How To Find Yourself In The Bible

Believe it or not, you are written about in The Bible.  In Christ’s death, your old nature died with him; and likewise, in his resurrection, you were given new life.  Paul was infatuated with this new life and referred to it on numerous occasions throughout his letters to first century believers.  Some of the characteristics found throughout his writings, are so radical that one might assume us to be superheroes just by reading what our lives can entail.  And so to highlight many of Paul’s (and Jesus’) words in regards to our identity, here is a short glimpse at what the New Covenant life provides, as written personally to you:

 

You are a child of God.  You have been formed and fashioned in love.  This is the same love that eradicates your fears and grants purpose to your life.  You are loved by an inseparable force that not only believes in your life, but empowers it, daily.  The God that formed your bones and skin and mind, possessed you and has, Himself, become your very heartbeat.  You are the light of the world, and we all know what happens when light encounters darkness: we wouldn’t even label it a fight.  And you have no need to fight; you stand victorious in life, because God is for you and He has overcome the world. 

We empower darkness when we associate it as having any power at all.  But I assure you, hell’s weapons have been stripped away and its life-force is fleeting and coming to nothingness.  Demons hear God’s name and they tremble, and this is the same God that lives within you.  How should they respond, then, when you enter a room? The math is simple.  Your life has become a move of God. 

You are royalty, seated in Heaven, itself.  You are not loved for some promise you make or skill that you bring to the table.  You are loved, because you are you.  And He loves that about you!  Otherwise, grace would mean nothing more than performing adequately to earn an actor’s wages.  But your life is not measured by performance, as if God wanted you to go around trying to convince Him that you are someone else.  He already finds pleasure in you.  Believe what He says about your life and identity; because how you believe, is also how you live.        

I'm God's Favorite

“God is so in love with all of you,” I leaned forward in my chair as children sat Indian-style on the floor before me.  I had been in San Antonio, Texas once before to help at a children’s conference in this very church, in fact.  And so I knew the energy each boy and girl had the potential of displaying, but somehow, they graciously kept their composer.  Their eyes were fixated on me as I shared stories and tried to correlate each testimony to their lives.  But little did I know that the words I was soon to hear would carry more depth than I could ever hope to teach or fully comprehend.  And those words would come from the simple and curious heart of a child.        

I said it again, “God is so in love with each one of you!” A hand rose from the middle of this child-congregation and his fingers wiggled and waved as if he had not already been seen.  I pointed to the boy, “Yes?”

He dropped his hand and looked around at the eyes of the other children as they turned their gazes to him.  “I know that God loves EVERYONE, but when I pray, He makes me feel like I’m His favorite,”

I could not have been more impressed.  “You get it! You have experienced how personal God’s love is towards you!” I shouted proudly.  “It is not only that God loves the world as a whole, but He loves you, and you, and you…” As I spoke, I pointed to random children in the crowd and seized their eyes with my own.  My smile, which had already been beaming from the presence of young company, had now amplified at the pronouncing of this boy’s profound thought.  I had arrived that morning with the intent of teaching these children, but I realized in that moment that their understanding of God’s love could, very well, have put my own beliefs and ideas to shame. 

Never underestimate the mind of a child.  Too often, the concepts and beliefs that come naturally to them put years of our greatest studies, teachings and principles to shame.  Their simplicity ought to shine a light on what truly matters, because their love does not gleam from the traditions, moral values or expectations that society or religion have had any chance to place on them.  There is a love and curiosity in every child’s eyes; and I believe it to be Heaven-born.  

How To See Eternity In A Clock

Time can be an unsettling thing.  It ticks and tocks to remind you of its existence, but often moves faster than we wish it would.  We have all undergone those moments of anxiety; the same, in which, we always wish our clocks shared some amount of sympathy for our busy state of existence.  As you may have already discovered, "patience" does not exist in time’s vocabulary; it waits for no one! But I would like to take this moment to brag, in that I have found victory over time itself.  My success is that God exists in every moment, and I remind myself to recognize those instants with Him. 

Watch the nearest second-hand baring clock to you.  As the second hand slowly pivots its way around the face, how many of those moments does God not exist within? If you say “None”, then acknowledge Him with every second.   

You have heard the phrase “Live in the moment”, and I very much agree with these words.  But to live for the time that is at hand does not exclude preparation and acknowledgement for the future or past.  In fact, the present is life’s perfect median between the two.  To “live in the moment” is to appreciate where the past has brought you from, as you simultaneously make steps towards the unpredictable that is before you.  But your heart and mind never have to escape life’s current presentation, as long as they avoid the blinders of guilt and worry.  Guilt comes from a lack of seeing Christ in our past, just as anxiety and worry are conceived when we do not expect Christ for our future.  But to see the past and future without these blinding factors is to see life through its most promising and sober perspective.

