Calling Millennials to Stand Firm in a Demoralized Nation

The morals of a nation do not rest on the shoulders of politicians but on those who call themselves followers of Christ.  When moral corruption takes hold of a nation, perhaps we should get our eyes off of the government and run a spiritual checkup on the church.

But maybe we need to take it a step further and start with asking God to evaluate our own hearts? 

Liena's Prayer: Counting the Cost In Syria

Liena's children counted the cost to follow Jesus

This past week I was struggling with discouragement. I don't believe it is merely coincidental that personal trials become complex when we shift our gaze off of Christ. It's easy to blow things out of proportion and minimize how self-centered our struggles really are.   

I found my wakeup call through the testimony of a woman in Syria. Liena and her family turned down offers of asylum in Western countries after civil war broke out in Syria. They knew the cost that might be required, but they chose to remain as witnesses to their Muslim neighbors and as an encouragement to other Christians.

Contrary to Osteen's Humanistic Message, Bonhoeffer Calls Us to Die to Self

Deep within us there rages a battle to be like God. This self-made image in our hearts begs to be identified as master and lord of our universe. The flesh wants life to revolve around itself, Not Christ. But Bonhoeffer begs the Christian to realize, "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”

Victoria Osteen's message justifies my natural fleshly desires: "Just do good for your own self. Do good because God wants you to be happy. When you come to church, when you worship Him, you’re not doing it for God really. You’re doing it for yourself." 

At the very core of her message is a humanistic philosophy.

Three Reasons to Choose Your Resolutions Carefully

"I said to a man who stood at the gate of the year: 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown'; and he replied, 'Go into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than a light and safer than a known way!'" (quoting from a poem by M. L. Harkins)

It's January 5th. Assumedly most of you have already created your New Year's resolution list. Your resolve is high and it feels good to practice new disciplines and meet new goals...but what happens to that resolve by the end of the year? Why are we so quick to create a list of good things, only to fail by December 31st?

When I Refuse to Give the Lord Control Over My Time and Priorities

"We don’t expect to be able to buy anything we want, because we know there is a limit to our money. But somehow we live as if time knew no bounds, when in fact time is much more limited than money. Wealth can be created, but no one has the ability to grow more time." (Kevin DeYoung, Crazy Busy)

I waste time. Do you? This post is a glance into my own heart and the realization that I don't "Redeem the time" in a way that glorifies God. Like most Millennials, I've bought into the lie that I can manage the high demand of social media, enjoy an active social life with my friends, keep up a busy schedule and devote time to ministry projects. Deceptively, I believed I could manage my life in this fashion but recently God revealed the blunt truth:

"It's time to grow up" 

All I Want for Christmas: Filling the Void of Loneliness

"It's that time of year, when the world falls in love; Every song you hear seems to say, Merry Christmas! May your New Year dreams come true." (The Christmas Waltz) 

Christmas is in the air. You can hear the holiday classics blaring in every department store. The month of December is full of Christmas parties, church cantatas, neighborhood caroling and exchange gifts with those you love. 

It certainly seems like the "time of year when the world falls in love" and everyone appears to be...happier. But the glaring truth for those who deal with loneliness is, it seems to be that time of year when the world has a significant other except you. 

Three Requirements to Praying the Will of God

How do I know the will of God? Is my faith lacking? Am I praying for the wrong thing? How do I know if I'm praying God's desires and not my own? These questions have haunted me recently as I've wrestled over an "unspoken" prayer request. But God promises in His Word that "...He will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will. And if we know He is listening when we make our requests, we can be sure that he will give us what we ask for." (1 John 5:14-15, NLT)

The Lord's prayer signifies the need to pray according to the will of God. "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven." The great mystery surrounding prayer is the bewildering fact that God not only hears my prayers but desires to answers them. But how do we discover God's will so we can pray according to that will? Through the stubbornness of my own will I am slow in discovering the answers to this question. I'd like to share with you three requirements that God has revealed to my own heart in attempts to spare you the unnecessary journey of a fruitless, self-centered prayer life.

When God Calls: The Step of "Yes"

“Whenever, wherever, however You want me, I'll go. And I'll begin this very minute. Lord, as I stand up from this place, and as I take my first step forward, will You consider this is a step toward complete obedience to You? I'll call it the step of yes.” -Brother Andrew (God's Smuggler)

The soft voice of an British accent quietly droned on as I packed my bags for Russia. Brother Andrew's story had always intrigued me but now with clothes and accessories scattered all over the floor, I listened to the audiobook with a different perspective.

Embracing Change

Changes of life. Some people thrive on it but others loathe it. I for one find change a rather difficult thing. I cried about growing up because I loved being little. (I remember being scared of wearing makeup because I was afraid I'd apply it wrong.) 

I hated to share my friends because I was afraid of loosing them. I was mad when my mom started dying her hair because I had a fear it would turn purple. I cried when my brother left home for medical school. I cried when my older sister got married. I even felt sad when they closed down a local store I'd shopped at all my life.

Life is full of changes. I'm sure after reading through my list of woes you must find my ramblings rather amusing. 

Surrender: Finding Joy in the Midst of Heartbreak

I hesitate as I write this post...

...It will point to the depths of my soul and make fresh the pain in my heart.

But my life is not my own. It belongs to my Savior and Redeemer. The life I now live, I live IN CHRIST JESUS. This is why I must write, for the Glory of my Father. A year ago I wrote a post about "Being Still". (reading that post will help you to understand this one better) Walking down this uncharted path was a giant leap of faith for me but as I firmly planted my hand in that of my Father's, I trusted His bidding...

"BE STILL AND KNOWING THAT HE IS GOD." Psalm 46:10

You might be wondering what kind of path I have been walking this last year. It was one filled with hopes and dreams. I began to believe that "Mr Right" had finally come. But on March 12th God ended our relationship. It was over and my heart ached with a pain I had never experienced before. The sorrow gripped the very depths of my soul.

God is More Than Enough

"One thing have I desired of the Lord, That will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord ALL the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and the inquire in His Temple...when you said, "Seek my face." my heart said to you, "Your face, Lord, I will seek."" -Ps 27:4, 8

What has your heart? When you search for significance, acceptance, and love apart from God you are believing the lie that God is NOT enough. Sometimes we can even allow the good things in life to steal from the best thing in life. When we try to fill the empty places of our hearts with _______ (you fill in the blank) we are basically living in the lie that God + ____ = fulfillment.