You've Got A Friend In Me.

Please bear with me for a little bit as I shake the rust off my writing skills. As the younger generation would say, “It’s been a minute.” I don’t think that I have written a blog for many years now (aside from our annual family Christmas letter, and shameless plug, let me know if you want added to the list). It’s not that I stopped writing because I didn’t enjoy it, or that I stopped learning and growing in God’s Word. Life just got busy. The last one that I wrote was in March 2019. Now, not that you care to hear my excuses, but here they are anyway… Since March 2019, I got married, changed careers from social work to farming, had not one, not two, but three beautiful baby girls, bought and remodeled a farmhouse, started working part-time at Berean, built and now operate a commercial hog barn. The list goes on and on, but I think you can get the point. I am pretty confident that you get the point because I am sure life has also been busy for you. It’s easy to slip into the busyness of life and not look back. To slowly but surely lose your margins on time. Next thing you know you’ve spent the last five years working, spending time with your family, doing good things, but not really resting. It feels like you do all of that in a rush. Now, there are times for vacations and times to relax, but those often go by too quickly because we’re already thinking, planning, and anticipating what we need to do as soon as we return home. Now, I have to be honest with you because I could continue on this topic of the busyness of life and not having margins in your time and days, but it’s honestly not what I intended to write about (believe it or not). So, I guess I will save that one for the next five-year blog (just kidding, hopefully, it isn’t that long). I think the rust has been knocked off enough to get into what I actually felt led to write about… 

Through the busyness of life recently, God has been impressing on me the importance of community and friendships. (Groundbreaking topic, right?) Community is something that we all have, but I think more often than not, we don’t always get everything out of it that we should. (For that matter, I don’t think we usually put as much into it as we should either.) This idea of community has come up in numerous sermon series, youth lessons, young adult studies, and life experiences lately. It goes without saying, the community that we have around us is important. Now, normally I would have a specific Bible verse or passage that the Lord used to speak to me or to encourage me or challenge me. This time, there are sooo many verses or passages that I could give as examples, it’s hard to choose just one. A main one though, that keeps returning to me is found in Luke 5:17-26. Take a minute to read it. 

Amazing, right?? Picture it. Jesus is packed into this home, full of grown adults, they are listening to every word he has to say. These people have come from all of the local towns, so it wasn’t just a small gathering. There was no room to get in the house, no room to even stand outside the door. It was impossible to get in. Now, imagine a group of guys carrying a friend on a stretcher, trying to get in this house. Obviously, it was not going to happen. Even for one of them to let go of the stretcher and push their way into the home was unlikely. So they gave up, they said sorry, pal, you just wait out here while we try to get as close as we can so we can hear what he has to say… No, they persevered. I would love to be a listening ear on that conversation between the friends. I imagine it would go something like this, “What do we do now? We can’t get inside!” “Well…we could try the roof?” “The roof?? Are you serious? How are we going to get him on the roof? And what are we going to do once we are on the roof? What if we all fall through? Then we are all going to need to be healed!” “I mean, Jesus is kind of known for that…that is why we are here…besides, what’s the worst that could happen?” They knew the man inside had the power to heal, they had heard of the miraculous things that he had already done. So they got creative and took to the roof. Now, try to imagine carrying a stretcher up onto a roof that I am sure did not have the easiest access and then having to make a hole without falling through. Not a simple task! But they did it. They cared for their friend so much that they were willing to put themselves (and everyone in the home for that matter) in danger. They trusted that getting their friend in front of Jesus was so worth it that they did the difficult thing. They were willing to go to extreme lengths for their friend because they knew Jesus was his only hope. 

You can read the rest of the story for yourself, but here’s a spoiler, Jesus heals the man. His buddies are still up on the roof looking down in and Jesus tells him to get up and walk out of the house! What an incredible display of friendship. The company that you keep is so important for your well-being, not just mentally and emotionally, but spiritually. This guy had been paralyzed with no hope to walk again until his friends brought him to Jesus. Are you picking up on what is important here? We need a community that is going to go the extra mile in order to get us closer to Jesus. We need friends who will courageously lay us at the feet of Jesus, with the expectation that He knows what is best for us. We are not meant to do life alone, no matter what season of life you may be in. 

