the ways of Jesus, we are left to aimlessly wander through existence on Earth. I'm not saying that once you become a Christian life will make sense. But the beginning of a true relationship with Christ involves submission and turning over control to Jesus.
What I came to realize today was that submitting is actually a form of worship. Submitting to Jesus is only the beginning, though. Being Christians means that we are servants to the Lord and that we are called to serve those around us. This is sometimes difficult because our pride tells us that we are better than other people and we subconsciously refuse to help in certain situations because we just don't feel like doing nice things for particular individuals. Selfishness plagues us and hinders our ability to submit and serve others. I'm slowly teaching myself to rid my life of this selfishness in order to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
Thankfully, Ephesians 5:21 has assisted in changing my perspective. This verse states, "submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ." In my personal opinion, this verse indicates that when we submit and serve other people, we are actually worshipping Jesus and giving Him glory. Worldly individuals are not likely to freely help others that they are friends with, let alone complete strangers or people that they don't care for. They choose to assist in situations where they will get something in return. As Christians, if we choose to serve others out of love even if we aren't fans of them, we shine a light into the darkness demonstrating that Jesus has control of our lives. This gives God the glory He deserves and helps us keep our eyes on Him instead of ourselves.
It won't always be easy, but over time, serving will become easier as it becomes a part of daily life. I plan on repeating Ephesians 5:21 to myself frequently in the future to remind myself that submitting to other people reveres Jesus. It will be the only way to keep selfishness from my heart and considerate to others in the future even if I find it difficult to interact with them. I must remember that everybody is a child of God and worth helping. Serving them all the best I can will help me stay grounded in my faith and the reality that God is in control and knows what is right for my life.

Trusting God

Proverbs 3:5 states that we should, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." After what happened during my run yesterday, that's about all I can do at this time. You see, yesterday was my first official day of unemployment after my seasonal position at a campground/river rafting venue along the Upper Delaware came to a close. I allowed myself to sleep in until about 9:30am and decided to start things off right with a short 2.5 mile run on my usual route. As I was running, I kept thinking about how I needed to make sure I did this each morning before I could talk myself out of the exercise because God has blessed me with two functioning legs, two arms, and lungs, so I shouldn't let my body go to waste and be slothful just because I lacked motivation. I was blessed with the ability to run, so there was no reason not to do so.
As I reached the top of the last particularly long hill on a scenic dirt road, I took in the beauty of the changing leaves. I was thrilled to be able to see God's work on my run, which was enough of a motivator to keep getting me up on each subsequent morning of my new found unemployment. I figured it would be nice to get in a routine to keep me from pitying myself for not having a job at the moment. I took my time on the slight downhill until the road leveled out a bit along the orchard owned by a family friend. I was enjoying the rhythm of my run even though I'm a bit out of practice since I had only started running consistently the week before in the hopes of running the 5K in Bethlehem as a part of the Runner's World festival in a couple weeks.
Once I began the steep downgrade after the orchard, I noticed that my ankle felt a little tight. I assumed it was because I wasn't accustomed to the impact of my stride or the uneven terrain. I made the unfortunate mistake of continuing down the hill, and two steps later, my right ankle gave out, I heard a distinct "snap" and I found myself sprawled in the dirt and rocks on the hill. Given my runner's instinct, my first reaction was to stop my watch at 18 minutes and 15 seconds because, gee, I was no longer running. I then sat up thinking, "Did that really just happen?" It wasn't until I glanced at my ankle that I began to have a sinking feeling. It had already swelled up like a balloon within 30 seconds of the incident, which couldn't possibly be a good sign. I got up and attempted to hop on one foot, but the hill was too steep, so I did what the exercise physiologist in me knew was foolish, but what I knew was my last mobility resort, and began to slowly walk on my injured ankle to a neighbor's house. Thankfully he was home and could drive me home because it would have taken me at least an hour to make it the last mile or so to my house. I called my mom, who kindly left work to take me to the ER.
My goal in the ER was to be as cheerful as possible. Yes, I had a bum ankle, but that didn't mean I needed to bring everybody else down. And the truth of the matter was, even though it was severely swollen and I couldn't put much pressure on it, my ankle didn't really hurt. My high tolerance of pain was on my side yesterday and I had lovely chats with each hospital staff member I encountered. Following x-rays, it was determined that my ankle wasn't broken, but I did have ligament damage. I texted my former college roommate who has a degree in athletic training and is well versed in my running stride, and she determined that I snapped my ATF (no, not the Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms) ligament, due to an inversion ankle sprain. When I heard that, it all made sense. I am the queen of inversion in my running mechanics, which I'll admit are awful. I land on the outside of my foot and roll in on my ankle, which is the perfect environment for the injury I wound up with yesterday.
Needless to say, I'm now on crutches for the next 2-4 weeks depending on how I heal, if I was employed, I wouldn't be allowed to work for the next 8 days, and I'll need to regain range of motion and hopefully reteach myself how to run once I'm healed completely.
When I look back on the situation, the timing is perfect because I'm unemployed to begin with. Also, on my run, I had prayed and hoped to be more joyful during this unemployment phase. I know it sounds weird, but I'm actually not all that bummed to be on crutches. I think this will teach me to overcome obstacles that might blindside me down the road. Another thing, I would much rather the physical pain of this year as opposed to the emotional pain I was dealing with in October 2011. Physical pain is much more concrete and easier to accept, even though I'm not totally sure why God chose yesterday as the day I injure myself and can't run for real, as opposed to my own personal excuses. Regardless of the reason, I am determined to trust God's will and purpose for my life and continue to move forward in a direction that I hope He approves of for my future.

