Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Don't think you have won just yet..

I watched this story of this high school football team that got the ball with .16 seconds left on the clock and they were losing. The field goal kicker kicks the ball with time expiring and...he misses it. But, they still win? How is this possible?

Watch the clip below, it will blow your sports loving mind.



This made me think of my own life. I often think I have done enough. I think that the people God uses me to lead to Jesus are the only people that really need me to share God's grace with them. I think that the time I spend in God's Word on any particular day is good enough.

The thing of it is, God's Grace may be real, but he still expects alot out of us. The New Testament is full of commandments that God wants us to obey. You may have some of those down pat, but there are many more that we ignore. Not just the spreading the Gospel, not just the feeding and caring for the poor, not just the reflecting on his Word daily, but much much more.

I say I love God, but sometimes I forget how he says to love him. Look at John 14:15

"If you love me, you will obey what I command"

If I love him, I will obey everything he commands and I don't know about you, but I have a LONG way to go.

Don't think you have won just yet, there is much, much more to do.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

My Rabbi.


If Jesus is anything to me, it is my Rabbi.

I don't mean a Jewish guy with sweet black curly hair, I mean my teacher. He teaches me every single day. He teaches me that he is my savior, he teaches me that he is my redeemer, he teaches me that he is my fortress and in him is the only place that I can always turn and find comfort and answers to life's had questions.

What I constantly forget to understand is that when Jesus 1st called his disciples, they may or may not of even understood that he was the Messiah, all they seemed to know was that they were about to have the chance to follow a Rabbi and study under him, and to those young Jews, there really couldn't have been any greater honor.

Another thing I constantly forget is that he is also my Rabbi. He teaches me, through his word. I can read the exact same section of scripture a zillion times, but every time it reveals something new to me about Jesus.

In the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as "Rabbi" at last 16 times, but to me, the most chilling on comes in Matthew 26:24-25

24The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."
25Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you."


When he knows Jesus is aware of what he is doing, he sadly, calls him "Rabbi". This is referring to the fact the Jesus led him EVERYWHERE for over 3 years, taught him everything, loved him unconditionally, and then, be betrays him.

This is me when I sin. He leads me, he teaches me, he loves me, but I still betray it all.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Jon Acuff on Grace and Kanye West


One of the best blogs on the internet is "Stuff Christians Like".

It is amazing, I go there a few times a week to check out what might be on there to make me think or just laugh. But God spoke to me through what the writer, Jon Acuff, had to say about Grace and the whole Kanye West/Taylor Swift situation.


"Kanye West deserves less grace and forgiveness than I got.

I don’t know the exact amount, unfortunately the Bible’s not terribly clear on measurements. I mean sure, I know Goliath was six cubits and a span, everyone knows that, but when it comes to doling out grace, there’s not a clear form of measurement.

Is grace a liquid? In the songs people sing about God’s love it’s always in the form of water, “fall down like rain,” “wash over me,” etc.

So let’s say that Kanye West deserves one less gallon of grace and forgiveness than I got.

Or maybe a jug. It’s hard to say what the precise amount is but that’s what I was thinking when I heard he ruined Taylor Swift’s moment at the Video Music Awards. After he walked on stage, and interrupted the nervous teenager to tell her about another performer who deserved the award more than she did, a few thoughts popped up. I didn't think about the whole situation a lot, on the Jon scale of thought I gave the incident more time than Salt and Vinegar Pringles but less than the new season of "So You Think You Can Dance." But here's what ran through my head:

“Kanye West always does that. He’s got a history of doing that kind of thing.”

“Kanye West probably did that on purpose, it was staged. He planned it.”

“Kanye West just wounded a teenager, a kid, that is horrible.”

“Anyone who supports him is dumb.”

“He’ll probably apologize but it won’t be real.”

And I felt pretty good hating on Kanye. I got a hit of that, “I’m not as bad as somebody else” drug. I felt better than him and told my wife the whole story with smugness.

But then I thought about it. That was a worst moment, staged or not, that was a mistake and I am so happy my worst mistakes were not televised.

Then I thought about Kanye the person, the son whose mom died. The broken man with a savior who is longing to see a glimpse of him on the road back to the farm. Then I thought about who I wanted to be in the prodigal son story, the older brother who condemns or the servant who helps plan the party? I know which one is easier. I know which one I usually run to. But this time I couldn’t.

Suddenly I didn’t like the first things I thought:

“Kanye West always does that. He’s got a history of doing that kind of thing.”
So do I. I’ve never committed a single sin, a single time. I am a repeat offender. I have a longer history with sin than Kanye does with running on stage at events. Have you ever repeated a sin more than once?

“Kanye West probably did that on purpose, it was staged. He planned it.”
My worst moments were planned. I didn’t fall down the stairs and suddenly find myself landing in a heap of unexpected garbage at the bottom. I made plans. I was deliberate. I set things up that at the time seemed to be what I needed. I did the things that crippled my life on purpose.

“Kanye West just wounded a teenager, a kid, that is horrible.”
He did and it’s inexcusable, but I wounded my own kids, not a 19-year old stranger. I hurt my own kids by working 70 hour work weeks and chasing money instead of them and mortgaging everything that mattered about being a dad. I did that.

