Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

The Lifelong War to Come Alive

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Many of you have heard the quote from Saint Irenaeus that says, “The glory of God is man fully alive.”  I use that quote as the banner on this site and on my Facebook and Twitter pages.  It is a powerful statement that speaks to what it is we are created for in living out God’s purpose of glorifying Him through our own lives.  What does this statement mean to you.  Many will look at it and shrug their shoulders at it thinking it’s just another cliche statement that doesn’t carry much weight.  If God is really about us coming alive, then why do we find so much trial and difficulty in our lives that seem to draw us back into a world of heartache and difficulty.  We get bombarded with so many challenges day and night that it becomes difficult for many to see just where God is working.

What I’ve come to realize is that all of this difficulty and struggle comes about because we are born into a world that constantly at war.  We are faced with a world that is full of struggle and difficulty, anxiety, worry, and pain.  Since the fall of man in Eden, God has been constantly waging war against Satan and his demons that are constantly trying to overtake our lives and turn us away from God.  In Exodus 15:3, the Hebrews proclaimed that “The Lord is a Warrior.”  God has waged a continuing battle to win us back every since the fall.  What is He battling for?  For our hearts and that we can turn to Him and finally achieve the purposeful life we were created for.

Now for many, they may see that our faith in Christ grants us life in Heaven.  They miss a key part of what eternal life is about.  Eternal life begins now.  By our faith in Christ we are open to eternal life and fully our full design.  That does not start after we leave here, but it starts now on this earth.  Eternal life means always living, not living after we die.  Jesus came with the promise of life.  In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  Through Christ we have a chance to defeat the evil in this world and beginning to come alive through Him.

Now back to the war I was talking about.  God has been waging a war for us since the fall.  We face so much difficulty in this world because we face an enemy that is trying to always pull us away from God.  You see it today in the media as people are so bent on being in this progressive society and discounting anything that is spoken from The Word.  That is Satan at work.  Jesus told us that we will continue to have trials and sorrows in the world.  Through our faith in Him, we can overcome all of that because He overcame this world and stole the keys of hell and death and was risen to new life securing our rebirth.

We have to always remember that we are at war and God is at war for us.  Jesus has brought us new life and now we have the opportunity to fully come alive through faith in Christ and what He has secured for us.  In the book, “Waking the Dead,” John Eldredge said, “War is not just one among many themes in the Bible. It is the backdrop for the whole Story, the context for everything else. God is at war. He is trampling out the vineyards where the grapes of wrath are stored. And what is He fighting for? Our freedom and restoration. The glory of God is man fully alive.”

We are going to be continually at war in this life.  Don’t let struggles that you face pull you away from your faith.  I know that it will be easy to turn away.  We’ve all faced struggles that make it difficult to see where God is at work.  Trust me, He always is at work and will never stop fighting for us and pursuing our hearts.  That’s how much He loves every single one of us.  We can come alive through Christ and start living out exactly what we were created for in the eternal life that begins now through our faith.

Perfection Is Not The Key

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Have you ever faced times were you just filled with guilt over situations in your life where you have fallen to sin?  Have you ever been so caught up in trying to be perfect in your life that it keeps you from being you?  This relates to not just in faith, but in how we interact with people.  Many times people are so worried about the perception they give others when they are in social situations that they put on a “poser” persona and don’t act as themselves.  In faith, often times people are so afraid to sin that it eats at them trying to be perfect and then when they do fall, they get so riddled with guilt.

There is one thing in life that we need to always remember.  We are all sinners.  We live in a fallen world and sin is now a part of our human nature.  None of us are ever perfect.  I’m surely not.  I fight my own battles in life where sin and Satan infiltrate.  It’s a part of our world and something we all have to battle.  I don’t care who you are where you came from in life, it is a part of us.  Perfections is not in the cards in this world.  As you all know, Jesus was the only one to ever be perfect.  He came and showed us the example of what it is God intended man to be.  To always seek God and glorify Him in all we do.

