Moving day

Today is moving day! I am moving from blogger to WordPress , the name will be  samwanders.com . Please follow the link and subscribe!

God is always ready

When you are at a crossroads in life, remember this thought: God is prepared for your circumstance, he is prepared for the storm that is coming into your life. You  may have no idea what's aroud the bend, but not only does Jesus know, he is ready to help you defeat it, endure it, or  put you back together in the event the storm defeats you.

Our identity in Christ

Being created in the image of God, we are only truly who we are by walking out this reality.  

Mankind was not just a part of creation, mankind was in many ways the pinnacle of God’s creation. It was only when he was creating people that God referred to creating a being “in our image, after our likeness” (Gen 1:26). Man was created to rule and govern over God’s creation (Gen 2:15). Everything was good, man had purpose, identity, and life was very good. Then came the fall, man’s separation from God, expulsion from the garden, and a cursed existence. We see the hereditary sinful nature of mankind as soon as there are two descendants of Adam. With the story of Cain and Abel we see stubbornness, pride, jealousy, bitterness, hatred, murder, and lying. Not just Lying to anyone, but lying to God! Sadly this does not stop with Cain and Abel. Soon mankind had grown and degenerated to the point where God sent a flood to wipe out all but one righteous family (Gen 6-8).  Through Adam’s sin we are all born separated from God, sinful, grasping for identity, purpose, and meaning. We fail in this, from trying to build the tower of Babel (Gen11:1-9), to the Nation of Israel’s constant cycle of turning away/God’s rebuke/turning back in the books of kings and judges. Thankfully God had a plan to bring us back into a relationship with him, a way to repair the rift between God and man. For just as Adam’s sin resulted in death and separation from God, the pure sacrifice of Christ resulted in life for all mankind. (Rom 5:18) Through the blood of Jesus we are more than just saved, it’s more than a “get out of hell free” card. Our very souls are renewed and we take on a new identity of the children of God! John 3:1&2 tells us that our identity is in being children of God, and while what we will truly be has not happened yet, it will be fully realised when we see God. We can know who we are and who we will become because God’s word tells us. Just as a sports team is known by their jerseys, and an employee is identified by their uniform or name tag, we are known by our love. That is how the world is to know who we are, by our love for each other (John 13:35).

As men and women living in a fallen world, our only hope of finding happiness and purpose in this life is by first accepting the reality that on our own we are lost. Without the context of God’s love, we are lost in the struggle for self identity. Then from knowing we are lost we position ourselves to be found by the love of God. Within the love of God we discover our true identity as a child of God. By finding our identity in being a son of God first, we find out who we truly are. From there we begin to walk in the love of God, and then our identity takes on a new level of existence as we begin to walk in love for others. Suddenly we begin to understand who we are, and where we fit. 

While separate, the issues of why does God do what he does and who are we/ where do we fit in this world are intertwined. Only by fully entering into having our identity grounded in begin a child of God do we release our illusion of control and the arrogance of questioning God’s actions and motives. We are more willing to submit to seasons of life where we struggle, trusting in God’s ultimate goodness. We are able to fully embrace life, and all that he has for us.  

The sovereignty and ultimate goodness of God

God’s sovereignty and will is without question.  Even though his heart is for us, God is the Lord, and his ways are above our ways, his wisdom is beyond our understanding. 

