Mind in Motion

In these posts I will discuss topics dealing with daily living to challenge all of us to live to a greater calling and higher purpose.

God does not want the best version of you…

~ ForCommonGround ~ 8 Comments

self-promotion

I heard someone say recently that God wants us to be the best version of ourselves. It sounds good at first, and almost biblical. But…I believe that it’s untrue none the less. Never once does the bible say that God’s goal for our lives is to be the best person we can. God doesn’t want us to be a better person, He wants us to be more like Jesus. The best human is still full of sin. No matter what the best version of us is, it will be a version that sins. Jesus is the image of God. He is perfection in every sense of the word, and the only way to please God is by having faith in Him. Therefore, being like Jesus is our goal in life. Being like Jesus is what the mission of the Holy Spirit is. Human flesh brings limitations but God’s Spirit transforms lives.

Trying to be the best version of ourselves leads to people focusing way too much on…you guessed it…themselves. Some people even use it to justify their vanity. I heard one person a while back saying that they body build because God wants us to have the best bodies possible. Really? Jesus did not die on the cross so that we should devote our lives to getting ripped and toned. Some quote the bible saying the our bodies are a temple meaning we should try to be as beautiful as possible and have ___ amount of body fat and hit the gym and try the latest diet fads. We don’t need to “dress up for Jesus” when we go to church. We don’t need to have endless debate over piercings and tattoos. We are the temple…of the Holy Spirit. That in no way means that we need to perfect the image of the temple or devote our lives to covering every “flaw” that we perceive we have. It means that we house the most precious gift anyone could ever receive and that gift is meant to change everything inside us. Health is great, but holiness is better. And holiness only comes through Jesus.

Let’s be clear…God won’t love you any more than He did when He died for you on the cross. In all of our ugliness and imperfection, God loved us. We have hope because of Jesus. We have life because of Jesus. We are made holy because of Jesus. Our life is now all about Jesus. In the bible, Jesus is literally called “our life”. We don’t need to look better or act better, we need a life connected to Jesus. We need His Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out. Then and only then will we be genuine and sincere in our love for others and our love for God. A life pleasing to God is not more of us, it’s more of Jesus in us. Live in the peace that His grace brings, knowing you’re already loved and accepted through Christ. Stop the striving to be a better you and run after Jesus and you’ll become better in every way.

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  Galatians 2:20

“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”  Colossians 3:3-4

“…whoever says he abides in him [Jesus] ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”  1 John 2:6

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:7-8

Lessons from a Mermaid

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment

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A few days ago I was watching The Little Mermaid with my daughter. Believe it or not, I actually had a spiritual encounter. Don’t laugh! I’m serious. It happened during the scene where Ariel and Ursula are negotiating at Ursula’s lair. In a quick synopsis, Ariel wants to become a human so she can walk on land in hopes of living happily ever after with the love of her life, Prince Eric. Ursula wants to dominate the entire sea. Ursula proposes a plan to “help” Ariel get her dream come true. In reality, she wants to use Ariel’s desires to trap her and take her soul. Ariel’s crab friend, Sebastian, tries to stop her but she is overcome by her longing for Prince Eric that she agrees to a contract with Ursula. During this scene, the Holy Spirit took me to school on spiritual matters.

Ursula is a representation of Satan. Her goal is the same as his. She wants to control the seas and all that is in them, and Satan wants all of humanity. The Devil will frequently try to make agreements with humanity in order to achieve his goals. Those contracts seem enticing, but at their core, they are deceptive and evil just as Ursula’s were. Ursula played off of Ariel’s desires, just like Satan does to us. He will always pervert our desires which ultimately stacks the chips in his favor and only leads to our pain and the pain of those in our lives.

Examples: We all have a longing to be loved and accepted. Satan will confuse us on what that actually looks like, or will play off of hurts caused in our lives to lead us into making poor choices. Maybe we never felt it as a kid growing up from our parents, so we make agreements in our mind that we will seek it out, even from unhealthy sources. We meet that girl, or guy, or group of people, that makes us feel accepted and wanted, yet they only want to use us or exploit us in some way. This is exactly how gangs are formed. This is why people go from one unhealthy relationship to the next. This is why people get sucked in to pornography and affairs. This is where Satan wants us because these situations ultimately lead people away from God.

