Tag: Church

A Commandment

Today’s a new day! If we want to truly follow God, we must be committed to justice, because He is. When I study scripture, I see commands for us to speak out boldly against injustice. But sadly, many Churches and Christian today are speaking out against those who speak out against the issues of the day. I have personally been called “Woke” because I care about and speak out against the injustices I see. Just a side note to the Christian community woke is not a bad four letter word that so many in the Church community have made it. We can have a separate conversation about that topic. So when someone calls me “Woke”, I wear that label with honor. Okay, let me get back on track here. Social justice should be part of our Christian faith, not something to run from.

Let’s take a look back at some amazing people who wore the badge of social justice with honor. Fellow Christians like John Newton (who gave us one of my favorite hymns (“Amazing Grace”), William Wilberforce, Harriet Tubman, Mother Teresa and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others who considered it their Christian duty to fight against injustice. As Christians, we must be willing to continue carrying the torch of justice. We cannot live in a world where everyone doesn’t have access to a better life based on their religious beliefs, economic situation, cultural background, skin color or sexual orientation.

Today, the stakes could not be higher. Cities across America are struggling with despair and broken systems that tragically limit the human potential within them. Affordable housing is almost a thing of the past. Substandard education, unjust laws, crime and fatherlessness are all at epidemic levels. Our cities are full of beautiful people with amazing gifts and immeasurable worth, but we’ve allowed oppression to mask their talents and contributions. But by living out the scriptures and truly being the hands and feet of Jesus we can find ways to empower the marginalized, enhance their lives and offer them a safe place to thrive and live out their dreams.

Followers of Christ must be willing to challenge the divide that exists in this world and travel to and through Samaria (John 4:4). We have to be willing to engage with everyone Jesus brings our way. This is not a suggestion; it’s a command.

The scriptures teach us that the way we treat the hurting and marginalized is a direct reflection of how we treat Jesus. It’s also an indication of whether we are truly following Him (Matthew 25:31-46). The scriptures also teach that we should pray and act to bring God’s system of justice to bear wherever we live- “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-11). As Christians we cannot ignore these mandate. If we pick and choose which commands to follow we are failing to live out everything Jesus commanded. ~OC

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Love, Forgiveness and Grace

Today’s a new day! Attention to all Christians. Before you jump on social media and start posting, ask yourself a few questions before clicking the send button.

1). Is what I am about to post judgmental, gossip, hateful or even true?

2). Is what I am about to post going to unite or divide?

3). Is what I am about to post going to add or delete from someone’s life?

4). Is what I am about to post going drive people closer to God or push them further away?

Our conversations online and in person should be filled with love, respect and words that encourage people. We do not have to agree with people on everything in order to love and respect them. As Christians, we should be inviting everyone to the table. As Christians our friendships should be filled with diversity. As Christians, we should be building bridges; not walls. Remember as Christians, it’s not our job to judge anyone. As Christians, we should be the first ones showing love, forgiveness and grace. ~OC

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Dear Christian Community

Today’s a new day! Dear Christian Community,

As I scroll through social media, I shake my head at some of the things I read from the Christian community. A community I am part of, but often cringe at the post and comments of so many Christians.

As Christians we talk about the love, grace and forgiveness of God. We love to talk about redemption. We share stories from the Bible about amazing life changing experiences involving King David, the women at the well and Saul becoming Paul. The stories bring us hope. Unfortunately, I do not always see that lived out in the Christian community. Let me share.

Recently Carl Lentz a former pastor at Hillsong NYC and his wife Laura, started a podcast called Lights On With Carl Lentz. There have only been a few episodes, but I have been blessed by Mr. and Mrs. Lentz sharing their journey. Based on some poor choices, Pastor Lentz has been out of the spotlight for the past few years. But in their podcast, the Lentz’s share how they have spent the last four years working on their marriage, family and themselves. Rebuilding the trust that had been lost. To me that is something to celebrate. There should have been articles encouraging and Pastor Lentz and Laura as they continue to heal. Instead, I have seen post, articles and videos attacking Pastor Lentz for sharing their journey with the world. The Christian community cannot talk about and preach about second chances, but only when it meets their criteria. I thought we were supposed to celebrate second chances. God loves second chances.

I do not personally know Pastor Lentz or his wife Laura. Have never met them, but I am praying God uses them in a mighty way. Praying they use their life experiences to encourage and support others walking through their own storms. Praying they embrace the second chances in every area of their lives. I for one will be rooting for them. I think God will to. ~OC

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Be Still

Today’s a new day! Do you ever just sit still, with no distractions except your thoughts?