And so, look back at the clock, once again.  Remind yourself that God is in every moment.  Now live your life from this perspective.  The moments that you share in a realization of God’s ceaseless presence are times already acknowledging and appreciating your incessant state.  You are at rest with God from now to everlasting.  To see God in every moment is to already see life through eternity’s lens.         

Honorable Perspective

True honor, like love, is a choice of perspective.  You can say all of the right words in front of someone and then completely negate that same person behind their back and still have shown ‘fruits of honor’ without ever having presented any genuineness to that person at all.  But when our focus and intent is to highlight and appreciate someone for the belief that we have for their life, true honor and all of its fruits are naturally displayed.  It is the most selfless act we can engage ourselves in, because honor places other’s agendas, dreams, ideals and words as higher than our own and seeks to give of oneself to see the fruition of another’s dreams.  It is an utter submission. 

Common images that come to mind for honor may be acknowledgements and highlights from a stage, but it begins long before any such public accolades are considered.  Honor is simply believing in someone, whether they currently see themselves worthwhile or not.  It is looking past the personas, walls and hurts that so many eyes have stumbled over and realizing the immeasurable potential that that person carries, and then treating them as such. 

It does not take anyone special to read off life accomplishments from a person that has fulfilled their dreams, but true humility and selflessness is displayed when you believe in someone long before the world sees any reason to give them the time of day.  But when you highlight the goodness within someone, I inspire you to watch as everything about that person matures, is cultivated and eventually blossoms.  They live out their full potential because you saw and believed in it, even before they did.     

Take on every day with an appreciation for the lives that surround you.  Smile, laugh, and listen just to listen.  Show that you believe in someone; you will be surprised by how strongly honor will repay itself to those that are willing to give it. 

            

The Power of Words: Something to Talk About

Words are not only words, as so many of us often suppose.  They have the power to define who someone is, because they set a verbal or written standard by which people position or see themselves.  Example: Why do parents tell their children not to call another person ugly? Because when someone hears this word, the most common response of the hearer is to believe and associate one’s self to the identity of “ugly” to some extent or another.  The same can be true by way of assumption.  Have you ever heard phrases like, “Just be yourself,” or seen lists in blogs and magazines about “How to be beautiful/sexy/successful.”? Suddenly, your mind wonders “Why wouldn’t I be myself?” or you associate yourself as none of what the article is promoting because the context and wording immediately positions the reader as being none of those things.  Thus, as people hear, read and associate, so they live out!

This is not a new problem in the world; in fact, the opening book of the Bible shows the world’s first identity crisis only a few chapters in.  Eve’s actions clearly show that one’s understanding of their position with God is crucial to everything else that that person does, says and ultimately lives out in every way.  In seeing this, ‘belief’ or the act of ‘believing in God’ is no longer man’s one work towards his salvation, but rather, a fully convinced mind/heart that trusts that he is who God says that he is.

In multiple places throughout scripture, references to mankind being created in the likeness and image of God gives us an unmistakable position of which to associate Eve.  She was created in God’s image, BUT what does the serpent tempt her with? “The moment you eat from that tree… You’ll be just like God…” (Genesis 3:4,5 MSG).  Just as in the example of disassociation that a magazine entices its’ readers by, Satan used his words to indirectly say, “Eve, you are not like God,” And we all know where the story went from there.      

We are similar to Eve in that our identity is linked to the image and likeness that we have been created in.  The same lie that caused Eve to perform actions that were not within her nature is still tickling the ears of people today and convincing them of their separation from God.  I believe that from this mindset every religion in the world has been created: man tries to bridge the gap between themselves and a distant god; never realizing that the very God they are searching for has already bridged that same gap.    

Realize that God did not come to save a world of worthless people.  An important question to ask one’s self is this, “Who do I believe myself to be?” But an even greater question, and one that you will spend the rest of your life delving deeper and deeper into is, “Who does God say that I am?” You will be amazed by the answers that you find, and God’s response to this second question will completely rewrite the answer you come up with for the first as well.  Do not get caught up in naming yourself by the flimsy titles and associations that the world provides, but allow your identity to be defined by Truth itself.  In other words, believe what God believes to be true about you.        

