Romans 13: Have You Been on Your Best Behavior?

"9Love your neighbor as yourself."¹⁰Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

 ¹¹And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹²The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. "

What's the worst thing you've ever done or said to someone? How would you have felt if the Rapture had happened at that particular moment? If Jesus caught you at your worst? 

This chapter in Romans made me reflect on that possibility. I know I've said and done some pretty cruel things to friends and family members. I get caught up in my anger and let it boil over--treating those closest to me with malice rather than the Christ-like love I've been called to demonstrate. What if Jesus had walked through the door at that moment?

I don't know about you, but I would be pretty ashamed. I'd probably try to make some lame excuses (before remembering that Jesus is God and He knows all). I'd then hang my head in shame and beg for forgiveness. 

The End of Days could be right around the corner. For all we know, Jesus could be paying us a visit tonight. However, the fact is... that doesn't really matter. All too often we forget that God is always watching. We don't need Jesus to walk through the door to have our sins discovered and known by God. Why, then, don't we act in a manner that reflects the knowledge that God is indeed omnipotent and omni-present? Why do we so quickly forget and let our sinful actions get the best of us when we foolishly think no one is watching?

Loving people all the time isn't easy. That's why Paul calls us to "put on the armor of light." Living a life of Love is a fight. Not a fight with others, but a fight within ourselves. We must protect ourselves from sin and fight to live a Christ-led life. Our sinful nature wants us to look out for #1... to do what feels good, what is selfishly advantageous to us.... however, our Christian nature, led by the Holy Spirit, demands us to be stronger than that. We are to love those who are hateful. Be kind to those who are cruel. Be helpful to the selfish. 

It's not easy--boy, do I know it's not easy! All too often I relax my guard... take my armor off....and faster than a flash, sin takes over and I'm lashing out and behaving badly. I need to stay focused and always remember that God is watching. I shouldn't need Jesus walking in through the door to keep me on my best behavior. I should be living a life of Love in honour of God daily. That way, I can be assured that when Jesus does come back I won't be put to shame by sinful behavior. I will be confident in the life I've led up to and including that final moment. I will be rewarded for my life of Love, rather than judged for my sinful actions. 

God, 

Help me to keep my armor on, my guard up, and standing strong in a life of Love. I am sorry for my past bad behavior. Please help me to always choose loving actions and reactions. I don't want any regrets or shame in my life when it's my time to stand before you and answer for my actions.

Thank you,

-Me

Romans 12: Welcome. Here is Your Course Outline.

"2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

"5 in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us."

"9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."

"21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Romans 12 is a fantastic chapter. I would encourage you to go read the entire chapter, but above I have quoted a few of its many gems. Overall, the theme I get from this chapter is "Welcome". Welcome to a life in Christ. You belong. You have a role. Be welcoming to others.

This chapter has good timing in my life. This week is Back-To-School week for me and my students. In a couple days my classroom will be filled with unfamiliar faces and it will be my job to make them feel welcome. It will be my job to treat them with love and respect--even when they don't always return the favor.

The first day of class I usually put on a stern face and go through the rules and expectations of my classroom. My students are expected to live by these rules. It doesn't matter what they are allowed or not allowed to do in other classrooms or at home: when they enter my classroom, they enter my world. They are expected to adhere to the "house rules." As the semester progresses, I expect I'll have to make some exceptions and get students back on track. However, I know that if my students follow the rules I've set out for them they will succeed. My rules are not meant to be mean or limiting, but rather set my students up to achieve the most they can in my class.

I find it's the same way in my faith in Christ. God initially put on a stern face in the Old Testament. He laid out the rules for us to adhere to and had strict consequences if we rebelled. In the New Testament, God sent Jesus to mediate for us and to forgive us for our mistakes and help get us back on track. The rules God set out for us are meant to help us live the best life possible... not to hinder or limit us.

My students will find my class challenging at times. Some may choose to walk away from it completely by dropping the course. However, those who adhere to my expectations and work diligently until the end will be rewarded with success. God also designed life to be challenging at times. Some of us will choose to walk away from God's plan for our lives, however sticking with His plan until the end will have its rewards.

