Denial

Play the new song. These are the lyrics:

A man stands alone arms across his chest,
His heart pounding through his bones.
Denial wasn't supposed to be this way.
His passion fell to the ground,
But beauty couldn't be found another way, another way.

Well only his answer would tell the story.
Three times were all he had to say yes,
Say yes say yea yea yea,
But denial seemed so beautiful.
Three times were all he had to say yes,
Say yes say yea yea yea,
But providence took its hold.

Oh tears drown his eyes a puddle of shame at his feet,
As the reflection of guilt overwhelms a broken man.
Dissent was all he had and he needed a reason to believe.
This doesn't happen to only me.

Well only his answer would tell the story.
(Wake up and see we're all the same!)
Three times were all he had to say yes,
Say yes say yea yea yea,
But denial seemed so beautiful.
(Seemed So Beautiful)
Three times were all he had to say yes,
Say yes say yea yea yea,
But providence (Providence!) took its hold.

An electric pulse you can't escape,
A force that rules the human race,
Hold the hand of Providence.
An electric pulse you can't escape,
A force that rules the human race,
Tonight the stars tell no fortunes,
They tell no fortunes,
They tell no fortunes.

Three times were all he had to say yes,
Say yes say yea yea yea,
But denial seemed so beautiful.
(Seemed So Beautiful)
Three times were all he had to say yes,
Say yes say yea yea yea,
But providence took its hold.

Took took took!
Took it's hold. Hey!

Three times!
Three times!
Three times!

This song, called Providence by Abandon, obviously takes cues from Peter’s denial of Jesus. Although he swore to Jesus that it would never happen, he openly denied being associated with Christ three times. Are we so different though? Do we deserve God’s providence?

I am guilty of putting my relationship with God on the backburner when it seems like it’s too much work to spend time with Him. When do we cross the line though? When do we go from turning away to all out denying Him?

As Christians, we are to live a life that magnifies Christ’s. This means that we need to not only be faithful believers to our church friends, but to everyone. How we act around other groups of people is how they define our lives. If we don’t show love and move our faith forward by moving others, we deny Jesus.

If we make choices that don’t glorify Jesus’ love and grace, then we deny him. It hurts him to see us falling away. We deserve eternity away from God because of our sinful denials. But God has bigger plans for us, and I praise Him that He showed us so much love.

God doesn’t hold our denial against us if we ask for forgiveness. I pray that we can open our eyes to our sins and realize that we are denying the One who wants our lives to be amazing. I pray that God forgives us when the world takes hold, and I pray that the love of Jesus can be seen by everyone we meet today.

So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. 2 Timothy 1:8-12

Stronger

Lately I’ve been pondering why God puts hardship in our lives. When we become Christians, shouldn’t living be easier since we accept God’s plan? For many Christ followers, it can become the exact opposite. I know that everyone goes through hard times, but it’s hard to accept that it’s part of the Father’s plan for us to go through difficult trials.

So the question lies, why would God want this to happen to me? It takes a clear mind to really understand the answer to this. He wants us to be strong. Stronger as friends, stronger to face the trials ahead, and there will be more, but most of all, stronger Christians.

Being a stronger Christian leads to a better comprehension of what is to come. It doesn’t make it any easier to grasp the trials at hand. It’s interesting to think that our solace from these hard times, however, is the One who allows them into our lives. God wants what’s best for us, and sometimes it’s not what we think is best for us.

There are essentially two ways to react to a trial. I can give up and let it consume my life until there’s nowhere to turn, or I can save a huge amount of stress and pain, and talk to God about it. Life is tough, but it can only make me stronger. We need to cast our burdens to God because He will carry us through all of life if we realize it’s too hard to do it ourselves and accept Christ.

I pray that we can all stay strong in the face of hardship. God’s love for us is greater than any troubles that we will experience on our time here, and with His help, we can overcome this world and show the same love to others who need God in their times of suffering. God is so good.

I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:9-10

Timing

Why does God put certain people into our lives? Sometimes, a person comes into my life with such perfect timing that it can’t be an accident. There are times where it may not be a new person either, it may be one that you’ve known for a long time, and you finally see their faith shine.

