genuine motivation: young christian man oct/nov 2013

8/14/2019 Genuine Motivation: Young Christian Man Oct/Nov 2013

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FFENDED?HATDOESNTMAKEYOURIGHT

RE You Great

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publication of On My Own Now Ministries, Inc.

More than conquering

The opposition

2013 OCT
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in thisissue...

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FOREMOST

Just because youre OffendedDoesnt mean youre RightBY JASONMOORE

REALRELATIONSHIPS

Guys Dont Ask for DirectionsBYSAMHARRIS

DESERTJOURNALS

A Soldiers TreasureBYCHRISMILLER

CORNEREDBYGRACE

Ordinary Greatness

BYROBBEAMES

CANYOURELATE

In it, Not of ItBYTHOMMOLLOHAN

PRESSON

How to More than Conquer

the OppositionBYWILLDOLE

G E N U I N E M O T I V A T I O N

Yo u n g C h r i s t i a n M a n

Oct/Nov 2013, Vol. 4

On My Own Now Ministries, Inc.,

Publisher

Rob Beames, Editor

Editorial Support

Jonathan Braschler

Donna Schillinger

Page Design

Contributors

Rob Beames, Steve Braun

Will Dole, Sam Harris,

Chris Miller, Thom Mollohan,

Jason Moore

Except where noted, content is copy-

right 2013 On My Own Now Ministries.

Articles may be reprinted with creditto author, Genuine Motivationand

www.OnMyOwnNow.com.

On My Own Now Ministries, Inc. is a

nonprofit organization with a 501 (c)

(3) determination. Your donations

aid in our mission to encourage faith,

wise life choices and Christ-likeness in

young adults during their transition toliving on their own.

We welcome submissions of original

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Visit us atwww.OnMyOwnNow.com.

SPIRITUALBRAWN

Pushers Get PushedBYSTEVEBRAUN

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JUSTBECAUSEYOUREO F F E N D E DDOESNTMEANYOURERIGHT

BYJASONMOORE

Arecent television commercial was metwith outrage. The commercial showsa mother explaining how important it

is to get a good price on the name brandclothes that her son wants to wear. Next,we see the young man eating lunch withfriends at school as the mothers voiceovercontinues, I hear these clothes can make or

break your year. Poof! His friends disappear.Its clear from the mothers voice that shewas quoting something her son had said tomanipulate her. Drama erupted days afterthis commercial hit the air. The companywas accused of promoting bullying. Peopleclaimed that the company was endorsingthe idea that kids should be alienated for not


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having the right apparel. I used to twist myparents arms in a similar way. I told themthat if I didnt get the shoes, pants or shirtthat I desired, I would be mocked openly by

the entire school. It was dramatic stu, andsometimes it even worked. As the father ofthree small girls, I hate that anyone mightbe shunned because of what they are orarent wearing. My kids wear quite a fewhand-me-downs, like I did when I was a kid.I certainly hope that doesnt expose themto bullying. I hate the idea of any kid beingbullied for any reason. The Bible teachesthat all people arecreated in the imageof God and shouldbe treated withdignity as a result.When I irst sawthis commercial, Ididnt view it as aconcerted eort topromote bullying. Isaw it as an attemptby a clothingretailer to sell pants.I didnt expectsuch an uproarconcerning it, butonce it happened, I knew what to expectnext. Predictably, the retailer promptlypulled the ad and issued an apology. Publicopinion actually seemed to be on their side,but the customer is always right. In themarketplace, some loud complaints and alittle bit of controversy is enough to force

change. Its not so important to determinewhether or not this commercial wasoensive, but it does serve to illustrate howeasy it is to oend in our current market andhow the oended party can quickly force theoender to change.

As actor and comedian Ricky Gervais putsit, Some people are always going to be

oended by what you say, but just becauseyoure oended, that doesnt make youright. As an entertainer, Gervais takes therisk of oending people to get laughs and

tell a story. As an outspoken atheist, he takesthe risk of oending people to get his pointacross. Gervais says some oensive things,but his words regarding being oendedand being right are absolutely correct. Justbecause we are oended doesnt meanwe are right. We need to ight throughthe oense and have real dialogue aboutour issues. But it seems there is a new

controversy everyweek. Someone isalways oended aboutsomething and thepolitical correctnessmovement has createda marketplace inwhich it is oftenassumed that theoended party isright. Even whenthose oended arenot right, protesterscan cause the oenderto back down. Thishappens locally and

on the national stage. This atmospheremakes it dificult to say things that might bedeemed unpopular or oensive. It makesit dificult for the church to ind its voice.Some take great pride in being oensive.But there are others who welcome dialogue.Many churches desire to be a safe place

where people can talk humbly and openlyabout dificult things. In a politicallycorrect marketplace, it can be hard to enterdialogue without the fear of being oensiveor oended.