It has been neat for me to witness the truth of this message shared in a variety of different settings, in front of people from different walks of life. To the youth and younger generations, this message really emphasizes the importance of having good, Christian friends who will help guide you in the right direction, making decisions based on the truth of the Gospel. For the college-aged generation, it is a very similar lesson but also adds depth to the idea of searching out those friends who can and will carry you when you need it. There is a deeper connection to the idea of having a smaller circle, so to speak, when it comes to friends. For myself, and others in the young adult or young families category, I connect with this message on a different level. I imagine my children as the ones who need to be brought before Jesus. I need the help of my wife and our close friends to come alongside me and pray for them, raise them up in the way they should go, and give me Godly wisdom on how to handle difficult parenting decisions and circumstances. For the church, it looks like bearing one another's burdens, practically meeting the needs of those in the congregation, being the body of Christ. The truth of the message can be applied in so many different facets of life. 

However, as true as it is and in all the numerous ways that it can be applied, there is still a part of it that I feel often gets overlooked. It is the idea that we, as individuals, need to do our part in the lifting and carrying of others as well. We oftentimes relate to the paralyzed man, being the person who needs the help, the prayers, and the healing, but we underemphasize being the friend who diligently, carefully, and boldly prays, encourages, and disciples our friends. We love having the help but are slow to be the help. We should be daily lifting our spouses, children, and friends up in prayer, placing them at the feet of Jesus. We should be quick to lend a helping hand, a warm meal, and an open door to those who need it. If we want to have the type of friendships and community that help meet our needs, then we need to be the type of friend that does those same things for others. 

If you have made it this far, thank you. I mentioned that it has been a while since I have actually sat down and intentionally taken the time to write out what God has laid on my heart. If I am being honest, this short blog has taken me days to complete and even longer to actually post publicly. It has been a process of finding moments in each day to write a little bit at a time. I apologize for some of the rambling and lack of coherence in parts of it, but I hope that it is an encouragement to you. I hope and pray that you have friends in your life who will take you closer to Jesus, and I also hope that you are the friend who is bringing those in your life closer to Jesus as well.

Wyatt & Miranda Clemens Christmas Letter 2019

 Dear family and friends,

I’m sure you all have been anxiously awaiting this letter, the very first annual Wyatt and Miranda Clemens Christmas Letter! I must say, I have been anxiously awaiting writing this letter, so much so that I put it off until the last minute. In my defense, married life is very busy, if you know what I mean… working, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, making time for friends, oh yeah, and making time for each other. 

Typically, I think I’m supposed to give all of you an update on each of our lives in this letter. So, I’ll start with the obvious, WE GOT MARRIED! August 3rd, 2019 was the highlight of our year. Miranda and I spent that day getting all dressed up, taking a lot of pictures, and kissing in front of some of our closest family and friends. It was a wonderful day and the Lord blessed us immensely with perfect weather and plenty of laughs, just how we imagined it. We are very fortunate to be living in a fourth generation family farmhouse that we are renting off of Miranda’s grandmother. Miranda and I were able to spend a lot of our free time fixing it up with the help of our families and friends. It was a great way to prepare for our marriage and figure out each other’s patience levels. 

Prior to August, I, Wyatt, started a job at the Ashland County Department of Job and Family Services as an ongoing caseworker in the children’s services department. I started working there on May 28th, the day after I passed my state licensure test to become a Licensed Social Worker in the state of Ohio. That test was the culmination of my time at THE Ohio State University Mansfield. I graduated in early May from Ohio State with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. Enough about me though, let’s move on to my gorgeous wife.

Miranda has had just as busy of a year and she has had to share a home with me for the last 4 months now. Needless to say, she could benefit from all of your prayers as she finishes up her last few weeks of nursing school at Ashland University. Miranda has had a busy final year of school. She was planning a wedding, working part time at the Cleveland Clinic, and singing on our church’s praise team, to name a few things. Miranda will be graduating with her Bachelor’s Degree in the Science of Nursing. She has recently taken a step back from working at the Cleveland Clinic to focus on her schooling and turned down a position on their Coronary ICU. However, she did accept an offer from Avita Hospital on their ICU. Miranda will be studying for her NCLEX, the state board test for nursing, after graduating. She is very excited to begin her career in nursing. 

