Tim Young's Blog, page 5

Why People Dislike “Christians” And How To Change That

If you’ve spent any time reading the stories shared in the Bible, you see that the early Christians had a major impact on the world around them and truly left a legacy. The question I want to explore is, what kind of impact are we having on the world?

Yes, there are many “called by His name” that are being used by God to change hearts and change lives, but too many are bashing those He came to redeem. Bashing people because of the color of their skin, their race, beliefs and yes…sexual orientation. Bashing people for their political views or affiliations; Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, etc. Basically, bashing a world that doesn’t line up with a distorted “Christian view”. It doesn’t take much courage to label people; to categorize them based on the way they look, talk, if they drink, use profanity or what kind of music they listen to. Somewhere along history’s timeline, since Jesus set the narrative, we’ve made Christianity more about mass producing a church-going-whitewashed-perfect-holier-than-thou-we-are-better-than-the-non-believer tribe instead of meeting the brokenness of humanity right where it’s at.

Is any of this awe inspiring?

Remember the woman caught in adultery? or the women at the well?

To be a follower of Jesus Christ is to love God and others. He said it Himself, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” I don’t know about you, but I do this very imperfectly!

It’s tough to live out this high calling, to love ALL people while holding contempt for so many of them…isn’t it. If we truly want to wave the banner of Jesus Christ to a lost and hurting world, we need to drop the attitude… and man up with some good old courage and boldness (of course speaking the truth in love). Actions bring life to words and we need to inspire a bit more! Instead of dictating to the world how they should live, why don’t we start by showing them how to live by living it out and demonstrating it in our own lives. The problem is that many of us don’t live out the lives we impose on others and we just don’t inspire — at all! Don’t believe me? …ask your kids how amped up they are about the whole Jesus thing.

Ok, where am I going with this?

In the books of Acts we read about a version of Christianity that was — awe inspiring! It was so awe inspiring that people from all different backgrounds would pause, take notice and pay attention. The story kicks off in the 4th chapter of Acts, which took place about 2 months after Jesus was crucified.

On their way to the temple to pray, Peter and John crossed paths with a beggar who had been lame from birth. As they pass by, this man asks them for some money and gets something unexpected. Peter and John did not have any money to give the man, so instead they heal him! Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” That is just awesome!

Of course this causes quite a commotion and as a crowd gathers, Peter decides to preach about Jesus…in the temple! The preaching amps up, the crowd gets louder and louder and then, the temple authorities show up to disperse the crowd. After recent events, the “church elite” wanted to put a lid on the “Jesus narrative” by arresting them and throwing them in jail. Keep in mind that Peter and John were arrested by the same gang that arrested Jesus.

The next day the “church elite” brings in the big guns of the Sanhedrin to confront rabble rousers. They brought Peter and John before the kangaroo court and basically say to them, “what is up with you guys and why can’t you just leave this Jesus thing alone?!” Keep in mind that Peter and John were in front of the same gang that had Jesus crucified.

So Peter and Paul started bashing them and eventually back down, right?

Nope…Peter starts preaching about Jesus! In fact, he gets up in their grill and says, “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.” In front of this group who can determine their fate, Peter ends his narrative with something extremely offensive to them, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Wow…talk about courage…talk about boldness!

Look, Peter and John have seen their friend and teacher; arrested without fault, beaten to a pulp, die on a cross, buried in a tomb…and a few days later met up with him on a beach for some breakfast. Think about this for a minute…if you walked with a man that went through what Jesus did you would do stuff like they did too. Peter and John may have had their doubts before Jesus went to the cross, but seeing a dead man rise kind of had an impact on them. All doubt was replaced with belief!

When the members of the Sanhedrin saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. Acts 4 goes on to say; so they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. So Peter and Paul started bashing them and eventually back down, right?

Nope…Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to Him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Again, wow…talk about courage…talk about boldness!

After further threats they let Peter and John go. Wow, not sure about you but seeing that display of courage and boldness…sign me up!

So stop with the judge, jury and executioner attitude and start inspiring people the way Peter and John did. Jesus didn’t call us to bash humanity, He told us to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything He [Jesus] has commanded. Folks, be more like Jesus and remember…the truth of the gospel will always find a way when the time is right!