I find the most difficult thing for me to do as a teacher is to respond out of love and patience when a student is being obnoxious or defiant. However, God has put up with me through all my obnoxious and defiant moments, so why shouldn't I do the same with the people in my life? Christ is my role model, my teacher. He's given me the Course Outline (Bible) with all the rules, expectations, and other important information to live by... but it's up to me how I choose to navigate this Course called Life. I can be a straight-A student and live my life striving to live as closely to His expectations as possible... or I can be a disengaged student--disobedient, defiant, and sleeping through most of the Course. Which one do you think will bring me the most joy and success?

Sunday Sprint: My Selfish Request

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.

Psalm 94:19 NIV

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7 NIV

Hey Stumblers! 

I need your prayers this week. The ever-present pothole in my life's path has been anxiety. I struggle with it almost on a daily basis, but by God's grace I am usually able to keep it under control. This week my anxiety has been exceptionally bad, however. I can't just pray it away. I can't ignore it. Deep breaths aren't ridding me of it. Nothing seems to be working. 

I know that there is no reason to worry (in fact I wrote a blog post about it)... however my body does not seem to listen to logic and my faith seems to be too weak to simply "cast it onto God." Through it all, my heart still chooses to race, my mind chooses to spin, and my adrenaline chooses to pump. I can't seem to catch my breath and I have been having trouble sleeping. 

I've been struggling to understand why God doesn't free me from my anxiety. I have to believe it is my own failing as the Bible says, "the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace" (Romans 8:6 NIV) and Jesus promised  "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27 NIV). My faith is small. Just like Simon Peter, I let my lack of faith allow me to sink into the crashing waves rather than rising above. 

This is my struggle. This is my stumble. I would like to selfishly ask you pray for me. My faith is apparently too weak for my prayers alone to allow me to overcome this struggle. However, I know that with your help I can overcome this, as Jesus said, "I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:19 NIV). I hope you can come together in agreement with me and pray that this anxiety has a dangerous stronghold in my life. I need you to pray that God would give me the faith to trust in Him so I have no reason to worry, and that He would remove anxiety from my body, mind, and heart completely --today and forevermore. 

Thank you, Stumblers. I would encourage those of you who have prayer requests of your own to submit them  in the comments section so that I can return the favour and pray for you in your struggles. 

Romans 11: Can I Mess Up So Bad God Won't Take Me Back?

"11Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! 

...

²²Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.²³And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again."

In this passage Paul is talking about the Jews and Gentiles. He speaks of the mistakes the Jews have made and the blessings the Gentiles have received. The Jews messed up. They were God's chosen people, but they turned away from Him, rejected His Son, and got caught up in rituals and failed to truly live a godly life. However, Paul insists that they are not beyond recovery.

We all mess up. God is both kind and stern when He deals with us. He is kind and blesses us for our obedience, offers forgiveness when we seek it, and invites us to receive eternal life. However, God is stern with those who are disobedient. He is angered by sin, and will condemn those who reject His free gift. However, even the worst, most disobedient people are offered the chance to turn their life around and find favor with God. Paul illustrates this through the metaphor of a tree having diseased branches cut off and healthy branches grafted in. God has no choice but to cut off those who are "diseased" with sin, lest they infect the entire tree. However, people who seek forgiveness and turn their lives around are welcome and "grafted" onto the Tree. 

I am a frequent Stumbler. I mess up. Does this mean I'm a "diseased branch" to be "cut off"? Not necessarily. I rest assured that I am not because I choose to "continue in God's kindness", seeking forgiveness and trying to live a life guided by the Holy Spirit. I have declared my belief in Jesus and I seek forgiveness. The "branches" that God cuts off are those who choose not to believe. Those who don't seek forgiveness. 