When we all understand that perfection is not the key for each one of us, then we can focus on what is.  That, quite simply, is Jesus!  Jesus is the key, not perfection.  One we realize that, then we can spend our lives drawing closer to Him each day knowing that by God’s grace and love when we do fall to sin in our lives, we are forgiven because of Jesus.  Jesus is the answer.  An excerpt from the book “Becoming Myself” says, “We won’t be perfect on this side of heaven. But Jesus is perfect. Always.  We are becoming more holy and true. Jesus already is.  His name isn’t “Becoming.” It is “I AM.”

Jesus is the answer to it all.  When we surrender and accept in our lives as our Lord and Savior, we can then turn away from sin.  Jesus already to the judgement and punishment for our sin.  We can nail that sin in our lives to the feet of the cross and let Jesus take it from us.  Still going forward, while we strive to not sin, we need to understand that we are still not going to be perfect.  We will all jack it up at some point and many times.  Thanks to God’s love however, we don’t have to bound to that sin any longer.  We have Jesus.  He is the only answer we need and the real key to everything.

This is such a vital area of life for all of us and unfortunately, so many don’t understand or know this.  Seek Jesus.  That is your answer.  He was God’s answer to the sin and corruption of this world and He is the answer to conquering our sin and our salvation.  Seek Jesus through God’s Word.  Ask the Holy Spirit to fill your life.  An posting from Joseph Prince today said, “No Word and all Spirit? You’ll blow up. All Word and no Spirit? You’ll dry up. But have the Word and the Spirit? That’s how you grow up!”  Fill yourself with God’s Word and the Holy Spirit daily.  Draw closer to Him and know that Jesus is the key.  Don’t live a life of perpetual guilt trying to be perfect.  Seek Jesus, Always!

Free to Live and Free to Love

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I have this sticker that is on the back window of my truck.  It is the image of the Cross with the words “We are set free.”  This comes of Galatians 5:1 where Paul tells us that Christ has truly set us free.  Many may wonder what it means to be truly set free.  What are set free from?  Paul stated that we are set from the law that enslaved the Israelites.  While working out this morning, I was watching a program with a gentleman named Joseph Prince.  I had never watched him before, but got caught up in what he was teaching.  He took us back to the time at Mt. Sinai when God laid out the 10 Commandments to Moses.  Prior to that point, God would come meet with people Abraham, Isaac, and others face to face.  When the Israelites began Exodus, they would often grumble to Moses and God would show grace by parting the Red Sea, raining Manna, bringing water from a rock.  At Mt. Sinai, however, it all changed and when the elders of Israel said they would do all God commanded, the laws were handed down and they became slaves of the law.  For the next 1,500 or so years, we see time after time where people turned from God and then would repent and obey God’s law.  The focus, was more on keeping the commandments rather than on faith in God and loving Him.

Fast Forward now to Jesus.  When Jesus was asked about which Commandment was the greatest, he said that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind.  True faith and love for God had been lost up to that point for most.  People were bent on keeping the law that they lost site of what it meant to be truly faithful.  Through Jesus Christ, we are shown God’s grace and love.  God became flesh and willingly gave his life to die for us and take the punishment of sin that we all deserved.  That is grace and love.  Through this willful sacrifice, we were set free.  Free from sin, free from death when Christ rose from the dead.

Now we are free to live and free to love God.  In the book Free to Live, by John Eldredge, it states, “Loving God is the centering of your existence as a human being. It’s the restoration of you reason for existence. What a relief it is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. What an utter relief. For then, every other relationship falls into place; every other desire finds its appropriate place in our life. Again, this is why mere “morality” can never substitute for true holiness. You can keep all the rules you think are important and not love God. This is where it all begins, truly loving Jesus with all your heart. Where things are out of whack, that is where our repenting needs to take place.”

Jesus’s first coming was in Grace.  Grace to set us free and to be given an open door to once again be able to know God and learn what true faith is and what true unfailing love is.  Through full faith and trust in Christ, we are free. We are free to love God with all that we are. We are free to live for God’s purpose and His will for our lives. We are free to live. Jesus is Life!