I believe this is one way to truly know God and experience His true peace.

In those quiet times with God, we experience the stress of the world fade away and feel the hopeful peace only He can provide. You may also discover that God uses that time to provide answers to those difficult situations in life.

What a joy it is to just rest in the peace of God. It reminds me of the beautiful scripture Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

I believe that it’s vital for us to rest in the presence of God. Life is crazy with family, careers, phones that never stop buzzing , a world filled with constant distractions and countless decisions to make on a daily basis.

These are not necessarily bad things, and they are all a part of the world in which we live today. But, it can be difficult to tap the brakes and slow down when we try to spend quiet time with God. So many times we rush through a short passage of scripture and our list of prayer requests, keeping one eye on our phone to make sure we don’t miss that text or social media post.

I think it’s awesome if you’re spending time in the Bible and lifting your prayers up to God, but I would encourage you to spend more time being still and truly listening to the voice of God.

I believe God wants us to share our praises, struggles and victories in life with Him, but I also believe God wants us to move beyond that and into a place where we simply sit with Him, resting in His presence. In His peace.

As we begin to do this, I believe we will find the stress and distractions of the world diminishing in the hopeful peace of God who saves, and we might just discover that He uses that quite time to provide answers to the difficult moments in our lives. ~OC

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Three Steps

Today’s a new day! As I walk through this crazy beautiful journey, I continue to notice so many people making a simple relationship with God much too difficult. In my personal experience, I have discovered if I do these three things daily everything else seems to flow properly.

1). Pray. Each morning I wake up giving God thanks for another day. I thank Him for the many blessings in my life. I pray for others. Then I listen. Each day I want to improve on making sure my prayer time is centered more and more on gratefulness and listening.

2). Time in my Bible. As I pray, I seek guidance on what book and chapter I should read in the Bible for that day. Sometimes, God has me reading through a certain book of the Bible, but I always seek His guidance as I spend time in the Word. Then I reflect on what I have read that morning. Sometimes it leads me to journal and sometimes it leads me to just listen.

3). Do what God says. As I finish my time of prayer and reading, I do not rush off to complete the days agenda. No, I spend more time just listening to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. Then I simply do what God wants me to do for that day. When I choose to live this way, I am able to be part of the bigger God story. That is the most amazing gift in life.

This three-step approach is as complicated as my faith gets. The hardest part of this faith journey is learning to slow down. We tend to have this false narrative, that if something is going to happen, then we must make it happen. But as I slow down in life and try to live out this three-step approach, God continues to teach me that’s not how our faith works at all. ~OC

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Comfort Zone

Today’s a new day! Dear Church and Christian Community, as we walk through this crazy beautiful journey called life do we really see the bruised and hurting?

The American Church does a wonderful job buying up a lot of properties, but I fear many miss out on so many life changing opportunities. Unfortunately, I believe some churches and Christians have walled themselves into a nice and safe comfort zone.

Too many Christians spend their time at church sipping a premium latte, discussing the problems of the world and passing judgement. They wonder how the world got to this point. But sadly, instead of stepping up and doing something too many Christians are comfortable hiding behind the safe walls of the church.

Don’t get me wrong here. The Church is important. I have been part of the church for over half of my life. I love the Church. But the lost and hurting are not spending their time and money at a church with a cool name and cafe.

No, hurting people are sitting in the corner of a McDonald’s because they feel unworthy of love and forgiveness. The hurting are eating lunch by themselves at work or school. The bent and bruised are walking through the grocery store trying to decide if they buy food or medications. The bent and hurting are sitting in chemo rooms trying to make it through another day. The bent and hurting are standing on the side of the road with a sign asking for help, as many speed by them and look away.

So many hurting people walking through life feeling alone. These hurting people are not looking for someone to just invite them to church. No, a hurting world is waiting for Christians to step outside the comforts of the Church and actually be the hands and feet of Jesus. To really care. ~OC

When asked by the Pharisees, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus replied, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners.” ~Mark 2:17

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The Thorn

Today’s a new day! As I run this crazy beautiful health journey, several in the Christian community, have tried to sell me a lie that I do not have enough faith or I have unresolved sin in my life and that’s why I am sick. That my health issues and God cannot coexist.

Over the past twenty-two years, multiple health issues have been my “thorn.”  Of course this has brought on many questions over the years.

At times, questions of doubt danced around in my head. I pondered my walk with God.

Did I do something to bring these health issues into my life?

If God actually loves me, why would He allow me to walk this journey?

How could a broken and cracked body fit into God’s plans?

