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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2 Reflections on God's Calling (Part 2)

Reflection 2 - God is a Coach

            Going to school to be a pastor is an experience unlike any other. While my college years were some of the best years of my life, something strange happened near the end. As I progressed through my Senior year, I started to hear stories from professors about how they told God they would go anywhere but…(you fill in the blank). New York. California. The City. The country. The South. The mission fields. You get the idea. The punch line was that they ended up exactly where they hoped they wouldn’t.

            After a few dozen stories like that a strange idea took shape. I remember thinking that God would either call me to the one place in the world where I wouldn’t want to go, or he would keep from the places that I did want to be. I would catch myself absurdly trying to not think about the places I didn’t want to go. Because He just might send me straight there: “Do not pass Go, do not collect $200.” It was especially difficult because I was attending a school 2200 miles from my family. As time went, it got harder to keep a picture of a God that cared about me. At times I had to talk myself down from the ledge of seeing God as a cosmic jokester using my dreams and desires against me. Of course I never let people see that uncertainty, after all I was studying to be pastor! So I embraced the fatalistic humor and joked about pastoring the 1st Church of my Wor

st Nightmare.

            Then the interview process started. I revised my resume, organized it into a folder with examples of my skills, strengths, and connections. I put on my best suit, tie, and smile. I went into small rooms with other men in suits and answered their questions. A few weeks later, yet more interviews. I became a pro at telling the story of my “Call to Ministry.” Explaining my strengths, priorities, and goals. Describing my devotional life. Speculating on the best response to conflict. Outlining my action in a new church. The interviewers mostly came from places like Georgia, Pennsylvania, Maine. I came from Oregon. Those were some of the most conflicting months of my life. I wanted to be called to a church. I wanted some reward for the energy I put into my interviews. But I really didn’t want to end up on the East Coast. When graduated and the last interview was over and I still hadn’t received a call, I felt a mixture of fear, shame, and relief. I was confused.

           I've come to realize that there is beauty in that kind of confusion. Like dissonance in music or suspense in a story, it signals that something important is happening. Besides, everything beautiful comes out of pressure, heat, pain. From diamonds to infants. The Christian walk isn’t different. If you haven’t felt pressure, confusion, and frustration in your faith, you’re not even in the kiddy pool yet. You’re rolling in a puddle at the edge and you’re missing out. Missing out on a life of risk and danger. A place where that in-over-your-head feeling would drive you crazy, but you know that you're only here because God brought you here and has His reasons. So you learn to live in over your head, because you never really are when He's around.

            I’m in Idaho now, the Ministry Lead at a Radio Station. The story of how I got this job is one for another post, but I will say it’s the most challenging experience of my life. There are days when I feel no hope that this thing will work. When I feel like I’m a huge poser and they’re gonna figure it out any day now. Then God does things. Things like letting me talk to a woman who chose not to end her life because of the ministry I’m a part of. He lets me pray with depressed people and talk to people mourning the loss of their baby. Then He stops me and tells me to look back and when I do and I’m amazed at where we’ve come.

           See, I’ve learned that God isn’t a jokester. He’s a coach. Him calling me isn't to prove his authority, but to grow my faith. Sometimes its terrifying, shameful, and hard. But the pressure is not meaningless. Like any coach He guides, leads, and always has my best interest at heart, but sometimes I need Him to make me drop and give Him 20. I need Him to make it tough! I need Him to make it real.

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2 Reflections on God’s Calling (Part 1 of 2)

After weeks of silence, mostly a result of graduations, cross country treks, new jobs, farewell parties, welcome home parties, and other little things, we are starting a series of posts on a topic that is close to both of our hearts: The Calling of God. It will be a series of 5 reflections on the calling of God in each of our lives.

Reflection # 1 - God has the right to tell you what to do

Sometimes in our culture of freedom and opportunity, we get the idea that if I’m not a pastor or missionary, then God has given me freedom to live my life without his interference. So the thing that I do to earn money, becomes my career. The people with whom I share life become my family. The church where I choose to worship becomes my church. Yes, I will give some of my money to my church because I think its important and it gives me a nice tax break.

God’s only impact upon my life is contained within the 1 hour a week that church occurs. If I choose to go to Sabbath School then I should be commended for my commitment. Anything that occurs during the week, especially on Sunday, which is my day, will be subject my schedule but only after it is run by that highest of authorities: my feelings. If someone at the church happens to do something that offends me or, heaven forbid, I find out that someone in the leadership has been compromised, I have the prerogative to discontinue my support of the church. After all it is mine.

Now that I am finished jumping on the toes of every reader of this post, please understand that I am ranting against something that I see in my own life.

