Monthly Archives: January 2019

Writing it Down

1 John 1:1 That which as from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the “Word of life- 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us- 3 that which we have seen, and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

God used a new friend of mine, a brother in Christ with similar testimonies, to a new style of online ministry. He has been writing out the Bible, slowing down for memorization and meditation, and I felt a similar tug. Much of my writing ministry I have always “cut and pasted” my scripture passages into my messages, rarely slowing down to write or type them out myself. With my memory problems, this became a natural transition to help me, and I felt God tugging me into a brief exposition and example, such a way as I have written close to the last 10 years I guess. My “style” of writing is a gift from God, not one to go typically deep, but one of simplistic understanding of scripture, one from an unedjumicated country boy with a heart for Jesus. I searched this morning “write these,” and I was led to 1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. I read most of 1 John this morning.

If you look at the first three passages in the above text, John is saying, “I was there. I am a first hand witness to all you have heard about this Jesus Christ. I was with him during so much of his ministry, his miracles, his death and resurrection; I was there.” John could give a first hand account to the power of God through the Son of God to anyone who questioned what they had heard. This was not a time of instant news, of global transparency, of news manipulation, this was a time of stories getting twisted being passed from one person to the other. No story is told the same exact way twice, so the weight of first hand accounts, of witnesses, presents the greatest truths. Can you imagine how powerfully John would have effected people who questioned Jesus; the awe of John’s first hand account would have likely bread great faith that the Bible does not give account of those early disciples God used through John.

John, by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, began to write these things down. Just as he says in the above passages, the “why” he wrote these things down. He was writing for our benefit, for a first hand account of the one whom Jesus loved. John had likely the most special relationship with Jesus, one born of great love for one another. I truly believe that was what made John special, his heart of love emulated Christ. When you read any of his writings, the central theme is Jesus and love. We have much to learn from John about both, and their centrality upon one another; you cannot have one without the other.

What could you learn from just these couple passages in 1 John? What about your accounts of Jesus’ work in your life? What about your testimony of when you recognized your need for the salvation only He can provide? Have you ever written down your testimony, or other times you could testify of God working in your life? How else could you remember, and how else could you encourage others to see their need for God? Jesus wants to use you, and it can begin with writing it down.

Faith vs Anxiety

Job 12:10 In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?

Anxious thoughts fill my mind
At the hours before dawn
What could possibly cause the anxiety
The worlds worries have not drawn.

The first breaths awake for the day
The tightening of the chest
I know the Lord has allowed it
I know the Lord knows what is best.

Was there a war in my dreams
Was I fighting an enemy within
Is it worldly stress from my life
Is it a struggle with sin?

Job struggled on an incredible scale
Tormented to failure if he would
Satan meant to destroy his faith
God knew it would work out for good.

Job’s story is one of great faith
His plight was not as it seems
He was an example of complete faith
When we know behind the schemes.

God knew Satan’s plan all along
He knew he would ultimately fail
God knew this story of great faith
Would encourage all He would tell.

When you struggle with anxiety
Which way do you turn for aid
Do you run to numbing ways
Or go to from Whom you were made?

The anxiety we all face some days
Shows us our need for God each one
Our stories have many layers
And our chapters are not done.

Seek God in your struggles each day
Seek him with all your heart
For your faith in his sovereignty
You understand he will not depart.

Broken but Bestowed

Psalm 51:10-13 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.