It’s a great feeling to know what the Grace bought through Christ’s redeeming blood has brought us.  Even when we are not deserving, we have the intercession of Christ.  Just as God continued to show Grace to the Israelites through their grumblings in the wilderness before Mt. Sinai, His Grace was again returned to us through Christ even through our fallen state and no matter how much we have jacked up our own lives.  I am just as jacked up as the rest, but know that through repentance and faith in Christ I am redeemed and free from that sin.  We are free to live and we are free to love!

SetFree

Let Christ Rule Your Heart

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Yesterday, I had the privilege of spending some morning Bible Study time with a group of guys where I worship at The Cross in Loganville.  First, what a great time it was.  To be honest, I have never sat down in that kind of setting to just fellowship and talk and discuss scripture with several other believers.  I have had one-on-one conversations many times in the past or with a couple of folks, but never really participated in that kind of Bible Study session.  Let me tell you, it was a great experience.  I got to meet some guys I have seen in passing attending worship, but never really got to know.  What I did learn, was that we all have a great story and testimony of how we came to faith in Christ and often times it came from various trials and difficulties of various kinds.  We all have story.

But getting to the root of the study, we focused on Colossians 3:15-17.  The first thing right out of the gate, Paul tells us to “let the peace that comes from Christ rule our hearts.”  This really struck with me as we discussed the versus and I listened to Tim, the lead pastor, break it down.  All too often in this life, we are quick to take action or speak without thinking.  We can start lashing out in anger or whatever it may be.  Either way, we can often get caught-up not letting Christ lead our words and actions.  This is often the case for many that may go to worship on Sunday, but raise hell the rest of the week.  I’ve been there too.  We need to let Jesus umpire our actions and keep us under control every single day.

In verse 16, it says, “Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives.”  As we walk in close step with Christ, we should let all the He is and His message fill us each day.  Let Jesus speak through us also, as we share, teach, and counsel with others.  The line given in the study was “Speak only when spoken through.”  Don’t just spout of opinions and talk to be heard.  Let Christ fill your heart and the Word fill you and speak what is being spoken through you.  I have encountered many people that like to talk just to heard.  They don’t think about what their saying and just ramble on.  Stay away from that, and rather speak life.   In Toby Mac’s song, “Speak Life,”  he says the lines, “Look into the eyes of the brokenhearted; watch them come alive as soon as you speak hope, you speak love, you speak life.”

If we speak from the Good News and the promise for new life and salvation in Christ, its amazing the impact it has on folks.  Especially when they are lost and broken.  When you speak what Christ is speaking through you and through the Word, it will bring them to life.  We are a representative of Christ when we speak and testify and should remember that.  2 Corinthians 5:20 calls us “Ambassadors of Christ.”  I want to live that way and those of you that are believers, I pray that you will as well.  A gentleman in the Bible Study mentioned that the first thing we have in sharing about Christ is our own story.  Our own Testimony to how Christ has transformed our lives.  To be honest, it is one of the most powerful weapons we have as a body of believers.  We all have a story.  We all have taken paths through adversity, brokenness, and many other challenges.  We all have had times either completely separated from God or where we questioned Him.  Share your testimony and be contagious.  By sharing your own story, people can relate and then see just how much Christ has transformed your own life.

Let Christ rule your heart.

The Daily Battles of This World

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Everyday of our lives, we are faced with numerous battles that we must confront and deal with.  Living in this fallen world, we are faced with things that try to pull us off track, challenge our faith, challenge our passion, and try to eat at our lives.  These battles, if we let them, can start to tear at who we are, destroy our lives, our relationships with family and friends, and cause us to turn away from God.  These can be things that simple as negative thoughts toward something or someone.  It can lustful temptations of all kinds.  You name, we all face it.  The issue we all face is how do we deal with it.