In fact, the Bible says "³¹every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven" (Matthew 12:31 NIV). What does this mean? This means that every single horrible thing anyone has/will do can be forgiven. The only exception is "blasphemy against the Spirit", which I believe is cursing the Spirit and choosing not to listen when the Spirit tries to guide us to the Truth. In essence, the only sin you cannot be forgiven of is being hostile and abusive towards the Spirit... which means you likely can't be forgiven because the one who commits it would never seek forgiveness. They hate God, they do not believe, so why would they seek forgiveness?

As a person with a long track record of mistakes--big and small--I am so grateful that God will always forgive me for my shortcomings. God expects me to be obedient and try my best to live a perfect life (after all, Christ is my role model), however when the inevitable mistake happens, I only need to turn to Him in sincere repentance and I'll be forgiven. The slate will be wiped clean. 

We need to make sure we aren't so embarrassed of our sin that we hide from God. We're all shameful. We're all undeserving of forgiveness. However, it is necessary we seek forgiveness so that it can be given to us. We don't need to live under the weight and shame of our sin. There is freedom in belief in Christ. 

God,

Thank you for being so forgiving. I am so sorry that for all the times I messed up in the past... and I apologize now for all my future mistakes. I would ask that you please forgive me and give me the faith and perseverance to avoid future pitfalls. Help me to resemble my Role Model more and more everyday.

Thanks,

-Me

Romans 10: Being a Voice for Christ

"8 'The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,' that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: ⁹That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. ¹¹As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame...¹⁴How can [non-believers] call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"

It's relatively easy for me to write about my faith in God. It's also very comfortable for me to discuss the finer points of my faith with other Christians. However, it can be incredibly difficult for me to discuss my faith with those who are not Christians. Yesterday, I had an anonymous person post a couple comments on various blog posts (Hello, Mr/Ms. Anonymous! I prayed for you this afternoon!). This person is, presumably, an atheist... or at least not a Christian. They questioned my faith. They questioned my integrity. It gave me pause.

At least here I have the luxury of taking my time to respond. I can read and re-read comments and monitor my response before proceeding. I can take the time to make sure I answer in love. Or, alternatively, I can simply delete an offensive comment and put it out of my mind. I, however, do not have this luxury out in the "real" world. 

In the real world I don't always have the option to think over my responses for a couple hours. I often have to respond within a few seconds, and make sure that not only do I say the proper words, but that I say those words properly. I need to keep my emotions bridled and respond out of love... even in the heat of the moment. I don't have the protection of time, distance, and relative anonymity the internet offers. 

Witnessing, as we Christians call it, has become a very difficult thing to do in this New Age Millenium. We can share some of our beliefs with relative ease (with the exception being in the presence of those who love being argumentative or hostile towards the faith), as most agree that we are all entitled to our own opinions. However, it gets difficult when our beliefs go against the "norm" set by the secular world. It gets even more difficult when we have to tell people they're wrong. 

I find myself living in fear of the reactions of others when it comes to bringing up my beliefs. However, I have come to realize, it's not up to me to make people change. That's God's job. My job is merely to offer those around me the opportunity to hear and understand the Truth. If they are hostile towards it, or would really rather not hear it... then there isn't really anything I can do. My duty is to continue loving that person and showing them what a Christ-led life looks like... but it's not my place to "convince" anyone. God saves people. 

However, I try never to hide my beliefs. Most people know I am a Christian within a week of knowing me. From there I seek to build a loving and sincere relationship with those around me so that we can get to the point where I can bring my faith into the conversation. The first time this opportunity arises is always scary. I know that what I need to say will likely make the listener uncomfortable. I just have to pray that God speaks to their heart through my words. God's Holy Spirit needs to be acting as a liaison between a Christian and a non-Christian before anything miraculous happens. If God is not directing the conversation, it won't matter how eloquent or convincing I think I am... I'll be speaking to the person's mind, rather than their heart. 

God,

Thank you for being there for me. I publicly acknowledge You as my God, my Lord, and Jesus as my Saviour. I understand that it would be incredibly insulting to Your Son and the sacrifice He made if I kept quiet and failed to tell others about the Gift You gave me. I also understand that it would be incredibly cruel of me not to tell others about You and give them the opportunity to accept Your gift as well. Replace any fears or trepidation I have with faith and confidence. Please tell your Holy Spirit to act as a liaison in all my conversations. I don't want to be speaking to people's minds... I want you to speak to people's hearts.

