Weekly Scripture

Isaiah 64:8

You, O Lord, you are Father.
We are the clay and You are the potter;
We are all the work of your hand.

-matt

Weekly Scripture

Proverbrs 26:18-19
 ¹⁸ Like a madman shooting
       firebrands or deadly arrows
 ¹⁹ is a man who deceives his neighbor
       and says, "I was only joking!"



sarcasm is more deadly than you think. use your words well.
-matt

An Essay on Temptation

When ever I think of the word temptation I equate it to a nagging problem or a minor annoyance. It doesn't really seem to be very powerful, but yet I fail and fall time and time again. It's not that I deny the existence of temptations, but yet I felt convicted that I don't really give them the proper respect.

What do I mean by respect? I was playing ultimate frisbee a few weeks ago and was involved in an intense game that went down to the wire. I figured that this one man on the opposing team wouldn't catch the frisbee if it were thrown at him, so I slacked in my defense and watched as the frisbee sailed over the field straight to my unguarded man and then was passed in the end-zone for the touchdown. I failed to respect my opponent, and paid for it in the end.

I believe that I don't treat temptation with the respect it deserves. I figure that if I won't ever get put in that situation, so I don't prepare for it. Sometimes I'm right, and temptation never materializes into any real pressing danger - and sometimes I'm not as lucky. The more invincible we think we are, the more prone we are to falling on our faces. 

Even the mighty fall. King David, a man after God's own heart, was caught in adultery. Judas Iscariot, a disciple of Christ, was torn away from his faithfulness to Christ by a greed for money. 

How do we stop it? I believe that a healthy fear and respect for our opponent is needed. Christianity today doesn't like to talk about Satan, or Hell, or even sin for that matter. It's all about the new you, the blessings God gives, and the eternal reward in Heaven someday. But you can't have good without the bad in this world.  God is good, and we are broken. 

It's taboo to talk about our struggles and be vulnerable. Jesus created us to be real people with real lives. As followers of the King we will be tempted in very real and very frightening ways. Upholding a veil of religiosity won't help anyone. We are given power over Satan and demons, but we are not to mock them. A fool disparages what he does not understand.

When you think again about temptation, be aware that it is real and out there. It's not a push over that you face, but a wicked adversary who doesn't fight fair. With Christ on our side, we have the choice for victory by being ever increasing in our godliness (see 1 Peter 1:3-11). God is on our side. We are in war. Struggle well.

-matt

The Finger of God

If you're looking for something to challenge your faith beyond the parameters of mainstream American Christianity then give this film a look. It's broken into ten parts on youtube. the first one is here.

I saw this as a call to radical faith, the faith Jesus was talking about in John 14:12.
I'd really like to know what you think of this, reply to this and tell me what's going on in your heart and in your soul.

In Christ Jesus,
-matt

Weekly Scripture

Psalm 119. All of it haha.

The basic summation of this psalm is simply that reliance on the Word is so crucial to us. It prevents us from sinning, it keeps us on the right path, it gives us wisdom, it prevents harm. With the Word in us we have power. Take a minute and really look in to what the Word says about itself.

-matt

Thinkings on Psalm 105

Before reading this, give Psalm 105 a quick read. Check? Alright moving on.

This psalm really began to connect with me this morning after reading it yesterday. Often times when we think about the Psalms, we remember the bold prayers of David and the brutal honesty that he shows with God. I love that about David and the other psalmists. They don't put up a front of religiosity, but instead invite God to meet them right where they are.

It is with that spirit that I enter into the reading of Psalm 105. For me it was the realization that tonight was Prom that finally showed me the connection. This psalm follows the story of the Israelites. It is the story of how God moved in them from their very beginnings. And that is where I find myself today. 

I now can reach a place of similar recollection like the psalmist. I look back on the days when I wondered what senior year would be like. I thought about how someday I would go to college. Now it is here. God has brought me from a passive junior high kid to a bold warrior for Christ. I know how Moses felt when he was called by God to do something extraordinary.  I know how Joshua felt when he was just an aid, but would eventually lead a nation.

Just like the psalmist, look back on your story. Where did you begin? Where are you now? For me I'm a senior in high school, and tonight is Prom, I'm on top of the world. But it doesn't stop there. The beauty of the psalms is that they haven't lost their relevance. The same cries of our forefathers reign today. I seek Him and my heart rejoices.

How will you know where to go if you don't remember where you have been?

Seek God and never forget to praise Him for bringing you to where you are today.