The bible contains a narrative of a similar scene from the one in the Little Mermaid. (I’ll bet that’s a statement you’ve never heard before).  The most detailed account is in Matthew 4:1-11. To summarize, Satan attempts three different ways of luring Jesus into signing a contract with him. The first is to target the thirst and hunger of Jesus because He had been in the desert fasting for 40 days. Satan will try to exploit the needs and wants of our flesh. If we aren’t getting something that we perceive as a need or have a desire for it, then Satan will surely offer up something to fill that. The problem is, it will not be a good thing and we will certainly have to pay a major price if we take the bait. The second is to challenge the identity of Jesus by saying, “if you truly are the Son of God…” Satan is sometimes referred to as the accuser or father of lies. This is because he twists reality and brings charges against everyone who has ever been born. He does not want us to know in our hearts that we are created in the image of God. Those who do embrace that identity are more empowered to live for God and overcome temptations. The third was to offer Him a counterfeit to that which was already His. Jesus already had control over everything in creation, because He created it and He is how all things are held together. Satan still had the audacity to offer Jesus the kingdoms of the world. Those who are in Christ are already loved, accepted, valued, and given great purpose in life. Satan wants to confuse us on that so that we will look for those things in another source besides God.

These are pretty common methods that the Devil uses which is why I believe Jesus wanted us to see it through His experience. I couldn’t believe that God was taking me on a journey of the soul during an animated movie. It just goes to show that there are no limits to how His Spirit can work in us.

I hope that this post can be an encouragement to you and can help you stand in the face of temptation and hurts and see the counterfeits being offered you. I hope that the days of your life are empowered by Holy Spirit strength and wisdom to see the good from the bad and the light from the dark and be able to choose the right path to take. For me, the scene from the movie, or that from Matthew 4, can sometimes play out daily. The good news is, that Satan can’t force any of us into a contract, we have to choose it. We can decide who we want to be like…Ariel or Jesus.

Jesus shut him up all three times by using the Word of God to expose Satan’s deceptions. Interestingly enough, Jesus is the Word of God made flesh so He was never really at the risk of being drawn away by Satan’s schemes. For us, we have to use the same method. We have to tap into the same source as Jesus did. The bible tells us who were are, how much God loves us, and what our purpose in life is. A life lived with these answers will have fulfillment, unconditional acceptance, and have far less room for the enemy of our souls to try to invade.

I’ll end with some verses to declare that in Him, we are strong!

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” -James 4:7

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” -1 Corinthians 10:13

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” -2 Corinthians 12:9-10

God Bless!!!

 

 

Rewritten

~ ForCommonGround ~ 5 Comments

At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame.

Zephaniah 3:19

This verse caught ahold of me a few days back. It took me awhile to figure out exactly why. I mean, this verse is right smack dab in the middle of some great verses yet it stood out. It even gets overshadowed for many people by what is said two verses previous to this one. However, a portion of the third chapter of Zephaniah deals with a common theme. Verses 9-20 all point to a time where the lives of people will be rewritten. A time when all the upside down things of this world will be flipped on its head and all will be right again. 

When God makes promises to us, there is usually a present and future reality connected to them. In fact, I’d be hard pressed to think of one that doesn’t…The promise of Zephaniah 3:19 is no different. This little gem contains a wealth of good hope for anyone who reads it. 

Three different labels are placed on the recipients of this promise. Each one is given something both now and in the future. 

#1-The Oppressed

#2-The Lame

#3-The Exiles

It took me awhile to figure out why I connected to this verse so much because I didn’t see myself as oppressed, lame, or as an exile. It was a beautiful and powerful verse all the same but I sensed that there was more for me, and for us then just the beauty of it all. After a few days of reflection here is what I came up with and want to share with you all.

#1-As long as we live in this world we are going to experience oppression. All we have to do is take a look at the news or do a serious inventory of our lives and we’ll see oppression. Granted, this happens at various levels. All of humanity is oppressed by the same thing: SIN. It has imprisoned many to addictive behaviors, depressive emotions, physical chains, and acts of unspeakable horror. 

#2-As long as we live in these bodies we are indeed, lame. Generally that term is reserved for someone with a physical handicap. When we take a long and honest look however, we have to admit that we are all broken in some way and none of us are physically or mentally perfect. Two of the best words to define perfection would have to be PURE and HOLY. No person in the world has ever met those marks other than One. That doesn’t mean we all have an excuse to remain impure or ever celebrate sinfulness or brokenness but that we all recognize our need and how we miss the mark of a perfect God.