Thanks

-Me

Romans 9: Christian by Default?

 "⁶It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. ⁷Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children."

Many Christians are blessed (and, occasionally, cursed) to have grown up in a devout Christian family. Before they've even left their mother's womb they are surrounded by Biblical words, praise and worship hymns, and fervent prayer. They know their biblical heroes before they know their alphabet. They are well (sometimes "overly") disciplined and sheltered from the sinful world. 

Not all these children, however, take the step to evaluate what it is they truly believe. They float through the Christian faith, going through the motions and expecting to be saved by default. Their parents are Christians---and so were their grandparents, and great-grandparents, and....and...etc. They come from a long line of "Born Agains" and believe that they are entitled to Salvation because of their heritage.

This is exactly the same trap the Jews fell into in Jesus' time. They believed that they were God's children by default---that their lineage guaranteed their entrance into Heaven. Despite the fact that scriptures contradict this idea, many people do not stop to think about it and make the decision for themselves. 

I don't remember much else from that era in my life, but my prayer of Salvation at age five is seared into my heart and mind. In my teenage years I became fearful that my childhood prayer had not been sufficient to save me, so I would pray many times that God would forgive me and begged for the Salvation Christ offered. While my frantic repeated prayers demonstrated a lack of faith, at least I re-evaluated my faith for myself. I've made mistakes. I've rebelled. But I know what I believe. I've grown up with others who never thought twice about their faith. They never considered Christianity any more than a part of their heritage. They never stopped and examined their own beliefs. 

Don't let your heritage silence the Holy Spirit. Make sure you've made a conscious decision to accept the tenets of your faith. We all better be sure that the only person's coattails we're riding to Heaven is Jesus's... otherwise we may be in for a devastating shock. 

Romans 8: Free Gift! Limited Time Offer!

^"22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as children, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Everyone likes receiving a great gift. The joy of receiving an amazing gift is amplified if we know we're aware ahead of time that we are going to get it. We may not know exactly what we're going to get, and we sometimes don't even know when we're going to get it... but the excitement bubbles up within us in anticipation of receiving it. Our imaginations run wild as we visualize what this gift could possibly be. Our fantasies ranging from the simple and practical to the outrageous and amazing! 

Then... the day finally arrives. We have the gift set lovingly before us. It's beautifully wrapped and topped with a love note. Gingerly, we unwrap the gift and take our first tentative glimpse inside the box...

It's amazing!! Beyond our expectations and wildest dreams! We could have never imagined a gift so perfect! So wonderful! We feel like laughing and crying at the same time! We just want to squeal with delight and hug anyone within arms reach! Thank you! Thankyouthankyouthankyou! Thank you sooo much!

Waiting to receive this gift wasn't always easy. We had times when we thought perhaps the gift wasn't worth all this time and effort. We even had times when we doubted we'd receive the gift at all. Maybe the gift was a giant farce. Perhaps it was all a scam. However, that little spark of hope was always smoldering within us... it kept us going through the tough times and made the day we opened the gift that much sweeter.

This, my friends, is what I've come to realize is the meaning of life. It's living in hope of that Gift. Once we are made aware that there is a Gift waiting for us (i.e. Eternal Life in Jesus), and accept the invitation to receive it... our lives are fueled by the hope and anticipation of receiving that Gift---guaranteed to be not only surpass, but obliterate our expectations of it. 

Our journey towards that Gift has small token gifts along the way. These tokens are meant to give us a preview of the Big Gift waiting for us. Tokens such as love, romance, joy, peace... our relationships with others, special moments, miracles... all of these things are so wonderful, and we are blessed to experience them in this life, but how overwhelming it is to think that these tokens pale in comparison to the real Gift awaiting us after this life!

