Eric Suddoth's Blog, page 12

Candy Coated Faith

I remember back in the early 2000s Plumb came out with an album CandyCoatedWaterDrops. Such a good album. And now 20 years later I still reflect on those words.

What is this mass confusion? This crazy way we’re living

Plumb

Are we living our lives like that title? Are we sugaring ourselves to glamorize something that doesn’t even need glamorizing?

Do we share grace while wrapping it in cotton candy?

Do we share the love of Christ with a box a chocolates to sweeten up the deal?

Do we share the mercy of God with a two for one coupon to be used later as if a hook is needed to catch someone needing mercy?

This emptiness we’re passing out like candycoatedwaterdrops

Plumb

But the interesting thing is, we’re not passing out emptiness. We are passing out something so much more.

So what makes us think we need to add to it?

Is it because we ourselves don’t understand the greatness of what we are passing out? Do we not comprehend the bigness of the sacrifice Christ made? Do we not truly believe it is good enough?

I’m spilling out my thoughts

You’re spilling out your guts

And I can’t help but stop and think that

Plumb

I can totally relate. Sometimes my thoughts cannot be contained in myself that I have to let them out. I spill them out in multiple ways. And after I am done, I can’t help but stop and think,

Does it do any good?

Does it do any good at all?

But I won’t stop. I won’t pander. I won’t cover the love of Christ in chocolate like it’s a measly raisin in order to get people to try it. (I promise, it’s really good. Let me cover it with a little more chocolate)

But I will show someone the love of Christ that is covered in all the heavenly goodness. God doesn’t need my little extra to make it better. It is already better than anything I could ever add.

May we stop trying to add something to SOMETHING that doesn’t need adding to.

Peace

What are your thoughts? Agree or disagree I would love to hear them.

Do You Want to Travel…Overseas?

Portugal

Is that a silly question? I think most people would like to take a trip to Europe to say they’ve been across the pond, but sadly, they think there are multiple reasons for not taking the jump.

1. It’s too expensive

2. I can’t speak the language

3. I’m afraid I’ll get lost

4. I wouldn’t know where to start

I’ve heard all these excuses and many others before. I’ve even been one to say these.

When I was in college I took an art history class for fun and that class awoke my heart for the love of museums. Especially the museums in Rome and Florence.

Milan, Italy – The Last Supper

To see the Sistine Chapel and witness in person the famous sight of Adam’s and God’s finger almost touching. To gaze upon Michelangelo’s masterpiece of the masculine David in Florence and the emotionally draining Pieta in the Vatican.

So I started dreaming of heading to Italy. In my late 20s I decided that I would treat myself and go when I hit 30 years old. Well, I kept making excuses and my 30th birthday passed and I never went. Sadly my grandfather passed away and my grandmother sold her house so she gave all of us grandkids a little money. I wasn’t expecting it and I didn’t really need it, so I thought this would go toward my plane ticket.

I bit the bullet and purchased the plane ticket and traveled solo through Italy. I planned this trip for years and I saw as much as I could in that trip.

I fell in love with journeying to a different land, embracing myself in the culture, getting lost in the language and streets. I fell in love with Italy, but thought it was a once in a lifetime trip.

I continued to look at plane tickets to Europe, but the price was also steep.

Until I stumbled upon a flight to Dublin that was cheaper than some flights I had previously purchased to go to California. I couldn’t believe it. Instantly, I had some other people who wanted to go and the three of us traveled through Ireland, London and Paris.

I couldn’t believe my luck. And I thought it was luck that I found this cheap flight.

Verona, Italy

I have come to learn it wasn’t luck. The airline industry has these cheap fare sales often for all over the world.

So I have become a makeshift packrat for cheap flight tickets. And I want to share my knowledge with everyone.

So, if you want to go to Paris, a few years ago I purchased a roundtrip plane ticket for $265. I wanted to see how cheap I could travel since I went alone. I rented a car. Found affordable hotels. Ate measly meals (I’m not a big foodie, so eating at McDonalds was fine with me). I think I ate at McDonalds at least once a day. Many people may be shocked why eat at McDonalds when you are in France, but I was alone, I was hopping along many places and I just wanted a quick bite to eat.