In short, this busy, exciting, whirlwind of a year has been the best one yet. We are so thankful for the family and friends whom the Lord has blessed us with to celebrate these things with. We are also very thankful for the Lord for the reason we celebrate this time of year, the miraculous birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Many of times this year, Miranda and I have both said that we wouldn’t be able to get through this year without Him and the peace that surpasses all understanding that he is able to give us. We encourage you to take time to reflect on the joy, even in the midst of the chaos, that is found in the Lord. 

Well, it is my hope that you enjoy reading this letter as much as I enjoyed writing it. May the Lord bless you with a joy filled year! 

With love,

Wyatt and Miranda Clemens

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭15:13‬

Moto Mania.

Today we went further out to a few churches. I drove myself and Elisee rode with Pastor Matey. After the first church, we picked up a guy to take us to the second church, so Elisee rode with me. We drove through a little market and I didn’t hit anyone or anything (I did have a close encounter with a pig though). Overall, I would say I did pretty well navigating the rocky terrain and going up and down hills. After the second church, we drove a little ways and then stopped. Matey said that we need to leave my moto at this random lady’s house because it was dangerous going down the mountain. So we went three deep down a steep and curvy mountain. Let me tell you, the view was gorgeous! If we weren’t riding three deep, I definitely would have tried to take some pictures. Green, rolling hills with a river flowing through them. Li bel anpil (it’s very beautiful)! We got down to the church and were greeted by the sweetest children and family. Upon entering the church, it was evident that they lived inside of it. They quite literally lived in the Lord’s house. It also appeared that they lived off the land. As we were waiting for the pastor to arrive, they were picking mangos, shelling peanuts, and had some kind of bean drying in the sun. While we were sitting out in the shade waiting, the sweet boy climbed into what I was told was an orange tree, but it looked more like a like tree to me, that is if limes even grow on trees. Anyways, next thing you know, fruit is falling from the tree and the boy is just up there singing and swinging around on the limbs and branches. I’m going to take a wild guess and say he has done this before. After our interview with the pastor, we headed back up the mountain and stopped to get my moto. I paid the lady a little bit of money and we were back on our way. We made it back to Jephthe’s with no problems or accidents. 

I have enjoyed these past couple days so much and really feel like the work I am doing will serve a great purpose. As I meet all these pastors and see their churches, I can’t help but think how great their reward will be in heaven. I also can’t help but think about how blessed we are back home. Our churches have walls, a roof, seating, electric, musical instruments, microphones, A/C and heating, etc... I wonder how the answers would compare if I asked the same questions back home, like, “What’s your vision for this church?” and, “What are your needs as a church?” 

I’m thankful that God has blessed us abundantly. I’m grateful that he has. My prayer is quickly becoming that I do not take it all for granted. That I am a good steward of the blessings bestowed upon me. I pray that God continues to soften my heart for these people and their churches. That I continue to learn what dedication and faithfulness to Christ looks like. That I continue to learn that the church is more than just a building. Would I go to church if I didn’t have a seat, a comfortable climate, and a good worship band? Would I faithfully devote my life to Christ if I had next to nothing? 

These are some of the thoughts and questions that are rattling around in my head as I am rattling around on a moto. I hope that my thoughts and my questions can help you examine your own life and relationship with Christ. 

I ask that you continue to pray for health and safety as I spend my time down here. Also, I ask that you pray for Elisee and the rest of the orphans in Cap as they mourn the loss of their brother, Wilguens. For those who don’t know, Wilguens succumbed to his battle with cancer on Sunday night. He was only 16 years old. He was one of the boys our youth group supported for quite some time. We will be going to Cap this weekend to attend his wake and funeral. Finally, I ask that you would pray that God would continue to teach me, mold me, challenge me, and help me to grow and mature in my faith and relationship with him. 