Unfortunately, our worldly value depends on what we do and what we can accomplish. For a guy who spends the majority of the year in the hospital or doctor appointments, a meaningful life seemed out of reach. To some Christians, the presence of sickness seemed to indicate an absence of God’s affection and love in my life.

But this false theology is simply unbiblical. Let’s dispel this lie by replacing it with God’s truth and equip ourselves with biblical instruction for endurance. 

Maybe you don’t struggle with a chronic illness, but we all struggle with chronic life issues. Whether you’re dealing with an incurable disease or the scars of walking through the storms of life, God tells us that no trial can separate us from His Love (Romans 8:35).

In fact, our pain might be the very tool God uses to strengthen our relationship with Him and to share the gospel. So, instead of getting caught up in the lies “what could I have done differently to prevent these health issues”, instead start asking, “God, how can you use me as I walk through this health journey?”

Two words come to mind when I consider how God can work through our pain to build our faith. Reliance and Glory.

1). Reliance: God can use the storms of life to encourage us to rely more fully on Him. For those struggling to understand why God allows hardship in our lives, the Book of Job is a masterpiece written just for us. The Bible describes Job as a faithful man with many blessings. But to test whether Job would still praise God’s name even when his life got turned upside down, God allowed Satan to wreak havoc on Job’s life. Allowing Job to walk through a season of multiple health issues. Striking his family down. Job was not only chronically ill, but also chronically lonely, as his loved ones and so called friends tell him to just give up and curse God.

Let’s pause here for a moment. God allowed the enemy to test Job. Why would God allow this? Among many reasons, God used suffering as a tool to refine Job’s faith. God knows that it is in the valleys that we are encouraged to rely on Him. Many lessons can be learned in our valley seasons, but only if we take the time to listen.

Amid all the storms of life, Job’s mind was a battlefield much like our own as we walk through a painful season. Job’s thoughts yo-yo between wanting God to leave Him alone and begging for God’s support. As we read in the end, Job remained faithful that God’s love and promises are true. Job learned that God loved him during the good and tough seasons. That everything works together for good.

Sometimes God allows us to walk through tough times. Not to punish us, but to strengthen our relationship with Him. When storms come our way, I pray we will trust that God’s plans are purposeful and better than ours. Even when we do not understand them. This means that whether we are battling a cold or fighting for our lives, God’s loving hand is in everything.

2). God’s Glory: Our weakness reveals the need for God.

In 2 Corinthians 12:7, the Apostle Paul describes pleading with the Lord to remove a “thorn in his flesh.” Our current life storms can represent the “thorn” in our own lives.

Jesus responds to Paul’s pleas by equipping him with endurance and explaining that his pain has a purpose.  Jesus answers, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My Power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul’s story reminds us of our need for God in every area our lives.

Even though, God does not answer Paul’s request for healing, God assures Paul that His grace will help him endure. Paul is not blessed with healing from whatever that “thorn” in his side was, but he experienced something more life changing. Paul experienced the amazing ability to see God’s light in the darkest moments of his life. God never leaves us to sit in our pain, He helps us endure. To Overcome.

God gives hope to those who might feel their prayers are seemingly going unanswered.  As we pray for God to remove the “thorn”, in our side, may we remember that a lack of healing is not evidence of a distant God. No, God always responds to our requests; His response just might be different than what we prayed for. But no matter the response, if we put our trust in God, we can be sure that He is working for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

As we learn from Paul’s experience with God, some of our wounds will only heal once we go home to Heaven, but we can trust that our pain is a part of a beautiful redemption story. A testimony.

Let’s look at another example of how God can work through our pain to reveal His Power. In John 9, Jesus is walking around town with his disciples when they spot a man who is blind from birth. Jesus’ disciples ask him a question that might sound like one you’ve asked yourself or someone has asked you: “who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2).  Sound familiar? The disciples mistakenly assume that this man’s disability is due to his personal sin.

Jesus corrects the disciples by responding, “neither this man nor his parents sinned…This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him” (John 9:3).  With this declaration, Jesus dispels the lie that the only purpose for our pain is punishment, and He communicates that our pain can be used to display God’s power.

Jesus then heals the blind man, confirming his belief and establishing an eternal relationship.

Before his healing, we can’t be sure of how this man’s disability affected his self-esteem, but he might have believed some of the same lies that often ravage our minds.  When measuring himself against the standards society puts on us, he very well could have attributed his disability to a distant God. However, when Jesus enters the scene, it becomes clear that this man’s disability was the very experience God utilized to strengthen his relationship with Him. 

As we reflect on each of these stories, the word of God illuminates his heart for the chronically ill or those facing some other storm of life. God has a purpose for our storms. His love never wavers and God will work all things together for His good, even in the messiness of our lives.

