Romans 12:13

"Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

Romans 12:13

When i think about this verse the first thing that comes to mind is material things. But Paul told us, "…we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 corinthians 4:18). So with that thought in mind, unconditional love is what people need. So many times ill find myself being so prideful, so conditional. That i have forgotten that Jesus is Christ, and He emptied Himself so that i might have eternal life. So in practicing hospitality, i just need to love. I need to practice denying myself through fasting and praying. So that when a brother in Christ acts in a way that i wouldn't. i can give him the love that Jesus Christ gave me. Hospitality is friendly and generous… I wont be stingy with love any longer. "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2).

romans 12:12

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

-Romans 12:12

As i watched the Passion of the Christ, I was reminded of who Christ is. He took the beatings, because it was what was needed in order that we might be saved. He was patient through the beating, because He knew one day i would be complaining about my momentary troubles, and i would be reminded of the worst death you can die… and He did die for me. Through the entire thing He was in constant prayer with His Father in Heaven. 

It was such a good reminder to me to know what Christ did for me. I am such a sinner, that i forgot that Jesus is Jesus Christ. All i am is a jar of clay, hard pressed on every side, but not crushed because of Christ. I will keep my eyes on whats eternal and not what is temporal…. and i will do so by reading through Luke 23 every morning. 

Enjoying my time here, in the ups and humbling times... God is good

Romans 12:10

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."

-Romans 12:10

Dear Father in Heaven, you know my heart. You are closer than my own soul. For me to withhold any thoughts from you, would be me lying to you. You know that i would do anything for a brother in need. But you also know that in my heart i like to play judge, deciding if they really need it or if by my help they will only continue to be lazy. i often find myself forgetting that i'm a sinner. You see me looking for those splinters in my brother's eyes, while i have the whole forrest in my own sight. 

Dear God, come and help me. I remember when i saw the muslim nation as my enemy, dreaming of going into their land and murdering them, for the simple reason that i was American. I remember fighting every guy who disrespected anyone in high school, thinking i was doing God's work. All i have ever done, is taint the title we know as "Christian." It took 2 things for me to change my viewpoint, a jack johnson song called "sleep through the static" "The truth is we say not as we do. We say any time, anywhere just show your teeth, and strike a fear. God wears camouflage, cries at night and drives a dodge, pickup the beats, stop hogging the feast, thats no way to treat a enemy." And Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him…" After this i saw that You love me, but You were not created for me… but I was created to worship You. So it was about time i stopped being my own judge and submit to the real Judge. You blessed America and You continue to bless us, but You is not American. 

Lord i got passed all of that, you allowed me to get drunk with all the people i judged. Intoxicated in sin, i was the same as anyone else. But in that you still had your hand upon my life, you taught me that i could love anyone. Anyone who was broken, i had the same wound, i could relate to anyone Lord.  The whole time you had me going to church, fake as could be. You gave me that too Lord, in order that i might see the fakes, because they were just like me. 

Than You set me free from all of that. I got deep in your Word. With that i got more involved with the church. Some of the church will be my friends through all of eternity. They are my brothers, my fatherly figures, my motherly figures, and my little sisters. However Lord, you know that there are those christians who sit in clouds of arrogance. This was once me Lord, still is, and i hate that part of me. I hate them Lord. I'm not devoted to them, especially in brotherly love. You have seen me in life, You have seen me gather the wise, the brave, and the broken who have qualities to be on fire for you…. but you have also seen me chase off anyone who would put a bitter taste in the mouth. The arrogant, the annoying, the lazy. God they are created in Your imagine. You do not see the physical that man sees, but you see their heart… Lord why cant i see the heart? 

They ruin things that i can see Lord… but i want to see what you see, are they building in your Kingdom? Are they producing fruit that i cant see, because of the planks in my eyes? Lord let me see what you see, give me your eyes for one moment. 

On earth i can crush any man who comes against me. But i don't want to. I want to love. I want my chest to drop, i want the tension in my back to subdue. Lord more than anything i want to come home to you… but you have lessons for me to learn here. 

You know i don't like people Lord. I love you, and you loved people… the sick, the broken sinners. I love them also, its these religions people i don't love Lord, and that is a conflict because we are supposed to be of one mind, one accord. I will continue to pray for devotion to You Lord so that i might be able to honor everyone in the church above myself, and not just the ones i see fit. 

Romans 12:9

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."

-romans 12:9

"for love is as strong as death. its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame." (Song of Songs 8:6). So for love to be sincere, it has to contain passion. Because if it is a lie, truth will be found. Love must be sincere, it is the adhesive to life's relationship. God is love and love is God. 

