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Have you ever looked at a situation and could not help but think that the desired outcome was impossible? That you could not survive the storm ahead? There is a phrase that I have heard so many times in my life, that I almost ignore it when I hear it. The phrase is to "conquer your Goliath." As I listened to Rev. Rick Dake talk about the story of David and Goliath I realized a few new truths about the story.
    
David was a small boy. It is impossible for a small boy to defeat a man who is over 9 feet tall and is a trained warrior. That whole scenario is enough to laugh at, as Goliath did. It wasn't the fact that David had the courage, blind faith, or stupidity (depending how you look at it) to run out on the battlefield with rocks and leather. It was the power of God. It would not have mattered if Goliath was 20 feet tall with steel skin. God is mightier. The story is not for David's glory, it was for God's. If you read about the rest of David's life, he was quite the screw up. Yet God used him over and over for His glory.

I think our biggest mistakes when confronting life's biggest challenges, is that we look to gain glory from the victory. Great life victories are for the glory of God. Because of this, I would bet that we aren't conquering like we should because of our prideful view. I know I am not conquering the way God could. So when we read that after David killed Goliath, he cut off Goliath's head and held it up for all to see, he was not showing off. He held it up proclaiming the great victory from God. Our Goliath's today may be in the form of different struggles and circumstances, but regardless, let's go into battle for the glory of God and lift up the heads of our Goliaths!

 
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In recent days I have heard the stories and watched first hand the devastation of people and families being ripped apart by a broken marriage. On top of that I heard a phenomenal message today from Pastor Dave Fry on the topic of divorce, an often controversial topic. The stories of these broken relationships have often left me feeling helpless because there is nothing I can do to make the situation better, other than pray (which is still very powerful). 

Divorce causes a separation of a single unit. This does not mean two parting ways with a little residue of each other left over. It is a single unit ripped in half leaving massive scar tissue. Big scars are often numb, gaudy, protruding, and  without medical help they never go away.

Going straight to the Bible is what I like to do when looking into the answers of my proactive nature. What hit me while looking was the bigger picture of what this painful situation called 'divorce' represents. When I was in the process of asking Elizabeth to marry me, people would ask why I wanted to get married. My answer was (and still is) because I love her and want to love her like Christ loved the church (in true union). The Bible refers to this parallel of marriage and the Christ to church relationship just like the old testament talks about the Israelites being God's chosen people, His bride. When Israel would often sin against God, He called them an "adulterous nation." That refers to having prior covenant that was broken.

When marriage is broken, BOTH parties are forever hurt. Our hurt comes in seeing and feeling the pains of this world like death, disease, hate, lies, among many others. After seeing the anguish from human divorce I realize that is exactly what God feels every time I ignore His commands and I sin. When sin first occurred in the Garden of Eden we asked God for a divorce. Ever since then He has been longing for the reconciliation of that union. He has given us every opportunity to do so through sending Christ to die for us. We are the great adulterers. And yet He wants us still. He never      signed       the papers. 

 
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One of the most powerful moments in any war movie is when it seems that all hope is lost, and then the nearly failed hero looks up to see the hills lined with his friends who came to help. My favorite of all of these is in the movie Braveheart, where the English are trying to catch William Wallace. The English horsemen chased a few of Wallace's men, thinking they had them trapped against the highland cliffs. Wallace then emerged above them with a host of men telling the English they were done.

This past week I had the privilege of baptizing teens at Simpson Park Camp. As the ceremonies began I looked up from the pond to see people filing over the hill to witness changing lives. The symbolism here gives me the chills. Every person that came to watch was not just there for entertainment. They were there to show those getting baptized that they were not alone. They were entering not only a community of support, but a group of fellow warriors who were about to go to battle with them.

Spiritual warfare is real. We were never meant to go to battle alone. Jesus sent out the disciples in pairs. Elisha had an angelic army protecting him and the village he was in. Paul had Timothy. Peter, James, and John were always together. The Church of Acts met together every day, sharing all and NO ONE had a need. It's time to be those who come over the hill. Remind each other of the reason we need to be united: the battle.

 
This post is not for the weak of heart. You have been warned.

Mentors have a way of telling you the things you need to hear. In recent days one of my mentors said something to me that might as well have been a kick to the groin. "If you are not using your God given talents and abilities to their full potential, you are being a disgrace to your Creator."

Ouch.

What would I be capable of doing if I was disciplined enough to use what I have been given to it's maximum potential? I cannot even remember the last time I put considerable amounts of engery and time towards honing and using what and who I am. I am not wasting my time and gifts. I have been wasting God's. Can you imagine making a feast for a man who is starving, and instead of eating it, he just plays with it or gives it to the pigs?

God has given me more than I deserve. I have not used those gifts to their potential. I know I'm not the only one. Rise up brothers and sisters. Do what you know you can, including keeping me accountable and let's use what God has given.
 
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  After a seven day trip to Joplin, Missouri, a place where nature took a turn for the worse, I see a great need for healing. It is clear through simple observation that the landscape in Joplin still needs work. But it was not buildings, landscape, or even my iPhone that took a plunge in the pool that broke my heart. It was the stories of the teens throughout the week that have had spiritual and emotional tornados wreaking havoc on the landscape of their hearts and minds. 
    The stories that were told were not uncommon. What hurt the most was the amount. They include teens caught in the middle of a messy divorce, fighting families, deep confusing faith questions, and even looming doctor appointments with testing for cancer. I have never so strongly felt what Paul talks about in I Corinthians 12:26 in reference to the Body of Christ, "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it;" as I did this past week. My heart is broken.
    The story doesn't end there, in brokenness. The story didn't end for my iPhone when I went swimming with it. The best is yet to come. Healing is great, but it still leaves scars. He (Jesus) makes all things NEW. New houses, businesses and buildings were rising all around Joplin. Teenager's hearts were being renewed each night. And yes, I will be getting a new phone soon. But even better than that is the fact that one day we can have a new body, a new heaven, and a new earth. This earthly brokenness will come to an end. We won't need beams and constant construction to hold up our faith like the cross above. We are new in Christ, strong, and a force for good. Brokenness is merely an opportunity for something new. Who doesn't like getting something new?!