Comfortable in the Uncomfortable.

          Have you ever been driving somewhere, like home from work or to school, and when you get there you realize that you were just completely zoned out while driving? You don't remember how you got there because you were just on auto-pilot, essentially. You make the drive everyday and it becomes second nature. This can be a scary place to be.
          After more than ten trips to Haiti, I found myself in a similar situation. Haiti had become a trip that I could auto-pilot through. It was a little different, every trip is unique and brings its own challenges, but for the most part, these trips had become like second nature.
          For the first four or five years, each trip was new and exciting, they were novel. But after that, they all began to run together. Over the years, Haiti trips just became something that I did, it was like second nature.
          In my experiences, there are comforts that I have here in America: a bed, a nice house, a car, running water, clothes, air conditioning, etc... and over the years, going to Haiti also became comfortable. While staying at Jephthe's, we have running water, a decent bed, a roof over our heads, and good food. Yes it is hot and dirty, it is hard work and there are challenges, but for Haiti, it was still comfortable.
          This past trip to Haiti a few of us were in the truck with Jephthe on our way to Thomassique, which is where we would be spending our week working. On the way there, Jephthe said something along these lines, "The living situation this time is going to be much different," to which Scott and I looked at each other and said, "what do you mean?" Jephthe responded with a single sentence, "I am so thankful you still come." Scott and I both just glanced at each other and thought, "what have we gotten ourselves into?" However, a quote from our book, Radical by David Platt, convicted me when I read it later that week. It said,

“…somewhere along the way we had missed what is radical about our faith and replaced it with what is comfortable. We were settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves.” ― David Platt

          This past trip was so good because it took me back outside of my Haiti comfort zone. I had been concerned about my own comforts in this third-world country instead of the lives of the people that we were there to serve, the ones who live there everyday of their lives. I did not want to abandon myself or my comforts. I wanted to go to Haiti and help these people who have nothing, all the while having comforts that I could enjoy. Thankfully, this trip was different. We slept on the roof of a house that did not have running water. We weren't at Jephthe's house with the normal comforts that we have there. This trip woke me up from my auto-pilot mode that I had been in. Another quote from our book put it into perspective as well.

“Radical obedience to Christ is not easy... It's not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And he is more than enough for us.”           ― David Platt

          I fell into the trap of the American dream that life is all about being comfortable and I carried this with me to Haiti. I was there to serve, but I still wanted to be comfortable while down there. I am so thankful that we took this trip when we did because it brought me out of the state of thinking that I was in. This summer, although I will be staying at Jephthe's for the majority of the time, I'm sure there will be some nights that I spend in other places that are much less comfortable than the house in Thomassique. I am not there to be comfortable. I am not there to serve myself. I am there to serve the people of Haiti. I am there to glorify God despite the uncomfortable situations I may be in.

          Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope that you are encouraged and inspired to pray about what God is doing in your life. If you wish to join me on my journey this summer, you can add me on Facebook, or continue to follow my blog. As always, I ask for your prayers during this time as I prepare, but also this summer while I am there. If you would like to support me financially, you can click here. Thank you again, God bless you.

Be Radical

Each trip to Haiti, we are asked to read a book as part of our morning devotions and then we discuss what we have read during our nightly meetings. This past trip, we read the book Radical, by David Platt. Now, we have read this book on a previous trip, but that was probably five years ago, so it was good to read it again. 

I would like to take some time to share with you some quotes from this book that really resonated with me, especially with my 10-week trip to Haiti on the horizon. My plan is to share with you four or five different quotes over the next few weeks.

“Regardless of what country we live in, what skills we possess, what kind of education we have, or what kind of salary we make, Jesus has commanded each of us to make disciples, and this is the means by which we will impact the world. Indeed, Jesus has invited us to join with him in the surprisingly simple journey of spreading the gospel to all nations by spending our lives for the good of others and the glory of God.”

