The Gift of the Magi

Greetings everyone. As the holiday season rapidly descends upon us, there is a lot of buzz in the air. Christmas is a great time to share and reflect upon your faith. In that spirit, I would like to share some thoughts about one of my favorite Christmas stories, that of the Three Wisemen, or as they are sometimes known, the Magi. After you finish the story, hark back to the days when people used to comment on the blogs. I get sort of lonely talking to myself. : ) Enjoy!

The story of the Magi is almost a perfect analogy for Christianity. God told the wise men to follow the star, to go where it led them. And they obeyed the command. They went on their long journey with the star as their guide. They actively pursued their destination.

The story is valuable in that it teaches us how we should respond to God's commands: readily and with conviction. It also shows us one very valuable aspect of the relationship we should have with Jesus: we should be looking for Him. But it has another purpose. To the unbelieving world, Christianity is much like this story. We believe God has given us a goal, a finish line, and we spend our lives trying to get there. At the end of the line is the life that Jesus lived. Perfection. To be without sin. This widely circulated view of Christianity is not entirely false, but it is flawed. It leads to a belief system that can only create hypocrites, a system of faith where the only possible outcome is failure. Paul tells us this, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23. The truth is, however, that Christianity is the only system of faith that leads to total victory. Victory over shame, guilt, lust, anger, pride, greed…in a word, evil. That is because to be a Christian means to truly understand the story of the Magi.

In the story God commands the wise men to follow the star. The star itself represents the embodiment of God. Ultimate perfection. The goal of Christians everywhere according to the secular worldview. If we take a closer look at the story though, we notice some key things the wise men did not do. They did not start testing different propulsion systems, they began getting their affairs in order. They did not start hammering together sheets of metal, they packed their bags and loaded their wagons. They did not start calculating the distance between them and the star, they tried to estimate how many miles of ground they would need to cover. Why? Because they understood what God really wanted from them. Not to journey to the star, that would be ridiculous, impossible, it never crossed their minds. Instead, they were to use the star as a guide to reach the real destination God had in mind, the manger.

This is what the world does not understand about Christianity that Christians should. Our goal is not perfection. The Father and the Son both know that humans are not and will never be perfect, at least not in this life. The Father kicked us out of Eden for our imperfections, and the Son died because of them. It is a false premise that Christians should be perfect by the time they die. It was too late the day we were born. Sin is in our blood. Our goal is not the star. Instead, perfection, the perfect will of Jesus Christ for our lives, is to serve as a guide on our journey, not a finish line. We should keep our eyes on that star always; reorienting ourselves and changing direction whenever we get off course, but it should not be our true purpose. The important thing is where the star leads us. As every Christian will find, as the Magi discovered, a life led with an eye on that star, a journey taken with it as a guide, will always lead to the manger, to Jesus Christ, to the real finish line.

By Aaron Blackwell

The Great Debaters

Today I want to say a few words about all of the debates that surround our faith. It is impossible to attend church for a year or discuss Christianity with friends and family and not come across some of these issues. These issues include, but are not limited to: elect v. non-elect, free will v. determinism, salvation through works v. salvation through faith, and on and on ad infinitum.

I will not, at least in this blog, attempt to resolve or even discuss any of these pressing issues, except in reference. It is not because I believe these issues to be unimportant. I think it is essential for us as Christians to practice our faith in dialogue or group discussions. When there are things we do not understand about that faith, it is important too that we go back to Scripture in search of the answers. As many of you are familiar with I’m sure, many a scholar has done just that, and as a result a multitude of verses can be quoted to support either side of all of these debates. If you are struggling with any aspect of your faith, I would encourage you to do a deep study, and even include your friends or hometeam members, and try and see what Scripture has to say on the issue.

The point I wish to discuss, indeed the focus of this blog, is not, however, the content of these debates, but rather their results. It is much too common for Christians to get caught up in these fine points of faith and in effect miss the entire point. As I said earlier, there are a number of verses, open to interpretation, to support either side of these debates. There are other issues, however, on which the Bible is quite clear. Feed the poor. Take care of the widows and orphans. Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, and strength. Treat your neighbor as you yourself wish to be treated. Spread the Gospel to the corners of the Earth. Do not lie. Do not let anger take a hold of you. These are just a few of my favorites.