Sure you’re going to meet opposition like Peter and John did, but stand your ground. Rest assured that as you step into what God is calling you into, you will face intimidation. There will be those who will speak down to you in an effort to make you feel small, but to inspire a generation, you cannot shrink back in such times. If you do, you are playing into the devil’s hands because he wants to stop God’s plans coming to pass; but shrinking back will only cause you to lose your effectiveness. Armor up and move out onto the battlefield!

Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate.
—Unknown

The people of early church had a confidence, a boldness that was firmly grounded in the resurrection of Jesus Christ! Because they believed that Jesus rose from the dead…they were fearless! When you find yourself tracking in this direction, something awesome happens in you…you become more self-less, more compassionate and more generous. You inspire!

May you have the confidence in the risen Savior! May you get close to Jesus, be grounded in His word, refuse to shrink back….and give the world something to turn their heads and say wow…I want to be a part of this!

Base Image credit: Chess – Pixaby. Free for commercial use.

                  

The Most Epic Quotes From Braveheart

Mel Gibson’s Braveheart is the story of the Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace who led revolt against King Edward I of England during the 13th century. Although some of the historical fact might have been infused with a bit of Hollywood license, the movie was nonetheless…epic! There were awesome battle scenes fought without relying on CG, there was the film’s romantic emotional-tugging soundtrack and the epic theme of courage.

Yeah, this is one of those inspiring movies that will watch over-and-over again, but one of most inspiring elements of the movie are the timeless quotes about freedom, passing the mantle, and epic courage. Here are some of my favorites:

Young William: I can fight.


Malcolm Wallace: I know. I know you can fight. But it’s our wits that make us men.

   


Malcolm Wallace: Your heart is free. Have the courage to follow it.

   


William Wallace: Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you’ll live… at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin’ to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take… OUR FREEDOM!

   


William Wallace: We all end up dead, it’s just a question of how and why.

William Wallace: There’s a difference between us. You think the people of this country exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom. And I go to make sure that they have it.

William Wallace: Now tell me, what does that mean to be noble? Your title gives you claim to the throne of our country, but men don’t follow titles, they follow courage. Now our people know you. Noble, and common, they respect you. And if you would just lead them to freedom, they’d follow you. And so would I

   


William Wallace: Before we let you leave, your commander must cross that field, present himself before this army, put his head between his legs, and kiss his own arse.

   


Robert the Bruce: Lands, titles, men, power, nothing.


Robert’s Father: Nothing?


Robert the Bruce: I have nothing. Men fight for me because if they do not, I throw them off my land and I starve their wives and their children. Those men who bled the ground red at Falkirk, they fought for William Wallace, and he fights for something that I never had. And I took it from him, when I betrayed him. I saw it in his face on the battlefield and it’s tearing me apart.


Robert’s Father: All men betray. All lose heart.


Robert the Bruce: I don’t want to lose heart. I want to believe as he does.

   


William Wallace: Every man dies, not every man really lives.

   


Magistrate: The prisoner wishes to say a word.


William Wallace: Freeeedommm!

Image credit: Braveheart. © Icon Entertainment International.

                  

31 Specific Prayers for Your Children

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. —1 Corinthians 16:13

For Dad (or Mom), here is a prayer list you can use to pray for your kids!

1) Pray that your child will come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

2) Pray that your child will have a healthy fear of the Lord.

3) Pray that your child will have a heart for the lost.

4) Pray that your child will love obedience.

5) Pray that your child will develop godly character.

6) Pray that your child will love and want to live God’s Word.

7) Pray that your child will recognize God’s voice.

8) Pray that your child will love learning.

9) Pray that your child has an appetite for truth.

10) Pray that your child will love the things God loves.

11) Pray that your child will hate the things that God hates.

12) Pray that your child has a good work ethic.

13) Pray that your child will be protected.

14) Pray that your child will make godly friends.

15) Pray that your child will find a godly spouse.

16) Pray that your child will respect authority.

17) Pray that your child will want to honor God in his or her activities.

18) Pray that your child will want to glorify God.

19) Pray that your child will discover, develop, and practice their spiritual gifts.

20) Pray that your child will love to serve.

21) Pray that your child will trust the Lord wholeheartedly.

22) Pray that your child will be bold in sharing truth.

23) Pray that your child will be compassionate.

24) Pray that your child will value humility.

25) Pray that your child will make healthy choices physically.

26) Pray that your child will have a strong discernment for good and evil.