― David Platt

         This quote really resonated for a couple of reasons. The first half of the first sentence grabbed my attention because it includes everyone, by not breaking down into race or ethnicity. Also, a lot of times I find myself doubting my abilities and my adequacy to share the Gospel and make disciples. I’ll think I’m not smart enough, educated enough, old enough or have enough life experience to do it. But that’s not the case and it is Satan telling me those things. I know this because 1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” Those doubts that I have are just excuses that I cannot let myself believe.

         The second half of that sentence is just as compelling. Jesus has commanded us to go and make disciples. He did not suggest it, he did not mention it in passing, he commanded it. By doing this, we will impact the world. I don’t about you, but I’m always dreaming of what it would be like to change the world, to make it a better place. Here is my chance. Here is your chance. Go and make disciples.

         The last part of the quote is rather simple. Join with Jesus on this journey of making disciples by living not for yourself, but for others, bringing glory to God. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do, what you make, or where you live. Once your life has been changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and you begin a relationship with him, you are given the power of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that rose Jesus from the grave (Romans 8:11). You need not be afraid or timid to share the same Good News that you received.

         This whole quote encouraged me because it was affirmation that what I am planning to do with my time in Haiti is worthwhile. I am laying down my doubt at the cross of Christ and saying “Yes, Lord, I’ll go.” I am obeying Him who created me for good works. I do not need to be afraid.

         Thank you, Lord, for saving me and calling me out into the water. I pray that You would strengthen me and draw me closer to You during this time.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I ask that you please keep me in your prayers during this time. If you would like to help financially, click here. Thank you and God bless you.

Made New.

2/7/2017

II Corinthians 6:17-21

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

As I sit here in a crowded Panera, watching the rain drizzle down outside, I become blatantly aware of my inner being. I feel as if the weather today largely represents my emotions the past couple weeks. Down. Dark. Damp. Dreary. Discomforting. This is not the Wyatt I know. This is not the Wyatt I want to be. But, nonetheless, this is the Wyatt I have been. It is no one’s fault but my own. I have allowed myself to wallow in my thoughts. I have limited myself to only negative thinking. I have tried to solve everyone else’s problems but my own. I have lost focused. I have become complacent. I have believed the lies that I have to stay here, that I have done this to myself, that I don’t deserve anything better because of the mistakes I've made. To be completely honest, I’ve ignored God’s leading. I've ignored his promises. I’ve ignored His Word. I’ve ignored what I know to be true. I’ve held onto my desires, rather than seeking His. Again, to no one’s fault but my own. Looking back at the past few weeks, one theme has been evident through it all. Forgiveness. God’s forgiveness. Our forgiveness. My forgiveness. Now I can forgive other people pretty well, that is usually not a problem for me. I’m not usually one to hold grudges or anything like that (I’m not saying I'm perfect in this area, I can still improve but in comparison. Let me go on). Where I struggle, though, is accepting and believing I am forgiven and am able to forgive myself. I’m my own biggest critic. I frustrate myself to no end. I try to do things on my own, in my own strength. Surprise, that doesn’t work. I can’t do this life on my own or in my own strength. Period. I need God. I need the Holy Spirit. In my devotions today, I was in II Corinthians. I reread a passage that we had discussed in depth at Bible the past couple weeks. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” I am a new creation! I’m not my past mistakes. I’m not the person I used to be. I’m none of that. I am a new creation in Christ! Oh, how glorious! “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.” To God be the glory. Silly, Wyatt, you can’t do any of this on your own, it is all from God! He reconciled, restored friendly relations between (thanks, Google), us to him through sending his son to die on the cross for us! He did that! He desired us that much to do that! He is not holding my sin against me! He sees his son in me and that is it! I do not have to dwell in those feelings like I have been. I can move on. I can learn from my mistakes and become better because of them. According to II Peter chapter 1, I have been given everything I need to live a godly life. I have been given these things from, guess who, God! Not myself. Also in II Peter, it says, “… he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” Did you read that? Through these great and precious promises that he has given us, we can participate in divine nature because we have escaped the corruption in the world. We have this ability and it is one that I have been neglecting. I’ve allowed my desires to keep me trapped in the corruption. Each day is a battle between flesh and spirit. Each day is a choice to love God or love my flesh. Each day, with help from the Holy Spirit, I can choose to live and believe the great and precious promises of God, not the lies of this world. It is my challenge to me and to you, if you struggle with these same things, to live in the light that we are no longer slaves to sin, to live in the light that we are new creations in Christ. “The old has gone, the new is here!”