And they have free wifi so I could quickly text my family and let them know I was safe.

So, that trip was one of the cheapest trips I took.

I have friends who are afraid to ask how much it costs but I’m not ashamed to say. A few of my trips overseas have cost me around $1,000 or less for a week. Plane ticket, transportation, hotels, meals, sightseeing, and souvenirs. They are always shocked. They assumed it was over $5,000 because when you watch game shows they award prizes like a trip to Paris for $10,000.

Not even close. I know some people who spend this much money going to Florida.

Portugal

You may think $1,000 is still a lot, but to explore a new country, this is dirt cheap. If you want to see it you can find ways to save it. Cut out going out to eat as often. Take your lunch to work. Don’t buy that outfit you were looking at. Do you really need that new pair of shoes?

If you want to save, you can find ways to cut corners and make your dream possible.

A few years ago my mom wanted to go to Italy so I found cheap tickets to Italy. A group of people she knew was going to go through a travel company. We were pretty much hitting the same cities. Yet we paid around 75% less than them because I found the good deals.

If the language barrier scares you, it is okay. There are so many resources for you to learn some of the language. And if you don’t want to learn, most phones have a translate App that easily converts English into many languages. If that still doesn’t ease you, know that English is heavily spoken in Europe. They can speak multiple languages and most people in the travel industry (hotels, restaurants, airports) are happy to speak English if it helps.

Many people think Europeans do not like Americans. But the thing is, Europeans do not like rude Americans. I cannot think of very many instances when I thought someone was rude to me as I traveled. On the contrary, I have had many Europeans tell me to tell my friends and family to come over. Their livelihoods are in tourism so they don’t care who comes, just as long as they can pay.

So, no need to fear with not being able to speak the language, but it is polite to learn a little.

When I first went to Italy I was trying to speak a little Italian to someone and they kept saying how nice and polite it was in trying to learn their language. They know not every speaks Italian, but I was in their country so I was trying to show I was trying. Scusi was my favorite Italian word…excuse me. I won’t ever forget that young woman smiling and helping me out at the Vatican as I got turned around.

Venice, Italy

So that answers the next excuse. People will help you. In the airport, train stations, city streets, people will point and do their best to help you.

Or you can now use a GPS to get around anywhere.

Or of course your phone can lead you through any winding street and lead you to your destination quickly and without hassle.

But it’s more fun to get lost and enjoy the sights.

Lastly, if you don’t know where to start, start researching. Ask people who have been where you want to go. Watch videos. Read books. Make a list of your must sees. And then try to see it all.

So, do you still think you can’t make the journey?

I’m here to say you can.

If you need any help, message me. And I will try to make your dreams achievable.

Because it truly is possible.

Peace

Olympics Again

It seems like I was just watching the Olympics a few months ago. That is what COVID did with changing the dates for the 2020 Summer Olympics to 2021.

Even though COVID isn’t the main story this Olympics, you can still see it’s ugly hand in the empty stands, the masks, and the stories of athletes who have trained most of their lives being denied the chance to compete for testing positive days before their event.

COVID seems to have tried to wreck the Olympics once again, but once again, the games continue.

And continue they do with their own scandals and conflicts.

You probably have heard about the report of the Russian teenage figure skating phenom who tested positive for an illegal substance in one of her drug tests in December. I played devil advocate with myself pointing blame or giving excuses, demanding punishment in one breath and leniency with the other.

No matter who’s fault this is, coaches, doctors, the athlete herself, this athlete now has a tarnished image. Could she skate as well if she didn’t have this drug in her system?

Could she? We may never know.

We watch the joyous moment that happens every 4 years while other athletes are not feeling the sense of unity as their country is on the verge of possible invasion.

It is saddening to see a Ukrainian athlete hold a sign begging for peace, not war, after he finished his skeleton event. Skeleton, which I consider one of the scariest event, an event that even caused death in the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010. Yet, the athlete from Ukraine seemed more concerned with his fellow citizens than the dangerous track he just completed.

