Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

Open Theism

Why God Allows Evil

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For generations, people have pondered why bad things happen to good people. If God is good, why does He allow evil to occur in the world? The answer lies in God’s gift of freewill. He has allowed us to make our own decisions, regardless of how disastrous the consequences may be. Love requires freewill, so without it we could never choose to love Him.

Woman with her head in her hands

If He required our love and devotion rather than requested it, we would not have the genuine collaborative relationship He desires. We cannot have freedom without being ready to accept the consequences it carries.

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A Life above Reproach

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freewill,integrity,character,disciple

Jesus lived a life above reproach. Though He was tempted just as we are, He did not sin. Emulating His life is the Holy Grail for those of us who desire to follow Him. Living a sin free life is pretty much guaranteed to be impossible, but why is that? Why do we find it so difficult to live a life of purity and devotion? After all, every time we sin it is because we choose to do so. Couldn’t we just choose not to and live a life more pleasing to God?

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The Message of the Bible

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I had the privilege of listening to author Mike Breen speak this past Sunday. He touched on something that aligned well with the things we discuss here, so I wanted to expand on it a bit today. The statement he made was that the Bible is essentially about two things: Relationship and Representation. The relationship aspect applies to how God relates to us and how we relate back to Him. Representation refers to how we are the image bearers of God to our world.

Bible

Put in terms I often use here, representation is synonymous with reflecting God to others. The Bible is a large book and we generally think it complex; however when you break it down to these two concepts, it truly becomes very simple. [Read more…] about The Message of the Bible

Obeying God’s Will

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Sometimes we can become paralyzed trying to figure out what it is we should do with our lives. This is largely an affliction of Western culture where the opportunities are plentiful and the aim is generally one of success. For those of us who seek to follow Christ, the dilemma is intensified by the fact that we want to live a life that is pleasing to Him. I think we can get so wrapped up in following Jesus that we neglect to take it to the level of learning from Him. If we simply follow, we will miss much of what surrounds us; but if we learn from Him, we will notice the opportunity and the beautiful ways to express His love as we go throughout our days. Our two-fold problem is determining what we should do and how we should live.

Fortunately, the Bible provides us with ample clues as to what we should and shouldn’t do. We shouldn’t kill, steal or lie (Exodus 20:1-17) but we should feed the hungry, care for the sick and seek justice for everyone (Isaiah 58:6-7). While that’s certainly not an exhaustive list, it’s a great start. If we want to live a life that reflects the love of Jesus, we will do the things He commanded us to do and steer clear of the things about which He warned us. As we pray for the change we want to see in the world in a way that aligns with His mission, we will gain clarity on what it is we should do. With this clarity comes great responsibility. Once we know what we should do, it is up to us to obediently do that work. This is where the hard part comes in. No longer can we simply sit around wondering what God’s will is for our life; now we know. Now we are obligated.

Once we recognize the things Jesus told us to do are the things we must dedicate our lives to doing, it is simply a matter of utilizing our unique blend of talents and gifts to take action. If you have a gift if playing music, perhaps you could raise money for the hungry by performing. If you are gifted in leadership, you could organize projects to feed the hungry. If you have a gift of service, you could join one of those projects and be the hands and feet of Jesus feeding the very ones who hunger. Whatever your gift, whatever your talent, as long as you are using it to do what Christ commanded us to do, you are in the will of God. You are living the adventurous life that we have been promised. It won’t be easy and it won’t always be safe, but it will be satisfying beyond measure.

Finding the will of God for your life is not difficult; it is in fact, extremely easy. We have made this simple subject extremely complex by assuming that there is a giant blueprint for our lives and that we are in constant peril of slipping off the narrow line that guides us through. God is far more interactive than that; He uniquely created each of us to collaborate with Him in carrying out His mission on earth. As long as we are seeking to do what He would do, to obey His commands and to serve Him only, He will be with us in all we endeavor. This is not a guarantee of success or prosperity, but it is a guarantee of a life well lived for His Kingdom and His glory. Nothing else matters anyway; without Jesus, there is no purpose and no point. Only He fulfills the empty gnawing in your heart; only He can bring rest to your weary soul.

Finding the will of God for your life is as simple as reading His word, praying that His will would be done on earth and then engaging your abilities to do the things He has told us to do. Your abilities may be small and seemingly insignificant, or they may be great and obvious. Regardless, Jesus can amplify and multiply whatever you bring for Him to use. Remember the boy who brought a couple of fishes and loaves of bread to Christ? (John 6:1-15) With that small gift and willingness to share it for God’s kingdom, more than 5,000 people were fed. How many might be fed through your own gifts? Never underestimate what God can do with the smallest of offerings. No matter who you are or what you’ve done, it is never too late to turn around and follow Jesus with all your heart. Surrender to Him, discover again what He has told you to do. Release your abilities to Him and watch Him miraculously bring the Kingdom all around you. This is the will of God for your life; it is there for the taking. Don’t miss it.

Fulfilling Our Purpose

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Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are His creation—created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.” (HCSB)  Did you ever pause to consider what this verse means?  I do not believe that God has a massive blueprint of what every step of our life will look like before we are born.  Believing this would be in contradiction to what the Bible teaches us about freewill (For an excellent explanation on this point of view see ‘A Brief Outline and Defense of the Open View’ by Gregory A. Boyd).  No, I think the meaning of this verse is deeper, more subtle and far more beautiful.  Before we were even born, God gave each of us unique talents and had specific purposes in mind for us in which we would utilize those talents.

How beautiful is this?  The creator of the universe and everything in it gave great thought to the purposes He intended us to pursue the moment we were created.  God Himself gave serious thought to the person he envisioned we would become and then gave us the gifts, talents and aptitude to become that person.  Who are we that God should take such care to define a mission for us before we were ever born?  While we may often feel small and insignificant, the very fact that God purposed a life for us flies in the face of such thoughts.

Wow.  How do we possibly respond to such an overwhelming act of love?  I know from experience and observation how we generally tend to respond.  We squander our time on selfish ambitions and pleasures while the very gifts He gave us become atrophied.  He took such time and care in the formation of His purposes for our life, yet we give little time and even less care to the completion of those purposes.

What if we pulled ourselves out of the pool of selfishness we have been bathing in and begin to pursue the purposes He intended?  We are all as equipped as we have ever been.  We may have to shake off some rust and flex our gifted muscles, but the purposes of the living God still reside inside.  They are bursting to be released and shared with a world in desperate need of what we alone can uniquely provide.

Do you ever feel like you were meant for much more than your current life?  Do you have dreams and passions that you buried long ago out of fear or a lack of self-confidence?  Most likely those feelings are driven by the purposes that God built into each one of us.  In our very make-up, we are indeed intended and equipped to fulfill certain objectives.  Not pursuing these purposes leaves us restless, frustrated and dissatisfied with our lives.  We must let go of anything that is preventing us from fulfilling our true purpose in life.  It is our calling, our destiny.  God placed those purposes in you and you will never exorcise them.  When we embark on the path of our purpose we will find rest and joy.  Don’t fight your purpose; rather embrace all that God intended for you.  Surrender everything to Him today and take hold of His purposes for you.  Now embark on the adventure of the life you were meant to live.