Letters and Stories

The more I realize our Creator’s closeness to His children, my appreciation for life and its’ beauties expands.  The feeling is comparable to reading a well-thought-out card or letter from a close friend.  As you skim over each memory, hidden joke and emotional reflection, your heart connects to the writer! The letter is remarkable because it is personal and inescapably heartwarming because each word was inscribed with an obvious love-intent.  I have now come to see the world in a very similar way.

Reading John’s reference to God as “love”, I cannot help but look for the romance between humanity and the Divine.  If the creator of the world is, in fact, the very essence of love, there ought to be evidence of this in EVERYTHING.  Even at the very start of it all, this characteristic should be woven through the very purpose of humanity and its' life.  (So let's take a look 'in the beginning'.)  As one reads the first chapter of Genesis, whether it be historical account or poetic cosmology, the final detail to the world’s formation is mankind.  Is it too much to conclude then, that to a great extent, this world was created for us? That would certainly be romantic. 

Have you ever considered that the earth is a platform for which God schemed the ultimate love-story, and Jesus is the protagonist that drew your heart back to your Father? This way of thinking has changed everything for me.  I cannot see a beach or mountain without feeling completely romanced by its’ maker.  I cannot see an individual without considering how infatuated God is with them.  We are children of a God that is masterful in every detail of His romance, because love not only considers the big picture, but shows its true care in the intricacies of the ‘little things’. 

The Bible is the first few chapters of this indefinite love-story; the same one, to which, you have now stepped into the pages and dialogue.  Heaven and its’ angels expectantly watch as you take on life with your loving creator.  They cannot help but wonder what adventures the two of you will take on together.   

Shower Revelations

I write a lot about God’s closeness, his love, and his involvement in our lives.  If someone were to sum this all up into one word, perhaps God’s ‘intimacy’ would be most fitting.  But why focus on such things? Why direct so much of one’s attention to the theme of love when so many other important topics exist?

My answer: dominoes.  (And no, I don’t mean pizza).

I had a revelation several years ago while taking a shower.  I began thinking about many of the common attributes that give life to friendships, such as always talking with one another, not being ashamed or afraid to express one’s self or how one truly feels; there are many incredible factors that play in.  But in my pondering, I came to an inspiring and tear-filled discovery.  I realized that through our many talks, fun discussions, and my sheer enjoyment for spending time with Him, God had become my best friend. 

An incredible aspect to a friendship with God is that He so obviously highlights the gems and beautiful attributes that are within us.  As you take on life together, you not only discover more and more about whom He is, but He constantly reminds and teaches you about your own identity.  You were made in His image, after all.    

You may have noticed in your close friendships that the more time you spend around one another, the more your jokes, lifestyles, and even the way each of you think becomes increasingly similar.  Chances are that you did not befriend one another with these results in mind, but like dominoes, all it took was the initial flick and the repercussions expressed themselves through every other area of your life.  This gives reason to my ample exuberance towards God’s love and our intimacy with Him.  I am not here to guilt-trip you into living, looking, and walking more like Jesus; but rather, to draw you so closely into your Father’s arms, that the only plausible result will be a life transformed by a friendship with the Divine.       

Love Focus

You are radically loved, and it is not prideful to dwell on that heartwarming fact.  In actuality, I believe this to be the healthiest focus anyone can maintain.  Constant acknowledgement for the love God has for you allows for a newness of mind and a heavy change in priorities. In a world consumed by their need to find love, you stand out as one who knows how truly important you are, and can walk with confidence, understanding that the creator of everything is head over heels for you.  When you discover God, you also find love; there is no distinction between the two.  Life with God was not intended to be spent in a love-pursuit; but from your realization of his already existing love, your entire way of thinking becomes inspired by the outpouring of your focus.  In other words, when you see how loved you are, you begin to love in a like manner.  You become the love that the world is searching so relentlessly after.   

I could talk about love all day.  In recent years, it seems that whether I am eating, talking, daydreaming or working, God’s love for me is in some way mixed in with my thoughts.  His love has grown to be the most common factor to any decision, not because I dwell on it directly in each moment, but because my trust in his care has become natural, and in turn, this has made a literal difference in the way I look at people, situations and choices that life brings my way.  I see those around me as being just as deeply loved by God as I am, and suddenly respecting, honoring and exhorting others becomes a natural way of life.  Situations no longer determine my mood or behavior like they used to, because my joy is no longer in search of a steady place to land: I am already safe in God’s arms.  Life choices are no longer focused on appearance, as if I have something to prove to the world; but God has already proven my worth through the price he paid to have my heart.  A change in perspective is a transformed life. 