Keep living in hope, fellow Stumblers. Hope is what gives you the strength to pick yourself up off the ground when you trip. Hope is what inspires you to walk confidently, even though the path is treacherous. Hope and wait patiently. Your perseverance will be rewarded. 

God,

I'm anxiously awaiting the Gift you have set aside for me. Don't let me forget about it. Don't let me lose hope of receiving it. Help me to stay on the right path, heading towards You, so that I can receive the Gift that has been promised to me.

Thank you,

-Me

Romans 7: A Track Record for Failure

^"15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."

This could be the designated verse of this website. It is a Stumbler's confession. I don't know why I do the things I do! It seems like all the good things I want to do, I don't. And all the bad things I want to avoid doing, I do! 

We all struggle with sin. We all have our own "pet sins"--those specific sins we commit over and over again and can never seem to quit! My "pet" sin would have to be anger. I'm not talking about a Righteous Anger like Jesus displayed on occasion... no, unfortunately I'm talking about a selfish, destructive anger. An anger that burns like hot acid within my heart. All too often that acid is too much to keep inside and it spews out of me, injuring those closest to me.

I feel better temporarily. Once the anger has found it's pressure release in the form of hurtful words and actions, I gain relief. However, that relief is quickly replaced by guilt. I become ashamed of my actions, seek forgiveness, and promise I'll never let myself lose control like that again. It doesn't take long, however, before that hot acid begins bubbling away within me, begging for a release once again.

I've tried self-help and anger management techniques. While these "tips and tricks" can help alleviate the symptoms, they don't completely prevent it from happening ever again. That's the way sin works. The World tries to offer band-aid solutions... they may be able to sedate the sin in our lives, but these solutions will never rid us completely of sin. When it comes down to it, sedating sin does not make us any "better" in God's sight. We are still imperfect and we are still sinners. 

The only way to be truly free from sin is to put our hope in God. Jesus took the punishment for all our sins--past, present, and future--so we can rest assured that sin does not have the same power over us  that it used to. It is not a Death Sentence. In addition to this, the Holy Spirit is there to help steer us away from sin and give us the strength to resist the temptation to fall back into our old sinful ways. 

God can take our "pet" sins from us and put a leash on them. We don't have to worry about sin running rampant in our lives like a rabid dog. We have control over it. All we need to go is make the decision to give the leash a quick yank and sternly order "Down, boy!", rather than giving into its pining and unclipping the leash. 

What "pet" sin is running rampant in your life? Will you trust God to leash it? Or are you going to continue to let it run wild in your life? I don't know about you, but I'm tired of living with sin controlling my life...

God, 

Take all my sins... but especially take my "pet" sin of anger. I need you to help me leash and muzzle this sin. I don't want it controlling me any longer. Give me the strength to keep sin at bay and under control in my life. I don't want to be constantly stumbling over it.

I'm asking You this in Jesus name... your Son who you sent to take sin's power away. 

Thanks,

-Me

Romans 6: Pick Your Master

" ¹¹In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹²Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. ¹⁴For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

 ¹⁵What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! ¹⁶Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. ¹⁸You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

 ¹⁹I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. ²⁰When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. ²¹What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! ²²But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. ²³For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Often times Christians live by the phrase "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission." Romans 6:14 may lead some people to believe that this could be true. After all, it says that we don't live by "rules" anymore, we live by "grace", or forgiveness. So... that must mean we can live-it-up and not worry about any consequences, right? We can be forgiven for anything we do, so why not have a little fun??

However, Paul seemed to know exactly what we were thinking. He goes on to say that, while we are not subjected to "rules" in the same way Old Testament believers were, we still have to choose our Master carefully. He says we are all slaves to one thing or another---be that God's Righteousness or Life's Sinfulness. Whichever master we choose, we must obey by default. 

We can't merely pay verbal homage to God and say "Yeah, I'm a Christian" but live a life that says otherwise. We must choose to either follow Christ or follow the world, and in that choice we commit to our "master" through our actions. Do we obey the will of God, or do we obey the demands of the world? 