Now, it can be easy, very easy to give in.  Many people do this daily.  It can be easy to get pulled into negative of this world.  Give in to negative thoughts, give in to sin, give in to Satan and his demons.  In reading an article in a new online magazine that launched this past week called And Sons Magazine, there was the topic of good versus evil.  The article took the example of the movie “Man of Steel.”  From that movie, he pointed to a line spoken by Kevin Costner’s character, Jonathan Kent.  He said to Clark, “One day you’re going to have to make a choice—you have to decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be because that man, good character or bad, he’s gonna change the world.”

Our actions and how we decide to deal with the battles and temptations we face each day can have lasting consequences, good or bad.  You may think to yourself, it’s just me, how can I have a lasting impact on others.  Trust me you do.  In my daily reading in Scripture this week, part of the focus is on the Book of Joshua.  Joshua, led the Israelites across the Jordan River into the Promised Land, conquering Jericho and beyond with God’s angel leading the way.  In Joshua 7 & 8, we learn what happens to Achan and his entire family when he sins by keeping items set aside for God.  His own sins and brought death to his entire family from stoning.  His sins had a lasting effect on others because he fell to worldly temptations.

Going back to the article, we now look to Jesus.  Often times Jesus is seen as peaceful and tranquil. However, what we do not often see taught is that Jesus was preparing us to battle the evil that will confront us daily.  John 10:10, Jesus tells us the “The thief’s purpose is to kill and destroy. My purpose is to bring them a rich and satisfying life.” Matthew 10:34, Jesus says, “Don’t imagine that I come to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.” Then verse 36, ” Your enemies are right in your own household.”  Jesus came to lay down His life for us, to set us free from sin and death.  His mission was to also prepare us for what we will face on a daily basis.  The enemy will constantly be trying to destroy us from within.  We have to take a lesson from Christ and make the choice to take up the battle for Him.  If we don’t and we give in, then we face the consequences of Achan as our own sins and passivity to this world will have a lasting impacts not just on us, but on those around us.  Likewise, if we choose to battle the evil of this world and battle for God’s Kingdom by proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ, then we can also change the world that way.  We can be contagious and change the world, but we have to choose which way to go.

C.H. Spurgeon said, “Look to the Cross, and hate your sin, for sin nailed your Well Beloved to the tree. Look up to the cross, and you will kill sin, for the strength of Jesus’ love will make you strong to put down your tendencies to sin.”  When you find yourself faced with a challenge today or any day for that matter, look to the Cross.  Jesus poured His blood out for us to be set free from sin.  When trials come your way, turn to Cross.  Nail them at the feet of Jesus and let Him take those troubles from you.  Jesus told us in John 16:33 that we will have trouble in this world, but take heart because He has overcome this world.  Jesus can take all of that trouble and those battles away.  When the evil comes knocking, let Jesus answer the door.  It is that simple folks.  Jesus Is The Answer!!!  He can pull us through every battle we face if we put our full faith and trust in Him.  Trust me.  He has done wonders for me and I have seen what He has done for many others who have struggled, but trusted in Him.  Be a warrior for Christ and look to Him for all your troubles.  He is the armor and the sword that you need.

SpiritofPower

 

The Restoration of Spring

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So today, spring arrives.  For many it has been a long and miserable winter.  Even in my neck of the woods in the Georgia, we’e dealt with more winter than we care to.  With that said, while many may still have to deal with winter weather for a while longer, the coming of spring brings new restoration to our world.  We start to hear the birds singing, the trees begin to bud, and we see new life beginning all around us.  It is a fresh start as we look forward to longer days and warmer weather.

In my reading this morning, I was pointed to look closer at God’s creation and how His coming kingdom restores our world.  God gives us a glimpse of this restoration each year as move out of the darkness and cold of winter into spring and summer.  Through Jesus, wherever humanity was broken, He restored it.  Just has the blind man could see, the deaf could hear, the lame could walk, and the dead returned to life.  Jesus restored and restores all who have faith in Him and seek Him.  My reading this morning was and excerpt from John Eldredge’s book Epic.  John explains that “the restoration of the world played before us each spring and summer is precisely what God is promising us about our lives.  Every miracle Jesus ever did was pointing to this Restoration, the day he makes all things new.