I think that the atmosphere of grace and freedom that Christianity is based upon has, at times, made us forget what so much of the Bible screams out. God is God. He is the Creator of the Heavens and Earth, the Bringer of floods and protector of the innocent. He casts down kings and builds up shepherds. He has the right to tell you what to do! That is not to say that God is a tyrant. He is nothing of the sort. In fact he often gives us opportunities to make choices. That is part of what makes Him so wonderful. David reflects on this in Psalm 8:3-5

“When I consider the works of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,

the son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings

and crowned him with glory and honor.”

David’s point is that when we look at the work of God’s hands, we can be nothing but humble. When we know who God really is, when we understand that God spoke and the universe came to be, our petty power struggles suddenly seem utterly childish.

One of my biggest pet peeves are pedestrians at cross walks who walk out into traffic without ever looking around to see what is coming toward them or acknowledging the cars who are stopped to let them by. Its not that I don’t like giving them the right of way, I am perfectly happy doing this. What bugs me is the complete lack of respect for the drivers. Think about it, the only reason why those people are alive, is because the drivers bearing down on them respect the law and value the lives of the pedestrians. In America, at least, this is so ubiquitous among drivers that we pedestrians take it for granted and assume that it is our innate right as a pedestrian to walk in front of oncoming traffic and that said traffic will stop if we are in a crosswalk. No! There is nothing innate about it. There are no force fields protecting you as a pedestrian. You are not bigger and tougher than the Ford F-350 that is slowing to your left or the Semi that is stopped on your right just because you are between two white lines. Those vehicles could and would flatten you if their drivers chose to do so.

The same is true of God. So often we live our lives likes those pedestrians. So taking for granted the fact that God gives us the privilege of making choices that we make those choices without ever acknowledging that God is allowing us this privilege. This is what the Bible means in Proverbs 3:5-6:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

 The first step in knowing God’s calling on your life is to know that God has the right to tell you what to do. He has the right to turn your life upside down. He has that right because he made you and saved you and gives you life and love. Every. Single. Day.

Next time we will discuss why God calls us. Is it just because he likes telling us what to do? Or does he have a greater purpose?

           

  

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School, Semis, and Bread

I have always been a good student. Not perfect, but I knew what to do to succeed and I would accomplish those things. I have been blessed because school was always easy for me. If I had an idea of what I needed to do, I could do it with a minimal amount of time. 

I cannot stress the blessing that this has been in my life, I also cannot take any credit for it. I was given a gift for learning just as everyone reading this blog has been given gifts. Each person has something that God has given. Some are talents given at birth, maybe music, or the ability to connect with people, or an undeniable common sense. God also gives us skills or learned abilities. For example, my dad can back a semi-truck with a trailer in a perfectly straight line at what has to be the speed of light. I doubt he was born with that ability, although if he was, it certainly wasn’t passed to his son. The fact is, he can drive extremely well because he has been driving semis since…well forever. Other gifts we are given upon our conversion, the Bible calls these spiritual gifts. Gifts like prophecy, evangelism, encouragement, and hospitality among others are gifts given by God specifically to build up the church. Every Christian is given at least one gift of the Spirit and if you are not sure what yours is I heartily encourage you to begin finding out.

A few mornings ago I woke up a little early and had a short devotional.

I had been reading out of Proverbs and that morning I read from chapter 10. Proverbs is seems to be a string of wise sayings that don’t seem to connected apart from their wisdom. But when you read an entire chapter some themes come through. The difference between the wise and foolish, the ultimate destiny of each. The diligence of the wise always reaps bounty, The desires of the foolish are forever unmet because of their laziness. 

It really hit me then how much I had been wasting. How I believe I am called to a purpose, I have worked hard in years past to achieve what I have gotten. But now I am wasting so much of what God has given me. In fact, I’m using his gift as a crutch so I waste as much time as possible. 

My own selfishness and foolishness hit me like one of my Dad’s semis. I confessed and asked how he could still use me. I saw the reality of myself before God. That I can’t even use the gifts he has given me well. Honestly, I have had every opportunity. I have every advantage. I was raised in a Christian home. I was part of the Church from the beginning. I went to Christian schools, had Christian friends, and have on occasion even enjoyed Christian fast food. (Honestly, who doesn’t love Chick-fil-a!) It is so easy for me to think I’m somehow better than someone else who has experienced disadvantage. Yet what have I done with my advantages? All to often I have wasted them. All to often I have lived a life of least resistance. All of this was going through my head when the Holy Spirit brought a new thought to my mind. 

