The Life Worth Dying For, Part 2

What does a life that follows the will of God look like? The book of Hebrews tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith (11:6), so a life lived in the will of God must be a life of faith. Building on that great passage from Hebrews is the entire 11th chapter, sometimes known as the "hall of faith" because of its descriptions of many great lives of faith.

We have many of the usual suspects, guys like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and even "lesser" characters like Rahab, stories that are rich in faith.  The writer of Hebrews describes all of these men and women like this:

Hebrews 11:33-35 (NIV)  

who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.  Women received back their dead, raised to life again. 

Isn't that what faith is all about?  When we think about the work of God in the world and in the Bible, these are the stories that get told and retold.  When faith acts then death is defeated, people escape from danger, the fire is extinguished, the battle is won.

I wish this story was the only story of faith, but it isn't.  I don't ever want you to think that these things don't still happen because I believe they still do, but I also believe God works in areas that are often less spectacular and are therefore overlooked.

Hebrews 11:35-40 (NIV)  

Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection.  Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison.  They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated--the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.  These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.  God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. 

Now this doesn't match our traditional images of faith does it?  This sounds......awful.  Torture, death, poverty, insults, jeering are all mentioned for these people who lived commendable lives of faith.  I find it interesting that we don't get the names of these heroes of faith.  Why do you think that is?

Call me crazy, but I think it is because there are many more of the faith giants represented in the second passage than in the first.  Despite what we might think, the stories in the Bible are not everyday events...it is not normal for David to defeat Goliath, that is what makes it extraordinary.  Usually, diseases run their course, the dead remain dead, the obstacle remains unmoved, and we are then forced to live with the consequences of those events.  Does that mean God is absent?  Of course not, but it certainly means we need to adjust what we sometimes think living by faith is all about.

It isn't about taking the easiest path.  God may be calling you to be one of the unnamed in this passage, the one willing to follow Him into the darkest and most dangerous of places, regardless of the consequences.

Is a life of faith supposed to be easy?  I would say no.  God is calling us to something much different than the usual life.  Our life is a journey, an adventure, a race.  

The story continues soon.

The Life Worth Dying For, Part 1

It is hard to watch any type of programming and not come across some type of tragedy. CNN, MSNBC, FOX, every local news station...they all lead off with the worst news. Another death, another fire, one more broken family, one more seemingly unexplainable selfish act.

We have to wonder....when does this get easier? Life starts out with a process known as "labor" and it ends with the cruel event of death and never seems to get easier along the way. Is it supposed to be easy?

If you listen to some of the God talk in our culture, it seems like it should be. Both high profile preachers and everyday believers seem to think the dominant message of the scriptures is one of God smoothing out the journey and removing obstacles from our path. Trouble is seen as proof of God wanting you to go in a different direction because God would not want us to struggle. If you do have issues, sickness, financial problems...well, then you just need more faith.

Is this the truth? I hear this message and it hurts my heart because I know far too many God fearing men and women who have experienced some pretty awful things. Is the problem a lack of faith? I don't believe so.

I think we are missing something that is essential to our journey. But what is it?

Self-image

We live in a world that focuses on the negatives in people instead of celebrating the positive. Many of you have such a negative self image that comes from the lies you have been told through your life. Maybe it was family, perhaps it was kids in school, maybe it is just a nagging voice in your our head that told you you were worthless.

It isn't true. You are valuable because God values you.

Real self esteem comes from knowing what God thinks about you. He came to make you different. He has made a way for you to be forgiven and then invites you to accept that forgiveness. And then he calls you to walk with him throughout your life.

God valued you so much he died to set you free, and that freedom includes escape from a negative self image. That comes from knowing who you are in the eyes of God.

Who Am I?

It is the cry of the human heart. I think at some point all of us are desperate to find out who we are. It is the search for identity. It is a search for what has been stolen from us.

We have been told lies about who we are and who we belong to. What have you been told in your life that made you doubt the goodness of God?

Moses heard what God had planned for him and he was filled with thoughts of inadequacy. It completely overwhelmed and paralyzed him. Maybe God is calling you and you feel so unworthy to measure up to the call you have in your heart.

The bad news: You are unworthy. We ALL are. The great news? God wants to use us anyway.

That is the an incredible truth and it tells you the most about who you really are. You are the chosen agent designed to reflect God's beautiful love and character.

Are You Called?

The idea of a "calling" is a very popular subject in Christian circles. Speakers will comment on how God has called them to this ministry or that location. I have heard many people, both on TV and in real life talk about God calling them everywhere and doing everything, even if some of the time the actions contradict each other. Sometimes I think we get the impression that a calling from God is only something for those whose occupation is ministry.

Is that true? Or is there a broader grouping of people that God calls?

The worst thing we can assume about the calling of God is in thinking it is only regarding what we do for a living. I know this is great news for some of you out there who don't like your jobs! No, the calling God has for us is much larger than what we do because our calling also involves who we become. God IS calling you....he is calling you to become the person he created you to be. Jesus called the disciples and told them he would make them fishers of men. He didn't just give them a new job description...he gave them an identity. On Sunday we will be looking at how God called many different people in the Bible and how that relates in the here and now.

How has God called you?

Your Story Starts in the Heart of God

Before the world was made, God had you in mind. I know it is hard for us to even believe this, but the Bible says it is true. God called the prophet Jeremiah and told him that he had been chosen before the foundations of the world had been set. The same is true for all of us. The life God has for us was laid out in eternity, in the heart of God.

You were always on the mind of God, and he wants you to experience the life he has for you. Before you can begin the journey in finding this life, you have to believe it is waiting for you. Too many times we buy the lie the world tells us when we believe there is nothing special or unique about us. We begin living a life of mediocrity. We simply try to get by. We exist, but we don't truly live. We get overwhelmed and stressed out by the minor issues in our lives, and when major challenges get thrown in our face, we are tempted to give up on hope.

Be encouraged because you are breathing....there is a reason why you are here! Maybe you have given up on ever finding purpose in life. Perhaps you think it something out there for others...but not for you. Maybe you are surrounded by chaos but the loudest noise you hear is the screaming in your soul for something more. Answer that call, because it is from God.

Even if you haven't thought about God in a long time, he has always been thinking of you. You story starts in his heart, and it began in eternity. The journey begins with you believing you actually have an extraordinary life to live. Choose to believe.

Identity Theft

You were created to be original.

There has never been anyone like you and there will never be anyone like you ever again. God has made you just the way he wants you so you can accomplish his purpose through you. You were designed to do something extraordinary; all of us were made to be used for God's amazing plan! This makes you incredibly unique!

However, it seems like it is easier to be a counterfeit than an original. It is easy to try and fit into whatever category society wants to place us into.

Don't fall for the trap or the lies telling you to be like anyone else. Be an original. Be unique. Seize your identity back.