So if we love God we must hate what is evil, because evil things will keep us from our Lord. We are instructed in Proverbs 23:17 "Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord." Which leads to holding to what is good. Jesus tells us that there is none that are good, but one, who is Yahweh the living God. We are called to cling to Him.

I am going to continue to live in the divine romance, written to me through the Bible. Waking up each morning searching for Love, so that my heart will be after God's, and it will break when His does. I will hate what is evil, and continue to love Him, because He first loved me. 

mark 8:38

"If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

-mark 8:38

Jesus is the Capstone which holds everything together. So when we reject Him and say He is not God we will be left with archway that wont stand, but rather lie in rubble. We are called to be the salt and light of the world, preaching in Jesus Christ's name. How could we be ashamed of something perfect within a corrupt world?

I will share Jesus Christ with who ever gives me the opportunity to share. 

Mark 8:37

"Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?"

-mark 8:37

Only the soul endures into eternity. "He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers." (proverbs 19:8). The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. I will wake up every morning seeking to feed my soul in God's word. 

Mark 8:36

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?"

-mark 8:36

You can indulge yourself in the pleasures of the world. You can believe the lie the world offers you, but in agreement with the king of this age, you have lost fellowship with Jesus Christ. Being away from God is volunteering  your soul for destruction. So in an eternal sense why would you give up being with God for a moment of pleasure? You can have all this world, just give me Jesus. "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near." (isaiah 55:6).

God has promised us so much, eternal life being at the top of the list. Why would we bother with anything else the world has to offer? "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (matt 6:33). My soul belongs to Jesus Christ, and my feet will go wherever He directs them. My ears are open to His call. 

mark 8:35

"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."
-mark 8:35
"Whoever defends himself will have himself for his defense, and he will have no other; but let him come defenseless before the Lord and he will have for his defender no less than God Himself." (Towzer). We can build our quivers, store up treasures for a day of need, but without God what can you really gain? Driving home from Rafting Glacier National Park late at night. We saw a huge fire on the side of the mountain. With a fire truck flying by us we decided to follow it. As we approached the fire, we saw that it was a house, and not the forest fire as we had thought. We lifted our voices to heaven asking for safety for those involved. But as me and Tanner sat watching the flames, i said, "can you imagine not having God and trying to get through this." He said, "no i cant, its everything they ever worked for, gone."
Laying down your life for Christ and the Gospel is the only way to save it. You can lose your house, you can lose your family, you can lose your life. If you don't have God its the end of your book, but with God, its just the transition to a new chapter, because he has something better for you called Heaven and he is constantly preparing our hearts for our real home. "In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." (1Timothy 6:19). I never want to forget those flames i saw, i never want to forget what the gospel did for me, i want to continue to live preparing my heart for heaven. As God prunes the branches that stem from His root, ill always know, its because he is getting me ready for heaven.

Mark 8:34

"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'"

-mark 8:34

Peter had just taken Jesus a side to rebuke Him for prophesying his own death for the first time. I assume Peter had desired Jesus to bring His kingdom down and crush the Roman Empire. Jesus rebuked Peter saying, "get behind me satan." After this we see Jesus telling the crowd, if you want to follow me, you must die to your own ideas. You must be like Christ, not yourself using Christ to get the things you want.

I wont be standing behind Christ because he told me, "get behind me satan" but because, i will be dead in myself following in his foot steps as he leads me.

act 12:9

"Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision."

-act 12:9

This is not the first time Peter was following without knowing what was really happening. Just before Jesus was going to wash Peter's feet Jesus told him, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." (john 13:7). During the last supper, Jesus was telling the disciples that one of them would betray Him, "Simon Peter motioned to this disciple (who Jesus loved) and said, 'Ask him which one he means.'" (john 13:22). Jesus was telling the disciples that he would be going somewhere they could not come. "Peter asked, 'Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.' Then Jesus answered, 'Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!'" (john 13:37-38). Peter had a copious amount of questions, all answers leading him to feel stupid i'm sure. So here we see a different Peter, one who did not open his mouth, he only walked to where he was lead. We see Peter go from a fool to a wiseman. "A fool's talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them." (Proverbs 14:3).

As much as i don't understand things, I will just pray to God for wisdom and discernment. I'll practice my walk in faith, before i begin to talk about faith. 

act 12:8

"Then the angel said to him, 'Put on your clothes and sandals.' And Peter did so. 'Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,' the angel told him."

-act 12:8

"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground..." (Ephesians 6:10-13).