God loves relationships. He gave us friendship to show us the kind of connection we need to have with Him. I’ve been really quiet about my faith story up until this point. Most of my friends on campus knew I was a Christian, but only because I told them so. God has put on my heart this week to share my faith story with others around me. The reaction has been overwhelming. I’ve learned some amazing things about my friends. Some new people came into my life as well, and it really makes me excited to see what path God is taking my life.

I think as Christians, we need to be able to share our life story with others, but sometimes we feel that it’s insignificant and that nobody wants to hear it. This is another time when we need God to instill confidence in us. It’s so cool to see that when I felt ready to tell mine, I learned about the faith of so many others around me.

When we feel lost, broken, and helpless, God puts people into our lives right when we need them. It’s just one of the times when we can see His overwhelming love for us. I pray that you can see God’s perfect timing in your lives, and that you see friends as a gift from God. Next time a friends comes into your life, praise Him for His wonderful timing, and be bold in love and creating a God centered relationship.

My [Jesus’] command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. John 15:12-17

Complacency

Our culture thrives on staying busy all the time. With so much homework and studying I need to get done, what incentive is there to simply stop and ponder the question “why am I doing this”?  The truth is, we need to be able to slow down and take a look into our lives to truly understand God’s plan for us.

I have a strong aversion about living life like a robot, but it becomes easy to do it that way because I don’t have to worry about messing things up. Is it really living though, if I don’t trust God and take a risk? Complacency is something that happens to us all, and I strongly believe that it is one of the biggest reasons we lose sight of our Father.

The way that I deal with complacency is simply prayer. I talk to God about it, and He shows me how stagnant I’ve been. It hurts me to realize that if I’m not moving on the path to God, I’m moving away from Him. But comprehending this fact and asking God for help is the only way to come back into a relationship with Him.

I need to define what I mean by taking a risk. In our daily lives, God presents us with many opportunities to share our faith with others. Whether or not we take the opportunity is the risk. We need to stop fearing the things of this world. Do I really think that embarrassment and rejection will discourage my relationship with God? I shouldn’t, but the world tells us the opposite. I can tell you that from lots of experience, having a deep faith conversation are one of the greatest things there is. Being able to share my story and hear others stories is a recharging experience that strengthens my relationship with God as well as others.

So today, if you’re seeing things as an ‘A to B’ life, realize that God has bigger plans for you. He will wait for you as you find yourself and make your way back into His loving arms. Take the risk, it’s one less thing you’ll have to regret, and you’ll be so much stronger in your faith for taking your Heavenly calling.

Not that I have already obtained all this [righteousness], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers [and sisters], I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

Salt and Light

Today, I picked the song "Vessels" by Ivoryline. Listen to it, and let the words speak to you.

Maybe this time, no next time.
We'll get our lives right, we'll get it right.
Will we just do what feels good?
And then we know it could cause our souls to drown.

In all the distractions of our lives,

What does it mean to be
Salt and light in a world that's speechless?
Salt and light in a world of darkness?

Insecurities are breeding inside me,
And they won't let you go to song,
But they won't last against the sword's edge,
The blade, the blade cuts right through wrong.

All the distractions of our lives,

What does it mean to be,
Salt and light in a world that's speechless,
Salt and light in a world of darkness.

What does it mean to be,
Salt and light in a world that's speechless?
Salt and light in a world of darkness?

I wanna know,
I need to know,
I want to know.
(What does it really mean to be?)

What does it mean to be
Salt and light in a world that's speechless?
Salt and light in a world of darkness?

Last night at our Engineering Bible Study, we went through the first half of Matthew 5. Most people know this chapter because it contains the beatitudes, Jesus’ blessings on us. I want to look at what he talks about right after the beatitudes, or the “salt and light” speech.

Jesus calls us salt of the earth. At first glance, this sounds like an insult, but quite the contrary, Jesus is giving us a huge calling. What are the properties of salt? First is that salt preserves things. Our first task as being “salt” Christians is to keep things from going bad. In other words, our job here is to show others that our God is faithful and loving, and that we are changed through that.

