Jump-starting Spirituality // 3 Principles

 
     Wake up in the morning. Eat breakfast. Go to class. Eat lunch.  Go to work. Go back to class. Do homework. Eat dinner. Go to sleep. Repeat. That has been everyday of my year so far, and I know that many of you can relate. We live in a an extremely busy world that leaves little to no time to spare. Unfortunately  the time we dedicate to God is only what we can spare; we do it with our time, and very often we also do it with our money. How can our spiritual life survive our busy schedule? What must we do in order to sustain a vibrant relationship with God as we walk through the business of this world?

1. Give God all of it.

     I have heard so many times preachers say stuff like "Make God the first thing everyday!" and if you go to church regularly you have heard it also. While this is not necessarily a bad advice, it makes it easy to compartmentalize our life and give God just the first hours of our day, but we completely take Him out out of the rest. One of the best things we can do is to give Him all. I mean it! All of it! God needs to stop being the first item in our list and He needs to become our list.  If we look at spirituality in a holistic way even in the business of life we will be able to glorify God, and it will enrich our relationship with Him. The Bible says:

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)

 2. The Small Meals Principle. 

     People who are really into fitness often advice that instead of having three or two big meals everyday, one should try do do 5 or 6 smaller meals. Very often our fast-paced life will force us to do this in our spiritual walk. Sometimes creating the discipline of reading the Word of God during the day in multiple, small, chunks of time can do more for our spiritual walk than a rushed thirty minutes in the morning. We have the blessing of easy access to the Bible in most mobile devices. It helps to set reminders to pray or read small portions of Scripture before accessing social media. By doing this not only do we open a window for God to speak to you in the context of your day, but also keep us from starving spiritually. 

3. Make the Sabbath count! 

     If you are a Seventh-day Adventist, the Sabbath can be, ironically enough, one of the busiest day of the week. It is important we give the Sabbath back to God. This day was meant to be an oasis of spiritual refreshment and not a lets-have-every-possible-church-related-meeting day. Not only have we taken the day from God but we have attached to it all of these taboos of "dos" and "don'ts" that have zero Biblical support. As a result we make a burden out of a blessing. Jesus said regarding the Sabbath:

"Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27)

     Above all things we must remember that our spirituality is all about keeping a closer relationship with Jesus everyday. It is a mistake to systematize or attempt to create specific "one-size-fits-all" plans to improve one's relationship with God. The truth is that this is a very organic process, and while guidelines and principles are a starting point, the relationship each of us has with God is unique in its own way. The challenge is to not conform to where we are and grow closer to Him as we walk through this world.

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3 Things the Church Needs to Move Forward

     I love my church! 

     I cannot stress that enough. I am a "home-bred" Seventh-day Adventist, and I would never have it any other way. Because of the immense love I have for this movement, it occasionally bothers me where we are right now. In the last 10 years, I have visited Seventh-day Adventist churches in at least four different states, and only a few of them were "thriving," if you can call it that. Yet, every once in a while I hear someone cite statistics proving how "great" our church is doing. 

     But it’s all denial. 

     Truth is, we are struggling! We hide behind inflated numbers instead of acknowledging our struggles, and we allow things to get worse. But it is time for a change. Here are three things that I believe the church needs to do to turn things around.

1. Return to the Mission at Any Cost

"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit'" (Mt 28:18–19). 

     This Bible verse is what our church is all about! Or, at least, it should be. If there are a dozen "ministries" in the church and yet none are producing new disciples, then those "ministries" are useless! We have gotten distracted by our comfort and egocentricity, and have forgotten what our true mission in this world is. Going back to this mission will require painfully radical change. We have to turn our churches back to the world! We have become way too self-centered! Jesus' orders were to go out—not to come in! Our mission was never to bring people into our buildings and get them to be vegetarians. Our mission is to go out of our buildings and make disciples that will follow us back. It’s sad that people have to come into our temples on Sabbath to find out what we are all about, because they cannot see it in any other way. What is it going to take?

2. Get Rid of Our "We-Have-the-Truth" Attitude 

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'" (Jn 14:6). 

     Jesus' statement of self-disclosure was full of power. He identifies Himself as "the way," "the truth," and "the life." The theological implications of this statement are incredible. However, I want to focus on the second characteristic: truth. 

     God is truth. The most arrogant thing humans can say is, "We have the truth!" No we don't! Don’t get me wrong—I am fully devoted to our theological foundation as Seventh-day Adventists. But we cannot boast about having the truth because no one can ever fully know God, who called Himself the truth! The moment the human mind fully understands God, He will cease to be God. Therefore, it will never happen! We, as the remnant, have a prophetic role in the last seconds this world has left. We know some truth, but we will never have all of it. Yet some of us think we do. This mentality of "theological arrival" is what is keeping the church from moving forward in many cases. It has filled our hearts with an unholy pride and a sense of exclusivity that has made us lazy and undisciplined students of the Word. We need to once again become like the young men and women who started this church. They were willing to keep a teachable heart as they studied the Word of God and were eager to do whatever it took to follow His will. 