For we serve an awesome God worthy of all our praise.

His,

-matt

Blessed are: An Essay on the Beatitudes

In Matthew 5:1-11 (see here), Jesus talks about being blessed. More specifically, what it means to be blessed. Many of us have heard the list time and time again. It's a nice little group. Jesus introduces each of the beatitudes with the phrase "Blessed are...". I've come to realize that those two words have really faded into Christianese. Do we really know what it means to be blessed? We tend to lump it in somewhere around the category of "God loves those who are..." and there is a reward in there somewhere too. If we really think about it, I'd wager many of us can't quite grasp the true meaning. I'm not insisting that we don't know what Jesus is talking about, but I am saying that for myself at least, I had to take a closer look at the scriptures to understand it better.

Dictionary.com defines the verb bless like this:
bless
-verb (used with object), blessed or blest, bles·ing
1.  to consecrate or sanctify by a religious rite; make or pronounce holy.
2.  to request of god the bestowal of divine favor on
3.  to bestow good of any kind upon
4.  to extol as holy, glorify

So when Christ calls the persons in his descriptions "blessed", which of these is he talking about? After much soul searching and prayer, I believe that Christ is not bestowing just any "gift" upon the blessed (3). I also don't think he is petitioning God to bestow favor on them either (2). Definitions 1 and 4 are closer to what I believe Jesus is talking about. I would define blessed as a gift award by God beyond earthly comparison. These blessing seem to be linked to those that honor God by living a life honoring of him, a righteous (holy) life.

To be blessed is to have something given to you that is beyond human description. Children are often referred to as a blessing, and to Christian parents, God is entrusting them with the development and intimate relationships with beloved boys and girls. Anyone can be a parent, but to be blessed by receiving the gift of children is to go beyond the simple criterion and reach for something extraordinary.

The reality is that to be blessed by God is something impossible to quite fit into words. You'll know when God is at work in your life. The result of a life lived after him is that comfort of his eternal blessing of life forever with Him. Each one of us is blessed in so many ways, gifted beyond the normalities of common understanding. Ask God to show you just how much He is blessing you, you'll be surprised. All of creation was created for the purpose of glorifying God. He owns all of it. Simply by entrusting any of it to us is a blessing that should render us speechless.

Thank you Jesus for Your blessings in my life.
Blessed are the children of God, for they reap a reward that no ordinary person could earn.
-matt

Weekly Scripture

<sup>Matthew 5:1-11.


1</sup>Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,²and he began to teach them saying: 
 ³"Blessed are the poor in spirit, 
      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
 ⁴Blessed are those who mourn, 
      for they will be comforted. 
 ⁵Blessed are the meek, 
      for they will inherit the earth. 
 ⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 
      for they will be filled. 
 ⁷Blessed are the merciful, 
      for they will be shown mercy. 
 ⁸Blessed are the pure in heart, 
      for they will see God. 
 ⁹Blessed are the peacemakers, 
      for they will be called sons of God. 
 ¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, 
      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 ¹¹"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

-matt

Safeguard

Ever have something that you don't want to let go of? answer: yes! Of course we do. Whether its a girlfriend/boyfriend, body image, a favorite video game, the internet, or a cell phone, we all have that something.

God says that it is better to take refuge in Him than anything else (Ps. 118:8,9.) For myself, it's easy to hear this and not practice it. I propose a fast. Why not try just for a day, two days, even a week, for giving up something you treasure for the ultimate treasure. Start small, limit your Facebook time to half an hour a day. Don't text after 9pm, etc.

It's not easy. But when life is easy, isn't that what we should fear? Jesus promised us trials and grace, not unlimited happiness. Rely on God and not technology, don't let your date control who you are before God.

Godbless,
-matt

Weekly Scripture

1 Chronicles 29:10-20
¹⁰ David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, 
       "Praise be to you, O LORD, 
       God of our father Israel, 
       from everlasting to everlasting.

 ¹¹ Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
       and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
       for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
       Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
       you are exalted as head over all.

 ¹² Wealth and honor come from you;
       you are the ruler of all things.
       In your hands are strength and power
       to exalt and give strength to all.

 ¹³ Now, our God, we give you thanks,
       and praise your glorious name.

 ¹⁴ "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. ¹⁵ We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. ¹⁶ O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. ¹⁷ I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. ¹⁸ O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. ¹⁹ And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, requirements and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided."

 ²⁰ Then David said to the whole assembly, "Praise the LORD your God." So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate before the LORD and the king.