Maybe barreling down an icy track is child’s play compared to standing up against another country’s army?

Then there is the entire controversy of the games being held in China despite the human rights violations.

This Olympic is swirling is newsworthy stories that would cause anyone to lose hope in humanity.

But then there is the story of redemption when a 5 time Olympian finally wins a gold medal in their old age of mid 30s. Or the stories of second or third chances of making the podium. The sights of athletes waving a farewell as they head into retirement. Or the entrance of upcoming stars making their Olympic debuts.

There are many highs and lows during this Olympics, but just like in life, I prefer to look at the highs. To see the dream chasers chasing after the goals not to receive a medal, but to do their best and make their country proud.

Only 3 people will win a medal in each sport, and many great olympians will never wear that coveted metal, whether it be gold, silver or bronze, but that shouldn’t diminish their accomplishments.

A medal around a neck doesn’t always signify greatness.

Some of the greatest athletes will never come in first. But they will come in first in sportsmanship, comradery, attitude, ethics, friendship, and community.

What would you rather be known for?

15 minutes of athleticism or a lifetime of ______________.

I’ll let you fill in the blank. You have a lifetime to fulfill it.

Peace

How He Loves…Still?

Today during worship they did the song by John Mark McMillian (sloppy wet kiss) which David Crowder Band covered (unforeseen kiss). I prefer unforeseen kiss as the lyric, but there’s a beautiful imagery of God’s unabashed love for us with the strange words sloppy wet.

As we were singing “How He loves us” as an exclamation, I couldn’t help but add a question mark instead.

How He loves us?

How does the God of love and goodness love us when we are not loving or good?

How does the God of mercy and compassion bestow His unconditional love on us when we are ruthless and unkind?

How does the God of peace and faithfulness show His unending love on us when we are worrisome and wishy-washy?

How does the God of all this and so much more love us who are not even close to measuring up to His standard?

How does God love us?

Because it’s not about what we can do to earn His love. He loves despite our shortcomings and magnified flaws. He loves even through our unrighteous causes and smear campaigns. He loves even though we are unclean and still playing in the mud.

My mind cannot grasp the depths of His love.

My mind cannot understand it because if I am truly honest with myself, I know I don’t deserve it.

My good deeds. My servitude. My offerings and giving. My worship and prayer. My studying and teaching. My measly sacrifices.

None of these gain one more ounce of His love, because He already loves me. God cannot give more love tomorrow than He gave yesterday, because His love is constant. His love is not a rainstorm that either sprinkles or downpours, but like the consistency in the tides of the ocean. Each tide rushes over all of me, sweeping me away with His powerful love.

He loves not because of what I can do to show Him my love, but He loves to show me His love first.

“We love because He first loved us.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

So, how does He love us?

Because He just does.

Oh, how He loves us.

Peace

Ready for the Ice Storm and So Much More than Weather

Well, I live in an area along with many other states that are prepping for the winter storm that is barreling through the US.

Snow, sleet, and ice, oh my.

It’s interesting how people react in moments like this.

Grocery store – buy all the essentials such as bread, milk and cheese puffs. Check

Hardware store – buy a snow shovel, flashlight and silver bullets. Check

Charged all my devices – Heaven forbid I don’t have Candy Crush or Facebook to entertain me. Check.

Wear layers incase heat goes out because I’m too lazy to put on another blanket. Check.

We have our list of things we do in case of an emergency, but it takes a crisis to see what is important.

Yet, technically, everyday we should live like this. Not wrestling a grandma to the floor for the last box of Frosted Flakes, but living with the realization that each day is precious and we should appreciate what we have.

No one wants to lose power, have their pipes freeze, get their house damaged from a collapsed roof from the weight of the snow, but we don’t think about these precious commodities on a mild day. We don’t see the blessings under our roof on a sunny day. We don’t see the gifts given when life is going good.

It takes a crisis to realize the important things in life.

But the most important thing is our own life. It is so fleeting and unpredictable. It can be gone and over before you know, with no heads up of prepping for a crisis. No last minute calls to loved ones. No famous last words remembered for years to come. No second chances and do overs.