Response to News About Jesus Supposedly Having a Wife

To say the public enjoys a good scandal is an understatement. I'd say at least the American public thrives on scandals, especially those involving relationships. Which is why I wasn't surprised that CNN had a news story about an ancient scroll claiming that Jesus had a wife. The article states that no clear conclusions can be made from the piece of papyrus, only that it says, "Jesus said to them, 'My wife...'" I consider this more a stirring-the-pot moment than a clear archeological sign that could possibly impact Christian theology.
For starters, we must consider the source of this archaeological finding. The person who made this discovery was Karen King, who is associated with the Harvard School of Divinity. To get a better idea of her work, I went to Amazon.com to gather information about the content of her books. The first is entitled The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Disciple. Within the description of the book, it states, "This brief narrative presents a radical interpretation of Jesus' teachings as a path to inner spiritual knowledge. It rejects his suffering and death as a path to eternal life..." Interesting that this woman would disregard the Bible's teaching for a text that was rejected as part of the canon and deemed gnostic. Another book is entitled The Secret Revelation of John, which has the following description: "Her work helps the modern reader through many intriguing--but confusing--ideas in the text: for example, that the creator god of Genesis, a self-described jealous and exclusive god, is not the true Deity but a kind of fallen angel; or, in an overt critique of patriarchy unique in ancient literature, the declaration that the subordination of woman to man was an ignorant act in direct violation of the 'holy height.'" Again, I find it interesting that the only reason that Jesus has become newsworthy isn't because He is our Savior, but because a woman who has no respect for the Bible or what it contains has presented the world with the radical scandal of Jesus possibly having a wife.
I have had a couple of days to mull over what I think about this whole concept. It was first presented to me at work because a coworker commented on the news story, and my only response was, "That can't be true." Now that I have thought about it some more, I believe a better response would entail pointing those with questions to specific passages within the Bible. For starters, one could turn to Ephesians 5:25, which says, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." This verse symbolically demonstrates how Christ is the husband and the church is His wife. Another verse that people could refer to is Revelation 21:9, which states, "Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, 'Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.'" This again talks of Jesus symbolically having a wife, not literally. Those who are not well versed in the Bible might not get the connection between Jesus and the lamb, so it would be beneficial to also provide probing individuals with John 1:29 because it contains the following information from John the Baptist's sighting: "The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'"
By combining the information from all three of the verses provided in the above paragraph, a Christian will be able to minister to those questioning this new finding by Karen King. It is important to defend the Gospel from such unfounded claims using the Word of God because He knows all and is the only one who can provide the answers to difficult questions.