As the warmer days come back upon us, think about this restoration and the promise that God has made to us.  He sent His son Jesus Christ to live among us and be sacrificed so that we could be made new.  So that we could be restored to God once again as we had fallen so far.  No matter how broken our lives may be and we all have that struggle to contend with, Jesus is the answer and restores all.   We get a taste of that restoration every spring with new life.  Jesus brings us new life if we have faith in Him.

I am in the process of producing my first video blog.  As I mentioned in my last post, I will be sharing my personal testimony with you all.  Part of that will show just how much Jesus has restored me.  I’ve gone through my own share of struggles, doubts, and fears.  It was not until I was 33 years old that I realized just how far I had strayed and I found my way back to God and let me tell you, He has restored me so much.    I still struggle with daily troubles that life will bring in this world, but I have new hope and Jesus was and is that answer and He is yours too.

My prayer for everyone that reads my posts and who will watch my videos is that my life and testimony will be a beacon that will be draw others in.  That people who may be struggling and not know who Christ is will find there way to get to know Him.  He is always there and like the prodigal son, will pull you in with open arms when you find your way home.  He will restore you.  Look at His creation and how awesome it is.  He can do so much more within you, no matter where you are in life.

Gratitude for Christ Jesus

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We are now less than two weeks away from Christmas.  The season seems to be flying by this year as it seems like we just passed Thanksgiving.  I know everyone is busy in the hustle and bustle of their Christmas shopping as we near the big day and celebration.  I look forward to all the time with my family over the coming weeks.  If you recall, in my last post, I wrote about the moment of Christ’s birth and how pivotal that moment was in the history of the world.  So profound that the armies of heaven came down to sing praises and glory to God.  Simply amazing.

As we near closer to the day and through all of the craziness that has started to accompany this season, have you stopped to reflect on Christ and His purpose for coming.  As you know I read through scripture everyone morning.  Part of my reading right now includes devotional on Christmas Carols and the meaning behind them.  One this week, was on “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”    Particularly from that song, was a focus on the words, “Mild He lays His glory by; Born that man no more may die. Born to raise the sons of earth; Born to give them second birth.”

Christ came to this world to save us from our sins and the fate we deserved as a fallen creation.  He set aside his glory and took the punishment we so much deserve so that we could be re-born through Him.  1 Peter 1:3 says “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation.”  Christ came and gave his life to give us new life.

Reflect on that today.  Remember what the purpose of Christ was.  Not just that He was born in a manger in Bethlehem, but the reason for it all.  He came here for each and everyone of us.  How amazing!  Reflect on this today and throughout the season.  Give thanks to Jesus for what He did for us.  We did not deserve it, but because of God’s unfailing love, we now have new life.  I am grateful everyday for this.

The Christmas Season Has Arrived

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I hope everyone of you had a very Happy Thanksgiving, those readers here in the US at least.  We are now entering what has to be my absolute favorite time of year, as it is for many more.  That of course is Christmas!  I have many great memories throughout the years of Christmas.  Waking up early to sneak downstairs when I was younger, the time with my family in the morning opening gifts and just hanging around, and then making our trip over to my grand parents house in the afternoon to spend the rest of the day with them and aunts, uncles, and cousins.  Since I became a husband and father, my joy now is with my wife and kids.  The traditions we have of decorating the house the day after Thanksgiving.  No shopping for us.  The joys of Christmas morning to see their faces light up when they open their own gifts and the great time we have to spend together.

The biggest and most important part of the season of course, is the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  That is the reason we celebrate Christmas each year.  Part of my annual tradition is to add to my daily time in scripture, devotionals and readings about the birth of Christ and the prophecies leading up to his birth and so forth.  This year, I chose to go with a 25 day devotional that unlocks the themes behind many of our favorite Christmas Carols.  It’s great reading.