Paul makes it clear that the choice is ours. We all start off "slaves" to the world. We have all lived that sinful life, we've all had a taste of what that life has to offer. The question is posed: what does that life really have to offer? Temporary selfish pleasure in exchange for permanent sorrow? A self-centered life that leaves you feeling empty and unfulfilled? A life of meaninglessness? 

How much better off we are to choose a new Master. To choose Christ! Yes, we may have to give up some things the world considers "valuable" and "fun", but in the end we're much better off. We know our life has purpose. Our life can have authentic JOY and HOPE! And to top it all off, our life has a happy ending---an eternity living side-by-side with God, finally experiencing what perfection really is... not the world's burdensome definition. 

When we're told that we are no longer subject to rules, God isn't saying that we throw away our moral code and live a life of anarchy. Rather, He's saying that we no longer need rules because we have the Holy Spirit to guide us in living a righteous life and Christ's grace to forgive us for our short-comings. When sin cracks its whip at us and we falter and bend to its will on occasion, Christ is there to forgive us and the Holy Spirit is there to get us back on the right track. Sin has no power over us anymore. 

This is indeed a comforting thought for a Stumbler like myself. All too often I feel sin creeping back into my life. It offers temptations, and when I reach for them... that's when my walk with God becomes clumsy. That's when I really start to stumble. These temptations surround me daily, and I stumble all too often... the juicy gossip to pass on, the allure of success and money, the desire to be important and respected, the sting of jealousy of others, the sharp words on the tip of my tongue, the hatred for an unkind person...all of these things have sin whispering sweetly "Give in, you'll feel better... you deserve better...look out for #1." However, if I commit to obeying righteousness 100%, these temptations will be fleeting annoyances that I can dismiss easily, rather than having any real power over me and my actions.

Thank-you God for freeing me from sin and the consequences a sinful life would have held in store for me. I ask that you'd help me not to give into the demands and delights of this world. Help me to realize that the temporary pleasure I may get out of any sin is just that---temporary. I know you offer a permanent joy and peace that nothing in this world could ever offer.

Help this Stumbler become more steady on her feet,

-Me

Sin distracts you with shiny objects while binding you in chains. God gives you hope while freeing you from chains. Which master would you rather follow? 

Sunday Sprint: Don't Walk... Fly!

" ³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,

       and young men stumble and fall;

 ³¹ but those who hope in the LORD

       will renew their strength.

       They will soar on wings like eagles;

       they will run and not grow weary,

       they will walk and not be faint."

Isaiah 40:30-31 (NIV)

There is no one in this entire world who can live this life without stumbling. Everyone gets tired. Everyone drags their feet. Not even gold medalist Olympians could play their sport ceaselessly without getting tired. 

When I'm feeling overwhelmed, tired, stressed, and burdened to the breaking point, I need to remember that I have an intimate relationship with a God that can not only carry me, but carry all my problems as well. I can live this life without being a Daily Stumbler if I depend on God to daily pick me up and sustain me. I can walk, run, and SOAR if I have the Lord at my side.

Thank you God for enabling me to fly when the best I can do on my own is crawl. Thank-you for giving me a hope to keep my spirit going, even when my body is not willing. 

-Me

Romans 5: Be Thankful for the Tough Times

"...we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. ³Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." 

 It's difficult to see any good in the tough times in life. When we're at our worst moments-- moments of death, illness, financial ruin, stress, difficulty--it can seem impossible to see any "silver lining" to these dark times. I know I often fall deeper into the darkness as I my own pessimism draws me deeper into despair. How could I possibly be thankful for the tough times? There is nothing to be grateful for! ...or is there?

The bad times in life teach us much more than any good day could. The bad times teach us how to be strong. How to work hard. The bad times also bring us face to face with what we're living for. Because we have Christ as our Savior, we can see beyond the suffering. Whether the suffering is short-lived and we get to pick ourselves up and continue on in life; or whether the suffering is our Final Moments... it is from suffering that Joy is born.