We see in the story of Job where he questions God about why he is suffering. Not that I blame him! Job was a righteous man, who “was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil”-(Job 1:1). His life was blessed by God; he had many children, land, and wealth. God himself acknowledged Job as a righteous man. In fact God brings Job up in a conversation with Satan, asking if he had seen Job, and how faithful he is in his walk before the Lord. Satan points out how easy it is to worship God when all is going well, and God gives him permission to test Job. As all that can go wrong does go wrong for Job, we see even in his despair a refusal to turn away from God. While Job does not question God’s ability or authority to afflict him, he does question God’s reasons for doing so. Job’s friends come to comfort him, and ultimately accuse him of doing something wrong to incur the wrath of God in his life. In the end God himself speaks, asking, “Who is this that darkens council by words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2) God then challenges Job, and Job realises his error in questioning God’s actions and motives. Like anyone who is going through a trying season, Job wants to know why life isn’t fair. This is not answered but we see the futility of trying to understand why God does what he does. We also see this in the life of Abraham. After Abraham is blessed with Isaac, the child of promise, God comes to him and tells him to “Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains”-(Gen 22:2). As a father of three beautiful children I cannot imagine how I would respond to that! I’m sure that Abraham was floored by this command from the Lord. But he obeyed, gathering wood, supplies, and servants. He then saddles the donkey, and takes his son up the mountain to be sacrificed to the Lord. If ever there had been a time to question the actions of God, this must surely be one of them! As a child I wondered why Abraham didn’t argue with God. After all this was the child through which God himself had promised to make a nation out of Abraham! What was God thinking! Abraham however does not question God, and God proves himself faithful by stopping Abraham, and providing a ram to take the place of Isaac. 

I have been through many a season where things didn’t work out. It could have been a job I was trying to get and didn’t or difficulties in a Job that I did have. There have been times where I was honouring my wife, walking in righteousness, and loving my children and still bad things would happen. In those times I wanted to know why? Why is life so hard? What have I done to deserve this? Funny thing is, when God surprises me with blessings, rarely do I stop and question why he’s blessing me, or what did I do to deserve his blessing on my life. I just thank him, praise him, and keep going. I guess that is suppose to be the response in the face of a trial as well. To praise his name no matter what. At our wedding we worshipped to the song “blessed be the name”, and we have tried to make it the theme of our lives. We have often failed to do so, but I believe that the refrain from the song says it all, “You give and take away, my heart will choose to say, blessed be your name!”(Highlighting mine) We may not always know why we walk through what we walk through, or why God asks us to walk a particular path. We can, however, always know that God is good. Our hearts can choose to bless his name, even in the midst of life’s trials. God’s heart is always for us, and if we look closely we can see his hand working in the background of our lives.  

"Crossing the Jordan"

     In the past when I have shared my hopes and dreams with other Christians, I have often been told to "cross the river Jordan and claim my dream!", with the reference to Israel crossing over Jordan and it parting as an example for me to follow. Basically the idea is that by just going for it and expecting God to pave the way I was guaranteed success. The danger in this is that they are taking that situation out of context. God parted that waters because the nation of Israel was moving in accordance with God's will. So a better way to respond to me sharing my dreams would be for them to encourage me to take my dreams to God in prayer, and that if it be God's will he will make a way. 

     God parts the "waters", or removes obstacles that lie in the way of those who are walking the path that has been laid out for them by divine providence. If you are encountering difficulty, first take the situation to God in prayer, make sure that you are going the right way. If you are not, prayerfully change direction. If you are, continue on knowing that God will take care of the obstacle in His good time. 

     "Better in a firestorm with God, than in a bunker with the devil"

Discussing christ with a humanist

I wanted to share an assignment that I had to do for school, concerning sharing our faith with those of differing world views. My focus was sharing my faith with a humanist, as I often encounter them in my daily life. 

• Practical steps that could be taken to build a relationship with a follower of the humanist world view who is either a co-worker, neighbor, or fellow student is to just be there. I would get to know them same as anyone else. Find common ground. If they like coffee, try to have coffee with them. By spending time with them, discover where they are in life, and what their dreams are. Over time hopefully they will become more than a coworker. After that I would be praying for an opportunity to talk with them about God. This can come at any time, so i will have to be vigilant.
• What barriers/hindrances I would anticipate in presenting the Christian gospel to a person from the humanist world view center around convincing them not only that God is real but that they need him. It would be hard to convince a person who does not believe in a God that he exists and that they need him. Considering that they believe that man no longer needs God. If man has transcended their need for theism, and religion is a crutch I find it challenging to overcome that. I would have to counter the misdeeds of the church in history, specifically