My devotional yesterday, covered “Angels We Have Heard on High.”  This really made me stop and think about that moment when Christ was born.  In Luke 2, Luke describes the shepherds in the fields that night and an angel appearing before them to announce the birth and “Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”” (Verse 13-14 (NLT)).

Have you ever really stopped to think about that moment and how profound that really was?  This was the most profound event that had or has ever happened in our history.  God came into this world as a human, as Christ Jesus.  Our savior, to deliver us and set us free from the slavery of our own sin.  This even was so profound that the angels of heaven, the armies of heaven made their presence known here on earth to sing praises to God.  It is such a pivotal moment in human history since our creation.

When I stopped to think about that, it was absolutely amazing.  I never had really reflected on just how profound that moment was.  In actuality, we can’t even begin to comprehend the true glory of that moment. It’s amazing to really think about though.  It has been weighing on my mind so much the last 24 hours, that I had to make sure I shared my reflection of the moment.   Just goes to show more and more just how awesome our God is.  How He has continued to show his unfailing love for each us.  No matter what, He will not abandon us.  What amazing love!!!

I will reflect more on Christmas over the next month with you all, but for now, I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas!  Enjoy this great time of year!

Overcoming the Villains of Your Story

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One of my daily readings this morning discussed why we see villains in every story out there.  Examples used were Little Red Riding Hood with the Wolf, Dorothy and and Wicked Witch of the West, and Frodo and Black Riders.  These are just three examples, but as we all see, there is a villain that is in nearly every story line written and filmed.  The reason is because there are villains in every aspect of our life.  They are everywhere we turn trying to tell us no, trying to destroy who we are, trying to keep us from fulfilling our God given purpose, and so much more.  The reading was a an excerpt from the book Walking the Dead.  One that is on my reading list.

The final line of this reading reads, “You have an enemy. He is trying to steal your freedom, kill your heart, destroy your life.”  Satan and his demons are all over this world and they come disguised in so many different forms.  They infiltrate so much in our lives.  They bring destruction, they whisper and tell us we won’t amount to anything.  They tell us that we cannot come alive through God’s path.  They try to lure us away to the pleasures of this world.  The lusts, the idolatry, and so much more that is always in front of us.  They use people to spew out anger and negativity at us to discourage us from doing anything that Godly and on His path.  Have you ever had those days where you feel you are riding high.  You feel God’s blessings our on you and then all of a sudden things come crashing down.  Something happens that pulls you away, someone says something that infiltrates your soul, or just a feeling of depression, anxiety, and anger comes over you from nowhere.  I certainly have, and there is the evil coming at you.  That is the evil one trying to pull you back to Earth and away from God’s path

So what do we do when we encounter these villains?  How do you battle back?  The answer is simple. Through Jesus Christ.  He is THE Hero of our story.  He is God incarnate and came to this world to defeat sin and death through the shedding of His blood and His Resurrection.  One of my favorite versus in the Bible is John 16:33, which states,” I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

As a fallen creation we are filled with trials and sorrows that come through our lives.  These villains are always upon us and trying to bring us down in every way.  They try to test your faith and strength.  Even Jesus was tested in the Wilderness for 40 days and what a victory He had.  He was and is the ultimate show of strength.  He overcame for us all to open our doorway to God’s Kingdom.  Even as I write this blog today and any other blog I write.  I can always fill the Holy Spirit filling me and inspiring the words I put down.  As I write, however, I can feel the evil tugging at me trying to stop those words from flowing and sharing with you all.

So what can you do knowing that there is evil always there and knowing there is a Hero to turn to?  The answer is simple, give it all up to Christ.  When those trials and tribulations come your way.  When you feel the anger, the sorrow, the bitterness coming through you, turn to Jesus.  As Revelation 12:12 says, “…But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.” Pray for the strength that is in you already to come alive to battle.  Ask Christ to take that burden.  He is the answer.  He has already overcome and all we have to do is turn to Him as the hero of this story.  It is all about God.  Turn to him always to fight those spiritual battles that you will face throughout life.  Give it up to Him.