Obscurity

Living in the middle of nowhere in Wayne County, PA, has created a sense of isolationism reminiscent of Franklin Roosevelt's policy, though no war is imminent in my quaint village. Rather, I feel like I'm isolating myself from the reality that the majority of the people I graduated with last year either have started their careers or are furthering their education. All the while, I'm nestled in a small town continuing a seasonal position I have held the past couple of summers that has absolutely nothing to do with what I went to school for.
Living hours away from most of my friends and mainly interacting with my parents, coworkers, and customers, I feel as if I'm living in obscurity. In order to escape this feeling, I have been reading a lot because it allows for an escape from my current reality. What helped to lift my spirits a bit was my daily devotional from PrayFit on Tuesday. It discussed how an obscure donkey was chosen for the purpose of carrying Jesus on Palm Sunday into Jerusalem. It made me realize that even if I, along with others, feel like I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere at a dead end job that will be gone come October, that God has a plan for my life and this is part of it.
Last night I came across the following verse: Proverbs 16:3 ~ "Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established." It was a good reminder that He is in charge and I am to live for God because my life is a blessing from Him. There are situations that occur with my work that I would never encounter elsewhere, and that is all apart of His great plan for my life. For example, I guided a trip on Sunday for a bunch of women straight from Russia. Another situation is the possible job I'll have tomorrow, weather permitting. I'm supposed to be a guide in a raft for some friends of my boss so that they feel safe and don't have to over exert themselves. "Ironically" the man has a heart condition and I just so happen to have a Master's degree that focuses on cardiac rehabilitation. As far away as my current job is from anything in exercise physiology, I sense that God has me just where He wants me at the moment.

The Prevailing Age of Skepticism and Moral Degradation

"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." ~2 Timothy 4:3-4

Doubt seems to saturate modern American culture, permeating across all walks of life. I believe this mostly stems from moral corruption and the inability to accept the truth in terms of black and white. Instead, gray is the color that prevails. No longer will somebody "take your word for it." Everybody now insists on proof, like the Pharisees from Jesus' time, or just believe they know best as to what is right and wrong.
I had proof of this today at work. A group needed to travel to the campground that is five miles north from the one where I'm located. Instead of trusting the turn by turn directions that employees hand out to lost patrons, this man insisted on having the address to plug into his GPS so that he could find his way. Rather than following the black and white directions in front of him, he wanted to put his faith into an electronic device that hadn't brought him to the correct location in the first place.
This is just one example of the skepticism that appears to be running rampant in this generation. No longer does the majority accept Jesus' words from John 14:6, when he told Thomas, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." This completely goes against the relativist belief that truth is unique as perceived by the individual, as opposed to there being a singular, unconditional basis for truth. Erwin W. Lutzer touched on this disintegration and disappearance of truth in his book, Oprah, Miracles, and the New Earth, where he wrote, "Delusions are substituted for reality and the truth is set aside for a lie. And the consequences go on for all eternity." Many would prefer to doubt and be skeptical of others in order to preserve their own self-centered "happiness," rather than accept the Truth, which clearly outlines right and wrong, good and evil. But in this day and age, those lines are severely blurred due to the rejection of God and truth. As Lutzer said in his book, When a Nation Forgets God, "Without belief in God, nothing is unconditionally wrong."
When the majority of people do not believe that there are unconditional wrongs that bear consequences, anything goes so to speak, and morals fly out the window. This is extremely prevalent in news headlines and stories that promote gay marriage, premarital sex, political slander, and 50 Shades of Grey. Instead of the era of Lucy and Ricky sleeping in separate beds, television now promotes alcoholism, polygamy, and teen pregnancy. What's worse is that any Christian courageous enough to speak out and stand up for God's truth gets labeled a hate monger or accused of bigotry. Just this week, the owner of Chick-Fil-A commented on how he doesn't agree with gay marriage and he has endured lots of backlash over his comments. Apparently nobody wants to remember the First Amendment, or obey the truth within the Bible. They would prefer to insult those who do.
Christians must avoid getting sucked into this secular melee of corruption. The truth of the Gospel must be defended at all costs. Doing what is right in His eyes should always trump the fear of what the world might think of you. We must remember the words of Erwin W. Lutzer: "As Americans, we must keep in mind that the First Amendment was not intended to mean that atheists and agnostics have veto power over all those who believe in God." In order to win the battle against skeptics and degrading morals, we must speak the truth in love and live our lives for God's glory.