When we talk about the things of God,we should be able to talk honestly aboutwhats right without having to worry

When we talk about thethings of God, we should beable to talk honestly aboutwhat's right without havingto worry that, if someoneis offended by the truth, it

invalidates what we just said.

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that, if someone is oended by the truth, itinvalidates what we just said. We shouldntbe constantly faced with the threat of beinghijacked by the assumption that someone

is right just because they were oended.Otherwise, the truth of God may be stiled.In reality, the basic message of the Bible isoensive to us all in one way or another.This is easily demonstrated by one of themost well-known passages in the Bible:John 3:16. Jesus presents the beautifulmessage of a loving God Who wants to savepeople. If we take it one phrase at a time,it seems harmless enough. For God soloved the world...good... that he gave his

only son...good... that whoever believesin him would not perish...good... but haveeverlasting life...good. Taken one piece ata time, this verse seems agreeable and notat all oensive. Its much like the episode ofFriends where Rachel accidently combinesthe ingredients of a trile and a shepherdspie. She ends up with a dessert that includespeas, onions and beef. Eaten all together, thelavor is oensive. Everyone hates it exceptJoey. Ross looks at Joey and quietly declares,

It tastes like feet. Joey responds, Whatsnot to like? Custard, good. Jam, good. Meat,good. Only Joey can appreciate the good ineach separate ingredient. When we take allof Jesus words and put them in context, theybecome oensive. Why did God give us Hisonly son? He was to serve as a sacriice forour sin. Jesus assumes that all human beingsare sinners and need to pay for their sin.Thats oensive! Not only are we described assinners, but we are also so completely messed

up that we cant even save ourselves. Weneed someone else to do it. All the hard workand self-help books in the world cant helpus to be good enough before God. We cantbe more oended than that. Jesus assumesthat all people not only die physically, butwill also perish eternally. When we die wewill either receive eternal life because of our

belief in Christ or face the judgment of God.If we werent oended before, we certainlyare now! The core of the gospel can be trulyoensive to those who will not accept it.

What should be a glorious story of a GodWho loves us enough to save us is perceivedas oensive by millions of people who refuseto believe it. What we believe about God isso important. Rather than assuming we areright because we are oended, we need topursue what is right even though we may beoended. The oended may simply need tolighten up. The oender may need to be moresensitive. Either way, we need safe places toenter into honest dialogue. By laying aside

sensitive attitudes that are easily oendedand by seasoning our words with grace andunderstanding, we can help create avenues ofhonest talk about the things of God.

Jason Moore is a church-planting pastor withthe Presbyterian Church in America. More thanthat, he is a child of God saved by His amazinggrace. It is his hope that, come what may, Godwill use his life to display the love of God andmake His goodness known.


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BYWILLDOLE

The arrival of a critic is not a sign thatyou should stop, says humorist JonAcuff, pointing out our prevailing

tendency to flee opposition. Our defaultsetting is to run from adversity, cowering

in fear. If we set our minds on an endeavor,undertake a project, or espouse a view,mere criticism can usually shut us down.We often reason that if it were Gods will,it would be easy. Teachers who promiseease, peace and prosperity to those whohave enough faith encourage this sort offleshly thought pattern. It makes sensethat, if opposition or difficulty indicatesa lack faith, then we ought to avoid suchtreacherous roads. But this is not the

perspective of Scripture. The ApostlePaul writes, But I will stay in Ephesusuntil Pentecost, because a great door foreffective work has opened to me, and thereare many who oppose me (1 Corinthians16:8-9). Paul clearly saw opposition as agreat opportunity, an open door. Rarelydo we consider opposition a reason to staythe course. Perhaps if the opportunity isgreat enough, we might even stay put inspite of opposition. However, Paul didnt

say he was remaining in Ephesus in spiteof opposition. It seems that the merepresence of opposition may have actuallybeen a motivating factor for Paul to standfirm. Perhaps opposition isnt necessarilya bad thing. Our natural tendency is toassociate opposition with a closed door.Reading Pauls situation in Ephesus, weare reminded that Jesus told His disciples,If anyone will not welcome you or listento your words, shake the dust off your

feet when you leave that home or town(Matthew 10:14). At first glance, this versemight lead us to believe that when weare presenting the gospel, we only needto continue as long as its being received.If there is rejection, we can immediatelymove on to a more receptive place. Butwould Jesus have instructed that Hismission be left incomplete? It would makemore sense in the light of other scriptures