Don’t consume your thoughts with worries and self-pities.  Meditate on God’s love for you and see if that doesn’t change a few things.  It may begin as a routine you have to be purposeful about and remind yourself to focus on, but your mind will eventually catch up to your heart as your thoughts mimic those of your Father and you become a child with a love focus.            

Testimony Tuesday: Skip Swiger of Hawaii

How can you stop a dandelion?

In the past couple of weeks I have seen the incredible similarity that dandelions can have to love. My kids love to pick dandelions and blow on them while we watch the feather-like seeds fly off in every direction. My kids would dance and swirl through the yard, mimicking the seeds in their flight pattern. Some of the seeds landed nearby in obvious places while others lifted high into the air, never to be seen again. Whether you run them over with a lawn mower or hit them with your foot as you walk through the grass there is no stopping them; off they will go to a new home, a new birth, and create more dandelions.  

Our family recently moved to Hawaii for work but quickly found ourselves in a strange predicament. We had moved into a friend's guest house while we were looking for our own place, but were told that we had to be moved out by January 28th because other people would be moving in.  The rental market in Hawaii is very tough at this time due to the high demand that snow-bird season brings, but after four weeks of searching our family finally found a place. But this new home came with a small catch: it would not be available until February 12th, so we had to figure out what to do for those two weeks. Our solution: camp on the beach at a state park. My wife and I have four kids between the ages of one and nine, and we are not really the camping type, and so we admitted from the beginning that this was going to be quite the adventure for us all. We knew that the following weeks would require much love and unity if we were going to make it work, and before we knew it, we had bought our gear and set up camp. While living in the state park our family had no ulterior "Christian" motives, and weren't doing anything out of the ordinary for us (except living in a tent). We weren't having bible studies or pumping worship music through the boom box, we were simply living our lives in the same way that we might anywhere else.

As we were loading up to leave on the last day, two seemingly obvious bachelors that had been partying pretty hard at the campground asked if they might help me load my stuff. Having my four kids and all the new gear still needing to be packed, I thankfully accepted. With the extra hands the task went quickly but what happened next caught me completely off guard: The man that had helped us load looked into my eyes and his whole countenance softened as he said, "You are a really good dad. I've been watching you all week and up to this point in my life I have always said that I never wanted to have kids. But seeing you and your family together has caused me to reconsider." I was overwhelmed with countless emotions and could only bring myself to say, "Thank you," as he leaned in for the manly one-armed shoulder-bump hug. Our family was then off to our new house.

As I reflected on our trip, I realized how much our love is like a dandelion. It goes dancing in every direction, landing in some very obvious places but also some very unexpected ones. You simply love in all directions, not always knowing or understanding the distance that your love will sail off to; but the seeds of love will fly and plant and then produce more love.

I could have told you about the family that crashed their GoPro helicopter camera into a tree above our tent. We became such good friends with them that they brought our kids gifts the next day. I could have told you about the Mexican family that invited us to their kid's birthday fiesta because of our warm smile as they walked by. Or I could have told you about the Canadian family that grew emotional as we shared a conversation about how we parented our kids with extreme love. There were dozens of these little feathers of love floating around that were landing in obvious places, but one of those seeds of love floated far from the camp and planted itself in the heart of a partying bachelor, who will never be the same again.

To follow Skip Swiger's blog visit: FamilyFaithandFlipflops.com

Yo Hablo Espanol!

I remember back to my tenth and eleventh grade Spanish classes when my lack of any foreseen purpose in comprehending, speaking or writing in a foreign language produced the same grades as I had care.  Although I passed both years, my greatest foreign language accomplishments during that time went no further than my ability to turn the Spanish rendition of ‘The Pledge of Allegiance’ into a way of pretending I was angry with someone, as I would yell, “Yo prometo leatad a la bandera de los Estados Unidos…” all the way through until I produced either laughs or fearful stares from my audience.  (Impressive and brilliant, I know). 

The same jokester that you read above is also the Spanish interpreter for 60 Days Walking.

What happened? I found purpose.

After graduating high school, I took my first ever mission trip out of the country.  The trip was nine days that our team spent in a rural village in the northwestern mountains of Guatemala.  I had very little memory of my Spanish at that time, but during this short trip, something clicked and my desire to learn showed itself.  Eight months later I moved back to this same village for a summer, immersed in the language and culture of a people group that I had come to care for greatly.  This trip was the pinnacle of my Spanish learning, and also the reason that I can serve to interpret today.