4 Years in the Whirlwind

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I have not taken the time to write as much as I would like these last few months.  A few blog posts here and there, but as often happens to us, life and priorities get in the way.  This morning, however, I felt compelled to make sure I wrote something new.  I’ve mentioned this some in my writing and its definitely something that has taken precedence in my book.  4 years ago today, on October, 13, 2009, my entire family and I were tossed into what I call, the whirlwind.  On that day, we lost my Dad after a terrible rush hour accident that claimed his life and two of his co-workers, with injuries to six more of his co-workers.  It was a day we never imagined would happen and dealing with that tragedy was something we never thought we would have to deal with.  We were forced to come to terms with a lot from dealing with our own struggles of faith in why this happened, to dealing with the person that set this event rolling by an act of stupidity.  It was an emotional roller coaster that still plays out to this day.

In dealing with this tragedy, I have had to come to terms with a lot in my own life.  First, the loss of my Dad in such a tragic way, profoundly scarred me and sent me into a dark shadow for many, many months.  I tried to find my way through my faith, but honestly, it was not strong enough yet.  For some time, I did not think a thing else in life mattered.  If something like this could happen to someone like my Dad, who was a wonderful man of God, and an awesome Father, what was the point of things.  I was not angry at God, but I just did not know what to make of it all.

After the first year or so, I began to refocus my life and worked to really make sense of all of the emotions I’ve had to deal with.  I have a wife and children that depend on me and I knew that I could not spend my life dealing like that.  I began to read more books related to faith and then finally found my way to the Word of God.  I made it a point to read every single day.  I knew that through God’s word I could find the answers I was looking for in life and a way to make sense of all of of the emotions I dealt with from this tragedy.

Through this journey, I have learned the power that forgiveness has.  I’ve learned that despite the anger I have for the one that set this whirlwind in motion, I knew that forgiving was one of the only ways to release that anger.  It freed me from the burden of constantly worrying about this guy and was a huge step to move forward.  From there, I learned to simply surrender to God’s will.  To let him take control of my life and understand that He is in control and has a purpose for everything we deal with in life.

So what of this purpose?  What does it all mean?  Truth be told, my brother, Rob, said it best at my Dad’s funeral when he said that we may never know all of the answers until we go to meet God face-to-face.  I do however think there is a reason that has been revealed now.  We often hear the question of why God allows these terrible things to happen.  The purpose of it all is quite simple actually.  These tragedies are are allowed as they bring us back to God.  Often times people stray away.  I’m know exception, but through tragedy, many times people find there way back to God as they search for their own answers.  This was no exception.  I sometimes think that God looked at Dad, knowing he already had a devoted son, and this was a way to grab the attention of the rest of us.

We all deal with tragedies in different ways.  The bottom-line however is that through any tragedy in life, if we surrender and turn to God and find redemption through Christ, there is nothing we cannot overcome.  Nothing is impossible through Him.  Let Him take control.  We will always go through all of the pain and emotions that come with any tragedy, but know that God loves you through all of that.  He is there with you and waiting for you to turn to Him and I promise you, that you will find the healing and the power you need.  He is so Awesome!  If I did not have Him to turn to, I don’t know were I would be now, 4 years later.  I certainly would not be here writing this.  His love and His healing is so real, if you choose to seek it out, surrender, and let Him take hold of your life.

Thank you for reading.  I am closing today with this little prayer that you can say just help on your own journey.  God Bless you all!

Father, thank you who you are and for continuing to love us everyday.  Help us to love you and love each other more and more each day through all of the events of life. Thank you for the redemption we have through your son Jesus Christ.  Guide us each day as we learn to seek you more and let you take hold of our lives.  In Christ’s name – Amen

Dad and me Christmas 2008