 
Today is my one year anniversary of being married to the best wife I could ask for: Elizabeth Bone. We took the time during dinner to reflect on the highs and lows of the first year. But it was the message my good friend Greg Martin gave that really made me think differently about the woman across from me. The theme he chose for our mission trip to Joplin, Missouri is iGetOne.
The life we live truly is a fragile thing. In the last few years I have seen the destruction of two sacred things: life and love. Each heartwrenching story I am sure could be matched by any of you reading this post. That is why the following challenge should hit home.
We have been given a sacred gift of life. Every second that passes by is a choice to act or sit. When Jesus was questioned on what the greatest commandments were he said "love God, love people" (my paraphrase). Using those precious moments of life to love people is the most respectable and righteous thing you can do. How many times have we wasted precious days of our lives (I don't mean the soap opera)?
Every day that I do not intentionally love my wife, or love on my family, or love on my friends or teens I waste. No life ever gets sustainably better without love. God IS love. I must use the two sacred gifst to their potential. I have been given one life to live. So have you. Are we living it intentionally?
 
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    In light of the coming release of one of my favorite movies, Ice Age, I found unique parallels to life. The biggest of which is the desire to be part of a group, a community. A notable quote from the first Ice Age movie is from Sid the Sloth: "This is the weirdest herd I've ever seen." And if we look closely at what we call the church today, we could say the same thing. 
    Church is a collection of people from many walks of life who are all united by one thing: Jesus Christ. We find old to young, introverts and extroverts, musicians, jocks, punks, artists, and everything else in between. One of the most beautiful things about the body of Christ (when it is functioning properly) is the acceptance of all. 
    There are three main principles of action in Christianity: Evangelism, Discipleship, and Missions. The simplified version of this is: Ask One, Teach One, Serve One. Of these three principles, only one gives people a bad feeling: Ask One (evangelism). The reality of what evangelism originally was meant to be is simply sharing the excitement. The apostles couldn't help but tell everything they possibly could about what they experienced in Jesus. It is not about hitting people over the head with a Bible, or going door to door, or even large conferences with big alter calls. The Ask One principle is about having something of great value, in a place with great value, while keeping good values. What we (should) have is love, an accepting church, and goodness. Do we?
    If you have a great story, you find places to tell it. I talk about movies that I love like Ice Age all the time. I have been challenged lately to tell of the best story I know: my encounter with Jesus. Be looking for that story to come...

 
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    One of my favorite people in the Bible is King David. I could go on and on about all his accolades and the reasons he is my favorite, but I'm not going to talk about David today. I want to talk about his great-great grandmother. Her story is mentioned in the book of Joshua, but it wasn't until Rick Dake spoke today that I connected the dots. Her name was Rahab.
    Rahab was famous for two big reasons: first she helped the Israelites conquer her own people and city, Jericho and second she was a woman prostitute. Foreigners were not spoken of highly in those days, let alone the fact that she was a woman! But God's plan and great mercy shows up yet again.
    God can and does use anyone who is willing. Rahab heard about the wonderous things God did for the Israelites (exodus from Egypt) and was willing to do whatever it took to serve the one true God. All too often I realize how numb I have become to God's wonders. Rahab was not. Though her profession at the time was prostitution, she was still capable of helping God's plan. She was willing.
    The Bible does not tell us we can only do great things for God after we become righteous and holy. Rahab shows us we can do it wherever we are at. Not only did she do that, but she went on to have some pretty famous descendants. Boaz was her son, who is mentioned in the funny picture above. There were also several kings who came from her line like David and Solomon. And from David's line came Jesus himself. Jesus was a descendant of Rahab. So let's let God use us right where we are at, smoothing out the rough spots as we go. You never know who might show up to ask a favor of you, in turn changing your life and saving your family...

 
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"Where your treasure is, there your heart will follow."
This is a powerful statement. Considering all of us who live in the United States have more "treasures" than not only every other country, but every other generation who ever lived, we are going to struggle with a certain Biblical principle. The more things we seem to have, the more easily we are distracted from that which matters: people.
When I first got my car five years ago I would not let people eat in it. Now I throw my wrappers and empty bottles in the back when I'm done and hope there was nothing else on it. I struggle at times to remember that the things that I own are first of all not really mine (they are God's) and second of all they do not get me into heaven. I will take nothing with me. That being said, I should use everything, I say it again, EVERYTHING, for the glory of God and not myself.
The Bible says by doing good works you store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Now remember, good works don't get you into heaven. Good works store up treasures in heaven if you make the choice to follow Christ and go there. He who dies with the most stuff is still dead. Let's use what we have been given to glorify God, and have a mindset for the biggest part of our existence: heaven.
The first emporer of the Qing Dynasty in China spent 40 years of his life building 8,000 Terra Cotta warriors so he could have them in the afterlife. He must have been pretty frustrated when he showed up there alone...


A great reference for this topic is "The Treasure Principle" by: Randy Alcorn.