Lives and activities conducted without purpose have very little care to develop.  Even when placed in situations that insist we learn, our growth is slowed by our unwillingness to see potential behind every new lesson, idea, or way of thinking.  It takes humility to mature.  When we look down on potential areas of growth, we often consider ourselves greater than the lesson or teacher themselves and our minds convince us that, ‘there can be nothing learned here,’ and we miss out on great opportunities.  But we have the choice to see life and its teachers for so much more. 

Believe that in every situation or hardship, an opportunity to mature only waits to be seen.

See and appreciate that everyone you meet knows something that you do not, and speak to them in an expectation that you will learn.

Testimony Tuesday: Jordan Onia of Sacramento, California

My name is Jordan Onia.  Everyone desires to burn with passion, change the world, and to be radical – I believe this is the heartbeat of our generation. Being radical is so appealing, but I believe that in our pursuit, this generation has forgotten this lifestyle’s heavy price. This life will require the sacrifice of your personal preferences, and everything that you think you deserve will be given up for the sake of knowing Him more. It will cost you the luxury of comfort, and the paths that seem wisest to the world will often be left behind in pursuit of that which is greater. This can mean going without, that another may be blessed. This lifestyle is uncomfortable because we elevate our rights.  While Christ was on earth, He set His rights aside for the sake of love and knowing The Father. Love requires the sacrifice of everything you were never made to own. Love costs your selfishness.  But my heart is to show you the beauty of these heavy costs. 

I graduated from Harvest School of Missions in Sarasota, Florida this past April. It was such a beautiful time, but little did I know, the experiences I had were only the first of many great adventures I would have while following the Lord. This was also my first encounter with a situation that if God had not shown up I would look like a fool. As the last day of Harvest School rolled around I had no money for gas to get back home. I called my parents, but they showed no interested in helping me.  After getting off the phone, the students that were still left decided to go out to eat as one of our last times together. I remember specifically locking my car doors before climbing into a friend’s car and heading to lunch. I had made no mentioned of the conversation between my parents and I, or even my need for money; but after returning from our fantastic lunch, I witnessed the impossible.  I walked past the passenger side of my car and glanced in to find an envelope that read, “Gas Money”. After opening the letter, I discovered the exact amount I needed to return home. I began considering all the ways the envelope could have been placed in my car, but while I mused, God spoke to me, “If your parents would’ve given you money, how would I have received the glory for getting you there and back?”

Everything is relational. God does not reduce any portion of the gospel to petty methods for making our lives better. I want to encourage each one of you that if you desire a life that burns, a life that is set on display, position yourself to live from a place that if God does not show up, everything will fall apart. He tells us in Matthew 6:6 to seek first His kingdom; and the Greek word here for kingdom is Basileia.  Basileia essentially translates to ‘a kingdom that will fall apart without being constantly connected to the King’. God is calling you to a lifestyle in which He is the glue. A lifestyle that is impossible without Him. Thank you for the honor of sharing, and even more for reading. I pray God empowers each of you to dream your greatest dreams, and I pray that the fulfillment of these dreams would only scratch the surface of all God has in store for you.  

Our Deceptive Title

There have been few visits on our 60 Days Walking journey that we did not find ourselves wrongly introduced as “the men that are walking across Central America”.  This misconception has led to a number of laughs as we admit that the title of our trip does not hinder us from using buses and hitchhikes to get around.  The name ’60 Days Walking’ was coined to inspire others that following Jesus is a lifestyle that can be lived out in the day to day and not just a moral improvement group that meets once a week.  We have been invited by God to experience the world in passion, power and love; to see from a perspective that looks beyond the superficial values that so commonly distract us from true depth and beauty.  This is the life that Jesus displayed, and the same that he so graciously invited us to partake in. 

Standing in a circle of strangers and being introduced as men that have walked from El Salvador to Nicaragua is quite the impressive misconception to unravel and explain, but it has given us many opportunities to highlight the lifestyle that we are all invited to live out.  It begins with a changing of our minds to see others in the same light and beauty that God sees them.  His love is contagious and radical, willing to go against the currents of life and socially erected ideas of how the world is meant to operate so that everyone’s true purpose and identity can be clearly seen.  This lifestyle expresses itself in love, encouragement, and the giving of one’s self that others may be touched and benefitted.  It is not conducted by selfish motives of “I’ll play my part, if you play yours,” this lifestyle gives for the sake of giving and is not dependent upon the positive responses of its receivers. 