You only have one life to do it right. And sadly, many people don’t like to think about the second after you take your last breath.

Some may think they are going to Heaven if they lived a good life. Some may think there is nothing but a void or nothingness. Some may think Heaven is Peter taking the admission ticket at the pearly gates like going to the movies and seeing the latest Spider-Man.

Yet sadly, many people think they will have time to prepare for their last dance as if we are given a timeline or expiration date on the sole of our feet.

We don’t know when our end is, but we each are aware we have one.

Are you living with anticipation, ready with your candles and batteries for when you are called home? Or are you living with the notion of last minute, deathbed confessionals?

If you’re the latter, I wish you consider your deathbed could be tonight and then live like a once deadman walking tomorrow with a new outlook on life.

Life is so much better when you have something worth living and dying for.

Do you? If interested, message me.

Peace

Can a church Be a Cult?

I have had a weird fascination with cults for many years. When I was younger I would research about the obscure religions that the masses proclaimed as cults.

But the interesting thing is cult followers never think they are in a cult.

Well, one religion has always fascinated me with their strange antics, strategically rehearsed procedures and unusual philosophy. Well, I have recently stumbled upon a podcast and television show displaying the fallout of former followers.

And it has sucked me in.

As I watch or listen, I cannot help but think, “How did they not get out faster? How did they not see the sham? Why did they follow this charismatic leader for so long?”

As I was listening, it hit me.

“Does the world see my faith as a cult?”

I have often heard unbelievers say Jesus was a cult leader. He was charismatic, he required complete devotion, he put on theatrics, he spoke in riddles, he went against the norm.

But even though there are many things that show warning signs of cult like behavior, I have to hold firm that He wasn’t a cult leader. He was a Good Leader.

If you look at other cults throughout history, the cult leaders killed followers who fled from their fold, despised those who condemned their teaching, brainwashed followers with smoke and mirror illusions, and eventually all died.

Jesus is different in that He is the only one who followed through with his statement of raising to life after death. Many other leaders have claimed this same statement, but none of them have followed through with it after their passing.

So I can firmly say The Church is not a cult.

But I can also firmly say some churches are a cult.

That may sound contradictory, but the church and The Church are two different bodies.

The Church is the collective body of believers around the world with different denominations, but still follow the same underlying foundation and creed of Christianity.

Whereas the church is a small group of people who possibly misconstrue the meaning of the Gospels and put their own spin on Christ teachings. Little c church could be a church across town, a little country gathering, or a large mega church across the country.

The church is when a human says what can or cannot be done with demanding force and either accolades or punishment. Whereas The Church is when God says what can or cannot be done with grace, love and justice.

In the New Testament, the new believers are warned against teachings that are not sound doctrine. They are warned against teachers and preachers who boast of themselves. They are with warned not to follow those that easily deceive with cunning words and propaganda.

Sadly, there are some churches of the Christian faith that are embodiments of a cult.

And sadly, the people in those institutions cannot see the fallacy in their beliefs.

So, be on your guard. Ask questions. Don’t follow blindly to the teachings you hear from the pulpit. Study for yourself. Test the character of the leaders in your church. Keep a watchful eye of things done and know that The Church is not a home of secrets, but a Beacon of Light and Transparency.

If you cannot say your church is following what Christ said, then I strongly urge you to examine it more closely. And if you do not feel good about your results, it is time to leave the church and find The Church.

It is not too late.

I hope no one is unknowingly in a cult. But sadly, if you knew you were in a cult, you probably wouldn’t be there. Because no one ever says they are in a cult…until they are ready to get out of it.

This may have been a strange post, but it’s been on my heart. Find Christ and you won’t go wrong in finding His Church.

Peace

One Question for God

Today in church we were asked an interesting question that caused me to look down the rabbit hole.

If you could ask God one question what would you ask?

There are many questions I think we sometimes ask ourselves and we walk away without an answer.

Why is there pain?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

How was the world created in 6 days?

Why create Lucifer if You knew he was going to turn?