• Personal challenges that I might have with presenting the gospel is in finding the right moment. I find it hard to just walk up to someone and ask them if they know whether or not they are going to heaven. It seems so forced to just lead off with that. I have to wait for the right time, and then it is important to seize the right moment when it hits. For example I worked with someone who is gay, and I waited until a moment came when they encountered a Christian who was hateful to them because they were gay. As we talked about it, I was able to tell them that I was a Christian, and I apologized for the behavior of my fellow Christian. I explained that my heart and the heart of God is not to see them change in order to become a Christian, but for them to say yes to the work of Christ. After that any change that needs to take place will start in the heart. God doesn't want to just make them change on the outside, that's not change. Change takes place on the inside long before it shows itself on the outside. I told them that God is not after their behavior, he is after their heart. It's not that I don't think that their lifestyle needs to change, it's that no change will be lasting unless God works it from the inside out. 

A few thoughts from an old friend

     I ran into a old acquaintance the other day, and while we were catching up he gave me a few things to keep in mind (I have expound a little on them);

1. Everything passes, some days are going to be rough, but hang in there. 
2. It's on the way. Don't stop scanning the horizons for what God is bringing next. Look out everyday because He is at work and will bring the desires of your heart to you. Stop looking and you might miss it.
3. Live with expectations. Wake up expecting God to do great things. It may not happen today, or tomorrow, or this year but it will come. If you have no expectations of God then you cannot expect anything to happen.
4. Have a good attitude. It is the one thing that you can always control. 
5. Everything is an opportunity. What is good, what is bad, all can be turned for good. If not by us then certainly by God

     It's funny how God can send people along to encourage us at just the right time. Never discount the encouraging words God sends you, and know that they can come from anywhere and anyone. 

Thoughts on humanism

      I recently read "The Humanist Manifesto", part one, two, and three. It was heartbreaking to read the works of generations of men, starting as far back as 1933 that declare their independence from God. Holding up mankind as the primary focus of our existence, they call for us to leave behind our antiquated notions of God and the hereafter. Here is a brief analysis of the tenets of humanistic thought, and a comparison to Christian thought.

 Part One:

The Question of Origin - The world exists as the result of the process of evolution. Through the passing of billions of years life has evolved from single celled organisms into the more and more complex species. This continuing transformation of life has led to the birth of the human race. We no longer look to the supernatural for the source of life(1). Only the scientific method is viewed as the right way to discover the truth of our origins, and of life itself(2). As our knowledge of the world grows, we will be able to unlock more answers to the mystery of life. 

The Question of Identity -Man, being the product of evolutionary forces, our identity is partially found as being part of the animal kingdom (3). We are not to hold ourselves above the animal kingdom, as we are a part of them. This reality again ties into our need to stop looking to the supernatural for the answers to who we are. 

The Question of Meaning/Purpose -The answer to man’s meaning and purpose is found in the third version of the Humanist’s Manifesto, “Life's fulfilment emerges from individual participation in the service of humane ideals. We aim for our fullest possible development and animate our lives with a deep sense of purpose, finding wonder and awe in the joys and beauties of human existence, its challenges and tragedies, and even in the inevitability and finality of death.”(1) This tells us that we are to be a part of the human race, to devote ourselves to the ideals that we place forth for the betterment of mankind. We are fulfilled in fulfilling ourselves. 

The Question of Morality - To answer the question of morality, I am going to have to refer to the second version of the Humanist Manifesto, “Traditional moral codes and newer irrational cults both fail to meet the pressing needs of today and tomorrow. False "theologies of hope" and messianic ideologies, substituting new dogmas for old, cannot cope with existing world realities. They separate rather than unite peoples. Humanity, to survive, requires bold and adding measures. We need to extend the uses of scientific method, not renounce them, to fuse reason with compassion in order to build constructive social and moral values.”(4) Again we return to the theme of leaving the past morality and religions behind in order to create a new morality that reflects the age that we now live in, through our enlightened  understanding of man that has come through the pursuit of science. 

The Question of Destiny - As mankind continues to progress, we are going to need to remove the national boundaries and become more of a one world government (4). This will lead to the creation of a unified human race, where we will work together to explore, discover, and fulfil the true potential of the mankind. Our destiny cannot be found in a narrow focus on the afterlife, our destiny will live on in our descendants, and in the legacies that we leave for future generations. 