Love plays its cards first, and the world follows suit.  When love shows its face, the outcome is comparable to that of a lighthouse to a ship in a midnight storm: as a beacon of hope, and a light to be pursued and followed! The process is a natural one: we see how radically we have been loved and then show off this same love to the people around us (in other words, God’s love is contagious).  As God gave, you give.  As Jesus lived selflessly, you do likewise.  If our Father is truly God, then love ought to run just as naturally through our own veins as it does our Daddy – we were created in His image!

Misconceptions about how we conduct our travels are irrelevant.  The beauty of this journey is that it does not end when the three of us fly home on March 6^th  and it is not limited to those that are willing to backpack and live from hostel to hostel in third world conditions – this lifestyle is an open invitation to all that desire it.  When your life has been set ablaze by the love of your Father, you will live to see this same fire grab the hearts of everyone you meet.    

Keep It Simple

The promises found throughout scripture are, in fact, promises.  I have found that when people read a verse or chapter that insinuates an idea greater than that which they can imagine for their own lives, they discount it as a promise meant for someone else.  I am here to tell you, that God is much better than you think. 

God lives within you: This possession means you are a move of God.

You were created in God’s image: You cannot help but look like Him.

He calls you the light of the world: Darkness will lose every time.

You are a child of God: Your genetics are nothing short of divine.

Everything works out for good: Hakuna Matata (means no worries).

God paid a price for you: You are worth the blood of Christ.

Peace beyond understanding: Comprehension is not a requirement. 

God will never leave you: He must take immense pleasure in you.

The Kingdom of Heaven is here: You do not need to wait for death to experience it.    

Testimony Tuesday: Alissa Crews of Fort Myers, Florida

Alissa Crews

The following story took place on Monday and although at first I wasn’t sure if I should share, I believe this is an issue that many people struggle with and God has been using this situation to really encourage me.

The other day, my friends Angela, Corey and I went downtown and made our way to a floating dock with a pavilion to sit down. Corey started playing his ukulele and the three of us enjoyed worshipping there for a while. As this was going on, a man came down the dock and sat a little ways off, looking out at the water.  I began to worry that we were being too noisy or disrupting him (even though we were there first, and he probably realized this before making his way down).  As he looked out, I felt a draw to him, despite having no idea as to what was going on in his life or the situations that he might be dealing with.  Honestly, I thought he might be homeless (we were down by the park and he was alone, so I don’t think that was a bad assumption).  All I knew was that in some way, I wanted to help this stranger.

I felt uncomfortable that we were being too loud and happy around someone who obviously shared neither of those attributes, and so I prayed that God would show me some way to tangibly help him, but the phrase, “What you’re doing now is fine,” was all I heard.  But I brushed off these words in the assumption that I was doing nothing at all.  

We finished up and I was disappointed that I hadn’t had the courage to approach this lonesome figure. As we stood up, the man came over and explained that he was very encouraged by our music, and that God had really touched him through it. He told us to, “Keep doing what we are doing.” We had sung, ‘Deep Cries Out’ and he described how the lyrics: ‘Jump, jump in the river’ reminded him of a song he wrote for his son. He had just dropped off this same son and began to tell us about the hardship he found in saying, “Goodbye,” to him.  It was because of that difficulty he had come downtown to the river.

As the man spoke, it was as if God was whispering, ‘See, I told you so!’ in my ear.  God has been teaching me to not worry about what others think (because my assumptions are usually wrong!) and to just live for Him! In doing this, everything else falls into place.

The Scandalous Secret

Young boy we met in Santa Ana, El Salvador

Have you ever lost sight of something in its closeness to you? Like searching for the sunglasses that are atop your head? (Yep, me too).  When you finally discover them, there usually comes a sensation of disbelief at the extent of your own inability to acknowledge that which is now obvious.  The masterful disguise of your glasses to hide amongst your hairs may bring about feelings of distancing and loss before they are revealed; but no matter how absent or detached those glasses appear before their unveiling, you soon discover that these shades were right where you wanted them all along.         

“I did not find Divinity because of my eager seeking. I found him when I acknowledged that he had already discovered me, and remained closer than my breath.” – Me

Self-quotes are accepted here. 

The creative eloquence that you read above is a Facebook status that I wrote and soon after decided deserved more attention and explanation than can be shown in a two-lined Sunday status.  My relationship with God is not cored around the idea that His love, passion towards me, and pursuit of my life were provoked by actions I have taken in an attempt to appease or satisfy Him.  His intimacy did not wait for me to invite it, but rested patiently in expectation that I will one day discover its closeness to my heart.  We are no longer waiting for God to show his favor towards us: Jesus' crucifixion did not occur in response to some amount of care mankind showed in an attempt to muster up a sympathetic move from God; his intimacy was woven in and through humanity long before any recognition for it was given or known.  We were loved despite our ignorance of it, but become enlightened when we see his closeness.