#3-We are exiles on earth. For this last notion, we have to consider a reality beyond what we see everyday. This world was never meant to be a permanent home for us. As a created being, we are all exiles on planet earth. I’m not speaking of being sci-fi aliens but we are more like people on a mission trip. When someone goes on a mission trip it is with purpose. Notice, I didn’t say we are on vacation. Big difference. Not all of us have the same future home though and that is evident by what mission we make our lives about. 

The promise that God made in verse 19 was to remedy all of these situations. Let me explain:

#1-“I will deal with all who oppress you…” God wrapped Himself in human form (known as Jesus) and died on a cross to pay our sin debt and break the power of sin over us. (read Romans 5-8). While bad things still happen, we can be free from our own sin that causes pain for others and ourselves. One day God will completely wipe the earth clean of sin.

#2-“I will rescue the lame…” The perfect and sinless life Jesus lived was not only a way to teach us but also so that His perfection can be attributed to those who put their faith in Him. We become new creations spiritually in Christ which means we have His Spirit to lead us in a life that is more pure and holy and we have his righteousness to cover us as we grow and become more like Christ.  It doesn’t mean we become perfect. We will still have to battle in these broken bodies and a broken world but we will have Someone to strengthen us and walk with us through the fight so we can overcome.

#3-“I will gather the exiles…” One day God will call His children home or Jesus will return for them. We will go to where we are meant to live forever. Those who love God will go home to be with Him. Those who reject God, will unfortunately go to the place they have chosen and be eternally separated from God and His goodness. God’s hope is that you choose Him because He chose you before He made you.

The Gospel message is throughout the entire bible. Zephaniah was written hundreds of years before God walked among us as Jesus Christ. Even so, God was reaching down to us and giving us amazing promises. Zephaniah 3:19 can help us view this life in a more realistic way. We can see the hurt of all those around us and be driven to compassion. We can point them to Jesus who is the only one who can break their oppression and heal their pain. We can also stop looking at the physically or mentally lame as being any different from the rest of us. We are all in the same boat…all broken and imperfect and we have to get over ourselves and never think of ourselves as being better than anyone else. We can stop celebrating things that God calls unholy and instead, take His free gift of healing and renewal and stand for truth. Without that, the world falls deeper into oppression and brokenness. Finally, we can view our time that we’ve been given as a gift. Time to be used with purpose and that purpose is not a selfish one. No one goes on a mission trip to be served. If they did, how wretched would they be? We are here to serve, to love, and to glorify God. Everything else is a waste of time and breath. 

If God has rewritten your story than praise Him! If not, He has a pen in hand wanting to rewrite your story. That pen is Jesus Christ and He writes into people’s story, healing, freedom, righteousness, and hope. Who better to have rewrite your story than the Author of all of life Himself.

I hope this brings you hope and encouragement because God has always wanted to rewrite the stories of hurting lives. God bless!

Independence for All

~ ForCommonGround ~ 1 Comment


The 4th of July is an incredible day in history, not just for American, but for the world. Because of the success of the American Revolution, the world was ignited into a century of rebellion against tyranny. Much of Latin America and France, engaged in their own epic struggles for freedom. No question, it is a day to be celebrated and remembered. 

However, the greatest independence was not declared in 1776, nor was the struggle waged by American colonists. The greatest invasion into the world of darkness happened over 2000 years ago, when God clothed Himself in human form and came to ransom His creation from the grips of evil, sin, and death. When Jesus Christ said, “it is Finished” before breathing His last breath on the cross, He was saying those who call on my name will forever be free of the power of sin! Just as the American colonists were declaring that they would no longer stand to be subjected to the will of their oppressors, so too does every child of God who says my place is with Christ and I belong to no other. Praise Jesus Christ that He has purchased our freedom at the greatest cost so that we can rise above despair and worry and live to a new hope. 

God bless brothers and sisters!

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36

Broken

~ ForCommonGround ~ 2 Comments


Most people could recognize the character in the picture above without reading any further. The image goes along with a childhood poem that many have grown up hearing. If you’re like me, you probably have no idea where the story came from but you joyfully sang along as your parents recited it. Who knows, maybe the person telling you the nursery rhyme didn’t even know it’s meaning or origin.