The sad thing is, we tend to get caught up in the other stuff. We lock ourselves in the Temple and debate the minutiae of the Law instead of working in the community. If you read the New Testament however, you know that Jesus didn’t spend much time in Temples, unless he was turning tables over. Rather he was out among the people. Feeding the hungry, healing the sick, teaching the simple. He explained his commands in words that everyone could understand, rather than bombarding the crowds with High Church jargon. As Christians, we should model ourselves after Jesus rather than the Pharisees and Sadducees. We should spend less time worrying about what the Bible does or does not say about free will, and more time working in soup kitchens, going to Haiti, or building houses in Mexico. Jesus knew that compassion, love, sacrifice, and commiseration, are more effective tools than logic and theory when it comes to winning over people’s souls. He knew that a person can benefit a lot more from a well-side chat than from a 16-week course in Leviticus. He knew it and showed it daily, and who are we to argue?

So I encourage you today to set aside life’s small debates. Whether it is a debate over free will, a debate over where the chairs should go at the church service, or a debate over who’s supposed to cook tonight. Instead, take some time to contemplate the actions of Jesus, and consider how your debate skills might best serve Him, who loved you and gave Himself for you.


By Aaron Blackwell

Jesus In The Box

I am totally thrilled with the response that my last blog received. It was great to hear so many different stories from people about their own struggles with Soft Christianity and what they’re doing to get rid of it. It even made me re-evaluate my own willingness to put Christ first and foremost in my life.

It is strange how some things seem completely obvious only after you think of them. After hearing Harvey share his story in church, I began to notice how easy it was to keep God inside my box. I have a Sunday box. It’s a little box I keep on my shelf that has all my favorite things in it: my favorite clothes, my best behaviors, my Bible, and 10% of my paycheck. Every Sunday I open it up and carefully lay out all of the items. I put on my favorite clothes and nice shoes, grab my Bible, scoop up my tithe, throw on a smile and head to church. Some of you might be able to relate. The problem is, there are some verses in Scripture that threaten to knock my box right off the shelf.

The first is one that Harvey brought up, Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will keep your paths straight. If we take the Bible at its word (or Word?) then my box is in serious trouble. The key phrase for me here is all your ways. Not one seventh of your ways, not half of your ways, not all of your ways except when you get really angry, but ALL your ways. James teaches us that as Christians we are largely defined by our perseverance. To persevere is to not give in, to not be overcome. When you are overcome by anger, when it’s Friday afternoon and those words you know you just shouldn’t say come tumbling out of your mouth after a long week: Satan wins. Put another way, we cease to acknowledge God in all our ways. If we are different people on Sunday then we are on Wednesday or Friday, we are living a life that stands in direct contrast to Scripture, which brings us to the second verse that comes to mind.

Matthew 5:16, In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Now back to James. James tells us to expect trials in life, in fact to be grateful for the chance to grow in our faith. Proverbs tells us to acknowledge the Lord in all our ways. Can you hear my box shattering on the floor? Being a Christian is about bringing God to church and taking Him with you when you leave; bringing him to work with you, to school with you, to the dinner table with you. It’s about shining your light into the darkest places, showing patience and kindness on Friday and Sunday and Monday. It’s easy to be a Christian on Sunday morning, but following Jesus is a 24/7/365 gig. Some of those days will be harder than others, but it’s in those trials that we get to see how much we really buy into this whole Jesus thing.

By Aaron Blackwell

Taking Care

What follows is a letter from Adam Hunt, a former youth leader at Cottonwood who now lives in Tulsa. I couldn't have said it better myself, so I won't. Adam writes:

I'm still working at the coffee shop and church. I love making coffee, even if doesn't pay much. I'm not really sure how I feel about church. They just announced a plan to renovate the building and I can't help but thinking there is a better way to spend 300 thousand dollars... When you work for a church, you get a different perspective on things. I believe that there are the best of intentions, but it's ridiculous how they do so many things that are designed to get people to tithe more. The ministries that receive the most money and focus are the ministries that bring in the most money... I don't know that it's wrong, but I feel like often people get so caught up in making the church as an organization work that they forget what we are really trying to accomplish. The church is not supposed to be a shelter from the world, but a radical force within it that impacts everything and everyone it touches. Does the world even know we care?