God is not a pair of glasses waiting atop your head, He is much closer.  We stand already loved, favored, and pleasing to him.  His intimacy began long ago, our enjoyment of it grows as we see our interwoven God for the nearness he has in our lives.

“Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 (MSG)

The invitation is to walk out a life empowered by God; the scandalous secret is that He is already here.

Invitation To Dream

Being guided to the New Song base in Chichigapa, Nicaragua

Where is your life going?

What maps are you using?

Whose advice do you hold onto the strongest?

Are you pursuing dreams? If not, what drives you?

For me, travel always brings these and similar questions to mind – as if to taunt me into dreaming bigger, reevaluating previous choices about my future, or even convincing myself to change life directions all-together.  I love and hate these questions: love, because I believe dreams are meant to be grown, matured and given fresh focus now and again; and hate, because in the midst of travel, there are few places that my thoughts can go besides the seemingly untrustworthy storage capacity of my own memory or, if I am wise enough in the moment, the notes section of my iPhone.  (Because what can someone really accomplish on a crowded eight hour chicken-bus ride when ideas for changing the world come to mind?)

Travel stirs these questions because in stepping away from what I know, I am forced into a place of contemplation and given a broadened view for consideration.  Silence and stillness can be so hard to bear.  Staying in motion has become the ultimate comfort for a large number of people, because whether they like the direction their life is taking or not, they can at least pretend, and in doing so, convince themselves that their busy lives surely must equate to forward progress! But sadly, I believe such movements keep us stagnant.  I am a huge encourager in the pursuit of dreams and the stirring of curiosity and new ideas.  As frightening as curiosity and uncertainty can appear to be, remember that life is not a math test waiting to pass or fail you when formulas and codes are forgotten – dreams are meant to be pursued, and talents exist to be cultivated. 

I do not have any secret formulas or a checklist of “to-do’s” that will bring dreams to life or cause them to grow, but I will write of what I see, and that being a world of inconsistencies that serves as home to a people that seek patterns and trails.  We often long for safe roads and rules that will hold us accountable enough to not fall too far left or right, as if safety were the overarching theme and goal of our universe.  But I would ask that we relearn our childhood curiosity and believe that maturity is found just as much in what we admit to not understand as it is to have an understanding in anything at all. 

Break away from the busyness of life and consider where it is that you desire to go.  Life’s possibilities are endless and your dreams were crafted with purpose by a Divine Visionary that loves to watch His children succeed and grow.  It may begin on scrap paper or a new Microsoft Word document; but the point is found in the process of halting, stepping back, and carefully considering what life you desire to live.  I do not know what you will or will not find – you may even confirm that your life is headed exactly where you have always hoped that it might! But if this blog serves for nothing more, I pray that it inspires you to dream.  

Testimony Tuesday: Simon Hudson (Melbourne, Australia)

We were in the Mozambican 'bush bush', and had just finished screening the Jesus film, which meant that is was now time to begin praying for people. Two young deaf brothers approached us and we began to pray for them. As we prayed, one brother began experiencing healing, and the other one - not! In what I confess was a difficult situation, I became frustrated, and to be honest: concerned at how this young guy was feeling, having just watched his brother experience healing, but not see it for himself.

During the evening, we'd done our best to love on this brother with hugs, kind words, speaking life, caring for him, etc. etc. and so the next morning, despite my concerns that he might be disappointed or angry at God, instead, he was happy! It was then that I knew: although praying for the sick is pure, holy, and very important to do, if you pray without love then it is a fail! Love never fails! Aside from this scenario, I have seen heaps of miracles, salvation, etc. but I enjoy when God speaks to us, and shares his heart for people, which, one might say, is love!

Love Is Patient

Before anything else, love is patient.  Longevity in a relationship, whether that is with a sibling, friend or spouse, is undoubtedly the proof of a passion that runs deep.  Lasting relations are irreplaceable, but come at a great cost, which perhaps, is what makes them so life changing.  The impact of love’s endurance bares fruit so pure, innocent and personal that the world longs greatly to taste of it, because this extent of affection is not given or withheld for its ability to lure instant gratification to the one that supplies.  

Patience is born of selflessness: it seeks nothing of its own.    