“You are more than the choices that you've made,

You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,

You are more than the problems you create,

You've been remade.”

-          “You Are More” by Tenth Avenue North 

Endure It.

1/14/2017
“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” – I Corinthians 10:12-13

This is a passage of scripture that I have heard hundreds of times. It’s been told to me and I've given it to others as well. In fact, I have even given a short little message to our youth group about it before. However, as I was reading it today, a couple things struck me. (Side note: I love how you can read certain verses and passages a hundred times over and think you have it down and then the Holy Spirit just enlightens you and opens your eyes to something on the hundred and first time reading it. God is so cool.) First, I was reminded to never become so secure in where I am standing that I think I have it all together. We must always, “Be alert and of sober mind,” because “the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (I Peter 5:8). Often times, in my life, the times when I think I am doing really well, are when the devil hits me the hardest and I’m not ready for it. So don’t get complacent. Secondly, I love that Paul encourages us by saying that we aren’t alone. We aren’t the only one facing this temptation or that temptation. “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.” This was really encouraging to me because most of the time, I feel like I’m the only one who struggles with certain temptations. But I was reminded and reassured that is not the case. As Christians, we do not have to go through pain and struggles and temptation alone. We are called to lift one another up in prayer to be there for one another, helping and strengthening our brothers and sisters. The beauty of being a part of the body of Christ is that we never have to go through life alone. Thirdly and quickly, I was reminded and encouraged that no matter what I’m up against, no matter how strong the temptation, with Christ, I can bear it. I can get through it. He will not give me more than I can handle. How great of a thought that all those times we face something that we think there is no way we can do it or get through it, God says we can. Now, this is when things got interesting for me as I read this passage. “But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” How many times have you heard someone share that God will give you a way out, an escape from your temptation? I know whenever I have heard someone telling me this or when I've told it to other people, we always stop there, “He will also provide a way out.” Period. We don’t finish the verse, “so that you can endure it” (emphasis added). I read this today and it stopped me in my tracks. Endure it? Wait a minute; I thought he gave us a way out? Doesn’t that mean we don’t have to deal with it? Can’t we just pass over it or skip through it? Why does it say endure it? Google (don’t you love Google) defines endure like this: “1. suffer (something painful or difficult) patiently. 2. remain in existence; last.” What are you saying, Wyatt? Good question. I think a lot of times we read this verse and when we are struggling or facing temptation, we or someone else might pray this verse over you or share it with you to encourage you that God will give you a way out. But that’s it, we don’t finish the verse. So we build up a false sense of what should happen or what God will do. We just assume that we will look up and see a red “Exit” sign and that’s it, an easy way out. We get upset with God if that’s not the case. “Where’s my help, God? Why did I fall into this temptation? Where was my way out?” Read the rest of the verse! “So that you can endure it.” His way out may not be completely avoiding the temptation. It may be a friend who enters into the situation with you to help you through it. It may be a book or a quote or a verse that speaks to you and encourages you through it. It may be a change of perspective about the situation. It could be any number of things, friends, but I’m convinced that it is not always going to be an easy-button exit. When are we ever told that the Christian life would be easy? So why should we expect an easy way out of our temptations? Now, I’m not denying God’s miracle working ability or doubting his providential ways. Maybe in your life, He has given you an easy way out, praise God for that, but let’s not think that that will always be the case. Let’s be encouraged and evaluate our struggles and circumstances and see if maybe God has given us a way out, “so that we can endure whatever temptations or struggles we are facing. 

Personal Notes.

9/1/2016

Reading: Acts 17 & 18

Acts 18: 9 & 10 – “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

Don’t be discouraged, don’t stay silent, God is always working and we are in HIS hands. To live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).