So much of what is taught in church today pertains to how a person can better live his life, or how to have a closer relationship with God, or better yet, how to stay married to your wife. These are not really bad things, but the problem is that we have become an inward focused church. It's about building the size of the congregation, taking care of the congregation, etc.... I guarantee that if the church focused on loving the world, those things would fall to the wayside as petty issues. On top of that, if the church was focused outward, the people in the church would be more mature as Christians. The best way to change someone's life is not to preach a good sermon to them, it is to send them out to do something. People would have a much stronger faith if they actually used it. Anyhow, these are some of the thoughts running through my head lately. The frustrating thing is seeing a need, but not really being sure how to fill it. I want to change the world, but I'm not sure where to start...

Amen

Soft Christianity

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about evangelism. Recently, Dan (Cottonwood’s Pastor) came back from a mission trip to Haiti. While he was there he kept a log that made for some pretty interesting reading. Trips to Haiti cannot be classified as a kind of vacation, and rarely have I seen the word “fun” come readily out of people’s lips who have gone and returned to share their stories. When you go to Haiti, you are putting your life on the line. There seems to be little question about that. But people go.

Jothum and Rochelle have been there 6 or 7 times! New Orleans was pushing my limits. The question then, is why. What sends thousands of people across deserts, rivers, oceans and continents? What sent Paul to Ephesus, Philippi and Rome? and The obvious answer is something along the lines of Jesus. The love of Jesus, the mercy of Jesus, the call of Jesus. That may be the case for many, but it was not for me. When I was first deciding to go to New Orleans and things were getting finalized, I didn’t really feel like I was being called there. I felt pushed. Pushed by guilt, by a sense of what I ought to do, being a Christian and all. But I went. And while I was there I like to think I made an impact on the lives of a few people there. I’d like to believe that by going to NO, people got to catch a glimmer of Jesus. Just as surely as they do when Jothum and Rochelle show up (again) in Haiti.

The truth is, there are a thousand different reasons why we go on missions trips. But, there is only one reason why we are sent. There is only one reason for evangelism.

People are going to hell.

The world is full of people that are on a path that leads to the lake of fire. Eternal death. Infinity without God. And God does not want them to stay on that path.

Recently I’ve been involved in several discussions about what happens to people who never hear the Gospel during their life on Earth. Whether or not they go to hell or if there is some provision for them. While the answers to that question make for some great coffee shop dialogue, I don’t think that it’s a great question to ask. Why? Because when questions like that get asked, the answers can lead to a dangerous brand of Christianity.

Soft Christianity.

As Christians we are tempted to think that a kind and loving God surely would not allow people who, by simple circumstance, did not get to hear the Good News, spend eternity in hell. (I do not wish to assume that I know all of God’s plans by any means, so again I’ll remain silent on the question.) The problem with that answer though is that it can get us out of a lot of stuff. If God is going to take care of all of the children of the world in the afterlife, then why do I need to feed the hungry ones? If God will give the people of this or that tribe a second chance, why should I go visit them? You can see where this is going.

The point is not what God will or will not do in the next life. We need to live in the now. We know that God cares about every person on the planet deeply, since He took the time to do His best work when He made them. And if He cares, we should care. We are called to spread the Good News of Jesus to the ends of the Earth. To hide our fear, or pride, or lack of faith, or whatever it is that is stopping us from jumping on that plane to Haiti or van to Mexico behind the infinite love of God is to miss the message of the cross almost entirely. The only way the people in the village, or the orphans in Haiti will know that God loves them and sent His son to die for them is if you look them in the eye and tell them.

Even more pressing to me, is that so many Christians are disturbed by the notion that God would send someone who never got hear the Gospel to hell. But, that person that sits next to you on the bus everyday, that lady in the next office over, that convenience store clerk, they could be on that same path. Yet, we remain silent, we sit still. Fear and pride stay our tongues and opportunities are lost. But those people could end up in hell just as easily as anyone else. The point is, if the thought of a tribesman in South America going to hell bugs us, shouldn’t the thought of our neighbor, our best friend, our brother or sister going to hell really bug us? Yet we are still. Hoping that God will work it out with them. Trusting that we’ll know when the time is right. Waiting for them to come to us.