As the image portrays, Humpty Dumpty is an egg, yet if you notice, an egg is never mentioned in any of the lines.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, 

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall; 

All the king’s horses and all the king’s men 

Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

So most likely…it’s a riddle. The majority agree, when studying the context and history, that this is the case. The rhyme dates all the way back to the 17th century and has been changed only slightly over time. Some theories exist  linking the nursery rhyme back to certain historical events of the 1600’s. However, this isn’t meant to be an analysis of a beloved nursery rhyme. Instead, I wanted to share how the four lines of this riddle relate to the human condition (don’t laugh, I’m being serious).

Here’s the breakdown:

Line 1- Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Walls, for centuries, have been a symbol of security. People are, by nature, driven to create or seek out security. Unfortunately it is often sought out in all the wrong things . We look to money, appearance, relationships, material possessions, praise from others, achievements, and work. 

Line 2-Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All but one foundation will eventually crack and crumble and cause us to go barreling down out of control. When our ‘security’ is shaken, (because it is eliusive, unstable) we lose our grip and fall. Some fall harder than others. 

Line 3 & 4- all the King’s horses and all the King’s men couldn’t put Humpty back together again. When we fall, and are broken, (which is our condition from the start) no matter of human fixing can ever make us whole again. 

Insert Jesus Christ…when we sit on the foundation and security of Christ, no matter of shaking can ever make us fall because we are held firmly in God’s hand. By shaking, I’m not saying that we won’t have concerns or hardships. Jesus actually promised that we would. I am saying that those who have a relationship with Jesus Christ will be able to stand strong in the fiercest storms. And in the light of eternity, we can never be shaken loose from God’s grip!

“I (Jesus) give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.””

‭‭John‬ ‭10:28-30‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Jesus will only be inserted into the scene of one’s life by those who see that they are broken. They come to a place of humility and transparency about their need and hurting. They see that something huge is missing from their lives and that it can only be filled by Jesus. It’s best to realize this before we ever fall off the wall. BUT, Jesus is every bit as available, seeking and calling out to those who are laying, broken and shattered at the bottom of the wall. 

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭11:28-30‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The truth is, we are all broken vessels that can only be mended by The Potter’s hands.

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”‭‭

Romans‬ ‭3:23-26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The amazing thing is, that it’s free and available to anyone who calls on the name of Jesus. We don’t have to be ‘put together’ to fall at His feet. It’s impossible to be put together before a relationship with Christ. 

“”Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55:1‬ ‭ESV‬‬
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:4-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

After we come to Christ, we still need to keep building our lives on what He teaches and how He lived. A parable Jesus taught can very closely tie to the 17th century nursery rhyme.

“”Everyone then who hears these words of mine(Jesus) and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:24-27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I share this for all who are hurting, all who don’t know where to turn, all who seem lost, all who are building their lives up on false security, all who recognize the void deep in their soul and have never found a way to fill it. There is hope and life and healing. I share this for the believer who is compromising, who lives just as a non believer does, who is Christian by title only. There is a true life with Jesus and its so much more. Maybe you lost your way. There is a way back and an abundant life to be had. I share this for those who have been serving Jesus. Rejoice in our savior Who has put us back together into a new creation!

God bless my brothers and sisters. May Christ’s love overwhelm you!

Time Slaves

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment


Have you ever wondered what it would be like if time was not a part of your daily life? I’m not talking about time in a broad manner as in we all have certain amounts of years to our lives, but in a specific sense like the time of day. How much of your life would change if you never knew the time? Appointments? Work? Class? Family life? Trips? Meetings? I could probably list a lot more but I think that’ll do. 
People’s obsession with time is demonstrated for anyone who looks back through the lens of history. The idea of time pieces has been around for a long time but an accurate clock has only existed for less than 700 years. Thousands of years ago sundials and water clocks dominated as the source of telling time. However, these were not accurate and relied so much on the sun shining and the source of water being controlled. Fast forward to the 14th century and the foundations of the modern clock are born and we’ve never looked back since. 