Could you have not created another way for salvation than Christ’s sacrificial death?

So many questions and these are just a few that popped into my head just now.

So, if you were face to face with God, what question would you ask?

That is a heavy question and one that shouldn’t be passed over lightly like some talk show banter.

If you take a moment and reflect, it may show you more about yourself than the answer you are seeking.

Now that you may have a question:

Would your perspective of God change based on His answer?

If your perspective would change, who are you worshipping? A man made image of the god you want Him to be or the true God?

We will not always like the answers God gives us, but that doesn’t mean He isn’t right. We probably cannot see from the perspective that God is able to see from. We can only see from our perspective and we are missing a lot of the picture.

We may never know the answer to our most sought after question, but it’s still an interesting thing to consider.

May we never cease in asking questions.

And May we never cease in looking toward Him for the answers.

Peace

Let me know your questions…I think it would be interesting to hear what other people long to know.

Dedication – How Dedicated Are You?

I was at the gym the other night running on the treadmill and I noticed some extremely fit people working out. Then I thought, “wow, they are really dedicated.”

Then I looked at myself and thought…I’m not that dedicated.

We all will not look like Ryan Reynolds, but he doesn’t look like that all the time. When he has a movie role he dedicates himself to get ready for his role.

The rest of the world isn’t that fortunate to have a personal chef or trainer whose sole purpose is to get us shredded for a movie.

He is dedicated for the part.

But we are all dedicated at something.

Take a listen to my podcast where I dig deeper into dedication.

Peace

https://anchor.fm/eric-suddoth5/episodes/Dedication—How-dedicated-are-you-e1dihuk

Also listen to it on Spotify and Apple Podcast.

The Cut Down

The other day I saw a Facebook post from a prominent Christian ministry where they were slandering other pastors and preachers.

These pastors were not embroiled in any recent scandals. There were no secret pasts that have suddenly rocked their congregation. There were no devious schemes of embezzlement or fraud. There were no adulterous relationships or unwholesome videos surfacing.

They are just pastors that some people do not agree with for various reasons.

Is cutting down fellow believers right?

I cannot help but think, but wasn’t it the Pharisees that cutdown others when they didn’t agree with them? Wasn’t it the Pharisees that thought they were better and tried to point out peoples flaws? Wasn’t it the Pharisees that missed the love and grace of Jesus because He taught in a way that was different.

Are we living in a world of Pharisees still?

The sad thing is, they don’t know they are Pharisees. They think they are good, Christ following believers pointing out the supposed flaws of others.

The Pharisees were constantly trying to find flaws in Christ. Gasps…did he just heal on the sabbath? Gasps…did he just forgive sins. Gasps…did he just touch a leper? Gasps…did he just have dinner with that scoundrel?

Gasps.

Jesus did all that and more. He didn’t worry about pleasing the Pharisees because He knew they were not in the right.

Yet, the Pharisees continued to try to find fault until they crucified him.

I know there are some pastors that are not living the way they should as being a leader in a church. But calling out a pastor or group of pastors in a slanderous way to better yourself is far from the Christian thing to do.

If you disagree with someone you are not supposed to broadcast it for everyone to see. You are supposed to go to that person one on one.

Mature people handle situations delicately to help the other person. Foolish people handle it without care of the other person or even to hurt them.

Jesus didn’t tell us to slander our fellow brothers and sisters. We are to encourage, lift up, discipline (in the right way), grow closer, and watch out for one another.

I wonder what God thinks when He sees His Church cutting down on one another? I wonder if He sees memories of when His Son was cut down to die a blameless death in each of our careless tweets or posts?

When are we going to learn?

If you care more about what your church family thinks of you than acting ridiculous for the sake of saving someone, you may be a Pharisee.

If you think you are better than someone else because you are better at following the “churchy” rules, you may be a Pharisee.

If you care more about memorizing verses and having Bible studies in the church than reaching out to a lost world, you may be a Pharisee.

If you gasp at someone, you may be a Pharisee.

Now that you see you are one, what are you going to do?

Lay down your ax or sharpen it?