Soft Christianity.

It’s time to peel the bubble paper off of the cross and get some splinters buried deep in our hands. It’s true, Christianity is uncomfortable sometimes, it hurts sometimes, just ask Jesus. But if we really believe that someone, anyone, is going to hell, then we should be willing to squirm a little to get them to heaven with us. In fact, if we are really going to follow Jesus, we should be willing to die, assured of our place in heaven, that others may share that same glorious fate. There is no such thing as Soft Christianity. Just ask Jesus.

By Aaron Blackwell

Acts and Action

The last few chapters in the book of Acts document Paul’s arrest at the hands of the Jews and the subsequent trial. Within the tale, however, there are several important lessons to be had. The first is a word about the reputations of Christians. The second is a model picture of Christian evangelism.

As you read through the end of Acts one thing that you may or may not have noticed is the way Paul is treated once it is known he is a Christian. The governor, Felix, is hard-pressed to believe that Paul is guilty of the charges the Jews have brought before him, in large part due to the reputation Christians have already gained for peacefulness. As I’m sure you all are aware, this brief illustration falls in contrast with the view unbelievers share about Christians today. Think of some of the stigmas that surround Christianity. That we are all hypocrites, or narrow-minded, or self-serving, or arrogant, or child molesters! Or all at once! It is indeed a sad state of affairs. Sadder still is that there are many reasons why Christians are cast in this light that have a lot less to do with Paul and a lot more to do with you and me. Not to say that we are arrogant, or self-serving etc. But we have, or at least I have, dropped the ball in a few key areas, which brings me to my next point.

In a recent epidemic of passivity a doctrine has swirled up into Christian circles and put a choke-hold on evangelism. We’ve probably all heard it in one form or another, but it pretty much goes like this: If you behave like a Christian when you are out in the world, people will come to you to find out what you have that they don’t. The flip side: You don’t have to worry about telling everyone you meet about Jesus. There are a few problems with this view, 1. It is inconsistent with Scripture, 2. It doesn’t work very well. For my Cottonwood attendees you may recall several weeks ago when Clay preached on this same topic. He shared his experience that in his whole life as a Christian perhaps two people have ever inquired about his behavior. Two! In another circle I’m a part of the same topic came up with the same result, bupkis. As one man put it, “No one knows that I’m a Christian, they just think I’m a nice guy.” Sound familiar?

Let’s take another look at Paul. While it is true that his reputation as a Christian preceded him, that was not enough. He took every chance he got to testify about the Good News of Jesus Christ. And not just to crowds of peasants or people that expressed curiosity, but to pagan governors and kings! This is the model that we as Christians really need to pay attention to. It is our calling not only to show the world what Jesus taught, but also to tell the world what He has done for us. And there is no such thing as a boring testimony! As another friend put it, the fact that Jesus can walk with someone their entire life is just as amazing as the fact that He can transform a dead life into a new living one.

It is time to take a page from Paul’s book and reject complacency. Let that urgency catch at your heart and cause you to tell someone new everyday that Jesus Christ has saved your life! And maybe change the world’s perception of what it really means to be a Christian while you’re at it.

By Aaron Blackwell

Strange Changes

The book of Acts has many interesting stories to tell, but none quite like that of the Jews that were around during the first years of the Church. As we read about Paul's missions all around the modern day Middle East and South Europe, there is a recurring theme. While some of the Jews become believers after hearing Paul speak the Good News, a large number of them respond with anger, sometimes even hatred, and many even try to do him physical harm! What is the cause of this? In my opinion...comfort. Those Jews were comfortable. They were comfortable with their laws, customs, beliefs, and practices. So comfortable, in fact, that they were willing to do almost anything to maintain the status quo.

It's easy to get flustered by their attitude. God's chosen people finally received their Messiah and they...reject him? What?! I think it might be better though, to learn from them. Think about your own life. How open to radical change are you? Are you ready to give up your job? Your house? Your wealth? Your city? Your country? Your...life? It's easy to be flummoxed by those Jews, or even to condemn them, but how different are we really?