27) Pray that your child will have an eternal perspective.

28) Pray that your child will daily have worship and praise on their lips.

29) Pray that your child will pray with a listening ear.

30) Pray that your child will stand firm, even when the only one standing.

31) Pray that your child will grow and mature in their walk and devotion to Jesus.

Download this list: 31 Specific Prayers for Your Children.

Daily devotional by Pastor Greg Laurie. Copyright ©2013 by Harvest Ministries. All Rights Reserved.

Base photo credit:Unsplash. By Ben White.

                  

Moving Forward…Together

It was a beautiful summer’s evening at the Danversport Yacht Club accented with a magnificently painted sunset brushed by God Himself. The sounds of merriment from the family wedding faded into the background as I walked out into the parking lot with my cousin.

As we meandered through the maze of cars in the parking lot, our “shallow man” talk began to make an abrupt course correction. Like a mysterious wind coming out of nowhere, my cousin began to open up, sharing the dark road he was traveling and the impact it was having on his family. The wound was deep, but the shame kept him silent for years. He was an absolute mess and wow…I had no idea.

Men are taught over and over when they are boys that a wound that hurts is shameful.
—Robert Bly (Iron John)

Here was the rub…

I too was walking a dark road and never thought I would meet up with another family member on that very same road. I so wanted to refocus the attention on me, but something inside me knew that this meet up was not about me.

As my cousin began to unpack the baggage he was carrying, my struggles began to fade into the backdrop. I listened to his narrative, I shared from my heart and gave him a great big bear hug. That day, I began to walk it out with him despite dragging my own baggage along.

My eyes began to mist up (I mean sweating from my eyes) with sadness, hope and joy. It was a whirlpool of emotions which allowed me to experience the depth of this road we were both walking. It was for different reasons, but nonetheless a dark road.

My cousin paused and ask if I was ok. I replied that I was ok and then spoke the word “Longsuffering”. My cousin replied, “Longsuffering? What? What do you mean?”

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22-23). Remember that verse? Longsuffering means patiently enduring wrongs or difficulties. This is so woven into our narratives right now.

Life is full of those, isn’t it?

It is. God never promised us that life would be easy, but He did promise to walk it out with us. Is walking through divorce fun? Not at all, it actually sucks! Nonetheless, I’m thankful that God cares enough to walk it out with me. About the bad times…it’s not about blaming someone, or something, for them. It’s about leaning into God with a heart of gratitude that He will be there to help you through the darkness.

I shared with my cousin that all you have to do is ask Him, and He will walk it out with you. Like a parent hearing a child call out in pain, God comes running!

When we finally come to grips that life will give us more than we can handle, we can find a promise that God is faithful to meet up with us on our dark road of pain. Yeah, I faced many days walking down the road of life that seemed to consist fighting through tumultuous storms rather than gentle strolls in a summer’s breeze.

When life punches you in the face and become unbearable, we need to be willing to walk alongside one another. When we do this, we can be with one another in the midst of suffering, helping each other carry the weight of it all.

When we are willing to camp out in the pain, to walk it out with one another when life’s path is difficult and to shoulder one another’s burdens when they are too heavy; we become living proof that while life can sometimes be too much, through the goodness of our loving of God displayed within us, we can move forward together.

Image credit: Photobucket. Free for commercial use.

                  

Authentic Men Are Warriors Who Protect, Not Rape!

Perusing through my feeds, I came across a story about four young men who demonstrated authentic manhood. Four skateboarders (Arnaud Nimenya, Carsyn Wright, James Hielema and Starlyn Rivas-Perez) displayed courage and bravery when they stepped into a horrific situation where a man was sexually assaulting a woman. They not only stopped the attack by scaring him off…they pursued him and held him down until police arrived to arrest him.

I remember earlier this year, another horrific story of rape, where Stanford University varsity swimmer Brock Turner was convicted for sexually assaulting a woman on campus behind a dumpster. The impact letter of the victim (known as 23-year-old “Emily Doe”) is gut wrenching, but she highlights two men from Sweden who demonstrated authentic manhood. They noticed what was going on,they intervened and tackled Brock…ending the assault.

No self-respecting man would stand by and let anyone mistreat a woman…he would take swift action to defend her.