The question that comes to my mind is: why? Why are we drawn so much to time? Why do we feel life needs to be so…calculated? What would happen if you hid every form of time piece in your possession? Would your life spiral out of control? (That may be a bit of exaggeration) 

I am a high school teacher. My entire work day is built on a schedule that would not function without the knowledge of time. It makes you wonder how education ever worked without bell schedules…

It may sound odd coming from a teacher, but bells and schedules drive me crazy. I don’t believe that society was ever meant to be so regimented. So much creativity and experiences are starved by such a system. Really, that system is no more than 150 years old. It all originated out of the industrial revolution era in Europe and the United States. Even though it’s so young, most nations around the world have adopted methods of structuring their days. Think about all the phrases: happy hour, nine to five job, 40 hour work weeks, over time, bed time, dinner time, etc. Alarm clocks ringing to wake up for another time managed day. 

Don’t get me wrong, I believe that there have been efficiencies added due to time keeping. On the contrary, I also believe many have become slaves to the same efficiency. What sparked all of this dialogue was an article I recently read about the “present clock.” Have you heard of it? It was designed by Scott Thrift. The clock actually contains no numbers and takes one full year to make a full revolution.


Imagine the only sense of time that you have is of your year passing by rather than the minutes and seconds. What’s the advantage to that? Maybe a life lived in light of the big picture rather than by a schedule consumed with milking every tick of the clock out of a day. Maybe it would help to keep our eyes locked on the yearly goals rather than on the next meeting or deadline. In my opinion, it would lead to a less “productive” life but it would lead to a fuller life. Here’s an example that came to my mind: I would be more focused on pouring into another year of my daughters’ lives before that year is up rather than on bed times and super structured days. 

I applaud Mr. Thrift. While I would agree that structure is not all together bad and time Management has its advantages, they can also drown the very life out of us when we allow them to dominate every move. Ephesians 5:16 tells us to make the most of every opportunity and Psalm 90:12 says that we need to be taught to number our days. I believe the heart of both of those verses is to make the most of life not to live so much on schedules and time tables limited by set times. I believe they tell us to make the most of our relationships and serve and love in increasing measure. Our ability to do that can be very limited when we are overly aware of time. The moment humanity gained the ability to keep track of hours and minutes and seconds, it began to fill them up, a lot of which with useless things in grand scheme of things. A life too full can sometimes be very empty. Mr. Thrift’s simple invention helped me to zoom out on life so I can see it how I believe our Creator meant us to. 

What did or what could’ve happened…?

~ ForCommonGround ~ 3 Comments

Stuff happens…no way of getting around that. There have been bumper stickers and t-shirts made with all sorts of ways of expressing that. It doesn’t matter if you’re a good person or a bad one, young or old, man or woman…stuff happens to us all the same. Some things you can avoid by making wise choices, but some things will happen regardless. As the bible says, ‘the rain falls on the righteous and the wicked.’ When stuff happens though it is interesting to see a person’s reaction. What separates people is outlook, or perspective.

I bring all this up because I recently had ‘stuff’ happen to me. You know, one of those accidents that occur at the most in opportune times, usually on a great day, in the middle of doing something you enjoy. My wife had surprised me at work by picking me up and taking me to get coffee and hang with our two daughters. Our youngest was turning 7 months old that day and we needed to celebrate. Long story short, I hit my head, split it wide open down to the skull, get rushed to the ER, then to surgery to have it sliced and diced and stitched up. No more celebration and I didn’t even get to drink my Americano. 

The rest of the day my wife kept saying all the things that could’ve happened that God prevented from happening. Like not being close to a hospital, my wife not spotting me in time, my oldest daughter being a part of the accident (she was in my arms when it happened), skull damage, a concussion, it actually happened on the best possible place on my head, didn’t get my eye, my mother in law could come get the kids, and the list goes on and on. 

The point I’m trying to make is, we could’ve spent the rest of the day focusing on me being laid up in the emergency room and spoiling our fun time and the inconveniences that it caused, but instead my wife kept the right perspective about things. You see, God doesn’t always keep us from harm or accidents but if we look in the right places, we’ll see His handiwork helping us through our hardships. There is a lot of joy in that and He certainly deserves all the praise no matter what ‘stuff’ happens. 

God bless and be encouraged that God is at work in your hardest moments, big and small, because of His great love for you.

Priceless Gift

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment


Have you ever gotten someone a really special gift? If so, did you think, “I sure hope they appreciate this…” Maybe more than that have you thought, “they better not let this gift go to waste…” Or maybe, “I hope they get a lot of use out of this…” Or even, “I hope they take good care of this gift.” I don’t think that’s abnormal. In a way we are probably associating their response to the gift as a response to us as the one who gave the gift. This is undoubtedly unhealthy if it influences whether or not we continue to give gifts if their response isn’t up to par with our expectations or hopes. But I do think we are reflecting the ultimate gift giver in a way.

