WBC: Impact Site

Tragedies such as the 2004 tsunami in Asia, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the 2008 cyclone in Myanmar, and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti cause many people to question God’s goodness. It is distressing that natural disasters are often termed “acts of God” while no “credit” is given to God for years, decades, or even centuries of peaceful weather. God created the whole universe and the laws of nature (Genesis 1:1). Most natural disasters are a result of these laws at work. Hurricanes, typhoons, and tornados are the results of divergent weather patterns colliding. Earthquakes are the result of the earth’s plate structure shifting. A tsunami is caused by an underwater earthquake.

The Bible proclaims that Jesus Christ holds all of nature together (Colossians 1:16-17). Could God prevent natural disasters? Absolutely! Does God sometimes influence the weather? Yes, as we see in Deuteronomy 11:17 and James 5:17. Numbers 16:30-34 shows us that God sometimes causes natural disasters as a judgment against sin. The book of Revelation describes many events which could definitely be described as natural disasters (Revelation chapters 6, 8, and 16). Is every natural disaster a punishment from God? Absolutely not.

In much the same way that God allows evil people to commit evil acts, God allows the earth to reflect the consequences sin has had on creation. Romans 8:19-21 tells us, “The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” The fall of humanity into sin had effects on everything, including the world we inhabit. Everything in creation is subject to “frustration” and “decay.” Sin is the ultimate cause of natural disasters just as it is the cause of death, disease, and suffering.

We can understand why natural disasters occur. What we do not understand is why God allows them to occur. Why did God allow the tsunami to kill over 225,000 people in Asia? Why did God allow Hurricane Katrina to destroy the homes of thousands of people? For one thing, such events shake our confidence in this life and force us to think about eternity. Churches are usually filled after disasters as people realize how tenuous their lives really are and how life can be taken away in an instant. What we do know is this: God is good! Many amazing miracles occurred during the course of natural disasters that prevented even greater loss of life. Natural disasters cause millions of people to reevaluate their priorities in life. Hundreds of millions of dollars in aid is sent to help the people who are suffering. Christian ministries have the opportunity to help, minister, counsel, pray, and lead people to saving faith in Christ! God can, and does, bring great good out of terrible tragedies (Romans 8:28).

Got Questions? The Bible has Answers! We’ll find them for you!
www.GotQuestions.org

For a country who is trying really hard to forget God and convince everyone that He never existed in the first place, its interesting that it presents a marketing frenzy on a topic that begs the question.  Why would it matter what happens to us if we died or the world suddenly ended?  Everyone, no matter who, asks the question, “Isn’t there more than this?”.  Of course there is!  The question would not even come up if there was no God.  There would be absolutely no basis for it whatsoever.  But the fact that there is a God is exactly why His creation is asking how we got here and what our purpose is.  What is it exactly that makes life worth living in a world that is obviously dieing and filled with corruption to its very core?  The answer is easier than most would assume but its simplicity is what keeps some at bay.  Could it really be that the Bible tells the story of the universe and that it is the truth!  It’s an interesting trail to follow if you do the opposite of what the world tells you to do.  First of all, assume that truth does exists and it is found in the one book it tries so desparately to misqoute and cover up.  Then discover that God does exists and that He actually created everything that we see around us.  Before long we discover that God tells the story of the universe and answers all the prevailing questions about who we are, why we are here, and what happened to the world.  Most importantly, we learn exactly how it all ends.  Amazing that the answer can be found so easily and yet remain so elusive to so many.  Since several recent movies have been released the curiosity of a lot of people have raised about how the world will end, and when it will end.  In fact, there is some degree of paranoia in places as people are stock piling much the same way as we saw before turn of this millennia.  It’s understandable to see this as people who have no hope or understanding of God’s truth try to desparately prepare for something they know nothing about.  I can only imagine what that may feel like.  That fact along with what God’s Word tells about His Imminent return is cause for me to have a sense of urgency about getting the word out.

The Bible has a lot to say about the end times. Nearly every book of the Bible contains prophecy regarding the end times. Taking all of these prophecies and organizing them can be difficult. Following is a very brief summary of what the Bible declares will happen in the end times.

Christ will remove all born-again believers from the earth in an event known as the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54). At the judgment seat of Christ, these believers will be rewarded for good works and faithful service during their time on earth or will lose rewards, but not eternal life, for lack of service and obedience (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

The Antichrist (the beast) will come into power and will sign a covenant with Israel for seven years (Daniel 9:27). This seven-year period of time is known as the “tribulation.” During the tribulation, there will be terrible wars, famines, plagues, and natural disasters. God will be pouring out His wrath against sin, evil, and wickedness. The tribulation will include the appearance of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, and the seven seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments.