You took away my worth, my privacy, my energy, my time, my intimacy, my confidence, my own voice, until today…
—Emily Doe

Let me be clear, authentic men DO NOT rape (or harm in any way) women, they PROTECT them!

As boys take their journey into manhood, it’s so critical that they have a man with a solid moral compass to sherpa them along the way. Young men will be confronted on every front to make life choices that will define them. It’s such an awesome testament when a man chooses integrity and abstains from doing wrong when the temptation is great and opportunity is abundant.

All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
—Edmund Burke

When a man has an intersection with evil, the easiest thing for him to do is to do nothing. As an authentic man, you are the warrior who has been charged with the duty of pushing back against the evil that seeks to prey on your wife, daughters, and yes your sons. Guys…if you don’t rise up and confront evil, who will?

Men, do you actively talk to your sons about peer pressure realities such as; dating, sex, pornography, alcohol, and the crazy stuff culture is throwing at them? Do you actively demonstrate to your daughters how a young man is to take care of them, what they should expect from a guy, and how to deal with sexual overtures? Do you intentionally meet with their dates and make it clear that you expect him to keep his hands off your daughter?

Let’s huddle up gents so we can bring it all back in. For every male who wants to violate and dispose of a woman like a worthless rag doll, there is a man who will cherish her for the treasure she is, recognizing her as a daughter of the most High King. As men, it’s our job to protect women regardless of what they’re wearing or how much they had to drink. Authentic men are warriors who protect, not rape. Authentic men are warriors with battlefield vision to assess dangers that are coming so he can always be prepared, because he is never off duty.

I know this article won’t just end the awful rape culture that exists in humanity, but I hope it’s a punch in the eye to fathers out there that they have an important role in the upbringing of their sons. So let there be controversy, let there be discussion and let people everywhere never forget what is happening to our women by these predators!

Again, authentic men DO NOT rape women and BETTER men don’t stay quiet.

Guys, our Heavenly Father designed us with a moral code to confront evil wherever it rears its ugly head. To stand for truth and embrace the standards of authentic manhood. When men don’t embrace these beliefs they become neutered by culture’s narrative and won’t step forward to protect. In the absence of authentic men pushing back against evil, the culture will continue its downward spiral becoming increasingly shameless.

Do not be overcome by evil…step up and overcome evil with good. Arnaud Nimenya, Carsyn Wright, James Hielema, Starlyn Rivas-Perez and the two men from Sweden; in a culture that sadly encourages casual sex, demeaning women and rape culture, we salute you for stepping up and showing us that there are still good authentic men out there!

Image credit:Knight To God Quotes. QuotesGram. Wallpaper Zone © 2016. Labeled For Reuse.

                  

Helpful Resources For Life’s Journey

Hey traveler this is not the typical article you might expect here on Heartstone Journey, but wanted to get some of the Heartstone resources out in front of you. Everyone needs great resources and here are some that I use, recommend and some that may help you on your own life journey.

Note: Some of these resources are free, and some aren’t. Those that are paid resources are affiliate products or services, meaning if you buy them, I get a commission at no extra cost to you. Please know that I have personal experience with the resources I share, which is why I recommend them.

Series

Sometimes it’s tough to fully cover a topic with just one article. Sometimes you need to go deeper and write a series of articles on core topics. I invite you to read these series here on Heartstone Journey!

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Podcast Archive

This is a growing archive of radio segments and other cool stuff. These podcasts are dedicated to helping you live courageously from your heart. Remember, it’s about the journey and the journey is the destination!

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Heartstone Poetry is a compilation of all the poetry I share in Heartstone with a few extras not in the book. You can get the eBook for FREE when you sign up to receive my blog posts via e-mail.

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Preview 45% of Heartstone

Heartstone: A Journey out of the midnight of my soul. Heartstone is a journey of destiny, a story of a life turned upside-down for the best possible reason. Step into the story and discover what happens when a broken life has a head on collision with a broken world! This book isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s for those who have the courage to face life head on and walk it out with God!

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Book Recommendations

These are the books that have impacted me the most in my personal/business spaces and also have a couple of my own. These lists change so check back.

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Quote Cards

Browse my complete collection of quote card images. These are shareable and inspirational quotes you can share with others.

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My Tools

People often ask me about the tools I use in my personal and professional life. I thought it would be a good idea to write up an article and share what tools I have in my toolbox and a brief description of each of them. This list will change over time as my needs change and as I learn about new tools so stop by from time to time.