In reality, our response to God’s gifts are a resflection of our attitude towards God Himself. Most importantly, our response to His greatest gift, Himself in the form of Christ Jesus, shows our love and devotion and gratitude. What I mean by response is whether or not we cherish the gift and express thankfulness through the way we live. I think that we should express it both to God and to others. I mean, I’ve been given some awesome things in life and I couldn’t wait to tell everyone about it and I certainly couldn’t contain my thankfulness towards the gift giver. However, over time, years even, the level of joy the gift gave wore off. I grew accustomed to having the gift or perhaps became distracted by other things in life. My point is, I lost focus and perspective.

When it comes to God’s blessings in life, and mostly salvation in Christ, we can’t afford to lose that focus. We can’t grow accustomed to the point where we take it for granted. We can’t stop taking great care of that most precious gift. We need to maintain that thankfulness so we can keep fueling that burning desire inside to shout it to the world. Fortunately, God doesn’t give gifts based on merit and certainly doesn’t stop if we don’t make full use of those He’s already given. If He did, none of us would be blessed and definitely none of us would be saved. 

I think all of this is very important to remember whenever we give gifts to others. If they don’t care for it or appreciate it like they should, it’s their loss but it will not deter me from giving all I can. Because we give because we love and God gives because He loves. And really, unless we’ve made the most of God’s grace in our lives we have no room to talk. So let’s give and love without expectation and pray that the Holy Spirit lights the fire of passion for the Greatest of all Gift Givers and the greatest of all gifts!

“God so loved the world that He gave is one and only Son, so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Who do you say I AM?

~ ForCommonGround ~ 1 Comment

names-of-Jesus

The most important question that anyone will ever have to answer is “who is Jesus Christ?” Why is this the most important? Simply put, it will dictate your entire life, every decision, desire, direction, and your future destination. Whether you view Him as never existing, a simple good teacher, a divine created being, or God Himself, the outcomes of your life hang on your personal view of His identity.

For someone who disregards Him as a figment of history’s imagination, they will not be affected by Him or His teachings in the slightest and will thus have to base their choices and moral compass on some other thing, person, or philosophy. For those who acknowledge Jesus as a good teacher or created being like us, but stop short at recognizing the identity given Him in the Bible, may be guided by the teachings they like or agree with. However, when confronted with a difficult truth, these people will shy away or look to other paths for guidance. The categories of people mentioned so far are all really in one category together. Let’s call them category one. Their lives are not consumed by Jesus and they are open to influence from outside forces at a far greater extent that someone who believes the answer that the Bible gives to the question “who is Jesus Christ?” Let’s jump into the Bible and take a look at a moment when Jesus Himself poses this question:

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 16:13-18 (ESV)

First, Jesus asks what the world labels Him as. The world would be those who are in the first category I mentioned earlier. They either don’t acknowledge His existence or they don’t attribute to Him the correct identity. Category one members would most likely label Jesus in a positive way. Notice here, He is associated with great men from earlier in Israel’s history. Most of the world agrees that He walked this earth and that He had a great influence. Members of most religions, at the very least, call Him a great teacher. Most of us would be honored to be thought of in these ways. The difference is, these are insults compared to who Jesus really is.

So Jesus continues and turns the question to His disciples. These are the people who make up those in category two. Those who believe that Jesus is the very image of God, and God in the flesh, make up the second category. In simple terms, there are followers/disciples of the true Jesus, and then there is everyone else. The first of Jesus’s disciples to respond is Peter. He states that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Son, in this context, refers to the fact that He is of God, one with God, God in the flesh. Jesus then congratulates Peter on answering wisely and correctly. Jesus says that Peter’s faith in this fact is what the entire church is to be built on. He also says that this faith is given by God not man. So that means that people will declare the identity of Jesus based on human perspective or on the Godly perspective. For those who believe Jesus is who the bible says He is, also believe that Jesus is everything that makes up their life. Check out Colossians chapter three.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Colossians 3:1-4