About halfway through the seven years, the Antichrist will break the peace covenant with Israel and make war against it. The Antichrist will commit “the abomination of desolation” and set up an image of himself to be worshipped in the Jerusalem temple (Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10), which will have been rebuilt. The second half of the tribulation is known as “the great tribulation” (Revelation 7:14) and “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7).

At the end of the seven-year tribulation, the Antichrist will launch a final attack on Jerusalem, culminating in the battle of Armageddon. Jesus Christ will return, destroy the Antichrist and his armies, and cast them into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:11-21). Christ will then bind Satan in the Abyss for 1000 years and He will rule His earthly kingdom for this thousand-year period (Revelation 20:1-6).

At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released, defeated again, and then cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-10) for eternity. Christ then judges all unbelievers (Revelation 20:10-15) at the great white throne judgment, casting them all into the lake of fire. Christ will then usher in a new heaven and new earth and the New Jerusalem—the eternal dwelling place of believers. There will be no more sin, sorrow, or death (Revelation 21–22).  Of course included with this is God’s provision of Salvation to anyone who places their trust in what Jesus did on the cross.  Since I have more than one page explaininig that in detail on this site I have opted to not go into again here.  The point here is simply explain that God tells us the truth and that we do not need to be frigthened or panicked about any movie or event that occurs in the world today.  God provides peace of mind as we look to Him for the answers and rest in the knowledge that He has witheld nothing from us that we need.

It’s always interesting to read something of our past.  Sometimes you learn things, sometimes you remember what you’ve forgotten, yet other times you simply observe how different the times are now.  Thanksgiving hasn’t always been a holiday and its change from its original intent is interesting to me.   It’s been reduced by the same country that declared it to little more than a time off from life to shop, spend time with families, and that has varying depths of meaning for the individuals who celebrate it. Without the understanding of its intent, it is easy to understand why its focus has so easily passed from God to us.  In God’s Word we read what God intended for us, provided for us, and ultimately what’s in store for us in the future.  It’s much more than a history book of stories but very much God’s truth to man of who He is.  I wonder what if I did not live in a country where the founding fathers saw to it to set aside a day each year to give thanks to God.  Would my life be any different?  I suspect that it would be but I cannot help but think that the Psalmists’ declaration found throughout the Psalms: “O Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good…” is something that is to be a part of my life anyway.  So as we lead up to Thanksgiving, maybe as wonderful as it is to be with family and friends, our attention should turn to the One who has given us hope and a future.  So read this with interest as I have and maybe argueing when to put up the decorations and listening to music “at the right time” takes a back seat for just a moment as we turn from tradition to true reflection about something bigger than families getting together, music, and what day we will save a lot of money.

New York, 3 October 1789 

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor–and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me `to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.’

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be — That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks — for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation–for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed–for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted — for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions–to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually — to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed–to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn [sic] kindness onto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord — To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease [sic] of science among them and us — and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

George Washington

Have you ever seen the wind? No, I don’t mean the effects of the wind; I mean the actual wind itself. (Hint: your answer should be no- as it turns out, the wind happens to be invisible). Right, so I don’t meet many people who don’t ‘believe’ in the wind because they can’t see it. Yet these are the same people who don’t believe in the devil and demons simply because they’ve never ’seen’ them. I’ve never seen them, but you can bet I believe in them. The effects of Satan and his demons are more obvious to me than a tornado ripping through the center of town.

Don’t believe me? Turn on the nightly news or check foxnews.com. Murders? Yes. Suicides? Yes. Child abuse? Yes. And on and on. These aren’t random events or just a few instances of bad people being bad. Satan and his servants are alive and active on planet earth, and they would like nothing better than to have you (and the rest of the world) not believe in them. But you do need to believe in him, because He believes in his mission to destroy your life. In fact, you are on his hit list at this very moment.

Let me put it this way: if you had a stalker, would you want to know who it was and what he was up to? Duh! You do have a stalker, and his name is Satan. He commands an army of beings that are hot on your trail. They hate you and they have an awful plan for your life. Maybe that’s why God’s word gives us specific descriptions and defensive plans for dealing with them. Would you like to know what God has said about protecting yourself against the stalkers? (Hint: your answer should be yes - as it turns out, Satan and his demons are real).