A Lesson From Job

"And he said...'The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.'" ~Job 1:21c,d

In my struggles to find a full time job, I have had a number of people tell me to read the Book of Job because Job was prone to struggle in his life. What strikes me, though, is that I don't feel like many people want to actually focus on the entirety of Job's situation. Most want to zoom in on the fact that his wealth was restored; not many want to contemplate the complete 180 his life took when Satan decided to mess with him and God allowed it. 

The "prosperity" Gospel seems to have ruined a percentage of modern day Christians. They view Christianity as some sort of get rich quick scheme or the easy way through life. They choose to focus on what they want from the Bible, mainly phrases like, "The Lord gave," as opposed to, "and the Lord has taken away." When things get taken away from us, some feel as if God has turned against them and no longer have faith in His sovereignty. This is definitely not what has happened. The truth of the matter is that God knows what is best for our lives and He removes particular jobs, people, etc., from our lives because they are not beneficial and don't radiate glory for God. Instead of acting like spoiled two year olds, privy to everything that we desire, why not analyze the purpose behind God's decisions and evaluate how to better glorify God? Coupled with this, Christians need to stop assuming that they know everything and accept the fact that God is Supreme and the in charge of not just our lives, but the entire world. Why else would it be written in 1 Corinthians 1:25, "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men," if not for the fact that God knows and can conquer all?

Aside from my job search, something else that has alluded me in the past year has been my motivation to run. Ever since last May, I've had little desire to get up and out the door to enjoy this blessing. Instead, I've run for like a week and then taken months off at a time. I believe that this is because I need to remember the difficulty of starting to run again in order to sympathize with other beginning runners. Also, I think God wants me to remember that He is the reason I am able to run and I forget that fact when I'm in a routine. Too easily I might believe that I can run because of my own abilities, and not because of the abilities He has granted. 

Recently, though, I have started running again. I know that God is providing the motivation because I have no desire to roll out of bed in the morning and put on my running shoes, but I have anyway. I figure if I'm not completely awake when I get on the road, my body won't totally understand what is happening until I'm too far into the run to turn back. This morning was the first time in a long while that I actually felt my normal stride come back, and I attribute that to God helping me get out of bed today, thanks to my cat. She insists on drinking from the faucet every morning at around 5am, give or take 30 minutes, and I finally determined that taking advantage of the cool weather might be beneficial. I'm so glad I had the opportunity because I got to see a beautiful sunrise and finally enjoy the sport that has been apart of my life for the past 16 years. Though the Lord had originally taken away my motivation, now He has returned it to me.

Abolish Favoritism

"My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,  and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, 'You sit here in a good place,' while you say to the poor man, 'You stand over there,' or, 'Sit down at my feet,' have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" ~James 2:1-4

God clearly condemns favoritism, but American society thrives on it. Partiality always seems to be awarded to celebrities while those who struggle daily without complaint are ignored just because they don't make millions, aren't on the covers of magazines, and aren't the focal point of the news. 

What came to my attention recently, though, is that partiality is demonstrated much closer to home. For some, it might be evident in the local church. For me, it was brought up at Bible study how, to outsiders and newcomers, we might come off as cliquish. This discussion came up during prayer time within a small group. Somebody was brave enough to mention that he had noticed that there seemed to be new people who would appear, but then not return, and this person's primary concern was the fact that we may not be reaching out to newcomers as a whole. We are more apt to be wrapped up in our own cliques, showing favor to those who we naturally have conversations with, instead of reaching out to new faces who might be in most need of friendship and the love of Christ. I'm not saying that nobody reaches out to these newcomers ever, but the vast majority might not bat an eye at them unless they happen to end up seated next to them or are part of the same prayer group following the study.