Do I really live my life this way? Do I really see dying as gain? Do I live my life as if it is Christ’s? Do I do all things to and for HIS glory? Do I openly share the Gospel? Is evangelism my top priority? Do I actively try to bring the Good News into every conversation and relationship? Do I devote myself to prayer? Do I spend time every day in the Word? Do I put my time with Jesus before everything else? Do I even make time for Him? What am I pursuing? How do my actions, my thoughts, my life reflect my relationship with Christ? What keeps me from following Him wholeheartedly? What am I scared of? Why do I sit silent? Why do I not share this life-changing and life-saving news? Am I afraid of failure? Is it failure if I they don’t accept it or reject it? Or is it failure if I don’t even share it? Am I afraid of what it may cost? Am I afraid what they may think of me? Am I afraid of what God may call me into? Am I afraid of what the Holy Spirit may convict me of? Am I too in love with my sins to give them up? Am I too in love with being comfortable and content with my life as it is, rather than letting it go to experience all that God has for me?

These are the questions that need answered. These are the questions that I really need to be honest with myself about. These are the questions, that no matter how much they cut to my core, no matter how uncomfortable they make me feel, no matter how much they convict me and challenge me to change, to give up my life for the sake of Christ, I need to answer.

Lord, Jesus, I need you now. I need your strength. I need your patience. I need your guidance. I need your boldness. I need your humility. I need your forgiveness. I need your conviction. I need your discipline. I need your persistence and perseverance. Lord, I need you now more than ever. Please come and help me be honest with myself. Help me to be real with myself. What is this life about? It’s not about me. It’s about you. It’s all about You. Come, Lord Jesus and wreck my life with the truth of Your Word and bring me out of this self-satisfying life, into a life that is dedicated and devoted to growing, learning, and sharing about You, the one and only thing that really matters.

Pure Joy.

7/1/2016

When you find yourself between a rock and a hard place, what is your initial response? When you’re face to face with struggle, trials and tribulations, pain, hurt, doubt, how do you respond?

What do you do? Do you say things like, “I wish I could just fast forward through this?” or “What did I do to deserve this?” Maybe you ask God why he is doing this or allowing this to happen.

All too often are initial responses to struggles and to testing trails is to question them, to get mad or frustrated with them. But why is it that it’s not until after we go through it, that we look back and say, “Oh, now I see, God. Now I get why I had to go through that.” Why can’t we respond that way during it? Did God tell us that we won’t face trials? Did He say it would be an easy life? I think there is a reason that we are told to “rejoice always” and “pray continually,” multiple times in the Bible. Life is hard. Life sucks sometimes. Life can knock you down, it can throw you a curveball when you’re thinking fastball, and it can throw you one up in, knocking you back off the plate. Just when you think you have it figured out, something goes wrong, something doesn’t go the way you thought it would. The question is, how do you respond?

I’m guilty of letting it get the best of me all too often. I get angry, I get frustrated, I get depressed. But now, I’m challenging myself, and you, to choose joy. James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Consider it what?! Pure joy? God you can’t be for real? There’s no way. That’s too hard. You don’t understand what happened.

Yes, consider it pure joy, child, because I am perfecting you. I am doing more inside of you than you could ever ask or imagine. I am refining you through the flame.

That’s my challenge to you and to me. Consider it pure joy.

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.”

- II Corinthians 4:6-12

Found Guilty.