First off, you need to know that Satan is a created being. He was created as the most powerful angel of all (Jude 1:9). He had the awesome privilege of hanging out with God and enjoying a special relationship with the King of all Kings. But then a little thing called pride crept in, and things went bad in a hurry. Here’s how the Bible describes it:

You were the perfection of wisdom and beauty. You were in Eden , the garden of God . Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone–red carnelian, chrysolite, white moonstone, beryl, onyx, jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald–all beautifully crafted for you and set in the finest gold. They were given to you on the day you were created. I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian. You had access to the holy mountain of God and walked among the stones of fire.

You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you. Your great wealth filled you with violence, and you sinned. So I banished you from the mountain of God . I expelled you, O mighty guardian, from your place among the stones of fire. Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings. (Ezekiel 28:12-17)

Think about it. Satan was the ultimate “all that” in heaven, but when it went to his head, God had to flex and fling him out of town…way out of town. So every day since that day, Satan has been on a mission to oppose God at every turn. Since he couldn’t destroy God, he has a one-track mind to destroy God’s purposes, plans, and people. He also has quite the volunteer staff as well. Thousands of angels were deceived by him, so when it all went down, they went down as well. What gets really scary is what happened after that.

It goes something like this. God made a perfect world with perfect people. Enter the snake in the Garden of Eden and just like that you have lying, lust, murder, and mayhem as a part of planet Earth. So God sent His one and only Son to the world, and Satan brings his best song and dance to tempt Jesus to sin. When that doesn’t work, he pulls off a masterful plan which ends up getting Christ killed. Oops, that plan didn’t work out so well (talking about Satan’s plan here not God’s, God’s plan always works!).  When Jesus died on the cross, He opened the way to heaven for us and sealed the fate of the devil and his demons.

Which brings us to today. As Christians we are God’s children and the objects of His eternal love, which means that Satan hates us with the intensity of a thousand white-hot hells, which is why he stalks us. Pure and simple, he is out to kill us. That’s what Jesus believed anyway:

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. (John 10:10)

The “thief” referred to here is Satan. He wants to steal your joy, your purpose, even your very life. He does this primarily through temptation and accusation. He tempts you to do selfish, self-destructing things by making them look good. He accuses you of past sins that are forgiven so that you won’t trust God or forgive others (it’s tough to let things go when you feel so guilty yourself). Bottom line: the devil and his demonic army are systematized and organized, so don’t minimize their super-sized power. You, in your own strength, are no match for even the weakest of demons - let alone Satan himself. He and his servants have been dealing with folks like us for at least 4000 years. If he could deceive thousands of angels who lived in the very presence of God, do you think he could trip us up once in a while?

Nobody knows Satan better than God, which is why it would be a pretty smart thing to listen to His advice about how to deal with the stalker.

First, make sure you are protected:

A final word: Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Next, don’t give in to temptation:

Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

Through the power of God, the protection of His armor, and the persistent resistance to temptation on your part, you stand a chance at surviving…

But don’t think your stalker believes that for a minute. Satan and his demons are fallen angels who exist to destroy the plans of God and the people of God. In order to defend ourselves, we must put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6) and resist the devil (James 4:7) in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Concerned. The Apostle Paul tells us to “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour” (1 Peter 5:8, New Living Translation ). Christians who do not take Satan and his demons seriously oftentimes become the catch of the day. It is critical that you pay very close attention to how the devil is attacking you. Sometimes it is through discouragement and disappointment, other times it comes through relationships. More often than not, it starts with a bad attitude that eventually leads to disastrous actions and consequences. I’m not saying that you should suspect a demon behind every negative situation, but I am suggesting that you take the reality of Satan and his demons seriously enough to be on guard and protect yourself. In the words of C.S. Lewis:

“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors…”

So now that you know you are being “stalked”, what are you going to do about it? Let me throw out several options. First, it is of vital importance that you stay incredibly solid in your Bible study. The only thing that Satan and his demons hate more than God is His Word. Satan will tell you it is boring, irrelevant, and that you have time for it later in life. That is a lot like a lion convincing you that your rifle is boring, irrelevant, and that you have plenty of time to defend yourself later. The Bible contains the very words and thoughts of God, so read it - memorize it - and apply it to your life. That’s what Jesus did when Satan tempted him, so what makes you think you don’t need to? As well, remember to pray. If you are constantly communicating with God, Satan has no room to communicate with you.