God does not promise to remove our thorns, but He does promise to help us endure. To overcome. Whatever your thorn looks like, may you remember that God provides a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).

Throughout my crazy beautiful health journey, one verse that has given me hope to keep running is “We do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:12).

So today, no matter how deep the thorn in your side digs, I pray you never give up and keep leaning into the promises of God. ~OC

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Love

Today’s a new day! The issue of love for Christians is not optional; God demands that we not only love one another, but that we show His love to a broken world. As believers, we are not just the salt of the church, but the salt of the earth and the light of the world. If you can only show love to your family, friends, those that think like you and your inner circle, how is that showing the love of God?
 
Remember, the love of God we’re walking in today is not earned. We did nothing to deserve it. God loved us while we were totally unlovable, yet He loved us so much that He gave his life for each and every one of us. Why then do we wait for others to earn our love before we reach out to them?
 
My friends, love is from God and for us to claim to have God in our lives, then love must naturally flow through us. The love of God is not the love that reaches out to us because we have earned it; it is love that reaches out despite our errors and shortcomings. Yes, each of us were unlovable, but God chose to love us and has called us to be His ambassadors to the world. Who have you shown His love to?
 
It is so easy to profess love. Many Christians are simply professors; but God does not want us to just profess love. No, God wants His love to radiate through us. He wants us to reach out to those around us in love. Not everyone can give money, but we can give a smile, we can give a word of encouragement, we can give love and a helping hand. Love is not just a bunch of words, actions as they say, speak louder than words. The world is watching and waiting to see God in us; what will they see? ~OC

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ~1 John 4:7

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My Thoughts

I debated on sharing anything concerning the new god bless usa bible. But several people reached out to me wanting my thoughts. So after 24 hours of praying and reflecting on the video about this new bible, here are my thoughts. I will not post any pictures or videos about this product.

The new bible is complete idolatry. The Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Pledge of Allegiance have nothing to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Merging the words of God and the political identity of a country is dangerous. America is a nation made up of diverse religious people. Products like this new bible give license to a particular group of Christians who believe they have a presumptive right to define what Christianity looks like in America. This bible goes against the true teachings of Jesus.

Plus, the fact that this story comes out the week of Easter. This should be a time of reflection, prayer and remembering the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Let’s be honest, this new bible is simply a way to take advantage of some people’s emotions and their money. ~OC

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Truths

Today’s a new day! I want to share some truths with you today.

You are not your successes nor failures.

You are not your abilities nor disabilities.

You are not your looks, popularity, bank account, intelligence or how many followers you have on social media.

As a Christian, you are who God says you are, which is:

His child (John 1:12).
Justified (Romans 5:1).
Christ’s friend (John 15:15).
A member of Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 12:27).
Assured all things work together for good(Romans 8:28).
Established, anointed and sealed by God(2 Corinthians 1:21-22).
A citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20).
Hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).
Blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians
1:3).
Chosen before the creation of the world(Ephesians 1:4, 11).
Holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:4).
Adopted as his child (Ephesians 1:5).
Given God’s glorious grace lavishly and without restriction (Ephesians
1:5,8).
Redeemed (Ephesians 1:8).
Forgiven (Ephesians 1:8; Colossians 1:14).
The salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14).
A personal witness of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8).
God’s co-worker (2 Corinthians 6:1).
Alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5).
Raised up with Christ (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 2:12).
God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10).
Secure (Ephesians 2:20).
A holy temple (Ephesians 2:21; 1 Corinthians 6:19).
A dwelling for the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:22).
Completed by God (Ephesians 3:19).
Not alone (Hebrews 13:5).
Growing (Colossians 2:7).
Victorious (I John 5:4).
Set free (Romans 8:2; John 8:32).
A light in the world (Matthew 5:14).
Safe (I John 5:18).
Part of God’s kingdom (Revelation 1:6).
Healed from sin (I Peter 2:24).
No longer condemned (Romans 8:1, 2).
Protected (John 10:28).
Born again (I Peter 1:23).
A new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

God gives each of us spiritual riches the world can never offer us. Our identity in God is one of eternal security. We have value simply because God, in perfect love, sent his son Jesus to die for us and cleanse us from the sin that beat us down. True freedom is found in a relationship with God. And this relationship shapes all we say and do. Our life choices flow out of our relationship with God. And as hard as life might get, we have the promise of eternal life with God when we put our trust in him. We are made in God’s image, and we are HIS forevermore, protected, in his loving arms. When we are in Christ, we are truly free. May God bless you as you renew your trust in him today. ~OC

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