Part Two:

The Question of Origin – The world, and all that is in it was created by God, out of nothing through the power of his word(5). God existed before our time, before we were, he is. God can be understood through his creation, for it bears witness to him(6).

The Question of Identity – Because we are the creation of God, we belong to him. Our identity is best found in being his, and being stewards of his creation(7).  We are responsible for the earth and for it’s care. Our place in the created oder is found just below the angels (Psalm 2:15) (8). 

The Question of Meaning/Purpose – Our primary purpose, our “chief end” is, “To glorify God and to enjoy him forever”(9). We find meaning in God,in the pursuit of and knowing of him. As we find our meaning in him, we will also find our purpose. 

The Question of Morality – Morality is about holiness. God is holy and as such we are called to be holy, for we are his children(10). There are not any grey areas when it comes to right and wrong, there is only light and darkness. We are to walk in the light (11).

The Question of Destiny - Our destiny is going to be found with God forever, or apart from God forever. In the last days God will gather all to him, and separate those who are covered by the blood of Christ from those who have rejected his love.(12)

The impact of our beliefs

For those who do not follow God, their world view is more of an accident than anything else, it is the culmination of their childhood, education, and life experiences. They operate out of this worldview in an almost instinctive way. If they say or do anything that is inconsistent with their beliefs, it does not have much of an impact on others (unless they are famous). For believers, how our worldview plays out in our interactions with the world cannot be an accident. The impact of our actions can determine how well we reflect the glory of God to a those longing for His love. As parents, an inconsistent walk can turn our children away from God. Part of what led to my mother's salvation was the christian at her work who had a consistent walk with the Lord. Even how you treat the guy who is making your latte, taking your fast food order, or bagging your groceries should be done through the filter of what you believe and who you are in Christ. One time my wife and I were at a restaurant, and we did not treat our waiter very well. That Sunday he showed up at our church! You can imagine how embarrassed we were. We ended up going up to him and apologizing, and he was very gracious to forgive us. But what if he had not been? What if seeing the same people who had not been nice to him in church had caused him to walk out? If our biblical worldview does not effect how we treat others, we may as well not have one. 

Good theology without right action is pointless.

Why do we have gifts?

I keep forgetting why God gives us abilities. 

      It is easy to think that we are good at something so that we can make money, after all that is what nearly every career aptitude test goes over. By knowing what you are good at and what you love you can make a better career choice. While this is a very effective way of choosing your path in life, I want to encourage you to stop thinking of your life's path as though it is all about you. In reality it has little or nothing to do with you. Think about how Joseph had those dreams early in life, and then went through all that crap. In the end it was so that God could use him to save everyone, both Egypt and Israel during the seven years of famine. God also had a life of trial for Kind David. It wasn't to hurt David, but for the sake of Israel. The trials they went through refined and prepared them for the great works that God had in store for them, and in being a blessing they were blessed. 
      In other words,(and I know this sounds cheesy) it's not that you have a gift, you ARE the gift. You are God's gift to the world. As you learn to fully become who you are called to be you will find happiness and fulfillment in being God's gift to whatever area you are called to influence and impact for his kingdom.  

A random thought

Discipline births Focus,
Focus births Gratitude,
Gratitude births Joy,
Joy births Favor,
Favor births Success

Does knowing what we believe and why matter?

I believe that we knowing what you believe and why is one of the most important aspects of a christian's life. 

      We must know what we believe, for without it we are anchor less and rudderless in life. We must know why we believe, or it will not stand when it is called into question. And it will be called into question (unless you live in a jar). We live in a world that is simultaneously yearning for and at war with God. Especially in America, we push God away with one hand and reach out for something to fill the void that we create by rejecting him with the other. Everyday what I believe is challenged, my values are challenged. It is impossible to live amongst unbelievers and not have to defend your faith, even if it's just in your own mind. When I was younger I knew what I believed, but I did not fully know why. This gave me the appearance of being saved, but without a solid understanding of God's heart for me. This led to me falling away from the Lord for a season. Now I know why, and this why has caused me to cling to God, even when I cannot see how a particular trial or season is going to turn out. It has kept em from turning away when I am hurt or offended by the world, the church, or even by other Christians. 