So here’s your test. How many verses can you quote from memory? How many minutes a day to read Scripture? How many minutes a day do you pray? If you’re like the average Christian, you know five verses, you read Scripture less than 10 minutes a week, and you pray even less. If you’re like the average Christian, you might want to reconsider being that way and get serious about your relationship with the Living God.

“Am I now trying to win the approval of men or God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10)

Most teenagers are involved in an enormous conspiracy. A secret mission engulfs their minds. They think about it during the day and dream about it at night. It is the quiet quest for acceptance, the secret search for significance, otherwise known as the popularity conspiracy.

Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with being popular. As a matter of fact, for much of Jesus’ ministry He was the most popular person in Palestine. Matthew 15:30 tell us that “Great crowds came to him…”

Being popular is not the problem. Being absorbed by it is. When Christian teens become consumed with popularity, their spiritual walk can be poisoned with sin.
They mutate from being God-pleasers into people-pleasers. They stop seeing themselves through the eyes of God and start measuring themselves by the mirrors of the crowds.

In the dusty pages of the Old Testament lurked a man consumed by popularity. His name was Absalom. His father was the famous King David. Deep down in the secret chambers of Absalom’s heart he seethed with jealousy for his dad’s national popularity. So he devised a plan to seize the reigns of recognition from his unknowing father. He stood at the city gates and waited for people to come to the city who desired to gain an audience with the King. When Absalom met these people he would befriend them, listen to their problems and then say ” If only I were appointed judge of the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or a case, should come to me and I would see that he gets justice” (II Samuel 15:4) As a result of his popularity quest “he stole the hearts of the men of Israel” (II Samuel 15:6). In other words, his conspiracy worked… for awhile anyway.

Are you on a secret quest for popularity? Are you like Absolom, longing to hear the applause of others? The popularity conspiracy is a dead end. It ended in the premature death of young Absalom. It will end in disillusionment for you.

Those who bow at the altar of popularity will discover that their commitment to Christ has to take a back seat to their quest to be the best in the eyes of their friends. Their fire for souls will be quenched by the sea of self-absorption.

Don’t buy the lie. The popularity conspiracy is a waste. Be a God-pleaser. Seek his applause alone.

Questions:

1. How important is it for us to be liked by others?
2. How do I compromise my faith in my quest to be popular?
3. What can I do to avoid the “popularity conspiracy?”

A while back, I was reading a friend’s blog when I came across an interesting thought concerning all the quizzes that seem to float around on Facebook at any given moment.  Of course, for the most part, they have amusing value to them, but most are certainly shallow at best and ridiculously off course to our real character at worst.  What caught my attention was that my friend gave a list of questions that they would want to know about someone.  The style of clothes, culinary taste, and humorous quirks about a particular person has it’s place, but what this list entails is much more valuable and seems to really define someone at thier core.   I’ve always had fun with quizzes and even participated to a point but is my quircky tendencies really all God wants me to communicate about myself?     The answer of course is no.   Our unique individualalities are fun and amusing for sure, even harmless to a point, but in the reality of our lives,  isn’t our relationshipto the living Creator of more significance?  Doesn’t the world long for and search for anyone who can define for them the true meaning of life and the significance of a life spent with an intimate God?  With our tabloid mindset and voyeuristic tendencies, I am reminded by my friend of the opportunity we have as believers to not only ask the right questions, but willingly answer them as well.  We have a responsibility to draw in the spiritual and focus on the truth of the gospel.  It’s so easy to do but often is overlooked.   The conviction I felt was that I so often put my faith in a box like so many different areas of my life.  What God wants from me is a full commitment and one that is unashamed to declare the God I have given my life over to.    My character then does not center on the uniqueness of my personality but the foundational truth that my life has been affected so dramatically by God’s grace and mercy that I cannot keep my mouth shut about HIM!   Afterall, religion is empty, but relationship is fulfilling. 