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We Walk As Lions

Followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to live a life that actively demonstrates to others the worth of the gospel. If the Lion of Judah is running before you, let your life be a billboard for how valuable the gospel is and show that the effect it will have on the life of those who believe it is — fearlessness. Philippians 1:27–28 tells us to; “lead a life worthy of the gospel so that when I come I may find that you stand firm, unafraid of any of your opponents.” One of the ways that our lives can demonstrate the worth of the gospel is when the gospel makes “us walk as lions” — courageous and unafraid.

The righteous are the ones who trust in the Lord — the ones who have faith and place their hope on the mercy, power and wisdom of God. These are the ones who are free from fear. These are the ones whose hearts no longer condemn them (1 John 3:21). These are the ones that are right with God, because of His grace and not because of their merit. And their boldness with God (and with men) demonstrates the worth and the value of the gospel (Hebrews 4:2, 6).

Here’s a song from Skillet’s album ‘Unleashed’ to encourage you…righteous warriors of God!

[Verse 1]


Today we live, today we breathe


Today we know that we are strong when we are weak


Today we trust, we overcome


Take every chain that kept us slaves and throw em’ off

[Pre-Chorus]


We’re not waiting for permission


We defy our inhibition


Like our middle name is “fearless”


Unafraid

[Chorus]


If we’re gonna fly, we fly like eagles


Arms out wide


If we’re gonna fear, we fear no evil


We will rise


By your power, we will go


By your spirit, we are bold


If we’re gonna stand, we stand as giants


If we’re gonna walk, we walk as lions


We walk as lions

[Verse 2]


Today is ours, it’s always been


Before we face the fight


We know who’s gonna win


We live by faith and not by sight


We don’t want safe and quiet


We don’t wanna run and hide

[Pre-Chorus 2]


This is not an intermission


It’s our time, not gonna miss it


You’ve already called us fearless


Unafraid

[Chorus]


If we’re gonna fly, we fly like eagles


Arms out wide


If we’re gonna fear, we fear no evil


We will rise


By your power, we will go


By your spirit, we are bold


If we’re gonna stand, we stand as giants


If we’re gonna walk, we walk as lions


We walk as lions

[Bridge]


Oh, everywhere we go


The battle has been won


We know you’ve gone before us


So, we take it hard in faith


With every step we take


We know we’ll rise victorious

[Chorus]


If we’re gonna fly, we fly like eagles


Arms out wide


If we’re gonna fear, we fear no evil


We will rise


By your power, we will go


By your spirit, we are bold


If we’re gonna stand, we stand as giants


If we’re gonna walk, we walk as lions


We walk as lions

“The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion,” because their conscience is made clean by the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ where there is no condemnation. May the gospel of God’s free righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 1:17, Philippians 3:19) take us captive and radically free us from the fears of life, so that we can rise up and walk as lions for the sake of the gospel!

                  

Is God A Crutch For The Weak?

I recently shared a post across my social spaces with a quote card of a lion and the words, ‘Once you become fearless, you become limitless’ on it. The post narrative was from 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Didn’t take long to receive this as the first comment: LOL! “God” is for the weak!

Let’s explore this a bit…

Many believe that “religion” is designed for people who are incapable of dealing with the turbulence of life. Karl Marx even coined the phrase, “Religion is the opiate for the masses”.

The claims of the “God is crutch crowd” only act as an indictment against themselves and showcase their desire to reject God and His claim to their lives, which is definitely a choice. But, God asks that people recognize their true desires and offers Himself in the place of the false hope of this world that they cling to.

God is a crutch? Yeah, well, not believing in God is a coma.
—Brad Stine

Leaders like George Washington, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King, Jr…to name a few; well known military figures like Chris Kyle (American Sniper), Marcus Luttrell (Lone Survivor) and Kris “Tanto” Paranto (13 hours); or any other leader/athlete/famous Christian you may know….all embraced Christianity. What about them? Are they weak?

We don’t hear much about it in the media, especially in this country where we are able to worship freely, but more Christians are being martyred around the world today than at any time in history. Huge numbers are being tortured, placed in jails, and under forced labor. Amazingly, many aren’t even asking fellow Christians for prayer to stop the persecution, but simply for the strength to endure through it. All of these Christians could have avoided the suffering and death by simply renouncing their faith. Does that sound weak?

