The Journey

Do you ever find yourself reading the Old Testament and thinking, “Wow, how dumb can the people of Israel get?” Now, come on. Be honest. It’s amazing, isn’t it, how the Israelites could be saved by God working through Moses and yet they grumble about not having food. I mean, they don’t even ask for it, for goodness’ sake! They just whine to Moses. Or how they could make a covenant with God, promising to do “all that He has commanded”, and then as soon as Moses’ back is turned break the first and second commandments to create a calf out of gold. It’s no wonder God tells them in Exodus chapter 33 verse 3 that He’s no longer going to be with them. I guess, in a way I can understand them. For 400 years they lived as slaves, not making their own decisions, feeling like the God of their fathers has abandoned them, and being treated almost like cattle. Then along comes a man named Moses who was adopted into the kind of privilege they can only dream of with some “magical” powers t...

We've all had those days when it seems like life beats you down at every turn. Like nothing is going right and no matter what we try, we can't seem to come out on top. Like we're drowning, the air pressing in on us, our chests constricting under the weight of our problems. Maybe for you it's been more than a day. It's been a month. A year. Ten years. And you just can't see what good could possibly come of your suffering. All you can think is:  "God, what are you doing?!" No, wait, don't go. It's okay. You can admit it. Remember the first words I wrote up there? We've all had those days. All. Every single one of us, whether we admit it or not. Whether we choose to remember or not. See, that's part of the problem: remembering. We are such fickle, short-sighted people. During a trial, we can't see past our problems. Afterwards, we immediately forget what we went through. It's like... a mirror. When we stare our proble...

Why did Adam and Eve have to eat that fruit? It's all their fault my life stinks! Have you ever thought something similar? I sure have. Every time I read Genesis I find myself wondering what it would have been like to live in Utopia: The Garden of Eden. No death to steal our loved ones away from us, no disease to wrack our bodies, no arguments to seperate best friends, perfect weather without crazy heat waves or cold snaps, no pollution to dim the beauty of creation.... The list could go on and on. And it does. And it's all Adam and Eve's fault! It's funny, isn't it, how much we blame them for our problems? Somehow it calms our conscience a bit knowing that we can blame even our sin on them. I mean, we wouldn't do the things we do if they hadn't messed things up! But wait- let's consider a moment what that means. What would life be like today if Adam and Eve had kept their hands in their proverbial pockets? What if that fruit were still o...

Recently I read an e-mail explaining the attack on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and calling for a month of prayer and fasting. The obvious response is: How could we as a “religiously free” country have come to this? It is something I think many Believers all over the US are asking themselves right now. We have been watching this anti-religion trend over the last few decades like a new form of cancer- growing and seemingly without a cure . It’s saddening. My Bible study today seemed especially attuned to this problem. The passage was Psalm 39. Here are a few verses that stood out to me: "And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool! (Psa 39:7-8) When you discipline a man with rebukes for sin, you consume like a moth what is dear to him; surely all mankind is a mere breath! Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner...

Jesus: Savior, Brother, Redeemer, Friend…. Angry toward those who set themselves against God, yet gentle toward the broken. Steadfast as a Rock, loving as a Shepherd, powerful as a King, and humble as a Child. All of these, and more, embody the complexity and beauty of our Messiah. Over and over in the Gospels Christ put who He is on display for His disciples to see. They started out seeing Him as their society did, wanting Him to be a Conquering King. He was someone who would give them what they wanted: freedom from the Romans and glory at His right hand during His reign. It wasn’t until later, when they felt abandoned by Him, that they began to understand. He hadn't come to free them from the Romans. He came to free them from their sins. His kingdom wasn’t an earthly one where they would be showered with power and wealth, but a spiritual one whose rewards wouldn’t be seen in this life. But did He openly contradict their misconceptions, beating them brutally with t...