Most of us are uncomfortable with change. (I know a few people that start turning in circles if you try to move lunch from 4 to 3:30.) The truth is though, change shouldn't scare us, or even surprise us. From the day we accepted Jesus as our Savior, we should have been expecting it. Do a quick Gospel scan: How many people meet Jesus and don't have their lives radically altered? Mary and Joseph did, Peter did, a few blind men did, a few cripples did, the woman at the well did, the Pharisees did, Lazarus did, Pilate did, the thief did, Saul did.... In fact, can you find one person anywhere in the Bible whose life didn't change after encountering Jesus? (Take your time and get back to me.)

The point is, we're not that much different from those Jews. We love Jesus, but get a little uncomfortable when He starts to shake our foundations. If the Scripture tells us one thing, however, it's that Jesus is all about change. We need to start embracing the changes Jesus calls us to make on a daily basis, and be receptive to His will. Tonight, pray that God radically changes your life tomorrow, and that you're not too comfortable to miss it.

By Aaron Blackwell

The Spirit of Barnabas

After last week, most of us know who Barnabas was. Today, I want to share a brief story with you about a few Barnabas’ I know. Can you think of any in your life? Here is how I found mine.

After 14 years of making pool cues in the shop in my back yard, I was in a rut. I had lost my motivation to work as hard I should have been, and with the money not coming in like it should, my wife had to take a job to support my family while I struggled to keep my business afloat. Most days, it was hard for me to even go into my shop, let alone stay there for the required hours. I had jobs that were piled up that I lacked the motivation to complete, and as a result I had several angry clients, some of whom had been waiting quite some time for their product. Rather than motivating me however, that fact just made me more depressed and brought on bouts of anxiety.

Throughout this period, I continued to keep a relationship with God, but never bothered him with my business struggles. I prayed about family, friends, my wife and my kids…but never about my own lack of motivation. My feeling was that God would not present me with challenges that I couldn’t handle, but what I had failed to realize is that God would never give me a challenge that we couldn’t handle. Somewhere along the way I started to leave Him out of the equation.

My shop and my house are right next to both the University and CNM. As a result, I enjoyed the company of all of the college-age youth leaders—Amanda, Stephanie, and Aaron. One day, Stephanie and Amanda came to me and asked if they could fix up a small room in my shop, the one that is accessed by visitors from the street. Their plan was a good one, they wanted to clean up and paint some walls in order to create a place for me to do retail business. I agreed immediately, since it was a plan that had been moving around in my head for years.

When it came time to start the clean-up, most of the high school youth as well as Paul showed up ready to work. It became clear almost immediately however that things were going to go far beyond a little paint and rearrangement. That day we ended up knocking out two walls and pushing a lot of my old machines out of the way; the shop project had begun. Over the next few weeks, things just got bigger. Paul brought in sheet rock for the roof and a load of ideas for the rest of the shop about lighting, flooring, and furniture. Over the next few months Amanda and Stephanie saved what money they could and bought much needed supplies for the project. Their level of giving was no small feat given their college student status. As the weeks went by I became overcome with feelings of joy as a bunch of different kids, some of whom I am close to and others who I had never even met, showed up joyfully ready to serve wherever needed. Through their actions I was able to see that God had not abandoned me or my little shop, and that knowledge lifted me higher than I had been in over a decade.

Today, my shop is unrecognizable from the building it once was and my motivation to turn out quality products is at a peak. I could go on forever with thanks for Paul, Amanda and Stephanie. Their encouragement has renewed my spirit and filled me with a new sense of purpose and desire to serve; as well as a motivation to encourage everyone I meet. Thank you so much Cottonwood Youth, and all of your leaders! God Bless you guys!

By Adam Franks

Keeping the Faith

The opening chapters of the book of Acts illustrate the duality of Christian life. On the one hand the people are witnessing the Holy Spirit work in their lives and bring followers to Christ at record pace. Miracles are being performed and the Good News of Christ is being spread further and further.

On the other hand, persecution is on the rise as well. As the Christian church grows in number, Jewish leaders start to become uneasy, and seek to stop the ministry of the disciples, going so far as to call them time and again before the Sanhedrin—the Jewish High Court!