Notice the effects that the view of Jesus has on the believer. The people of category two, those who say Jesus is who the bible says He is, will spend the rest of their lives seeking the things above, meaning heavenly/godly. They will live as sojourners in this world. They will live to please their heavenly Father because of the extreme grace that He as shown them. Their decisions will be weighed against the truths that Jesus taught and demonstrated.  They will live as though He is their everything and that they owe Him everything. They will seek to understand what please Him which will transform their decisions, desires, direction, and destination. They do this because, Jesus taking our place on the cross and dying for our sins, was not a mere mortal man or good teacher laying His life down. They do this because it was the God of the universe, their very creator, who stepped down out of heaven to take our place. They do this because they realize the goodness of God and it has radically changed them. For those in category one, the doubters and believers in a false Jesus, they have no reason to do this. A person either has the foundation of Christ to direct their life or they don’t and what determines that is how you answer the question: “who do you say I AM?” posed by Jesus Himself.

Before we end, lets take a look at how Jesus answered this question for us:

John 6: 35, 48 I am the bread of life

-Meaning He is what sustains people, not just in a physical sense, but in a spiritual one.

John 8: 12, 9:5 I am the light of the world

-Meaning He brings truth into a dark and sinful world.

John 8: 58 Before Abraham was, I am

-Meaning He was in the beginning of time with God because He is God.

 

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd

-Meaning He is there to lead us into real “life” and eternity.

John 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life

-Meaning He is the one that will resurrect us from the day once we are gone if we believed in Him.

John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life

-Meaning He is the only way to heaven.

Now let’s take a peak at other parts in the bible that show His identity:

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Colossians 1:15-20

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men…14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:1-4, 14

So to wrap it up, the weight of our answer to this question could not be any greater. Not only will our answer dictate the way we live our lives here on earth, but it will also determine our destination after we die. For those in category two, there is nothing to fear, but every reason to be excited and hopeful. However, for those in category one, not only will their lives be far emptier and far less impacting, but the worst is yet to come. Fortunately, God doesn’t want anyone to perish or spend eternity away from Him so He’s made the way simple and glorious…and that way is Jesus.

Humility Where You Least Expect it

~ ForCommonGround ~ 1 Comment

  
“The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” Proverbs 22:4

Wrestling season just ended this last week so I like to take the time to reflect on how it went. This was perhaps the most challenging team that I’ve had the privilege to coach. Seems like every week there was some new drama between the kids that exposed every ounce of patience in me. Ironically, this was a very successful team regardless of the divisiveness at times. Amidst all the challenges and success, this year seemed very unique. 

I witnessed a few athletes who chose to set their image aside for their opponents. Sports teach kids many positive character traits but unfortunately humility is not one of them. That is something that can only be learned by example and I’m hoping that these young men will be just that for all those who saw what they did.

We had a boy on our team who was a first time wrestler and faced some physical disabilities as well. Wrestling is a physically demanding sport as it is, so this kid faced an uphill battle every match. Time after time he lost and he began to get discouraged. Two of his opponents would give him the encouragement he needed to keep going. 

Before I tell you what they did let me just mention that they were both the best wrestlers in his weight class. Needless to say both of these kids could have toyed with him and embarrassed him without breaking a sweat. Instead, they turned a possible humiliation into a display of humility. In both matches the opponent of our wrestler allowed him to take them down and get escapes and score several points on them. They didn’t make it super obvious either. They allowed our kid to keep the match close all the way to the end. When the matches were over, our kid walked off the mat with his head held high and a big grin on his face. You could tell he was so happy. Those two losses were his biggest victories of the season. Two weeks earlier I had read about a high school wrestler who was undefeated and ranked #1 in the state. He was wrestling a kid with Down syndrome and actually let the kid take him down and pin him. He gave up a undefeated season to make a mark in a kids life that he’d probably never forget.

These stories give me hope for the younger generations and for athletes who are bombarded with messages to pursue perfection and awards. 

Humility is a powerful force. It can change someone’s life forever. The best example of humility is Jesus Christ. The night before He would be crucified, He knelt down to wash the feet of His disciples, even the one who would betray Him. Jesus did this obviously knowing who would betray Him and when. Jesus even says that He came to give us the ultimate example of humility so that we too would lay down our lives for others and never elevate ourselves above others. If God in the flesh could pay the death penalty for my sin, then I should not hesitate to humble myself before those around me. 

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:3-8‬ ‭