   "I believe in God the Father almighty. maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ his only son our Lord. Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead."- The Apostle's Creed (partial)

I cannot find a better way to express what I believe about God that the apostles creed. As to why I believe this;

• I see undeniable evidence in nature as to the authorship of our world. I believe that it takes more faith to believe that our world and everything in it was a cosmic accident.
• I have tasted and seen that God is good. As I have learned to walk with Him, I have seen His blessing and favor on my life in giving me my wife, and our children. We have never gone without, even when money was very tight.
• I have personally witnessed God's power in changing my heart. I was a very selfish individual by nature, and over the years the Lord has caused me to care, not just about friends, but about the world around me. I am still a work in progress, but I would never have become the father and husband that I am today without the redemptive work of Christ.

I don't believe that you have to try to see God, I believe that you have to try to not see Him. 

Not knowing the end

      Today at church I was reminded that when we hear the story of Abram being called to leave his family and go to a new country, we forget that he didn't know what was going to happen. It makes a great story because we do know what's going to happen. But when it's our turn to step out in faith, it's often scary because we don't know how our own story is going to pan out. 

Or do we? (Rom 8:28)

Reflecting on past posts

      I went back and was reading some of my older posts, and was surprised by the amount of honesty that I was using in my writing. There was also an incredible lack of consistency. One day I'm writing about a faith affirmed, the next day I'm writing about being in despair. I was very tempted to delete the more emotional posts from the blog. But then I realized that the problem with many people is that we feel like we have to always present our best face to the world. We "keep calm and carry on", even when our world is falling apart. It's stupid. Imagine a drowning person telling the life guard, "Don't worry about me, I'm fine". I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in a while today, and when I asked him how he was doing he was honest. I loved that he shared what was truly going on, and didn't bother with the fake,"I'm great!" when that would have been a lie. Don't get me wrong I am not advocating for you to dump all of your problems at the feet of the first person to say hi to you. But I would encourage you to try and be more honest with your friends and family. No one can help or pray for you properly if you don't let anyone know when you're hurting.
      Read the Psalms, and see how many times David is one moment praising and rejoicing before God, and the next he is railing against what he thinks is unfair, throwing a poetic tantrum before God. I'm no King David, but I am inspired by his honesty.
   

What's this really about?

      I think we've all been there at one time or another. Something in life is kicking the snot out of you with great enthusiasm, and you're just trying to survive the day, week, month,(you get the idea). In times like these being an inspiration to anyone is the last thing on your mind. You don't have time to be a light, just getting out of bed in the morning is enough.
      But what if I told you, the simple act of surviving the storm is actually very inspiring to a lot of people who are drowning in whatever muck they're dealing with? What if your ability to keep putting one foot in front of the other is more than someone in your life is able to do?  The guy at work who knows you're a christian is trying to figure out where your strength comes from. The youth who looks up to you not because you're perfect, but because they see you still crawling towards God after you've screwed up. They want whatever it is you have that keeps you going in the midst of failure, frustration, heartache, or hardship. You may not think much of your ability to still be standing after the storm, but to a world aching for the love of God, it's everything.
     I was thinking of Edmond Dantes, from the Count of Monte Cristo. He was thrown in prison for (to him) no reason, and during his time there met an old man who had been trying to escape for years with no success. The old man may have been imprisoned, but he was alive. He still had heart, passion, and drive when most of us would have long since given over to despair. During their time together he taught Edmond much more than book learning, culture, and fighting. He gave the young man life, and the ability to live. The old man never escapes, he dies in the prison. That may seem a sad ending to a lot of people. But if the old man had not gone through what he did, Edmond would never have met him, and his story would have ended there. Edmond's life hinged upon his meeting with, and learning from the old man.
     When Joseph was sold into slavery, and imprisoned, I'm sure he didn't see how it was all going to turn out until the end. But because he did, thousands of lives where saved. He would never have been in a position to interpret Pharaoh's dream had life been "fair". Egypt's salvation hinged upon Joseph's suffering.
    We are often so focused on our own misery, that we think our trial, valley, situation is all about us. But what if it isn't? What if we give our pain over to God, not just for Him to move in our lives (which He will), but to let our season be used for His glory? We may not get to see the lives being changed, we may never know how far the ripples of our faith and actions go. But I believe that if we ask God to use our trial for His glory and the benefit of others He will.
     After all, there's no sense in letting a perfectly good "bad day" go to waste.