I have no clear cut solution for how to get away from partiality, but I think being aware of how God views partiality might help us stray away from it. I'm sure I've been guilty of partiality because of self focus and not wanting to be bothered. We've all had those moments in our lives that we look forward to seeing certain people and can't be bothered with those who don't fit into our plan. This needs to get tossed out the window, though, if we are to demonstrate the love of Christ. He showed no partiality, and neither should we. God definitely won't show partiality on judgement day because we have all sinned and fall short of His glory. The fact that we demonstrate partiality in life is actually a sin, for it says in James 2:9, "But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors." My suggestion is to repent for any situation in which you may have unwittingly showed favoritism in any way. Also, the next time there is a new face at church or Bible study, attempt to reach out and befriend no matter what their background. You never know where new fellowship might lead.

Demonstrate Compassion

Living in a world that revolves around yourself is easy. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. This is not how Christ lived his life, though, and our duty as Christians is to walk in the ways of Jesus as best we can. To do this, we must get outside of our shells and have compassion on other people because that was how Jesus lived. He demonstrated compassion on those he encountered.
One such example of Jesus' compassion can be found within Matthew 15:32, which states, "Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 'I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.'" Jesus was aware that the large crowd had to feel famished physically, even if they were spiritually full after spending three days with Him. Jesus saw the need of those within the crowd and responded accordingly. He had the disciples distribute what little food they possessed in order to feed the crowd of four thousand, and by God's grace, there were plenty of leftovers. Because of Christ's compassion, the crowd was able to go home with full stomachs and enough energy to make the journey home.
In 21st century America, it becomes too easy to turn a blind eye to the needs of others. Instead of ignoring people's needs, we should be driven to help and serve others the best we can. We must demonstrate compassion, and the only way to do that is to be aware of your surroundings and willing to live outside of your own little bubble. To make it easier to remember, keep the lyrics of Hillsong United's song "Mighty to Save" in mind, which begins with the line, "Everybody needs compassion." That should stir you into action, hopefully. 
For example, if somebody has forgotten their wallet and can't pay for their groceries, offer to help them out. If somebody has a flat tire, stop and ask to assist in anyway that you can. If somebody is job-searching, just like you, offer suggestions to make the process easier and less stressful for them. These are all ways that each one of us can demonstrate compassion. Hebrews 10:24 phrases it in this unique fashion: "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works." By taking the time to demonstrate compassion in the lives of others, we offer an example and encouragement for others to follow suit.

The Word Needs to Be Read

"How would you know to be Christ-like if you don’t even read the Bible to know how Christ is." ~Francis Chan

I had a bit of a wake up call the other day. One of my blog followers brought to my attention that I might be a bit weak in the faith department if I'm so easily influenced by my coworkers, allowing the world to slowly control my actions. His suggestion was that I needed to make sure to read the Bible everyday so that I'm constantly immersed in the Word. Some might have a knee-jerk reaction of anger, but I was actually quite thankful for the carefully worded rebuke and advice.

In Galatians 5:16, we are told, "...walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." But what I've come to realize is that one cannot understand the inner workings of the Spirit if the Word is not read. Only God can provide us with the wisdom on how to lead our lives and act in the world, and if the Bible is neglected, our faith weakens and we're easily influenced by the world that surrounds us on a daily basis. 

My follower suggested reading Psalm 51, which I found quite useful, particularly verse 51:10, which says, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Too often humans insist on going about their lives on their own without consulting God. Even though we are weak and sinful creatures, we continually insist that we know best. On the contrary, we are the ones most likely to bungle our lives and end up in a mess if we don't refresh our Spirit everyday by reading the Word and understanding how to walk as a Christian. It is my goal to make reading the Bible a priority in my life in order to help prevent being so easily influenced by the unbelievers who surround me on a regular basis.