3. Embrace Change

"Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood" (Ac 15:19–20).

     The very first executive meeting the Christian Church ever had was all about change. There were a group of Jewish Christians who believed that it was necessary for new Gentile converts to keep all the ceremonial provisions, including laws about sacrifices, festivals, and circumcision. However, under the leadership of Peter the new movement understood the need for change. They recognized the necessity to move away from culture and tradition in order to bring the Gospel to the world.

     I once heard someone say, "We change when the pain related with the status quo becomes greater than the pain related with change." I have found this to be true in many areas of life, but especially within the church. There used to be a time when Seventh-day Adventists were the "cutting-edge" of technology in regards to proclaiming the Gospel to the world. Then technology evolved. But we did not. Change is necessary for any organization to survive. We spend too much time and energy coming up with "biblical" arguments to excuse our unwillingness to change, to leave the known for the unknown. Imagine how different things would be if we embraced change and used it as a launching board to bring the Gospel to this generation. We have to stop complaining about post-modernism, technology, and music styles and embrace them as tools to glorify God as we bring the Gospel to the world. 

     Family, it is imperative that we rethink our ways. The times in which we are living call for radical measures and it all begins with you and me. My prayer is that first, we are able to really grasp the importance of our commission to bring the Gospel to the world. Second, that we keep a humble and teachable heart so that God can continue to reveal Himself to this church. Lastly, that we remain committed to Him to the point of changing and letting go of all the traditional baggage that slows us down in the final stretch of our run.

   I love my church! 

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3 Leadership Tips for Ministry

   

     Leadership is something I have always been very passionate about. I have read many books about the subject, specifically on how it relates to church. I would like to share three things that have really helped me grow as a leader. Some of these come straight from the pages of countless leadership books; others come from private conversations I've had with very experienced leaders, as well as my own personal experience. So here we go:

1- Fight with your own armor
     There are many successful leaders who are great preachers, great visionaries, great administrators, and great strategists. In some way or another, these men and women have changed the way we do ministry and, sometimes, even the way we see the world. I observe time and time again very talented young men and women trying to fight in someone else’s armor, someone they look up to. The first thing that comes to mind is the story of David. While he was still very young, way before he became king, David decided he was going to fight a giant named Goliath. After trying to discourage the young man, King Saul offers David his armor to wear when he fights Goliath. Anyone remember what happens next? David tries it on and decides it is not for him. David had the chance to test drive the best armor in Israel; it was by far the most secure, the most expensive, and the most technologically advanced equipment in the market. It was perfect for battle but it had one flaw: it was not his own. If David had decided to wear Saul's heavy armor, he would have never been able to swing his slingshot around fast enough to bring Goliath down. Throughout our ministry, we will feel tempted by “great leader's" shiny armor. But remember that God has given you special talents meant to help you bring down giants. Do not settle for the shiny armor.

2- Character, not skills
     It is character, not skill, that makes a leader worth following. Skills are often easily learned and put into practice, but often times, they do not last. Character, however, is hard to build. It takes years of hard work and preparation, but every struggle is worth the trouble if we come out as men and women who lead from the heart. In shaping your character into one of a true leader, you will find many obstacles (take it from someone who is working on it day in and day out), but the biggest of them all is yourself. Through my experience, I have found that there are seven characteristics present in every leader:
     1. A Servant Attitude
     2. Passion for Purposeful Change
     3. Optimism
     4. The Courage to Overcome
     5. The Ability to Take Responsibility
     6. Authentic Integrity
     7. The Pursuit of Wisdom

     I will expand on this in another blog down the road. But the point is this: let it be your heart and character that leads others, not your skills. Do it for yourself and for those who follow you. One day your skills will run out of character to back them up and you will break your heart and the heart of those who supported you. If you are a leader, the best time to begin working on your character was ten years ago, but the second best time is today. Allow God and the Holy Spirit to work with you as you grow in character and lead to change the world.

3- Do not compare your life to someone else's highlight reel
     You really shouldn't be doing this anyway! I know it’s tempting to see how good the pastor down the road is doing, but too often, we see the success of others and feel distraught as we look at our own lives. I was recently talking to a good friend who has spent the past two years preaching all over the world. He told me that people approach him all the time asking him to give them the "key." Every time, his answer is "hard work." With a few exceptions, being successful in anything, including ministry, is the result of hard work. When we look at the artist that takes the stage week after week for thousands of raging fans, we might be tempted to think, "Well, he's got it easy!" But we fail to see the years he or she spent inside a recording studio when the public had no idea who he or she was. 