I think the lessons found in these first few chapters are very important for us today. It’s one thing to praise God in the face of a growing church, new friends, an awesome health plan, and a grass roots social welfare program. It’s another to praise God in the face of persecution by the very keepers of the law you are trying to fulfill. The disciples, however, did both.

If you pay attention to one thing during your next read through of these chapters, watch the disciples as they stand before the Sanhedrin. Their muscles are relaxed, their eyes are focused, their feet are firm, their tongues are quick, and their hearts are light…a perfect model of how Christians should face their accusers when being held accountable for their faith. Especially Peter. We know Peter from the Gospels as Jesus’ right-hand man, but the Gospels also show us that he wasn’t exactly the bravest of the brave, the boldest of the bold, or the wisest of the wise. He was the guy who, after gathering the courage to step off the boat, fell down into the water. He was the one who couldn’t shut up, even in the presence of Moses and Elijah. He was the guy who tried to take on a dozen Roman soldiers, and managed to fell half of an ear. He was the Defender one moment and the Denier the next.

Now fast forward a little bit, and put that same man in front of the Jewish High Council. If you’re on the sidelines shaking your Magic Eight Ball, it will come up “Outlook not so good” every time. But what happens? He’s great! He not only stands up for what he believes in, the Truth of Jesus Christ, but even manages to use his time before the Council to proclaim that Truth to the very faces of those trying to beat it down!

Okay, so for many of us it is unlikely that we will ever be hauled before the Supreme Court to give an account of our beliefs, but persecution takes all forms. While persecution takes on many different forms today in our schools, our jobs, and our politics—the remedy remains the same as it has for 2,000 years. Stand strong in your faith in the face of persecution, rejoice that you have been found worthy to suffer for the Name, and use every attack on yourself to glorify the One who has given you new life! Are you being persecuted right now? By co-workers, bosses, neighbors, friends, or even family? If so, just remember Peter: The Sinker, The Talker, The Denier…The Defender, The Leader, The Martyr.

By Aaron Blackwell

Following the Leader

Wow. Has it really been three months since my last blog? Well, good news everyone, the blog is back! I will continue on with my plan to “Blog through the Bible” in line with the Read-the-Bible-in-a-Year guides soon. Today, however, I want to discuss a topic that I think is very important to all of us.

Actually, the discussion began a couple of nights ago at a late night Flying Star meeting. (Thanks to Justin and Paul for encouraging me to get some of these ideas on “paper”.) The topic is the idea that we do not have the power to change our worth in God’s eyes once we have been saved. To put it in terms of a question to all of you, Is there a divine difference between a deathbed believer and someone who has devoted their whole life to serving Jesus as far as the reward is concerned?

This is both an easy and a difficult question to answer. On the one hand, we know through Scripture that God’s love for us is limitless. (See John 3:16 for starters) So, it only makes sense that the man who accepts Jesus as his Savior days or even minutes before his death will go to Heaven. He will stand side by side with the woman who has devoted her entire life to Christ and they will worship together.

The problem with this is that for many it begs the question: Why should I bother trying to live out a Christian life after I’ve accepted Jesus? Especially if His love for me won’t change? That is not to say that the above idea is wrong. I don’t think there is a requirement for how long you have to stay alive after accepting Jesus in order to be guaranteed that spot in Heaven. The reality is, however, that there is just more to the story.

Jesus talks about storing up treasures in Heaven by obeying His commands. He also warns a crowd about what happens to vines that don’t produce fruit. And finally, He warns His followers of the persecution they are going to face. The bottom line: Christ expects us to act on His behalf. The simple command He gave to Simon Peter reverberates through the years directly to us, “Come. Follow me.”

In my immediate circle of friends and perhaps elsewhere we are fond of noting that we do not want to be known as Christians, but rather as Followers of Christ. So what does it mean to follow? Anyone who has ever played Follow the Leader already has a perfect idea. When you are playing the game, the object is not to sit and close your eyes and try to think about what the leader might do, where they might go. Nor is it to wander around alone cautiously until you come to a tough spot, a wall perhaps, and then trying to imagine what Billy might do when he comes to this same wall. No, the game demands mysterious action. You are required to follow without knowing exactly where Billy might take you. It may get hard sometimes. You might wander into a ditch or be forced to climb a high wall, but the whole time you know that Billy has already gotten out of the ditch or over the wall and led others who have done the same, which makes it a little easier. And hey, if you can’t do it alone, the person in front of you or behind you will be glad to lend you a hand…I think you get my point.