The second property is that salt flavors things. As children of God and followers of Christ’s example, we are supposed to shake things up. With all of the good news I know, do I really want to stay quiet and keep it to myself?

Jesus then goes on to call us light of the world. It’s our job to cry out God’s name to the nations and fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission. Something that took me time to understand is that I am a light to the world, not just to other Christians. We all need to be a shining example for a dark world. Without Christ, what is there to look forward to?

Heavenly Father, I pray that we as Christians can be a faithful example to everyone we meet. Light a fire inside us so that we can be confident and loving, and help us to preserve souls and not be afraid to go against the flow of this place. Give us the words to speak when we feel uncertain about what to say. Make us Your disciples so that we can be a guiding light in this shadowy world. You are so good Lord.

 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16

The Pursuit of Happiness

Last night I ventured to Milwaukee with a few friends to see the Brewers play one more time this season. It was a decent game, other than the fact that they lost, but our seats were awesome. Apparently we got on television last night, which is crazy awesome, but none of us are going to let the fame get to our heads.

Let’s get serious though. God wants us to have fun. This is what I saw last night as I went crazy every time the Brew Crew got a hit. God loves to see us happy, and that’s why He gives us opportunities like the game last night.

When we’re having fun, we forget about the stresses of this world. Sometimes though, during my enjoyment, I forget to praise God for allowing me to be with my friends. It’s really easy to be with God when I need Him, but when I’m having fun, sometimes I feel like I gave this gift to myself and so I should enjoy it accordingly. Our God has just as big a part in the good times as He does encouraging us in the bad.

So today, I praise You, Lord, for giving me a chance to have fun. I thank You that I can spend quality time with great friends, and I thank You for Your extreme love for us. Bless us all on this day, and help us to focus on You at all times, especially during the good ones.

A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?  To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness. Ecclesiastes 2:24-26a

Understanding

Before you read on, I’m adding a music aspect to this blog since it’s one of the biggest ways that I seek God. There is a music player to the right, and I want to take a look at the song “Time I Understood” by Wavorly. These are the lyrics:

As I’m building up this house
I wonder what of it will stay
It seems You just take things away
And I’ll admit I shouldn’t say these things
But I have got to hear from You somehow
Does this have a point to it?
God, I wish I could hear You
You said You’d help me through this
I wish You didn’t have to

Why did You take this away? I wanted it
Show me that there is no need to be afraid
Can I move on now that it’s gone?

As I travel down this road
I wonder if I should turn home
All this time I’ve felt alone
My head in my hands
Where were You when I was in need?
And I look back to find You chasing me
Sometimes I try and I miss the point of it
It’s about time we die…we’re not down here for us

Why did You take this away? I wanted it
Show me that there is no need to be afraid
Can I move on now that it’s gone?

As You’re tearing down this house
There is only one thing I can say
I’m so glad You take away
And I’ll admit things worked out for the good
And it’s about time I understood

Why did I pick this song? It has really spoken to me lately because I’ve been fighting with the fact that sometimes I don’t understand. God has a funny way of completely turning everything around just when I get comfortable with it, and I have no idea why.

From personal experience, I’ve found that when God takes away, it’s hard to rejoice. It’s just not in my nature to give thanks when something I love is pulled away from me. I never comprehend why God does such things while they are happening.

It’s times like these that I tend to wrestle with God. I spent many hours crying out to Him, pleading for answers, but my thoughts were too loud for me to hear what He wanted to tell me. When I finally calmed down, I realized exactly what He was doing. The past few hours were the reason He took away from me. I spent more time talking to God in those few hours than I had in the past year. He poured His heart out to me that night, and I saw grace once again.

You need to know that God wants to be with you. You read right, the Creator of the Universe wants to have a personal relationship with you, and He will seek you out until you open your eyes and realize that fact. He gave up His son for us because of His amazing love, and we didn’t even deserve it.

God knows what’s best for us, and once in a while, it’s the exact opposite of what we think is best for ourselves. Sometimes God has to do something drastic to pull my attention back to where He knows it should be. It’s the place that I as His child knows my gaze should be as well, and it’s about time I understood.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity.” Jeremiah 29:11-14