Divine Appointments

                For the past twelve hours, God has been placing me time after time exactly where He wants me to be. I see it as no less than a divine appointment.


                Last night, as I was headed to my bed, God told me to turn around and start walking. I listened and obeyed and ran into someone who really needed to talk, and God just moved throughout the whole situation. It was strictly Him doing His own thing! God is moving and active and last night proved it, because this friend and I broke some major chains and God set this soul free.

                Today, at work, my boss told me that she needed me to do one last thing before I left. She handed me a stack of papers and told me to head to the other office and give this to one of the workers. I was happy to do so. As soon as I handed the papers off, a student who I had never met, holding a camera, came up to me and told me that he had been looking for me. More of God being God!

                Just an hour ago, as I was up in the library picking up a projector that was not needed, I ran into an old friend, Elliot, who told me about how he reads this blog. It truly touched me to hear this and to see him again.

                If I had just gone to bed instead of listening to God, if I had just pushed the work off to the next person and said, "I don't have the time. I am off work," if I had just decided leave the projector in the library since we weren't going to use it, I would have missed out on so many opportunities  I would have missed out on God moving and working. It is because I was obedient to God's commandments and lived according to His spirit that I was able to be a part of the unfolding of His plan.

                When we operate in the Holy Spirit and let God have control, He does things that we could not have even thought of. We must remember that He knows all and He is in control of everything: our future spouse, our future job, our current job, our children, our homes, our everything. It is all in His hands; and if we stop trying to take it back into our own hands, He will be able to bless us in ways that we could not have even thought of! We must remember that God knows best and He is in control. He wants prosperity for us, not harm; so do not be afraid to let Him have His way when the time comes.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Dust Off Your Bibles

                I was talking to a friend about reading the word this week. He had told me that he did not need to read the word because people always answered his questions. I asked him what he would do if no one was around and he needed to know, or if the person he was asking that he trusted so much was a false prophet. I had to explain to him that reading the word is not mandatory, but voluntary. It is not something that we must do, but something that we should want to do.

                So many people say, "I just want an answer now," or "I just want to hear God talk to me," and every time those things come up, and give this type of answer: "What you're looking for is in the Bible. The answer is right in the book. God already spoke to you when He gave you the word, so if you want to hear Him start seeking His voice."

                So many people get lazy about reading their Bibles because they see it as a chore list or another text book. It is not like that! The Bible should be where you want to go, not where you have to go! If you want to hear God's voice, start in the Bible. If you want to find your identity in Christ, start in the Bible. If you feel like your relationship with Christ is falling, get into the word! If you feel like you aren't doing much as a Christian, get into the word. Where you lack, the word helps you to see the bridge that God made. When you don't know who you are in Christ, the Bible tells you. There is nothing to fear, for the Bible tells you were to go! It is our Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.

                You do not have to take on chapters at a time or read it any specific way. Just start wherever God tells you to start and read as much or as little as you can digest. Have someone help you for a little while if you need help, but do not depend on it. The word is your free access to God's instructions and gifts to you. It is your road map to Christianity, so it is your choice if you will use it or not.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Media Fast

                The reason why I did not post anything yesterday was because I was doing a twenty-four hour media fast. That means no laptop, no internet, no music, no cell phone, no video games, and no other forms of media for twenty four hours. It was hard.

                The first thing that I do every morning is wake up and jump into this blog, but yesterday I jumped up and had to remind myself not to even touch my laptop. I got together with a few of my friends from the Christian club on campus and we prayed. Then, I organized an event for the campus with one of them. I set up three meetings, switched my major, completed a group project, planned a party, prayed over people, worked out with my roommate, and went on a late night run around the campus with a friend. It was not a normal day.

                As hard as it was to not grab my phone and see if anyone was texting me or calling me, I had to keep my focus on the world around me. It was an eye opening experience. It made me appreciate what I have around me more; and it honestly has made an impact on how I want to spend my time now.

                If you have never fasted and you want to try something that will help get you closer to God, try a twenty-four hour fast of something. It can be just Facebook, or all of media, or of your laptop, or from coffee. There are plenty of ways to fast as opposed to just not eating. It is helpful to yourself and to your relationship with Christ. Do not fear trying something new. New experiences give you new knowledge and wisdom.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Guilt and Shame

                Genesis 3:6-10 says, "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then, they eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, 'where are you?' He answered, 'I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.'"

                Guilt and shame were brought into the world with sin. Before Adam and Eve ate from the tree that God had commanded them not to eat from, they were not ashamed of being naked. They were unaware that it was something to be ashamed of until they ate. They did not know guilt until they ate from the tree, disobeying the one thing that God had told them not to do.

