Nothing Venture, Nothing Win

Step it up! I have been hearing the Lord saying this to me lately. It’s almost as if I’ve actually gotten comfortable with life or something, oh, wait a second, of course I’m comfortable. Hence the command to step it up. I’m not sure what stepping it up looks like but as far as I can figure, self-pity, fear of what others think about me, and insecurity in all the things I don’t really like about myself are a few of the areas that need work. Actually, those 3 areas are enough to keep me busy for the rest of my life but I’m also lazy and don’t want to put forth the effort to violently deal with em. Well, I guess I have two options. Either step it up and put it to death or shrink back and hope I can forget about a few things the Lord is highlighting. Vision for fullness isn’t just about seeing how many cool things can happen to our ministries and relationships and gift mixes. It has a whole lot to do with obedience and humility. No one will ever see the battle that goes on in my heart to overcome the fear of rejection but that doesn’t mean I can ignore it, that would just add to my level of fear. Nope, none of that now, it’s either step it up or get lost in the shuffle of mind games and end up bitter and disappointed. Well, I guess I know what I have to do now dangit.

Top ten cultural icons at IHOP…

10. Chuck Taylor All-Stars

9. Nalgene water bottles

8. Commentaries

7. Black thick-rimmed glasses

6. Saying God with an accent or draw

5. Saying “even now” during a prayer as opposed to “even later”

4. Pacing

3. Getting a sweet table seat

2. Mac computers

1. Good, good music

A word from Mr. Stephen Charnock…

“Men are unwilling to aquiant themselves with any truth that leads to God, because it leads from self…..the reason we have such hard thoughts of God’s will is because we have such high thoughts of ourselves.”  S. Charnock

Ouch, Stephen, ouch! and  yet oh so true.

Actually, this quote led me to a micro thought. The only argument for atheism is selfishness. Men who refuse to think of a higher being generally only think of themselves. If there is a God then there must be good and if there is indeed good then there must also be evil. Which means that there is also right and wrong and if that be the case, good vs. evil and right vs. wrong, then men are accountable to something or someone for the way they lived in accordance of what they know to be right or wrong. Athiests don’t believe in God because they don’t want to change their lifestyles. They don’t want to be wrong, they would rather be ignorant of truth than to actually seek it out. If you can look beyond yourself you’ll find a whole world out there that points to God and looking to God you’ll see your need to be perfect and how impossible it is to relate to Him on your own. Enter Jesus!!

Hmmmm…

People may argue history, doctrine, politics, and theology. They may argue opinions, study, science and reason. They might argue conviction, preferance, and sociology. Indeed they will argue, that much is sure. They always have and they always will, it is in us to do so in our natural disposition, it is our pride. But no man can ever successfully argue against love. Love is above and beyond mere intellect. Love cannot be explained nor can it be gotten rid of, therefore it cannot be argued. You can theorize against a young married couple until either your tongue falls out or one or both of them are dead but the fact remains that they will have loved each other and would have continued to. Even in death their love still stands, it cannot be argued no matter what you do to it. Love is higher and better than any theory, love is a tangible reality, point and case. It is. Amen.

Rainy Day Theology…

Who thinks of rain? I mean, obviously science has told us why and how and what it is and all that jazz, but who thinks of it………………or, who thought of it. Where did it’s identity and character come from. Or take trees for instance. Why are they the way they are? They’re perfect in their own right or else they would’nt exist as we know them. And how many hundreds of times do we pass by trees in a day, or see rain drops, and never give them a second thought. We know that they are there and that they have a function and a purpose but who thought of it? If someone tries to tell me that it all just happened I’m gonna laugh hysterically, its true, it all did just happen……………….but why? It’s obvious to me that there was thought and planning put into the visible world. What is being said by the millions of pictures of life and form we see in the earth? Well, it looks like to me that there is an artist out there that wants His works published. To see the ocean and never wonder about it is like having a million dollar sculpture of a Michelangelo in your living room and never taking the time to look at it and enjoy it. So, as it rains in Kansas City today I’m gonna keep marveling at its wonder and ask God why He does what He does. I invite you to stop, think, and marvel today, while it is still today.

Romans 1:18-20    “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse……”

Why I’ve decided to blog…

There is a need for people to speak up, to speak out. We, as people, have been numbed in our culture by so many things, our hearts are dead. My point is this: who will share their hearts and say something important, does anything mean anything anymore? Well, I think so and my desire is to find out what matters and how it matters and to say it, boldly and unashamedly. I am a believer in Jesus and I will talk about it! I hope everyone can get a picture of something true, something tangible, something that matters in this life. Join me as I wade through it all, and find a voice, a voice that actually has something to say. Who knows, maybe I can actually learn something through this little process that I didn’t know before and maybe you can too. I want a heart that’s alive and I wanna share it.                        in Him – nate