“Anyone who supports him is dumb.”
Do you have to support to show love? Do you have to condone to offer grace and forgiveness? Clearly Proverbs spells out a million reasons you shouldn’t support fools and foolish behavior and what Kanye did was foolish. And it'd be equally dumb to judge people for judging Kanye. Are there only two options though? We love him which means we’re pro “running on stage and hurting people” or we hate him? Can’t we disagree with the behavior and offer love to the person? (I think I just invented the phrase, “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” I should put that on t-shirts.)

“He’ll probably apologize but it won’t be real.”
According to whose standards? Mine? Is that what Christ says is the second most important commandment in Matthew 22:39 “Love your neighbor as yourself, only if their apology is legitimate and you feel that their repentance is real?” Or is it written, “Rebuke your neighbor as yourself?” Or is love the thing we’re supposed to do? And let’s be honest, what are the chances that I get to heaven and God says, “You offered too many hurting people grace. You over graced the world Jon. That is whack.”

The more I thought about it, the harder it was to hate Kanye.

So I tweeted and wrote on facebook:

“If we all had our worst mistakes televised we'd give Kanye West grace instead of hate.”

Some people got mad and defriended me (worst verb ever) and some people were cool with that idea. I understand both reactions. I'm not justifying a dumb mistake from Kanye or desupporting Taylor Swift (second worst verb ever). I can only tell you what my experience was because it’s 100% of the experiences I had yesterday. When I heard the story about Kanye, I judged him. I hated on him. I did not correct him or try to offer wise counsel, I hated.

Maybe you didn’t.

Maybe you laughed at how silly and insignificant the whole thing was because it's just a bunch of celebrities, who cares. Maybe you threw on Kanye's “Jesus Walks” and got down like the awkward girl from the rich part of town that inexplicably moves to the inner city high school and has to learn how to dance to survive some sort of all girl gang but ends up falling in love with a tough on the outside by soft and tender on the inside street youth while learning the valuable lesson that if you believe in yourself, anything is possible.

Maybe that was your reaction.

Mine was hate.

And I hate that.

And I love that God loves me like He loves Kanye.

Because we are both in desperate need of it."

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

New look and focus

Before on the blog I mostly talked about life and all that jazz.

I prayed on it and decided that if I am going to use this for God's glory alone, I think I am mainly going to use it for thoughts on scripture and where the Holy Spirit is leading me.

I have loved having this blog and met many people from all over as a result of it, and I basically came to a crossroads that consisted of deciding if I should keep doing it or if I should change the focus all together, so I decided to keep it and attempt to make it more about Jesus and less about me. It will still be about me in a way, but more so how Christ is leading me and what He is teaching me.

I also changed the name from "Weekly Rambling From A Churchy Nerd" to simply "Matt's Blog". And got a new look and feel as well.

I only pray that it helps you as much as it has and will help me.

Matt.

Crazy Love


I have had a great and encouraging morning. I checked my e-mail box and found some great and encouraging e-mails, I had a great small group last night that I am still smiling about, and the girls slept in a bit. It reminded me of something.

There is so much about Jesus that floors me.

It isn't just the fact that he is eternal, it isn't just the fact that he is God, it is so much more than that.

It really begins with him teaching me. His love is so deep and wide that you can't help but be blown away by him. To think that a useless sinner like me could be that important to the Creator or the Universe I can't even fathom. I mean the Creator of The Grand Canyon, every mountain, Neptune and the dinosaur knows and loves me!

No matter how much I betray him, he still loves me.

Before I was me, he loved me.

For centuries people have looked to this passage

Psalm 139

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?

22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

It is a Crazy Love that is beyond explanation, but it is the only thing that is truly worth living for.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Who we want to be...

Isn't always who we actually are.

Here is what I mean.

No one really LIKES JAZZ or movies from 40 years before they're birth.

Okay, well some do I guess. This is sort of a theory of mine. People who tell you that "A Streetcart Named Desire" or "Singing in the rain" are they're favorite films, they aren't. Normally they want that to be they're favorite movie, but chances are, its really "The Notebook".

Also, cool people often ask me if I like Jazz, and I mean, I don't not like it. I've even tried to listen to the jazz stations on long road trips by myself, but, I can't do 3 consecutive songs.

Jazz is amazing music, I just think not too many people like it as much as we want to like it.

Fear.

Fear isn't all that healthy.

If you do the thing God called you to do, don't be afraid of success or failure. It is easy to be afraid of both. For me, I work in fear sometimes. I fear that I won't be liked, I fear that a big idea that I feel like is from the Spirit is only a bad idea that came from me, and it will be a huge failure.

Many of us fear success. I encounter this when people are timid. They don't want to do big things because big things get noticed.

In life, the only thing to fear is God. And the good thing about God when it comes to fear is, He is living in you. All of us who are Christian have the Holy Spirit living in us and as Romans 8 tells us, that makes us all "powerful".

Love Wins


Love Wins.

I say that phrase a lot, but man, it does. Any situation and I mean any, if you have the idea of love in mind, it will pay off.

It might be in a confrontational situation, it may be a situation where someone is hurting. It might even be a situation where you could choose to ignore someone or not, it doesn't matter.

If you understand the message love wins, it will.