Peace

Don’t Worry – What Does That Look Like

Tonight I was listening to Genesis 15. This is the chapter when God is talking to Abraham about his children…children he didn’t have yet.

“Then God’s Message came: “Don’t worry, he won’t be your heir; a son from your body will be your heir.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭15:4‬ ‭MSG‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/97/gen.15.4.MSG

Many know the story that Abraham and Sarah were childless. They were old and didn’t expect to have any children.

Yet, God said, “Don’t worry…”

On the last blog post Jesus told Jairus to trust Him. In essence He telling him to not worry.

It is interesting how throughout the Bible God tells His people on multiple occasions to have faith, don’t worry, trust Him, obey His commands, wait, be still, hold on, and be patient.

God could immediately cause Sarah to be with child. God could instantly raise Christ from the dead moments after His death. God could have suddenly released His people from slavery and bondage. He could have in a blink healed Job of his afflictions.

But He didn’t.

He still doesn’t.

Yes, there are times when the blind receives their sight in a blink. When the x-rays do not show the large growth anymore. When a sudden surge in blessings rains heavy.

If God created the world in a snap, He could easily cause your world to be fixed in a snap.

But it doesn’t always work that way.

Sometimes He says to wait.

Sometimes He whispers of what blessings lie ahead.

Sometimes He sings of the mercy that will come.

Sometimes He sits silently beside your hospital bed and holds your hand, gripping it for you to hold on a little longer.

The interesting thing with Abraham is he immediately believed God would fulfill His promise. He would have descendants so large in number that he would not be able to count. He wasn’t worried that God would fail him.

Do we have this type of faith? Faith that when the current situation looks bleak and dreary, even though God is telling you the sun will eventually rise?

Do you believe Him?

I love that Abraham trusted Him. Because Abraham is no different than anyone of us. If he trusted God, so can we. If he didn’t worry, so can we.

But God goes on and says something else not so heartwarming.

“God said to Abram, “Know this: your descendants will live as outsiders in a land not theirs; they’ll be enslaved and beaten down for 400 years. Then I’ll punish their slave masters; your offspring will march out of there loaded with plunder. But not you; you’ll have a long and full life and die a good and peaceful death. Not until the fourth generation will your descendants return here; sin is still a thriving business among the Amorites.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭15:13-16‬ ‭MSG‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/97/gen.15.13-16.MSG

God will bless Abraham, but his descendants will not have the same luxury.

Many times when we read the Bible and we see these large periods of oppression. 400 years in slavery, 600 years when God was silent before the birth of Christ, years and years of war and fighting.

It’s hard to wrap my mind around these years of hardship because I have only known my 40 years of freedom.

If God said, “Don’t worry, Eric, but a war is going to break out. You will lose everything. You will become a prisoner for 400 years. But then…then your descendants will have freedom.” How would you react?

Would you lose your faith in the God who controls the tides and guides the geese to fly south in the winter? Would you want to stop worshipping the One who breathed life into your lungs when you know the going is going to get really tough? Would you want to dismiss God’s word and try to fix it before it’s too late?

Once again, God could have kept His people from being slaves in Egypt. But He didn’t. He just told them to not worry.

To trust Him.

You may be in your Egypt. You may be in your time of silence. You may be on your Damascus road. You may be in your whales belly.

And I say these words as compassionate as possible, “Don’t worry.”

The God of the mountaintop is still the God of the valley.

The God of the morning light is still the God of the midnight hour.

The God of the healing is still the God of the affliction.

The God of the blessed is still the God of the cursed.

We can pick and choose when to trust God, but we shouldn’t. We should always trust Him.

We can set boundaries and keep God is a box in our lives, but we shouldn’t. He doesn’t deserve that punishment.

May we learn to not worry even when life falls apart. Because even when we fall, we will always be caught by Him. Who knows, a blessing may be right behind the pain.

I love the chorus in The Valley Song by Jars of Clay https://youtu.be/NvZFynN–NA

I will sing of Your mercy
That leads me through valleys of sorrow
To rivers of joy

Peace