Press On

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that the disciples were to stay and finish sayingwhat Jesus sent them to say, whether it waswell received or not. Only after their workwas complete and they finally left, shaking thedust from their feet signified the end of anopportunity for the towns people to respondto the message, placing the accountabilitysquarely where it belonged. The disciples wereto do everything possible to reason with atown, but there would be a time to move on,and when they did, the judgment would fall onthose who would not respond. The disciplesdidnt have to carry the burden of the townslack of response around on their shoulders.After faithfully completing their task in theface of opposition, the disciples could move

on with a clear conscious, leaving the unbeliefof the town behind along with the dust of thetown. We are not accountable for how peoplerespond to Gods message. We are, however,responsible for our own faithfulness. We mayfind ourselves in a Paul-like spot, called to ahostile place filled with tangible persecution,such as the one described in Acts 20:22-24,And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am goingto Jerusalem, not knowing what will happento me there. I only know that in every city the

Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardshipsare facing me. However, I consider my lifeworth nothing to me; my only aim is to finishthe race and complete the task the Lord Jesushas given methe task of testifying to thegood news of Gods grace. In these situationsit is important to know that persecution isnot an anomaly or some unique experience. Itmay be part of Gods design for us. Yet mostof us dont face that kind of persecution. Inour posh, comfortable, 21st Century lifestyles,

many of us do not even have the ability totruly comprehend what persecution would belike. We tend to think Christians are supposedto be loved, or at least well-liked, but we arecalled to live a life that may eventually causeus to be hated, not loved, persecuted, not liked.Jesus reminds us, If the world hates you, keepin mind that it hated me first. If you belongedto the world, it would love you as its own.As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I

have chosen you out of the world. That is whythe world hates you (John 15:18-19). Thatsnot exactly the way we want to advertise forchurch membership. But Jesus said that theworld hated Him, and because He called usout of the world, were going to be hated, aswell. Paul has a similar message in 2 Timothy3:12, In fact, everyone who wants to live agodly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.Its ironic that, although some see Jesus asthe key to earthly peace and happiness, theBible describes Him as a free ride to divisionand persecution. The reason we need to hearthese words from Scripture is that we need toexpect opposition. Claiming that an unbornhuman has a right to live is considered hate

speech by our world today. Defining marriagesolely as the union of one man to one womanis considered narrow-minded bigotry. Telling alittle boy that he cannot use the girls restroomis now discrimination. This is our reality today.If we go further than basic moral principlesand discuss such things as the exclusivity ofChrist for salvation, the enemies will rise innumber. These things impact all of us, not

just vocational pastors. If we desire to workwith our hands to earn a living, we may be

pursuing something that a lazy, entertainment-worshipping culture cannot support. And if wewant to make disciples of all nations, or eventhose next door, we will encounter resistance.But resistance is not a reason to abandon ourcause. As we are told in Philippians 1:29, Forit has been granted to you on behalf of Christnot only to believe on him, but also to sufferfor him. We are also reminded in Romans8:35 that this will not be our undoing. Whoshall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall

trouble or hardship or persecution or famine ornakedness or danger or sword? No, in all thesethings we are more than conquerors throughhim who loved us. God has placed each of usin a unique situation to be used for His glory.We each have different people to impact, giftsto be used and issues on which we must make astand in an opposing world. We must view thisas our opportunity. The door for the gospel,though opposed, is wide open! t

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ne thing Ive discovered about young,Christian men is that we want to appear

strong, capable and independent. Welike to be able to do things on our own withconfidence rather than depend on others tohelp us or complete us. Its why we have thecomical stereotype of the guy not stoppingto ask for directions when hes lost. These are

not necessarily bad qualities, but if taken toextremes, they can become so.

God wants us to be content in Him in ourparticular stage of life, single or not. But thatcontentment should not make us so overly

confident or prideful that we ignore our basic,God-given need for human companionshipwhile closing our hearts to others around us.My past relationship disappointments forcedme to become more content in God and in

myself without a girlfrienda good thingbutthey also trapped me in a subtle way. I startedto think that I was too good for a relationship. Ifelt so self-sufficient that I didnt feel the needfor love or affection from anyone. I began to

feel superior to those who were experiencingthe romantic desperation that I once had. At

times I even grew angry and bitter, not at thegirls who had hurt me in the past, but at ourrelationship-obsessed society as a whole, the

media or even well-meaning friends and familywho would tell me things like, You just needto find the right girl for you! I would respondinaudibly with something like, No! I dontneed a girlfriend. Im perfectly fine on my own,

and nobody out there is good enough for meanyway! I would sometimes shy away from girlswho got too close to me or from friends who

tried to nudge me closer to such dependentrelationships. I had convinced myself that

being single and satisfiedor maybe just beingcynical against relationshipswas somehowbetter and nobler than seeking a lovingrelationship with a young lady.