When chains fall off, my first thought is, "Get me out of here, i don't care what i'm wearing." But I see that God wants me to be equipped with the right attire, so that when the day of evil comes, I will stand not in my own strength, but in the His Spirit. "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice." (proverbs 12:15). I will continue to equip myself in the Spirit before I go out into the world. 

Act 12:7

"Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He stuck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peters wrists."

-act 12:7

"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them" (psalm 34:7). Lord when you show up to deliver me from my oppressor, I will be ready to go. I want my faith to be so strong, that i will metaphorically be standing up in my sleep, so that there will be no "quick, get up!" but only a "well done my faithful servant." Maranatha, come quickly Lord Jesus. 

act 8:30

"The Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading? Philip Asked."

-act 8:30

Being a naive kid, i started listening to secular music. Not knowing any of the meanings of the words they used, I began using those words. My mom caught me saying a few of them and she asked if i knew what they meant. I answered no, after she explained some of them i realized those weren't the type of words i wanted in my vernacular. Now the opposite is the case for the Ethiopian eunuch.  He was repressing something he had no idea what it meant, but i'm sure that once Philip was able to share with him the Good News that Scripture brought he was only more inquisitive about Jesus Christ. 

I want to understand anything i say, if i don't i might stumble another follower of Christ. 

act 8:35

"The Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus." 

-act 8:35

Philip was referring to the Scripture of the prophet Isaiah 53:7-8. It talks about how the sheep was led to be slaughtered and he was quite before them. Which it doesn't say the name Jesus, but we know that the Old Testament was made in preparation for the New testament. The Good News is throughout the Bible in prophecies and stories. The cool thing about the Bible is, an evangelist like Philip can start with the Old Testament or anywhere else and bring it full circle back to Jesus Christ. I have a friend at church who came because another friend at church asked him if he knew where his name came from. Being that it came from the Bible he was able to take it back to the Good News of Jesus Christ and today, he is at my church. Not only does everything in the Bible point to Jesus Christ, so does all of creation. I want to bring everything full circle and share the Good News with the my world. 

act 12:6

"The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance."

-act 12:6

Herod was a man, he believed that he was bigger than God, he put Peter between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and soldier at the entrance. God is wherever we are, God has divine immanence. It was outside of Herod to get those two guards closer to Peter than God was. God is closer to us than our very souls. Peter once asked Jesus, "What then will there be for us?" This is what He had for you Peter. He had you spending the night sleeping between guards, bound in chains. He also had for you the salvation that comes in the morning. The life that he offers is beyond us, we don't deserve it, but he is there ready and willing to give us freedom from our sins. Form what ever our personal "soldiers and chains" might be. "He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light." (job 12:22). We might think we are the one spending the night in jail between guards and in chains, but He is there with us. 

I want to see the shadows and know He is bringing me out of them, soon to deliver me. I want to be patient while man thinks he has me locked down. Than I want my God to show man that He is the God who turns the impossible into reality. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

act 12:5

"So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him."

-act 12:5

King Herod arrested a few men from the early church, having Peter he decided to keep him in prison. When we are alone, when there is something between us and the body of Christ, God will unite the two, through prayer. Here we have the church earnestly praying to God for Peter. In Revelations we are told that, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain…" (21:4a). God was with Peter here and we see that the church was with Peter as well, they held him high in prayer. God always hears the prayers of the righteous. Matthew 21:22 says that "if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." The church believed that Peter would be fine because he was in God's hands. They didn't know what God would do. 

I will "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (Romans 12:12). So that when i am sitting in jail for spreading the Good News, waiting on the Lord, i will be faithful in prayer. I want to be a prayer warrior, its more powerful than any thing man can create, its from God. "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (james 5:16b).

Act 8:29

"The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it."

acts 8:29

Philip was walking in and with the Spirit, so when he heard his orders to go he did not hesitate. If he would have hesitated he would have missed the opportunity. He would not have been able to catch the eunuch, since they were traveling on a major road between Gaza and Jerusalem. With the Romans in charge of the known world we can count on that road being highly capable of fast travel. We have all seen another car on the road with a headlight out,  or their truck open. We know how hard it is to communicate to someone, when that person is trying to go somewhere and thinks your weird for trying to help them. Not only that but have you ever tried to speak while running… its not easy. Being that the Holy Spirit prompted Philip, and Philip went when he heard "Go" the Holy Spirit was able to use Philip. Paul said in Romans 15:5-6 "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity amount yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." We see the endurance and encouragement given to Philip here  literally. May God give that to all of us, so that we can run the race set before us. 

I seek to have the courage and endurance given by the Father, to chase after the lost who have questions, that i might be able to "stay near" them in their time of need. As a member of the Royal Priesthood i'm called to point man to God, and share God with man.