We have hope because we have Christ. Our suffering isn't meaningless or fruitless. Our suffering doesn't end in more suffering. At the end of it all we find the peace, love, and joy found only in God. We can be thankful because our bad times teach us valuable lessons and make the good times that much sweeter.

While prayers of thanksgiving may get caught in a Stumbler's throat because the pain of life is choking them... God promises a reward to follow. If we can't thank Him now, we will thank Him later. There is alway hope in a life in God. And hope is a very powerful thing.

Thank you, God, for giving me Hope.
-Me

Romans 4: Forget the Rules, We Have a Compass!

^"13It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. ¹⁴For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, ¹⁵because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

 ¹⁶Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham."

This chapter is somewhat complicated... I had to read it over a few times in order to try to fully understand what is being said. The above verses seem to encapsulate the overall idea the chapter is trying to convey. Basically, it all comes down to faith.


 Abraham is a very important figure in the Old Testament Bible. Because of this, he is also a very important figure to Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike. Abraham was a man of faith. His 90-something-year-old wife was able to have a child through his faith. Abraham was prepared to sacrifice this only son through his faith. God promised to make him the "father of nations" because of his faith. 


Paul (the author of the book of Romans) is using Abraham as an example of faith so that his fellow Jews can understand the importance of the grace God has given us through Jesus' sacrifice. Paul is saying that Abraham was favoured by God because of his faith, not because he was a "good man" or was particularly good at following rules.

Often it's easy for Stumblers, like me, to get wrapped up in the idea that in order to be a "good Christian", we just need to become better at following rules. If we follow the rules well enough, we become "good people" who deserve to get into Heaven. This is wrong thinking. This is backwards thinking. Paul is trying this clear in the book of Romans. He began the book by writing about how terrible we are. That none of us is perfect. We've all messed up and broken a few rules here and there. Because of this, there is no way we can become "good enough" to go to Heaven--as Heaven requires untarnished perfection.


"Being good" does not happen because we are good rule-followers. Paul is trying to explain that we "become good" through our faith. If we believe in Christ, and what He did for us, we become very aware that we are only saved through His grace. We have faith that Christ will make us good. We can't do anything of our own merit to make ourselves "good enough".


If all we had to do was "follow rules", there would be no reason for faith. It would be a simple cause and effect equation. You do this + this + this - that = Eternal Life. This doesn't work because none of us would be saved since all of us, at one time or another, has messed up. And one slip up is enough for this equation to turn from Eternal Life to Eternal Damnation. In addition to this, Paul brings up an interesting point about those who do not have "the Law". If people are living somewhere where there is no Law (speaking in terms of the rules set out in the Old Testament), there are no rules to be broken. Do these people get admission to Heaven by default? 


God offered us the great equalizer. We are all equal now, thanks to Jesus' sacrifice. God gave the world the Holy Spirit to guide us in faith. There is no need for complicated Laws and ceremonial sacrifices anymore. Now, we are all expected to live by faith. The more we trust in God, Christ, and Spirit through faith, the more "righteous", or good, we become... because now it is God working in us, rather than imperfect us trying to work ourselves in accordance to rules. Before Christ, there was NOTHING Divine dwelling in people. They had to follow rules and make sacrifices to atone for their own sins. After Christ, God sent us His Holy Spirit to actually dwell within us and act as our spiritual compass. We no longer need rules if we rely on this Compass.


I hope this post makes sense. I struggled a little bit with this chapter, and while I did come to an understanding of it, it is sometimes difficult to express my understanding in a straight-forward fashion. Those of you who are Christians will likely understand the point I am trying to make. However, those of you who are not Christians are likely confused at this point. Suffice it to say, this chapter of Romans is hammering home the point--yet again--that we are all imperfect. We all screw up. It's impossible for us to "earn" admission into Heaven by trying to be "good people". It is only through faith--that is, believing (without seeing for ourselves) that Christ did indeed walk the earth, was indeed the Son of God, did indeed die a terrible death for us, and did indeed rise from the dead miraculously and went to Heaven to take His place beside His Father--that we are able to go to Heaven.