Worse than this, I tricked myself into

thinking that I was in a good place in mylife. Since I was no longer desperate for arelationship, I thought I had become more

Real Relationships

Guys Don't Askfor DirectionsBYSAMHARRIS


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mature and closer to God. I felt morallyjustified in my militant anti-relationship stance.

I didnt realize at the time that I had onlytraded one extreme for another. God wasnt

pleased with my mindset any more than I was,

although I had convinced myself that I was.I dont recall exactly when I had a major

breakthrough shattering this crippling attitude,but it did happen. I still sometimes find myselffalling into the pride of thinking I dont needanyone else. I have to readjust my thinking.Whatever gradual, yet positive, change that

Ive seen has come from listening to the wisecounsel of God and to wise friends whoconfirmed His truth about this issue.

A few key verses and principles helped me

reconsider my prideful position. For example,Genesis 2:18 says, It is not good that manshould be alone. Although Pauls advice in 1Corinthians 7:32-34 still leads me to believethat some are called to a life of singleness, Godcreated man with a need for companionship.

This encompasses all aspects of relationships,including wives, close friends and fellowbelievers. None of us should think so highlyof ourselves or our abilities that we becomeconvinced that we can make it through life

and serve Gods purposes in isolation withoutreceiving needed support from others.

Even though I believe romantic relationshipsare not essential, they are good things whenthey are centered on God. Solomon wrote

in Proverbs 18:22 that He who finds a wifefinds a good thing. Romance and marriage,in addition to other kinds of companionship,are part of Gods blessings on mankind. Evenif were not involved or interested in this kind

of relationship ourselves, we should not resent

them or oppose them as I once did.Also, although contentment is a good thing,

becoming content and confident in our ownstrength is a bad thing. The author of Proverbs

30:8-9 asks that he not be given riches, becausethey may cause him to forget about God. Thismonetary principle can be applied to the rest oflife, as well. If we achieve everything we need,then why would we need God? Sometimes, we

need to be kept in a place of need for things

like money or relationships, so we can bereminded to depend on God in every situation.We cant get by without human companionship.We need Gods presence in our lives even more,especially when we think we dont.

Once weve realized these important truths,we can be more open to the possibility of aromantic relationship and to admitting ourneed for human companionship, even when wefeel like we dont need anyone else. We can be

more willing to give people a chance, riskingthe possibility of getting hurt again. We dontwant to shut down from everyone or hardenour hearts beyond repair. As with many thingsin life, we should strive for balance between

the two extremes of desperation and isolation,

between craving romance and pushing peopleaway. Maintaining this balance is a constantwork, but we can be more aware of the pitfallsto avoid.

We should learn to become content inwhatever relationship God has given us for now,romantic or not. Yet we should remain open towhomever God may bring in our lives and towhatever blessings He might choose to bestow

on us, even if they go against our own radicalnotions of what we decide is best for our lives.

He leads us to good and beneficial things, andHe knows what those things are better than wedo. Let us never be so presumptuous, so prideful

and arrogant, as to think that we dont needHim or those with whom He has surrounded us.

Sam Harris is continuously striving to followJesus Christ more closely and to love othersmore fully. He is currently pursuing an M.A.in English at Liberty University in Lynchburg,

Virginia, where he also works as a teachingassistant for English classes. He enjoys writingnonfiction accounts of his life experiences, aswell as science-fiction and fantasy stories andthe occasional poem. He would like to be ateacher, a writer, or a superhero when he growsup. You can find his blog at www.sirrahleumas.wordpress.com, or like Samuel N. Harris onFacebook.


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BYTHOMMOLLOHAN

CANYOURELATE

Faith for Healing

Iknow a young man with a T-shirt that hasa solid black background with a globerepresenting the world, drawn in silver-gray

brush strokes. Beneath this image in bold whiteletters are the simple words, In it, not of it.

From what I know of this guys life, it appearshe believes what he wears. Ive never actuallyasked him what the message means, but I have atheory. I believe it encourages himself and othersto take seriously Gods call to walk with Him andto avoid the path that the world suggests. TheScriptures are compelling as they warn us not tolive according to the attitudes that are commonto the cultures and societies around us. Do notbe conformed to this world, but be transformedby the renewal of your mind (Romans 12:2 ESV).

Living a godly life simply means living a God-likelife. We do not live according to the pace set by asecularized or pagan society that, by denition, isestranged from God. Paul tells us, For althoughthey knew God, they did not honor Him as Godor give thanks to Him, but they became futilein their thinking, and their foolish hearts weredarkened (Romans 1:21 ESV).