Lately I've been working hard trying to get into shape for summer. Swim suit weather will be upon us before we know it, guys! And as a result I am feeling myself slowly transform, but can’t see the results much yet. If you are a human being whose been on this planet for longer than thirteen years, you probably can sympathize with how frustrating that is. It makes me wonder, though, why it is I’m not entirely happy with the way God made me. It’s not that getting in shape is wrong, but I think part of it is motivated by the feeling that God didn't quite make me perfect . Which is totally ridiculous, considering “perfect” is a fluid concept in today’s world and “beautiful” is almost unattainable without Photoshop and a paint brush. Then why do we, as human beings, fall into this trap? Why are we plagued by constant discontentment when it comes to how we look? Is there something wrong with us? Well, yes, there is. It’s called sin. Sin festers inside, making us f...

Good vs. Bad- one of the most popular themes of all time in comics, books, movies, and television. Usually the hero and villain are a fairly equally matched pair, although there are stories where technically the villain is more powerful. But always, always, the villain is defeated in the end after much struggle, sacrifice, and pain on the part of the hero. Why are these stories so popular? You’d think after hundreds of years of the same basic plot we’d get tired and move on, but no. We stay. We read. We watch. And if the ending isn't a resounding victory for the good guy, we moan. Today’s culture is saturated more than ever with these kinds of stories. Marvel is making a killing off their superheroes- even the lame ones. If there are guys in spandex with a super power of some kind, we’re at the theater without fail. Even a badly thought through plot line makes a killing because, let’s face it, we want to see good win . One of my favorite super rivalries is that of...

Resolutions. It seems like each new year a fresh round of them bombard our social media feeds. They are usually pretty typical: losing weight, getting fit, eating better, quitting smoking, traveling more, and the list goes on and on. But three months down the road if you happen to meet up with those people, where have their “resolutions” gone? Have they lost any weight? Are they still actively exercising? Did those dreams of traveling to Acapulco get side-swiped by the reality of their job or family obligations? It’s as if all of their cookie-cutter resolutions were spewed out by a defective resolution robot. The term “resolution” is an interesting one, stemming from the root “resolute”, which according to Dictionary.com means: Firmly resolved or determined, set in purpose or opinion. Does that sound like what we do every year? Or does it seem like what that should really say is “temporarily resolved”? (Side note: If our forefathers had been as “resolute” as w...

Prayer. What is prayer? Why do we pray? Is it absolutely necessary for a relationship with God? Dictionary.com  defines prayer like this: noun 1. a   devout   petition   to   God   or   an   object   of   worship. 2. a   spiritual   communion   with   God   or   an   object   of   worship,   as   in  supplication,   thanksgiving,   adoration,   or   confession. Notice the words "devout petition" and "spiritual communion". These words indicate a deep, fundamental connection that is difficult for our human minds to comprehend. I guess the closest thing we have here on earth to that would be the bond created when we marry (not that I would know much about that, but my parents have been pretty open about their relationship so I probably know more than some). The point is, prayer is personal . It's the only way that we can commune with ...

Emotions. Fear. Joy. Hatred. Euphoria. Anger. Love. Loneliness. These are all only a few examples of the many complex entities that we package into one tiny word- emotions. Sometimes they seem to live and breathe of their own volition. One will grab us, shake us, try and control us. And then in the next minute it will disappear as quickly as it came and another will pop up in its place. In today's society, the subject of emotions is something many Christians have a strong opinion about. They read a passage from Scripture that says, "Fear not," so they believe that all fear is wrong. Others read that "God is love" and latch onto that, believing that we are to love, love, love people to the point of accepting everything about them- including their sins that they refuse to change. I'm just going to say it right now: Christians need to stop seeing emotions at black and white (i.e.- all good or all bad). They need to take a good long look at not only w...

Have you ever thought to yourself, "What on earth in my life is there to be thankful for?" Maybe it's always too hot or too cold for you. Maybe your children or siblings are fighting. Maybe you're stuck in a job you hate. On those days- how can you be thankful? Confession time- I just finished the worst month of feeling unhappy with my siblings that I think I have ever had in my entire life. And that includes when we were little. It seemed like everything they did got on my nerves. I would feel myself getting annoyed, and in an effort to not lose it I would say something quick and sharp. As I would say it, I would chide myself, "Way to go, Nikitah. You just got an F in Siblings Harmony class." I knew what I was saying, but I couldn't bring myself to stop that little comment from slipping out. I felt unhappy and ticked off all the time. There was nothing  to be thankful for. You know how you are going through something and it seems like suddenly ev...