In John 6 The Feeding of the 5000, one of the most important miracles of Jesus' ministry, is recorded. It reads, 

"After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.(6:1-15)"

My question is, how much did the boy waste before he brought the food to Jesus? Did he drop a couple loaves on the way? Maybe he had some figs for dessert that he ate first. The Bible doesn’t say. Why doesn’t the Bible say? Because its irrelevant. The amount of food that the boy started with is not the point. Say the boy started out with 9 loaves and 12 fish, would it have been easier for Christ to feed the 5000? No; it wasn’t resources or gifts of the boy that fed the people, it was the power of God. 

Does the waste of our resources make an impact? Of course it does. But only because those resources weren’t placed into the hands of God. Any gift that isn’t surrendered to God is wasted, its just that some people waste their gifts more efficiently than others. If we insist that we are the ultimate authority in our lives, then we are wasting our gifts. Whether we use them for Grand Theft Auto, McDonald's, and a nap, or for Mutual Funds, kale, and a marathon. Gifts given for the glory of God will always be wasted if used for the glory of man.

Ultimately the wisdom of the Proverbs is the wisdom of the boy. I still have a lot to learn, I still am struggling with taking the gifts of God for granted and wasting what he has given me. But I realize that it is only when I place those gifts as depleted as they might be, into the hands of God that I will cease to waste them.

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Shine!

  Light shines the brightest in the darkness. When I was in Cuba, power outages were not uncommon. As a matter of fact, the newspaper often published a schedule with the dates and times of the power outages for each zone. For some reason, our zone always got the worst of it. We were always scheduled for night time darkness. If that was not enough, I guess the guy in charge of turning the lights back on always fell asleep or did not like us or something because we always enjoyed darkness for longer than we were supposed to. It was not fun. 

  There is something about the darkness that paralyzes us. Every time the lights went off, everyone in the room sat still and quiet until dad turned on a candle. That single candle made all the difference. It brought life back to the room. The light on that candle would have gone unnoticed in the middle of the day when the sun shines bright. It would have gone unseen if there were power, its light eclipsed and overpowered by the ceiling lamps and light bulbs. But in the midst of the darkness the flame on the candle always shines the brightest.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

  Jesus said this in His famous "Sermon on the Mount." Jesus was talking to a very wide variety of people. People from all different walks of life had met there to listen to the words of the Master. Some of them had little to nothing in common, but they all knew Jesus. To this group of people who knew Him, Jesus said: "You are the light of the world." My question to you is the following: Do you know Jesus? If you do, then He is calling you to be light. As a matter of fact, "light" is not something Jesus is calling you to do; it is what He is calling you to be. The world needs you to be the light. What are we doing with our flame?

  There are two things that make our flame invisible. The first is more light. It is hard to see a candle in the middle of the day. Hiding our light in the light is probably one of the biggest temptations that those who know Jesus face. It is easy to preach about the love of God to those who already know Him. It feels good to hide behind majestic churches where we talk about the light all the time. It is easy to get comfortable with so much light that we become afraid of darkness. We become so afraid of the darkness destroying the world God called us to save that we decide to ignore it. The crazy thing is that we have gotten so good at ignoring it that even though our lights are becoming darkness, we continue to tell ourselves that we are the light. My question is this: Can you see your light? If you look around you and all you can see are people whose lights seem to shine brighter than yours, then step out in the darkness so that others who have been consumed by darkness can see you and "give glory to your Father who is in heaven." My challenge is be a light in the darkness. The world needs to see the Jesus that you know.

  The other thing we do with our light that makes it invisible is hide it. I remember one Sabbath morning I was on my way to church. It was about a 30-minute walk from my house to the church. So, like a good Christian, I was wearing my suit and tie, and I was carrying a leather Bible under my arm. Everything was going well until one of my friends from school saw me and asked me if I was going to a wedding. I was a little surprised about the fact that my friend had failed to see my leather Bible. So I explained that I was going to church. Then with disbelief on his face my friend said, "And you are a Christian?" My heart broke.

  That day I came to realize that I had hidden my light so well that, even when I carried an oversized Bible in my hands, others could not believe that I was a follower of Christ. They could not believe that I knew Jesus. I had hidden my light for the sake of my comfort. I had placed my lamp under a basket because I was afraid of being rejected. I wanted to be what those around me liked me to be, not what they needed me to be. Being light is not easy, but we must keep in mind that is who we are, who we are called to be.

  I want my flame to burn. Jesus promises to keep that flame alive when we hold on to Him. He promises to walk by our side as we step out of our comfort zones and let the world know of His salvation. Are you ready to take your light to the darkness? Shine!

photo credit: Herr Olsen via photopin cc

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