Some might assume that godliness is the same ashard-core asceticism, but its not. Denial of self,so that Gods ways can be lived out through us,does not mean we become taskmasters of rulesand laws. Living strictly by the law can set us up

for pride and/or condemnation. We cannot liveaccording to the rigorous and legalistic demandsof a religion based on human righteousnessbecause, as the Bible indicates in Isaiah 64:6,our righteousness is like lthy rags in contrastto Gods holiness. What we consider righteousis actually sinful degeneration compared to theperfect requirement of God.

Neither does godliness permit us to liveaccording to our sensual impulses. As we read in

Romans, Those who live according to the eshset their minds on the things of the esh, butthose who live according to the Spirit set theirminds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mindon the esh is death, but to set the mind on theSpirit is life and peace (Romans 8:5-6 ESV). So,living a godly life means that we come to knowthe mind and heart of God by prayerfully readingHis Word and allowing His purposes to supplant

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the selsh things that dwell within us. Both prideand eshly desire contend for supremacy in ourlives. To live a godly life also means that we are lessaected by what is pressure cooked into us fromour culture than what is cultivated by Gods Spirit

within us. All of this only happens when our livesare joined with like-minded believers who share inour walk with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

What it means for us to be godly is that we walkclosely with Him in whatever context He placesus and that we consider his will for our lives when

we make our daily choices. A pastor has no moregenuine capacity for personal holiness than doesa used car salesman good to know, especiallyfor the used car salesman. A monk has no greater

opportunity for living a life pleasing to God thandoes a carpenter, no matter how many times thecarpenter hits his thumb with a hammer!

We are godly when we seek to give Him rst place

in all our plans. We are godly when we forgiveothers as He has forgiven us. We are godly when

we give thought to the poor and needy aroundus, as well as the orphans and widows in ourcommunities, as we become living extensions ofHis hands in this world. We are godly when ourcommitment to do the right thing prevails overthe temptation to compromise by selling out inour business dealings. We are godly when weremember our promises and covenants, doingeverything it takes to keep them. These eorts can

range from returning our neighbors lawncare toolsto keeping promises made to our children, fromfullling a job contract to honoring the vows wemake in our marriages.

Godliness simply means to think thoughts, dothings and generally live life on Gods terms. Itsessential that we learn to do so. The churchs onlyhope of really pleasing God today is to make its top

priority the living out of Gods Word in practicalways on a daily basis. If there is no real power inthe lives of Christians, and the church seems tohave little eect on the surrounding culture, it isbecause weve lost interest in living life on Gods

terms. Lets get back on track. Lets make Godsways our ways and discover that they really werethe right ways all along!

Thom Mollohan and his family have ministeredin southern Ohio for the past 18 years. He is theauthor of The Fairy Tale Parables: Classis FairyTales Pointing to Gods Love and Truth, CrimsonHarvestand A Heart at Home with God. He is thepastor of Pathway Community Church and may

be reached for comments or questions by email [email protected].

A monk has no greater opportunity for living a life pleasingto God than does a carpenter, no matter how many times thecarpenter hits his thumb with a hammer!

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http://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Tale-Parables-Classic-Pointing/dp/1604419180http://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Tale-Parables-Classic-Pointing/dp/1604419180http://www.amazon.com/Crimson-Harvest-Thom-Mollohan/dp/1462689558/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364949993&sr=8-1&keywords=crimson+harvesthttp://www.amazon.com/Crimson-Harvest-Thom-Mollohan/dp/1462689558/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364949993&sr=8-1&keywords=crimson+harvesthttp://www.amazon.com/Heart-Home-God-ebook/dp/B00CB0OF2Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379088979&sr=8-1&keywords=a+heart+at+home+with+God+Thom+Mollohanmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.amazon.com/Heart-Home-God-ebook/dp/B00CB0OF2Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379088979&sr=8-1&keywords=a+heart+at+home+with+God+Thom+Mollohanhttp://www.amazon.com/Crimson-Harvest-Thom-Mollohan/dp/1462689558/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364949993&sr=8-1&keywords=crimson+harvesthttp://www.amazon.com/Crimson-Harvest-Thom-Mollohan/dp/1462689558/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364949993&sr=8-1&keywords=crimson+harvesthttp://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Tale-Parables-Classic-Pointing/dp/1604419180http://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Tale-Parables-Classic-Pointing/dp/1604419180


12/18

CORNEREDBYGRACE

BYROBBEAMES

Apparently the Baby Boomers and Generation Xneed to make room for Generation Y, also calledthe Millennialsthose born from the early 80s

to the turn of the millennium. They are believedto be extremely motivated to contribute to causes

which have huge impacts on the social good, on theircommunity and on society as a whole.Its difcult to criticize such commendable goals, butlike any generation, Millennials are characterized bysome negatives, too. Along with an increasing senseof entitlement and a proclivity toward narcissism,they have been attributed with a growing guilt trip,

believing they are squandering their lives if theydont complete great missions in the name of Christ.Such causes and higher callings may cause someChristians to feel inadequate, sub-par or altogetherlacking.