The truth is, the life we lead post-acceptance is important. It is important to Jesus, but it is also important for you. A life that is lead with Jesus at the front of the line is infinitely better than following yourself. So, while your worth will not be diminished in God’s eyes if you stumble along the way, your worth to yourself and others increases exponentially when you are in step behind Jesus. Thoughts?

By Aaron Blackwell

The Power of Prayer

What was your favorite game as a kid? Did you ever make one up on the spot with your friends or siblings? Were you ever a cowboy? An astronaut? A princess? I’m willing to bet that the answer is yes. All of us have, at one time or another, had a great time on account of our imaginations. What made these games so much fun though, is that as a kid you believed they were true. You probably never sat around with your friends and said, “Let’s pretend we’re pirates but keep an objective hold on reality!” No. “Let’s be pirates.” “Let’s be cowboys.” “Let’s be mom.”

When was the last time you really believed something unbelievable? When were you really convinced that you had the power to change things? Has it been a while? For most of us, the answer is probably yes. That’s not the way it should be though. Jesus says that is exactly how we should be when we pray. We should use our imaginations. By this I do not mean that we should pretend stuff will happen. Rather, we need to believe the truth of what we pray for. In chapter 11 of Mark Jesus tells Peter, “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.” Pretty cool huh?

Elsewhere in the Bible Jesus says that all of his followers should have “faith like a child”. (Also a great Jars of Clay song by the way.) What does that mean? Get creative! Use your imagination! Don’t pray safe! When was the last time you prayed for a mountain without any doubt in your heart?

By Aaron Blackwell

Disciples, Deserters, or Both?

Have you ever been part of the wrong crowd? Have you ever fallen in with rebels? Have you ever been led by a dangerous criminal? If so, then you know just how the Apostles felt. As Jesus’ ministry grew, so diminished became the reputations of the Apostles. Can you hear the crowds? “Simon used to be such a good boy!” “I used to sit at the bar with Nicodemus every night! Now look what he’s up to!” Those that used to be part of the culture were now part of the counter-culture. They had fallen in with a rowdy bunch of miscreants. Sure, it was fun for a while; seeing new places, meeting new people, walking on water, getting back at their parents…and then things went bad. Their ringleader was caught and arrested! So what did they do? The Bible tells us exactly what happened. “…Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” (Matt. 26:56 NIV)

Does that sound practical to you? When things get dangerous we get out. The story is not shocking, but it does raise an interesting challenge to us. What would we have done? Imagine being present at every miracle. Watching water become wine. Lepers become whole. Lame become quick. Blind become seeing. Possessed become normal. Two become 5,000! Would you desert a man that had done all that? What if your life was on the line? When the fun stopped would you still be around? Would you have gotten in a few more swings with that sword? These are all interesting questions to consider, but it’s hard to put ourselves in the Apostles’ shoes. How many jugs of water have you seen become wine lately?

The questions may seem abstract, but I don’t think they are. Miracles? How about the cancer that disappears? The woman who walked away from the high speed crash without a scratch? The premature baby that confounds doctors with every breath he takes? The extra money right when you needed it? The job when you wanted it? Your…very…existence? Would you desert a man that had done all that?

By Aaron Blackwell

The Sense Behind Sacrifice

As you close out Exodus, Leviticus picks up right where Exodus leaves off. The Hebrews are at the foot of Mount Sinai and God is trying to help them lead a life that will be pleasing to Him. The most striking thing about these first chapters are the demands God makes of His people. For atonement of their sins, God commands the Israelites to make animal sacrifices as offerings to Him. All who were guilty had to pay the price in blood. Only the blood of the purest animals could conceal the sins of the guilty and every sin had to be atoned for. How many thousands of gallons of blood is that? When reading and thinking about this, does the word BIZARRE come to any one’s mind? How about just GROSS!?