     When things are not going too well in ministry, in the workplace, or even at home, resist the temptation to look outside into someone else’s highlight reel. This is the tool the enemy uses to fill those with great potential to make a difference in the world with discouragement. Remember that those who are successful now once struggled just like you did or like you are struggling now.

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     These three simple pieces of advice have proven to be very effective in my own personal life and ministry. They have kept me on track even when I felt like giving up—sometimes, when success was right around the corner. However, as effective as these tips might be, don't forget that who you lead is not as important as who you follow. No matter what, always follow the Lord and lead others to Him. 

Photo Credit: http://goo.gl/vZR63X

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We Won't Be Shaken: Living When Life is Chaos

   We've all had one of those mornings. When the alarm didn't go off, you were late for an interview,  and your car ran out of gas. It feels like life has it out for you. Somehow you made somebody mad. Maybe God, maybe those dudes in the suits from the Adjustment Bureau. Somebody's pissed. And now so are you.

   Or you've had one of those years. The kind that rob you of your joy. It could be loss. The loss of a spouse, of a job, of a friend. A year that sees the stress of everyday life quadrupled, and you're sure you'll break under the strain.

   It feels like despite of how much praying, fasting, or Bible study we do, sometimes things never go our way. It is like the whole world is against us and there is nothing we can do about it. The truth is that whether you are a believer or not, for as long as we live in this world we will face times of crisis. That is something that is universal. We all have either gone through crisis, or are going through crisis, or will go through a crisis soon, that is just the result of living in a twisted world. The question that remains standing is what do we do when things are not going our way? What can we do when we are in the darkest time of our life?

Remember Who God Is

   When we are facing problems we often lose sight of the greatness of our God. We tend make our issues bigger and more powerful than the might of the One who created everything we know with His breath (Psalm 33:6). Sometimes we think our issues can hold back the One who held the Sun still in the middle of the sky (Joshua 10:12). Sometimes we think that wall in front of us, keeping us form moving forward, from taking the next step in our life, is way too big for the One who brought down the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6:20). But quite the opposite is true!

   The same God who delivered Israel in miraculous ways time after time, is the God who listens and answers to your prayers. He is the One who comes to your rescue when life is at is darkest. When you feel like surrendering to your circumstances, regardless of how you got there, remember that your God walks on water, and nothing will keep Him away from rescuing you (Romans 8:38).   

Know Who You Are

   Most of us suffer from a severe identity crisis, and times of hardship usually make it even worse. We forget who we are! It does not matter what the world around us says. People will try to define us by the circumstances in which we live, but the worst mistake we can make is to let the circumstances define our identity.

   Do not let a failed test make you believe you are a failure, or a lost battle make you a loser. You are more than what the world says you are. Despite the mistakes and despite the failures, you are still worth dying for. The crazy thing is that God not only says your worth everything to Him, but He proved it and sent His Son to die on the cross so that one day you could rise victorious over everything that is holding you down right now. Whenever the world tries to label you, remember that there is only one label that fits you: Child of God!  When nothing else is certain around you, know who you are. 

Live by the Promise

   Hours before Jesus was spiked to the cross for our sins, He told His disciples: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” (John 14: 1 - 4) We don't have to let the pressures of this world squeeze our hearts dry! Here is a promise worth living by! The same God who has the power to create, the Almighty One, He came to die for you in the cross of Calvary, so that regardless what the circumstances are you could have a hope worth living by. All we have to do is accept His gift of grace and have faith in His Word. Do not let the problems and the struggles of this life keep you from enjoying the promise of Paradise. 

   One of my favorite songs is "We Won't Be Shaken" by Building 492. Its a song with a catchy tune, and some great lyrics. But unlike most songs, that isn't what gets me with this song. See the first time the song was played was at a concert called A Night of Hope & Healing which was held in Newtown Connecticut a month after the Sandy Hook shootings. Every time the song comes on the radio, it sends shivers down my spine. The chorus proclaims:

"Whatever may come our way,

through fire or pouring rain. 

We won't be shaken!

No we won't be shaken!" 

Then the bridge explains:

"We will trust in You, we will not be moved.

We will trust in you and we won't be shaken."

  I imagine being a parent of one of the young victims. How much hurt and pain they were experiencing, and then singing "We will trust in You, we won't be shaken." Sometimes there are no answers to tragedy. Sometimes evil will blow your house down, but it doesn't have to destroy you.

   No matter where you are, remember who God is, know how much you mean to Him, and live by the promise of His return. When we hold on to these truths, we will not be shaken. Knowing them can make the difference when everything is chaos.




End Credits:
This post is Manuel's and Braden's first official collaboration. It was fun. If you liked it, share it, and there will be more. If you didn't like, don't share it. There will still be more.

Image Source: http://bit.ly/1LtL0lI 

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