Anthony Bradley, associate professor of theologyand ethics at The Kings College in New York, wroteabout what he calls the missional Christian,claiming it results from a new type of legalismin churches across America. He says, Todays

Millennial generation is being fed the message thatif they dont do something extraordinary in thislife they are wasting their gifts and potential.Fortoo many Millennials their greatest fear in this lifeis being an ordinary person with a non-glamorous

job, living in the suburbs, and having nothingspectacular to boast about.

Are we really called to this kind of greatness?Speaking to Phillip, Jesus said, Very truly I tell

you, whoever believes in me will do the works I havebeen doing, and they will do even greater thingsthan these, because I am going to the Father (John

14:12). This verse sounds like we should be doingmore amazing things than even the disciples didin the name of Christ, things like saving the lost,performing miracles and driving out demons. Theseare good things, but Jesus was not impressed byextraordinary missions. He warned, Not everyone

who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdomof heaven, but only the one who does the will of myFather who is in heaven. Many will say to me onthat day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your

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name and in your namedrive out demons and in

your name perform manymiracles? Then I willtell them plainly, I neverknew you. Away from me,

you evildoers! (Matthew7: 21-23). These wereevildoers, not for the greatthings they had done, but

because they failed to enterinto a relationship withChrist. In contrast to grand and astonishing deedsnotice that these acts were not discreditedJesussays that only the person who does Gods will mayenter the kingdom of God.

So how do we do the will of God? Thats a big

topic, but we know it is Gods will for us to trust inChrist alone for our salvation. Thats a big part ofit, if not all of it. Jesus summed up the entire lawof God with a couple short statements: Love theLord your God with all your heart and with all yoursoul and with all your mind...love your neighboras yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang onthese two commandments (Matthew 22:37-40). The

Westminster Confession of Faith says our chief endis to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. Its notas complicated as it seems. The trouble is that we faileven in these requirements, leaving us with nothing

to rely on but what Christ has already obtained for us.While on earth, Jesus did not focus on huge

numbers or great spiritual feats, but on simple actsof kindness done to those who society may haveconsidered insignicant. Jesus thought it noteworthyanytime someone welcomed one of His disciples,although they were unknown to the afuent of thetime: And if anyone gives even a cup of cold waterto one of these little ones who is my disciple, trulyI tell you, that person will certainly not lose theirreward (Matthew 10:42). It was to the childrenand the seemingly insignicant that Jesus said topay attention: Whoever welcomes this little childin my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomesme welcomes the one who sent me. For it is theone who is least among you all who is the greatest(Luke 9:48). Jesus taught us, not to aspire to greatthings, but to strive to become the least compared toeveryone else. It seems that becoming ordinary andinsignicant is the path to greatness. God may useus for remarkable, saintly accomplishments or toimpact signicant numbers of people with His grace,

but our focus should be onthose things often consideredinconsequential to the world.Paul conrms this messagefrom Jesus, Rather, inhumility value others above

yourselves (Philippians 2:3).As John the Baptizer put itwhile speaking of Jesus, Hemust become greater; I must

become less (John 3:30).We should carry this same

attitude of humility in our service to God and believethat our ordinary lives are great!

Each time we give up lying on the couch in orderto help someone, young or old, with a simple task,is that not great? Any time we give to others that

which we could have kept for ourselves, is that notan amazing work of Gods Spirit? Every moment wedeny ourselves and put the designs of others aboveour own, is that not a miracle? Are not the years ofhonest work, faithful friendship or loyal commitmentto our companies, communities and church evidenceof greater things than we could accomplish in ourown weaknesses? Our ordinary responsibilities aregreat when they are done out of joy and thankfulnessto our God.

All of us live with a deep-set calling to greatnessbut then roll out of bed to address ordinary, daily

struggles. While we should constantly aim to keepGods kingdom rst, its good to remember that weall have different, yet equally important roles tofulll in that kingdom. One responsibility is no moreapproved or rewarded by God. It is our faithfulnessto each of our individual callings, no matter howinsignicant they may seem, which should remainour primary focus.

Our challenge is to keep the guiltfor what wehavent accomplished or for our failuresfromrendering us unfaithful in what God has called usto do. Most of us dont need to do bigger and betterthings for Christ. Most of us simply need to do thethings well that we know God has asked us to do.