A year in review

      It's been a long while, (nearly a full year) since I've written last. I've been through some tough times, and while I wouldn't say that everything is better I have decided to make another attempt at this blog. So just to get you up to speed;

• I had a wake up call when after three weeks of working non-stop, I finally took a day off when my son was hospitalized after fracturing his skull. He said it was the best day ever because he finally had a whole day just me and him. The reality that he would consider a day stuck in a hospital bed all day was great because I was there made me realize that my life was way off track. We were not in a church, not tithing, and I almost didn't get into classes for the fall because I was so busy running my store. 
• I stepped down as manager from Starbucks
• I realized that I am well suited to teach, and that's what I wanted to do, so I've decided to pursue it. 
• I applied and was accepted into Liberty University, a christian college, with a major in education
• I now spend a solid 24 hours with my children each week, while my wife works part time. 
• We have started going to a church again on a regular basis

     Now that I have the beginnings of some focus, we'll see if I can't try my hand at writing again. 

Dreaming about dreaming

I found this book, "Dancer's among us" by Jordan Matter. It's just what it sounds like, photos of dancers in everyday life. The book stirred something deep in me, made me long for dancing again, for the creative process. 

I have been seeking out this stirring, looking for books, movies, pictures, anything that will remind me of old dreams. It's as if I am rummaging around in the basement of my heart, looking for those magical thoughts and dreams that I have put away thinking they had no place in my current life. I was so wrong. I spent years trying to suppress these dreams, because I thought that they had no place in the life of a grownup. Now I realize that God makes us who we are for a reason, and while we may have to use wisdom about when we can act upon our dreams, I no longer believe they are to be put away. Rather the dream is supposed to be allowed to grow and mature along with us. 

Longing

There is a longing, a longing for we know not what.  We try to say what we want, but do we really know? Because if we are being honest with ourselves, we would realize that all we want is God, His presence, His love. In our own ways we try to give language to our longings, to the yearning in our hearts. Sometimes we see it in a movie, a painting, a song, a dance, a dream. There are days when the craving for eternity is so powerful that it hurts, and all we do is ache. It is in this moment, when we are so lovesick that we cannot handle it that we must enter this pain, deepen it, widen it, explore what it means to long for God. Stay in this place, this place of desire  until there is nothing else but the pursuit of the face of God, the beauty of God. 

next chapter

     A lot has happened in the last few years, some good some bad. As our family is entering into what feels like a new season, my wife and I sat down together and wrote out on my old business cards all the discouraging thoughts or words that have been in our heads. The purpose was to reject any lies that we had bought into, because often when we go through a rough season there is the risk of believing that God is against you, or maybe that you are a failure, or that you are bad at something. One example for me is that I am bad at math. I have believed this for so long that it has held me back. It is not my job to place limits on myself not ordained by God. So we are releasing the past and reaching toward a new future.

This little light of mine

     In the midst of being so busy with running my store, school, taking care of the family I have made a critical error. I have let the fire on the altar go out. It's not so much that I've drifted from God, as I've stopped running after Him. I've stopped pausing for breath, to take in the scenery and enjoy the view.

     But in the last few weeks there I discovered a little coal, stubbornly glowing. A small fire is beginning to burn in the depths of my soul, a desire for more of God, more of life. For life abundant overflowing and unstoppable. I need to identify everything that hinders love and fight against whatever sets itself against the hope and joy that is in me. I want life, to be alive, feel alive, to restore the first commandment to the first place. I want Christ to truly be my center, not in some sort of esoteric way, but in a real vibrant way that makes me live a life that radiates God's love, that hums with the rhythms of grace. 

This little light of mine?  Let's hope it doesn't stay little for long.