So these questions zero in on what our relationship to God really is like, and helps present a picture of ourselves as we really are.   For the believer whose  life is centered on a growing relationship with Christ these questions are easily answered.   However, for the one whose relationship is lacking in passion or non-existent, these questions convict on level that can be hard to take.  In either case, to honestly answer these questions can bring us to point that is spiritually healthy.  Evaluation is a good thing but only if it causes us to seek God more intensely.  It’s one thing to realize we need to grow more in relationship with our Redeemer it’s another thing altogether to actually do it.  On a positive note, to look back on what God has done in our lives can be incredibly encouraging.   Sometimes we forget just how big a part God has played in our lives and the reminder is as refreshing a  cool drink on a hot day.  As you ponder these questions as I have, take note of not only your answer but the actual question itself.  Our initial reaction to certain questions can reveal a lot about us, and sometimes that realization can be hard to swallow…and thanks to my dear friend Shalomseeker for bringing me out of my comfortable faith, especially when it hurts to do so.  

1. When did you come to believe in Jesus? Tell your story! (as long or as short as you like)

2. What difference has #1 made in your life?

3. What is your favorite Scripture passage? Why?

4. Tell about a time God answered a specific prayer in your life. How did that affect/change you?

5. Do you remember a time that God made a Scripture passage especially clear to you? Tell!

6. Who has influenced you in your spiritual walk (family, friends, mentor, pastor, authors, etc.)? In what ways?

7. Sometimes we get to share His story with others. Is there a particular story that you want to tell about that?

8. Is there something in your history that you would change if given a chance to?

9. What’s a vice in your life? Any virtues? ;-D

10. What’s your favorite way to worship God?

11. If you could possess one (real) talent or gift that you haven’t already been given, what would it be and why?

12. What is an important lesson you have learned? How did you learn it?

13. What things are you really passionate about? What sets you ablaze?

14. What do you love or appreciate about God?

15. Where have you been especially effective in serving God? (This isn’t prideful; if you’ve been effective, it’s because of His Spirit in you, so really it brings glory to HIM.)

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 tells us, “Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.”

When life is tiring, when you are struggling with your sin, when family members aren’t saved, when bills aren’t paid, when school is difficult, when work is exhausting, when your health is failing, when your loved ones are hurt, when the future is unsure, and when a good friend leaves, it is easy to be discouraged.

Discouragement is a thief. It steals your vitality, your zeal, your joy, your peace, and your contentment. If discouragement dwells long with you, its friends will soon join. Their names are fatigue, hopelessness, despair, self-pity, depression, doubt, and bitterness. Sometimes, discouragement can be so strong that you even don’t want to go on living.

Discouragement is dissatisfaction with the past, distaste for the present, and distrust of the future. It is the result of blindness. It is ingratitude for the blessings of yesterday, indifference to the opportunities of today, and insecurity regarding strength for tomorrow. It is unawareness of the presence of God, unconcern for the needs of our fellow man, and unbelief in the promises of His Word.

If we have nothing to rely on, or we forget our blessing and look to our circumstances, then that is when discouragement begins to take hold. Instead, what we need is encouragement. We need hope and peace and the knowledge that the Lord knows our troubles has great concern and compassion for us and is not leaving us unloved or uncared for.

Keeping your eyes on Jesus is the best way to be encouraged. In Him you can have comfort and peace and encouragement. You need to find Him and His words, and by faith rest in Him.  In doing so, we act in obedient faith to God’s truth in 2 Corinthians 1, but we also discover something unexpected.  Discouragement is rooted in our decision to direct our attention to ourselves and begin to simply ignore what God is doing around us.  It is in our relationships with others that God encourages us and demonstrates to us His goodness.  The more we seek to look after the needs of others, the more we see God meeting our basic needs.  People begin to be encouraged by the simple things we do for others, a kind word, hug, a quick uplifting note in the mail, etc., and God encourages us in doing so.   It’s amazing how powerful the simple practice of encouragement is.

For many believers their relationship with Christ goes no further than going to church on Sunday or a semi-regular appearance at youth group.  Of course, there’s no problem giving a  verbal commitment to being  a Christian, but with the attitude of this association with Christ comes the emptiness of a non-existent relationship.  This “dating” treatment of God is often seen on your local Jr. High or Sr. High campuses.  It’s not hard to recognize.  Two young people become attracted to each other and immediately start dating.  The couple do all the things couples do externally but do not do anything  to develop the relationship internally.  They imitate a relationship by the going through the motions of one; however, the attraction wears off and the shallowness of the whole thing is exposed.    The disgruntled and often hurt teens don’t see that going through the motions of a relationship without any idea what true love means will always leave them empty.  They assume it’s the wrong boyfriend or girlfriend and move on to the next painful association.  Often teens never get to the point of understanding what it takes to move past the point of acqaintence to true meaningful love and so they settle for the emptiness of life. This not what God wants for us and He certainly desires for us to be more than just associated with Him, He wants a meaningful relationship.  He desires for us to stop going through the motions and begin to genuinely seek Him.  When we do, the real love of God will begin to bring meaning to our lives.  But to have this relationship with God involves us giving up our tendency to substitute a relationship with God with external motions.  We need to invest time in getting to know God and in the process discover a love so amazing and warm that nothing else matters to us than our passionate pursuit of Him!  Matthew West communicates this point very well in a song that speaks of  moving past the point of settling for emptiness to a real relationship with the living God:

This might hurt
It’s not safe
But I know that I’ve gotta make a change
I don’t care
If I break
At least I’ll be feeling something
‘Cause just ok
Is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions

No regrets
Not this time
I’m gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love
Make me whole
I think I’m finally feeling something

Take me all the way
Take me all the way
Take me all the way

If you are tired of the emptiness of association and are ready for God to take you all the way with Him then it’s time to make the change and allow God’s all consuming passion to fill your life…”So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”                                              Ephesians 3:17-20 (NAS)

How to make the change:

(1) Seek God daily though time alone in His Word.

(2) Ask God to help you see what priorities in your life need to change.

The nagging question for many a believer is to truly discover God’s will for their life.  I can readily admit that for a brief time in my teen years, this was on my mind.  I will also confess that it was only there for a brief time because of a greater question that haunted me, “Who is God?”.  Sure I was a believer but I kept hearing from my dad and my youth pastor that what God desired from me more than anything was a relationship.  A relationship, as I understood it at the time, was someone in which I had association with.  But what kept haunting me was the fact that relationship had to be way more than just an association, there had to be more.   More, as it turns out, meant me actively pursuing God daily.  So bible study took on a more personal note, it was something meaningful, it was seeking God in reading His Word, and talking with Him.  First Peter 1:18 states that God has redeemed man from his futile life of independence from God.  Even as a believer my desire to live independently of God’s truth is a constant fight.  God’s purpose then, is to bring us into a relationship with Him, so that we not only can see our futile attempt at life but offer Himself as our rescuer from that very futility.  Redeem is a word that denotes an act of purchase.  In New Testament times slaves were purchased from the slave market.  The Lord redeemed man from being a slave to his own self-will.  The purchase price is one of great and personal cost, for the Lord gave Himself in order to free us (Titus 2:14).

This act of redemption brings to those who believe eternal life, which is defined as an experiential knowledge or relationship with God (John 17:3).  To be separated from Him is to experience death (Ephesians 2:1).  But God’s purpose for us is that a relationship be developed so that we experience the life He describes as satisfying and “abundant” (John 6:35;10:10).  Such a relationship means that communication has to be continual and frequent.  This is what I had to know before anything else.  I needed to know God intimately and in pursuit of God in this way He would communicate to me what was important.  I could never know God’s will apart from His communicating to me through the Bible.  God’s will for us is to develop our relationship with Him.

The first step in knowing God’s will and understanding His purpose for you is to trust Jesus Christ as your Savior.  In Jesus we see not only that God is holy and demands that sin be punished but also that God is loving and gracious.  In Jesus, who took God’s punishment for us, we can find a way to escape God’s wrath and have peace with God (Romans 5:1). 

God has redeemed us to be “zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:14).  He has a place for you. However, all of our good works are to be an overflow of abiding in Him (John 15:5).  Our relationship to Him is the primary thing.  Our service for Him is secondary.  If we aim at the primary thing, we will get the secondary. If we aim at the secondary thing, there is no assurance that we will get it, and for sure we will miss the primary.   The confusion often is centered in our intense  search for God’s will for us as our primary concern.  We seek advice from our parents, friends, and pastors and set objectives, time tables, read books, get our education, etc., but fail to see that it’s not in our pursuit of God’s will that we find it, it’s in our pursuit of God!  Jesus was encouraging His followers not to be anxious about food and clothing in Matthew 6:25-34.  He concluded His teaching by encouraging them to seek first His kingdom and righteousness and to trust Him with the secondary things of His provision.  This passage among many others in God’s Word was written to encourage us to not seek God’s will in an anxious spirit but rather to let our pursuit be after the primary thing of building an intimate relationship with God.  A person who wants to know God must understand God’s purpose for his or her life.  God’s primary purpose for your life is to build an intimate, loving relationship with Himself.  This focused devotion will lead you into the full experience of every facet of His will for you.