Although they are given to us by God, these missionscan be considered common. They are routinelydiscounted and overlooked. They should not be!Because Christ is now with the Father, we have thepower to complete each ordinary mission which HisSpirit calls us to. In Him we can do great things byfaith. (I believe He wanted me to remind you of this.)

t13GM

Most of us don't need todo bigger and better things

for Christ. Most of us

simply need to do thosethings well, which we knowGod has asked us to do.


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For where your treasure is, there your heart

will be also (Matthew 6:21).

Paul Tripp makes a statement in his book,Instruments in the Redeemers Hands,that Life is one big treasure hunt. He

goes on to explain that we all seek the thingswe value most in our relationships and in thesituations in our lives. When we think aboutthis concept and what it reveals about ourhearts, we have to admit its an incriminatingtruth.

InSoldiers of God, Robert Kaplan tellsabout the large amount of time he spentwith the Afghani Mujahidin in Pakistan andAfghanistan during the Soviet occupation inthe 1980s. Along with covering some of thehistory of Afghanistan, its people and foreigninvasions, Kaplan details much of the lives,character and general ber of the people he

came in contact with as he reported on the

war. He told of his travels with the Muj asthey went to and from the eld of battle. Theylived simply in what we in the West wouldcall extreme hardship. It was the norm forthem. Reading about how people live in suchharsh conditions with relative contentmentmakes one wonder why we seem to struggleso much among our many comforts.

Does it seem that we are constantly seekingcomfort? In Acts 14:22, Paul and Barnabas

spoke from rst-hand experience as theyadvised, We must go through manyhardships to enter the kingdom of God. Ofcourse, thats not the route we would willinglypick to get there.

The perspectives of these two books collideto illuminate our hearts in a moment. Theseare not new points of view; they are well-

DESERTJOURNALS

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BYCHRISMILLER

DESERTJOURNALS


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known, but not quickly acknowledged. Deepdown we really dont trust God as we should,probably because we want Him to providewhat we want, rather than what we need.

Perhaps this is because most of us desirethings that God knows we dont really need.We may sometimes long to be kept safeas we pursue our own, selsh plans, eventhough they may conict with Gods plan forus. Often we dont want to be with God asmuch as we want these plans to succeed.

Kaplan also described the Muj as having asimple but total dependence on their god,without needing material comfort. They may

have worshiped the wrong god, but theyfollowed and trusted that god in ways thatput many of us who claim Jesus as Savior toshame. If we would follow Christ like theyfollowed their god, we could turn the worldupside-down with the love of Christ. Most ofus dont display such a strong faith, at leastvery often, but this is our calling. Jesus said,Whoever wants to be my disciple must denythemselves and take up their cross daily andfollow me (Luke 9:23). We are to nd our

security in Him, not in the comfort offeredby the world. When we realize we dont needthe worlds comfort and are fullled by God,then we can love those around us withoutbeing concerned about what we may get outof it, since we already have all we need inGod.

What do we treasure most? Is it Godspresence and desire for our lives, or is theresomething else that we think we need? Weknow the answer when we examine our self-centered goals. Why does it seem that ourdreams and goals arent aligned with Godsvery often? Why do we dream by defaultof earthly security? Perhaps we should askmore of these questions when we start tobelieve that God has failed to provide whatwe think we really need. Our desires are soeasily swayed and turned to things that will

ultimately fail us.

Yet God has never failed, nor has He failedus, but we do fail Him regularly. Because

we have failed in our sin to live up to Godsstandard, Jesus came and lived a perfectlife on our behalf. Jesus took the penaltyrequired for our sin and gave us the benetsof His perfect life. No, Gods love will neverfail us, even when we fail to pursue Hisprovisions, His comfort and His plans forour lives. How could we treasure anythingabove Him in light of such a great love?What should a soldier of God treasure most?Jesus is asking us to give up our worldly

dreams for the plans He has for us. Some ofthose plans may fulll our dreams. Othersmay not. We are not omniscient, so when werely on our own understanding we can getlost in the world. We think we see, but onmany levels we are blind. We seek our ownjoy, pleasure, glory, etc., but in reality this isa death-wish we cannot endure. What He hasdesigned for us in the end is so much betterthan all that we see now, but we settle for somuch less. Dont settle for less than Jesus

has planned for us!

Chris Miller is a retired marine who usedjournaling to help strengthen his faithduring overseas active duty militaryservice. By Gods grace, he hopes thesethoughts and references will help others getthrough the desert times in their lives. Heis a devoted husband, loving father of eightand is currently preparing for a full-time

role in ministry.