                Guilt is when we feel bad about something that we did or something that we did not do. Shame is when we feel bad about who we are. These emotions were not present in the world until sin came in. Now, humanity struggles with guild for their sins and shame for being a sinner. These emotions do not let up either.

                The world tells us one of two things, either: 1) "if anyone knew you, no one would love you," or 2) "you have nothing to be ashamed of. You did nothing wrong." Both of these are false. We are sinners, so we are not blameless; but there is someone who will love you for who you are, even though you have done some messed up things. He will be closer to you than a friend and He will never leave you or stop loving you. This man is Jesus.

                It is because of the love of Jesus that we are able to escape guilt and shame. Because of what Jesus did, we are able to be wiped clean of our sins. We can be cleaned by Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." It is because of Jesus sacrificing Himself on the cross that we can be redeemed. Jesus Christ died on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven and that we could be freed from them. Not only that, but on top of Jesus taking on our sins, He also gave us His righteousness. That means, that when we allow Christ into our lives, He takes away our sins and gives us the righteousness of the blameless man who knew no sin.

                When Jesus was baptized, God spoke directly to everyone around, releasing the Holy Spirit into Jesus and saying from Heaven, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11) When we allow Jesus to take our sins away, He takes away the guilt and shame and gives us His righteousness so that God takes this stance about you now. It does not matter what sin you were doing, God says that you are His beloved child in whom He is well pleased. God gets rid of guilt and shame.

                God does not love you by how you perform. He does not care if you can play every sport while getting straight A's, or even play half of the sports while getting straight B's. He cares about you. He loves you for you and not your performance. He does not care how well you do or not, He loves you for who you are on the inside; and that is His beloved child.

                If we could gain His love by our performance, we would be serving a sick and twisted God. If all it took to counter all of our sins was some manual labor, then sin would not be such a big deal in His eyes. If all it took was rituals and ceremonies to completely get rid of sin, God would be a twisted God for sacrificing His one and only son on the cross for us. God could not care about our performance. He sent His son to cover our sins because He loves us, not what we do. He knew that we could not be perfect on our own, so He sent His son to destroy our sins. Because of Christ and what He did, we can not be freed from our sins and our baggage. We no longer have to be guilty or shameful.

                Our God is a God who loves to restore His people. He is not ashamed of us. He is not forced to love us. In fact, He actually likes us, and He loves to love us. He wants to free you from your sins so that you no longer suffer from guilt and shame. All He asks is that you let Him do the work while you sit back and enjoy the peace and joy that He will give you. Romans 5:8 says, "but God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God did not wait for us to meet a standard or perform better. In fact, He came while we were at our lowest to show us His best. He did not wait for people to get into a church, or get dressed up, or do some rituals. He came while they were hating Him.

                All it takes is asking God to be in our hearts. We cannot make the same mistake as Adam and Eve, running to our hands to try to cover our guilt and shame, when we serve a God who knows all. We must run to God for forgiveness and freedom. He will grant it to us. In fact, it is why He died on the cross for us. He wants us to be free, and it is all possible once you want to be free and ask God for that freedom. All it takes is asking Him to be your Lord and Savior and letting what He did on the cross be real for you. He died for you and wants you to be cleansed and made new. He does not want to watch His people suffer in guilt and sin. He wants freedom for you, and He has paid the pride so that you can have it.

                "Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)


                                                                                                                                         -D

Neither Do We Offend

                Now a days, so many devoted Christians are worried about offending others just so they do not fit the stereotype. Just the other night, a relatively new Christian that I know was asking an older wiser Christian about death and judgment and many other theological things. A statement came up that caught my attention.

                "So, how do you mention Hell without offending someone?"

                One of the Christian club leaders, Beth, stepped in and spoke wisdom. "You cannot bring up Hell without offending someone. Hell is an offensive topic, but we cannot be afraid of bringing it up and be honest. When someone who is not a believer asks if we believe that they are going to Hell, the answer is always going to be offensive. But we cannot forget that the Word is offensive. It is a double-edged sword piercing the hearts of unbelievers. It is offensive. So do not be afraid if someone feels offended. You must continue to come in love, but the Holy Spirit will move in other people and convict them."

                As important as it is for us to come in love, we also must remember that the message that we are coming with is a double edged sword, which piercing unbelievers with conviction. (Hebrews 4:12) It is a message that tells them everything that they knew in the ugliest light, but offers a redemption that a conscious sinner could only dream of, but for free. Who would not get offended from hearing, "you mess up and you are going to the worst place that could ever exist." Anyone would get offended!

                Here is the key difference, though. When that sentence comes from a complete stranger with no love, no personality, and all scripture, it will chase away any non-believer. But imagine your best friend, someone you trust with your heart and soul, tells you that they love you and are worried about you and want to help you. They see your life style, they know your pain, and they want you to be set free from the burdens, the depressions, and the anger. Which sounds like a message you would rather hear?