Check this fact out. Roman law prohibited anyone from touching a dead body except to bury that body, but Galenus (a second century Roman physician) was able to study the dying mangled bodies of those who were martyred for their faith. And he wrote, “For fearlessness of death and the hereafter is something we witness in (these Christians) every day.” Does that sound weak?

We all know the story of Jesus and His brutal destiny with the cross. Yes, He asked His heavenly Father if there was another way, but once God’s will was locked-n-loaded, Jesus set His face ‘like flint’ and faced the cross. He looked right in the face of sin, death and satan – and defeated them all!

Jesus Christ; is bold, He is fearless, He is braver than hell and in the end…He proved to be tougher than nails! Wow, doesn’t sound like weakness at all, does it?

In this space of being fearless, He challenges the heart of everyone by saying, “follow me!” He goes on to say that whoever wants to be My follower, My disciple…and there will come a day or a season where we will have to deny ourselves and pick up our crosses daily. We will have to follow Him when it feels safe and when it doesn’t feel safe. We will have to follow Him when it benefits us and when it costs us.

Of course Jesus understands our need for security, our risk adverseness and that it’s in the heart of a man to want to protect his family; and He still challenges us to face the realities of life head on. In fact, here is what He shares with His disciples (and us): “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body.” Of course, this is easier said than done, right? Well, He tests them…read Matthew 8:23-27. Uncertainty is inevitable, but fear is optional!

Do you have the courage to sign up for this? Is your version of Christianity worth dying for?

Ok, lets bring this all in. The Bible’s statements regarding the fact and evidence of Christ’s resurrection bring comfort and real hope — hope that does not disappoint — and instruct us to walk in a way that trusts God and recognizes our true “weak” position before Him. Once that is done, we become strong, just as Paul said, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10)

When did fearlessness suddenly become fear and worry for so many of us who claim to believe that God is still God and that He’s still on the throne? Followers of Jesus Christ, let’s recapture our boldness. Let’s stop living in fear of the wrong things and start living our lives with the realization that the only One we really have to fear (if we are doing wrong) is God Himself.

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
—Nelson Mandela

So, is God a crutch for the weak? Well not in the way this commenter meant it. Every day we are inevitably parachuting into enemy territory, hoping to survive. We believe the false narrative that we can navigate the difficulties of life without the help of God and that this whole following Jesus thing isn’t for us. But you’ve misidentified your greatest need, because we all need our hearts rescued by Him to live fully alive.

It is only in relationship with Him, under the shadow of His mighty wing where we can begin to live a life without fear!

Image credit: My crutches. By dmitri_66 via Flickr. Labeled for noncommercial reuse with modification.

                  

Why Our Next President Won’t Be The Hope We’re Looking For!

With a nation deeply divided, the political landscape continues to heat up. One camp rooting for Donald Trump and the other camp rooting for Hillary Clinton, with an almost radical zealot zeal.

Have you ever noticed that we as humans continuously want to find a “king”? This is what disturbs me about these political campaigns, especially the election of the next President of the United States. Sure we call the show politics and the players politicians, but deep down inside we are trying to find leadership — a king. You know all the signs advertising the person’s name and crowds are chanting the names of their king-to-be. It’s as if we are working to establish a kingdom here on earth. Of course we show our support for our king-to-be in a non-violent way (wink wink), most of the time. Are you tracking with me?

In a sense we are transferring power from one kingdom to another and inevitability time reveals that all kings end up being the same. They live for their kingdom and not for us, the voters.

There’s something odd about us, isn’t there? Let’s rewind the tape back to ancient times when the people of Israel wanted a king and God tries to debate with them on how bad of an idea this was. God basically tells them that they don’t know what their asking for, but gives them what they want anyways. Here’s the rub…there is something inside all of us that wants to worship something, but we always seem to choose a “king” rather than choosing God.

When Samuel heard their demand — “Give us a king to rule us!” — he was crushed. How awful! Samuel prayed to God. God answered Samuel, “Go ahead and do what they’re asking. They are not rejecting you. They’ve rejected me as their King. From the day I brought them out of Egypt until this very day they’ve been behaving like this, leaving me for other gods. And now they’re doing it to you. So let them have their own way. But warn them of what they’re in for. Tell them the way kings operate, just what they’re likely to get from a king.” -1 Samuel 8:6-9 (MSG)

Ok, let me put it another way. Jesus was celebrated when He entered Jerusalem because there is something hardwired in us to be a part of something bigger than we are. Right?