I love how God works; I don’t understand it, sometimes struggle with his higher ways than mine, but even in the struggles he will open your mind to truths, well, when it is the best time I guess. It is rarely when we think we are ready for it, typically not how we expect it, and likely something inside of us is “wowed” by it. How could we call him our God, if we were on any scale able to figure him out? So many times even in our struggles, on a struggle of small or incredible scale, God is behind the scenes working it for his good. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. The little bit of understanding you have been granted of that passage, speaks to your faith in God’s sovereignty, of his control over the details of your life, blended with free-will that we cannot comprehend, but we walk in the faith of the unseen power of him. (Hebrews 11:1)

I have been criticized for my openness to share of my struggles, of my battles with anxiety and depression. I have been told of how I need to find the joy in life, told I don’t understand God, or even the opposing view of haughty, thinking I am greater than thou. I have always been an open book since the Lord got ahold of my heart, sharing my journey on every cycle of life, filtered through my faith. My plea on any scale is to point you to your need for Jesus, to shun religion and pursue Jesus Christ daily by your hearts pursuit of him in prayer and his Word. I grew up in religion, rebelled against it, and now see the power Satan has in those that think they are saved by it. So many check Sunday’s box of duty, yet never approach Christ until that hour again next week. So many think religion saves, but it kills, and Jesus made it clear from his mouth. Matthew 9:13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Simply stated Jesus wants your heart of love, not your acts of religious duty or sacrifices.

This morning as I prayed, I prayed about my brokenness in many ways, which lead me to searching God’s Word on it, which lead to Psalm 51 (read it). I have always related to David, his struggles with great sins, the burden he carried of them, but also his heart for God through his struggles of life. In all that David faced, he sought God. In all David battled, he poured out his heart to God openly through the Psalm writing for us to be blessed by reading of his struggles filtered through his faith too. As I continued to study, it lead me to Matthew, and it lead me to see how God just wanted my heart just as David; of how Jesus said he desired one’s heart of love more than acts of religion. My heart for you, is to give your heart to Him. For the rest of your days this side of heaven, may you filter your life through your faith in Christ, testifying of his grace and mercy he bestowed upon such a sinner as you, and is available to all.

The “four letter” word WAIT

Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

The hardest “four letter” word in the Bible is in that passage; the word wait tests all of our faith at many times. God does not recognize the time he designed and bound us with. He sees the past, present, and future all at the same time. We can’t even wrap our limited minds around that statement alone. We can’t understand how it is even possible, yet alone the sovereignty of God’s control woven throughout the scope of eternity in it. We are so worried about the now, the problems of the day, the worry of the future, the weight of the past, yet if we saw the future…..all of that would disappear. We would see the results of countless events, and the worry would disappear. Faith lies in trusting God with it, through it, and by it our faith grows. I have heard there are 365 verses in the Bible about worry, one for each day, and that is of no coincidence, especially for someone who struggles with anxiety and depression such as myself.

2018 is a year I would like to put behind me. From a struggling business that has cost me hours of sleep, and taken years of my life in stress, to the weight of the personal side of me as a father, husband, and spiritual leader of my home. We are unhappy where we live, and I made the decision to put our home on the market, although I did not feel led by God to do so; I was not waiting upon the Lord. We just pulled it from the market, and had to move my business back into the home, to be able to survive. Without great detail, I do believe God clearly does not want us to move, and he has a purpose for us to stay here; I did not wait on God. The ministry side of my life has many sides; I am bold almost to fault, but I live out my faith daily. Our AG Comfort business struggles in a world led by corruption and greed, and we seek to bring integrity back to our industry as a ministry modeled business. God called me to preach at a little church for just over a year, took me to India to open my eyes to his power on a scale I can’t describe, and has brought my testimony full circle to motorcycle ministries. I am humbled beyond words to see how this Need Prayer? racing team is growing, how God is opening doors to conversations, to sharing faith with those who make dirt bikes their gods like I once did. I am amazed at how I see Him at work in my friends within that circle. I am amazed at how he even speaks through me at tracks to those who struggled just as I with what they loved to do, that always falls on Sundays; how I can encourage them to seek God beyond Sundays. I am humbled to see God use my sins, my failures, my struggles with anxiety and depression, all to reach the lost or those struggling with the same; all for his glory alone will I suffer, serve, wait, and point others to Him. I am a simple, uneducated, outspoken, country boy that loves Jesus, and all I am going to do is tell you to seek him every day too. If you will do that, He will take care of the rest. Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Wait may be a “four letter” word, but the reward is worth it.