I have seen the power of patience first hand in the lives of every missionary that we have met on this 60 Days Walking journey.  Each new face has come with another inspiring tale of sacrifice, dedication, and God’s power set on full display by lives that are in no way more talented or qualified than any other.  I see these missionaries as they serve in their immersion and cannot help but wonder how long it must have taken before these ‘gringos’ became family to the one’s that they abandoned everything to embrace.  Though I am sure the times greatly varied, I would not doubt that each transition took place when the cultures realized that their new neighbors were here for the long run. 

The sensation of love is that you never see its full range of impact.  It seeps deep and touches something greater than what can be read on the surface of one’s life.  It is contagious and as it spreads it also strengthens and multiplies.  A heart that relentlessly seeks the betterment of those around it cannot fail! After all, what can the world do to hold back the influence of a life that empowers for the sake of empowerment, gives for the sake of giving, and loves for the sake of loving? The generosity of patience will never be silenced.                

Confessions To a Star-field

Joey and James were nearby, but in my heart I was a single membered audience, captivated by the webbed star-field that rested lit and vivacious above me. I lay in the sand as Joey had, running my hands through the beach's cold powder until my fingertips reached the buried warmth of the sun's last remaining heat. My thoughts wandered from star to star, until I could finally confess the words that entranced me. "The god I know is much smaller than you," there was no response to my tear-filled words. "The god I know is so much smaller than you," I said louder.  I repeated these words again and again, not expecting a reply but knowing that the stars were His bold words to me, inquiring of my deepest thoughts, fears, emotions and dreams.  He was smiling from the heaven-lights as tears of fear and joy fell from my eyes. “Who is this god that I claim to know?”

In some lost summation of time, I noticed that Joey and James had left and were walking closer to the water. I rose in the darkness and realized that my God was no longer in the stars, but had become the wind.  I looked back and forth like a mad man, tears still flowing as I aimed to catch a glimpse of breeze. My arms spread wide as I shouted new confessions with a smile comparable to that of a child whose father hides behind his own hands, waiting to shout "Peek-a-boo!" to his little boy in anticipation. "I do not even know your name!" I shouted to the wind. "You say I am like you, but I know so little about you! Do you have a name? Do you have eyes? Do they look like mine? What is your name?" My eyes still searched the wind for a face, a voice, or something better; I was convinced that I could find God; and if I had found him, my arms were outstretched, ready to embrace and then never release him - just as my heart already had.

There was dancing, stumbling and no small amount of laughter.  If my god had a name it would encapsulate every aspect of him – in which case I could not pronounce it anyway! The secrets of what I did not know about Him, met the innumerable memories of the encounters I had had in His intimacy, and I was romanced in the mystery of Divinity. 

The night ended as I saw my friends approaching me from the water's edge.  I lowered my arms and wiped my tears, but no one could stop the proud voice of my heart as it bragged to itself, "I am the home of a god who smiles through star-fields,"

Testimony Tuesday: Chris Collins of Colorado Springs, Colorado

I was on a ministering trip with my bible college that brought us to Louisiana.  After the main speaker gave his message, the rest of the prayer ministers and I went upfront to pray with anyone that had need.  An older gentleman approached me in frustration. His discontentment was not at anyone specifically, but that he had not yet been healed of the cancer that was manifesting itself on his face in giant scabs. He explained that he didn't want to just be prayed for, but that he wanted to be healed. I said, "Alright man, let’s do this!" As I prayed, I knew it was not by my own power that this man could be healed but that it was all by the power and authority that God has given me to heal the sick and to raise the dead. So I commanded the cancer to leave in Jesus’ name.

We got off topic and talked about football for several minutes. It was nice to see this man get his eyes off of his situation and onto something that he loved. The man started smiling and lighting up. It was incredible. I finally stopped the conversation and asked, “Is there anything else I can pray with you for?” And he said, "Yeah my eye! My right eye went completely blind about 6 months ago. The doctor said it was a detached retina." he explained.  "Okay man, let’s go!" I prayed a 10 second prayer for this man’s eye; I didn't use big theological words or try to convince God to heal this man because I understand that Jesus has already paid that price, and realize the power he has given me! I simply released that healing power right into that man’s eye. After praying, the man thanked me and walked away.


About 20 minutes went by and I heard the man calling for me again as I packed. “Chris! Chris! Come here!”

"What’s up man? How are you doing?" I asked.

"My eye! I can see out of it!" He said.

This man had received a complete healing in his eye that night – 20/20 vision. He was so stoked about his eye! It was not because of me, or any wise words that I used in my prayer, but simply the love of God expressed through my life towards this man.  God wants all his children healed. It's not about some hidden formula; but comes in an understanding of the beautiful fact that our God is love.