5/21/2016

 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.” - John 15:18-21

As I read these verses, a few things come to mind. First, the question formulates in my mind, “How does the world treat me? Does it love me or hate me?” Second, thinking of the body as a whole, “Why are we so surprised when the world does not agree with our viewpoints or our opinions? Why do we get so mad when they reject us, ridicule us and harass us for standing up for our faith?” Finally, the third question that comes to my mind is this, “Am I, personally, being persecuted, in any way, because of my faith? Am I living my life in a way that reflects Christ, if I am not being persecuted?” I think all three of these thoughts/questions can speak volumes to our walks as Christians. How does the world think about you? Do people hate the way you value your beliefs? How you live your life according to what you believe? Or does the world love you? Does it love the way you comprise your values just to fit in? Does it love the way you’re willing to put a shade over the light you’ve been given? When the world hates us or rejects us, we should not be discouraged, because we are doing something right in the eyes of the Lord. When it comes to hot topics in today’s society, we are often harassed, ridiculed, and joked at for what we stand for. Should this cause us to waiver in our stance? Not in the slightest. We shouldn’t be surprised at these responses; we have been called to a higher standard, one that the people of the world do not understand because they do not know the Father. We should not look upon them with contempt when they ridicule us, but love them anyway, pray for them daily, and treat them as a friend, because they will know we are Christians by our love (John 13:35). This persecution that we face for what we believe in should not come as a surprise. What should be a surprise to you, though, is if you are not being persecuted. If we are not of this world our lives should reflect that. Our choices should reflect that. Our values should reflect that. If we reflect what we believe in our everyday lives, we will face persecution. It may not be extreme, but we will face it. Period. We are not called to fit in, but to stand out, to be the salt and light of this dying and desperate world (Matthew 5:13-16). I will leave you with this one question, “If you are standing on trial for your faith in Christ, would the judge have enough evidence to convict you?”

“For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” –Philippians 3:18-21

Judge Not.

5/12/2016

In the book of John, in one of the last public messages that Jesus’ gives to the people, he says this, “‘If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.’” Now, let’s keep in mind that Jesus is fully God, but fully human as well, meaning that while on earth, he faced the temptations of the flesh as well, just like you and me, but  he did not sin, he did not judge these people. How easy is it for us, as Christians, to see the actions of someone and instinctively judge that person? We are so quick to judge others from what we hear, see or even just assume about someone. In today’s society, there are so many lifestyle choices that I do not agree with, nor support. But these words have really challenged me to examine myself and how I think about and treat those who live a lifestyle of sin. As Christians, we are to strive to be Christ-like; treating others as Christ would, walking in step with the Spirit. If we are truly trying to do this, it should change the way we look at other people. If Jesus, while here on earth and battling the flesh just as much as you and me, did not judge these people, then why do we? Why are we so quick to condemn them and judge them? I know that I am guilty of this as well, but if we really want to be like Christ and be a light to this dark world, then we should really take these words to heart, “…I do not judge that person.” Jesus did not judge people while here on earth. That was not his mission, and if it was not his mission, then it surely cannot be ours. We are to be children of the light, bringing truth, hope and love to the world, not judgmental attitudes. I know that we are all human, and because of that, we sin. But I want to challenge you, as reading these words of Jesus have challenged me, to not be so quick to judge others. Instead, let’s really try to follow Jesus’ example and treat those people with love and respect, revealing to them the truth of the gospel and the message of salvation by the way we speak to them, treat them, and love them. Our mission is not to judge the world, but to be children of the light, sharing the message of salvation that is for ALL people.

Be Glorified.

4/29/2016

As I was doing my devotions this morning, I was reading in John 9 and was super encouraged and thought I would share with you all…

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.’” – John 9:1-3

These verses really stuck out to me for a few reasons. In life, we often hear the words and question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” or the opposite, “Why do good things happen to bad people?” In my life, especially recently, these questions have been a constant theme throughout recent events. I tend to get frustrated and unfortunately, begin to question God about why he allows certain things to happen. Unfortunately, I allow myself to feel entitled to only good things happening to me because I am following God. I think that because I am doing my best to walk the path that God has for me, he should reward me for that. Honestly, I could not be more wrong in this thinking. God allows certain things to happen so that HE can be glorified. In the good, in the bad, in the uncertain, He can be glorified. Without struggles, hardships, pain, loss, tragedy, uncertainty, etc… why would we follow Jesus? We follow Jesus out of love and devotion, trust and hope. If we truly believe Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose,” then we should not question the struggles and difficult times. We should not question why bad things happen to good people and vice versa. We should not feel entitled to only the good outcomes, only the good circumstances, only the good things in life because we follow Christ. Sometimes, God allows certain things to happen so that He can be glorified. That’s it. Whatever we go through, good or bad, the only question we should have is, “How can I glorify God through this?” because, just like in these verses, the only reason the man was born blind was “so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

I pray that this is an encouragement to you as well. We serve a great God that is in complete control of every situation! Praise Him!