                No, this is not a "how to evangelize" session; but it is important to remember that we are speaking a powerful tool and we need to know how to handle it with delicacy. It can offend others easily, and we do not want to offend others; but we must remember that the Holy Spirit will convict others and we cannot step in the way of that just because we do not want to rock the boat.

                It is a tricky line to walk, but handling a double-edged sword is not easy. We must know the tool that we are using, present it in love, and let conviction be handled by the Holy Spirit, not us. We are to present this message in love, not judgment or wrath. Leave those things to the one who sits upon the throne.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Broken Chains

                The cool thing about Christianity is that once you let Christ set you free, you are free for life! When Christ helps you to overcome a sin or a struggle, you never have to go back again. When God lets you overcome the flesh, you never have to submit to it again. When Christ sets you free, two things happen: you are set free from sin and you are set free from your past.

                "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of Life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:1-4)

                It is because of Christ that we are set free from the sins that held us down and the consequences of these sins. It is because of Christ that we no longer have to submit to our addictions and sins and other desires of the flesh. Christ has freed us from it all!

                On top of that, Christ has also freed us from the spiritual consequences. He has set us free, making us no longer a slave to sin. He has wiped the sin out of our heart. He has set us free from the wages of sin, which is death (Romans 6:23) It is because Christ set us free that we can rejoice in Heaven for all of eternity. It is because of freedom in Christ that we no longer have to be spiritually dead. it is because of freedom in Christ that we are able to have a relationship with Christ.

                He has broken the chains off of us and we can rejoice knowing that we are new in Him! We are freed from all of our former addictions, former worries, former sins, and anything else of this world that held us down. Christ has set us free from it all!

                "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1)


                                                                                                                                         -D

God Wants to Talk to You

                Imagine if the most powerful person in the world wanted to make you his best friend. Imagine if the most royal name in history said that you were the heir to his kingdom. Imagine if the richest man who has ever lived told you that he wants you to inherit everything. Now, how would you react? Would you try to contact this genuine outreach back, or would you send someone else to send your message?

                God, the omnipotent, sovereign, and most rich being that has ever existed wants to talk to you, and not in a bad way either! He wants to build a personal connection with you. No, He does not want anything from you. He has everything, He made everything, and He can make anything. What does He need you for?

                The truth is, He does not need you. He has everything under control. When Jesus was being arrested and His disciples were trying to save Him, He stopped them and said, "do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew 26:53) He does not need our help. So, if He needs nothing from us, why does He care so much about involving us in His plan?

                Imagine a baker and his son. The baker makes a delicious triple layer cake and has the perfect idea for the frosting. As he picks up the tools the begin frosting, his soon looking in aw, waiting to see what His father will create, the baker pulls out a step stool. He brings his son upon it and puts the icing in his hand. "I want you to help me make my cake." The son looks at his father in shock. He has seen his father's creations before. "Me?" He says in surprise. "I will just mess it up." His father puts his hands over his sons and smiles. "I will help you."

                This describes God's plan for our lives. He does not need our help. Look at trees, look at the fine tuning of life, look at the human body. God did not need our help, and never will He need it, but He wants us to be involved in His glorious plan out of love. He can do anything, and He chooses to show it all through us.

                This loving God who needs nothing and wants you to take part in His glory is real! He wants to talk to you. He wants to include you in on His plan. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" (Jeremiah 29:11)

                God wants to involve you in a plan where you receive life, love, power, and peace unlike anything that you could ever experience on Earth. He wants you to be filled with joy and covered in peace. This is God's plan. Will you answer God? He wants a personal connection with you. The real God.

                Some may say, "well I have tried talking to God and He did not talk back." I can say two things that I am sure of. If you tried talking to God and He did not talk back, three things happened: 1) you were not talking to the real God, but instead to the God that you would want running the universe (AKA an imaginary version of you as God) 2) you did not hear God because your relationship isn't strong enough for you to hear Him! If you are not chasing after Him with all of your heart instead of just testing God, you will not hear Him speak. 3) You did not even give Him enough time to respond. Because He did not speak in the way that you wanted in the time that you wanted, you assumed that He was not real.

                God wants to talk to you, but are you willing to talk with Him instead of at Him? Are you willing to listen as much as you talk? Are you ready to hear God? If you want to build a relationship with God, the first thing that you have to do is invite Him into your life. When He is inside of your life, then you will be able to hear what He has to say to you. Once He is inside of your life, ask God to build you relationship so that you can know what the real God of the universe has to say. Then, you will see and hear Him talking to you, building your relationship a little more each day.

                God wants to talk to you. Will you listen?


                                                                                                                                         -D