There is something inside of us that keeps on searching for what’s missing inside of us. What happens is that we create kings, super heroes, idols, celebrity icons and gods. The sad reality of this is that these things draw the worst out of us.

When Jesus strolls into Jerusalem, people wanted Him to be the kind of king that allowed them to be less rather than the king that would call them to be more. They literally expected Him to crush the entire Roman empire! …not save the world.

Ok, here is where I think the scriptures get a bit weird because Jesus rode into the city on a donkey. Seriously, a donkey? Talking about killing an epic moment! Ever had a picture in your mind of a king triumphantly parading into a city on a donkey? Of course not! The picture would be that of the king on a gallant stead with an army behind them, right? …so what gives here?

Let me ask you this. If this is who God really is, what does it say about us?

The dilemma here is that if Jesus came in on a gallant steed He would have the promise of power, authority and fury! He would protect our rights and crush the opposition, right?

It’s violating to us when Jesus redefines our definition of “greatness” to that of humility. It means that if you’re going to trust God with your life perhaps you need to get off of your high horse and get on your donkey. This challenges us at the very core because it requires us to choose a path away from the worldly; fame, self-centeredness, arrogance, violence, etc. To a path of service, self-service, humility and gentleness, etc. The donkey ruins everything, because it changes everything!

This is who Jesus is because it is who God is and it’s what we are to become! I think we want God to become someone that He won’t become. He will never be the one to justify our abuse of power, or our greed, or the darkness that hides within us. He is the God who didn’t come to fight the war we wanted Him to fight, but to fight the war that we didn’t know we could fight!

He didn’t come to conquer nations, empires and to reside in the White House…He came to rescue the human heart!

We’ve all bought into the lie that the only way to win is to defeat everyone else and Jesus is teaching us to sacrifice and serve others. Jesus knew all along that the victory would be found in the defeat. One of the cool things that Jesus reveals to us is that God is not a God who tries to power and rule over us with force and violence, but a God who has come to serve and give us life through His suffering and death. It was on the cross that would bring God to His most powerful moment where He would be crucified, buried and raised from the dead!

As the Israelite’s learned the hard way, the price they paid for their “king” is judged as far less than they will pay for being subject to other nations. What we don’t seem to understand is that God will protect us, if we repent of our sins, cry out for deliverance, and serve Him with our whole heart (2 Chronicles 7:14). Sadly, we’ve convinced ourselves that this is a price to be too high to be paid. We don’t want to give up our idols, “gods” and lifestyles — we don’t want to serve God alone. As a nation we don’t want God as our King, so we seek to replace both God and “lifestyle” by having a “king” like other nations.

To wrap this up…may you find a way to remove the desire to put your hope on earthly kings and focus and orient your heart towards the King of Kings! Our souls long for the God who created us and until that void is filled we will spend our lives creating other kings, other gods and other masters of our souls.

Sure, these are the two candidates we have to choose from (voting is a freedom we enjoy and it’s important!) and one of them will become the next President of the United States, but we need to stop with the “coronation” stuff. In the long run, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump (or any candidate) will leave you wanting and desperate if you put all your hope in them and proclaim them as “king”!

Spend less rooting for your candidate and more time on your knees before God praying for this nation…because that is where our hope will be found! “Put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore” (Psalm 131:3).

Adapted from: The Triumph Of Jesus © MOSAIC LA/Erwin McManus.

Image credit:The Tyranny of King Washington DLC for Assassin’s Creed III. © Ubisoft. Labeled For Reuse.

                  

Chris Kyle

There are three types of people in this world, sheep ,wolves and sheep dogs. Some people prefer to believe that evil doesn’t exist anymore and if evil ever darkened their doorstep they wouldn’t know how to protect themselves ,those are the sheep. Then you have predators they use violence to pray on the sheep, those are the wolves. Then their are those blessed with the gift of aggression to protect the flock, these are the sheepdogs. These men are a rare breed that live to protect the sheep from the wolf. These men never start the fight they step into finish it. These men will protect their own, if anyone tries to bully one of their own that’s when the sheepdog finishes the fight.