Fast-forward to the New Testament. As we read about the Last Supper and the betrayal of Jesus, we can not help but fast-forward to what’s coming. More blood. More pain. More sacrifice. Most understand the main idea behind the sacrifice. Jesus, the spotless Lamb, died perfect so that the price would be paid for our sins. He carried our cross, bore our pain, and died our death so that we could come before God in Heaven as perfect as Jesus was. Underneath of that idea is a nagging question though. Why is all this sacrifice necessary? We have seen in Jesus that God has the power to defeat sin, so why does all this blood have to be spilled? Couldn’t He just clean the slate for us without having to sacrifice His only son? What do you think? Out of all the options God had, why did He pick that one? Or maybe, there were no other options?

By Aaron Blackwell

The Story We Find Ourselves In

I have really enjoyed going back through the bible chapter by chapter. I have been through it many times before, but there is always something new to be found each time. For instance, I was reading through Genesis chapter 17 late one night and just burst out laughing. My poor wife being half asleep could not contain her curiosity as to what would be so funny in the Bible so I told her what I just imagined. Picture Abram coming back from a visit with God and sharing the news with his people, "Hey guys guess what? God just changed my name to Abraham and said he was going to bless me and give me so many children I can't count them. Plus he is going to give us and our descendants a land flowing with milk and honey. He is going to care for us and make sure we are all blessed. Oh and one more thing, see this long finger nail of mine, this is going to hurt a little…" What would you say to that? Here comes this old man talking of Godly encounters, blessings, and by the way, let me cut away this skin on your… Uh, did this guy just say what I think he said? Did he say God told him to do that? Do you think they formed lines and faithfully followed without question? Was there a bunch of dissenters who were rebelling? For that matter did the teenagers follow right along with the bunch? And after the deed was done, was there like a week without work? I mean come on that had to hurt more than just a little, in fact with my limited medical knowledge I would guess God was supernaturally involved to keep out infection and other natural results from a lack of sterile environments and tools.

I really enjoy digging through the Old Testament. Often when I read the bible I am so focused on what I am supposed to get out of it at that moment, you know, life application stuff, that I forget to just enjoy the read. So I am taking this year to read the bible and enjoy its story. Putting myself in the shoes of biblical fathers such as Abraham and Moses. Imagining what it is like to be a prophet, king, and judge. Picturing what it was like to be so close with God, yet so far away. Take time to enjoy the bible for the amazing stories, remember this is our eternal story and we are part of it!

By Justin Johnson

Where Are The Specifics?

Have you ever noticed that God is a lot more involved in the lives of the early Israelites then he is today? Perhaps “involved” isn’t the right word, since I can assure you God is deeply involved in your life right now. I guess what I mean to say is, He’s more specific. When you read the chapters in Exodus in-between the Ten Commandments and the golden calf (Yeah, there’s stuff in between them. Who knew?) you read about God describing to Moses the new tabernacle He wants. And he describes it. Where should we put it? What materials should we use? How long should it be? How tall? What direction should it face? What colors do you want? What types of decorations do you require? Who should build it? What days do we have off? How should it smell inside? Even your contractor who you talk with face to face is less specific, but God answered all of these questions in great detail. Man did Moses have it easy. To top it off, all these instructions came after the voice of God gave laws to the Hebrews. There can be little doubt that they knew exactly what God wanted from them.

Contrast that with this week’s New Testament reading. In Matthew 22 Jesus tells the parable of the wedding feast. WHAT? This parable raises more questions for me than it answers. Is Jesus the son who the wedding is for? So God sent out invitations? Who are those first recipients? The early Jews? Literally kings? And who’s the guy that gets thrown out at the end supposed to be? Is God going to be throwing people out of Heaven? What’s the deal? From this story the crowd was supposed to gleam some deep spiritual lesson about how God wants them to live their lives. Why wasn’t Jesus as specific with details as His Father was in Exodus? More importantly, where are these specifics now? How is plucking out my eyes going to help me decide which post-grad school to go to? What job offer to take? Where to relocate our church? Wouldn’t it be useful if God just spoke up and said, “Call 555-4897, ask for Jim, tell him you need a building. Say it’s a favor for me. The one he gives you is where I want you to be. You’ll have to repaint the walls when you get there. I like purple. Make Paul do it, he knows why.” Couldn’t He do that? What does everyone think? Anyone else a little perplexed?

By Aaron Blackwell