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16/18

For those of us who grew up with siblings,

especially brothers, the occasionalaltercation was inevitable. When conictoccurred, it was common to hear someonecry out in defense, He pushed me rst! Alecture often followed about how it didntmatter who started it. I may have even beenaccompanied by the reminder that pushersalways get pushed. Perhaps youve heard itsaid that what goes around comes around,but either way, most of us understand thatwhen we incite trouble with others, especially

physically, wed better be prepared to handlewhat weve dished out to others.

Meditating on various passages of Scripture,we easily discover a connection between theseproverbs and reality. The Bible repeatedlyreminds us that there are real consequencesto our actions. For example, the Sermon onthe Mount reminds us, Do not judge, or youtoo will be judged (Matthew 7:1), and a few

verses later we read the Golden Rule, So in

everything, do to others what you would havethem do to you, for this sums up the Lawand the Prophets (Matthew 7:12). In oursinfulness, we like to push people around, butit may be surprising to learn that God is thebiggest pusher of them all.

God doesnt push anyone toward evil, as weoften do, but He does push us into His goodwill. We may have even heard testimoniesfrom others describing their salvation as the

moment in which Christ dragged them kickingand screaming into the kingdom of God. Thisisnt to suggest that God forces salvation onanyone, but He does save even those who maybe actively pushing against the gospel withoutany hope. In fact, thats the way we all were,even if we havent realized it yet.

None of us can be saved until God in His gracechanges our hearts of stone into hearts of esh

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PUSHERS GET PUSHEDBYSTEVEBRAUN


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through the saving work of Christ appliedthrough His Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26-27).What a great mercy it is when God pushes thehardness of our hearts away with His greatgrace in Jesus Christ! We know that all havesinned and have fallen short of the glory ofGod (Romans 3:23), and this emphasizesthat we can neither save ourselves nor pushour way into the kingdom of Godno matterhow hard we try.

We sometimes marvel at how quickly thePharisees pushed against this essential truthor why anyone would oppose the gospel ofgrace that Jesus Christ proclaimed during Hisearthly ministry, especially when Scripturewarns against pushing our agenda over Gods

will. But are hearts have the same dangerousbent. The disobedience in the Garden wasnot only the rst sin of mankind, it wasa statement that our own will was moreimportant than Gods plan for us. Its like wesaid to God through Adam and Eve, Excuseme, but we know better than you! Insteadof following one perfect law from God to livelife to the fullest, we leave ourselves to die thedeath that comes through not being able tolive up to a thousand expectations. We maythink we would have done better than therst couple, but our daily stubbornness andselshness prove otherwise. It seems no oneagrees with each other; no one is satisedever!

It doesnt seem like we learn very quicklyeither. Even as we continue to grow andmature in Christ, we still seem to pushagainst Gods will in our lives. There are manyexamples in Scripture of believers pushing

against God, but God always presses themback toward repentance. Consider Jonahthe prophet and his rebellion against Godsmission for him to the Assyrians in thecapital city of Nineveh. We are often guilty ofthinking that we would never go against Godin such bold and ridiculous ways as Jonahdid. What arrogance on our part! A healthyspiritual life regularly examines itself throughthe reections shown to us in the Word of

God. We all have had moments in our liveswhen we turned tail and ran away from Godsclear calling. It may not have been a call tovocational ministry such as it was for Jonah.It can be as subtle as a tug on our hearts tomeet with a friend who needs help after theloss of a loved one. Many of the things Godmay ask us to do may not show up on theradar of the spectacular, but there are a lot ofmessy situations which beg us to administerthe gospel of love to others. How many timesdo we chose to exchange a God-given task forthe blissful numbness of comfort, abundanceor apathy? Yet even when we fail in theseways, Christs death still is being appliedto us daily as we repent before God. If we

confess our sins, he is faithful and just andwill forgive us our sins and purify us from allunrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Thankfully, Gods grace does not stop pushingeven after our salvation. In a sense, believersfeel His pushing more acutely since ourbodies have been transformed into templesof the Holy Spirit and we can now discernspiritual matters.

Pushers always get pushed. Considering the

good plans God has for us and His lovingdesire that, as Hebrews 12:10 says, we mightshare in His holiness, getting pushedisnt ultimately a bad thing. As believers, ifwe push, let us push away our own selshtendencies, our desires to avoid being takenbehind the divine woodshed for the loving,painful, discipline of our Father (Proverbs3:12). Let us push toward the heavenlysummons of God to mold us into the imageof Christ Jesus, and let us no longer push

against Gods passionate desire for us todo good works which He has prepared inadvance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

Steve Braun resides in St. Charles, MO and isa husband, father, property repairman andpastoral candidate who seeks to encouragebelievers to grow in the grace and knowledgeof Jesus Christ.

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Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to HidePsalm 139 (how I would say it)

To: Music Director

From: David

Memo: Heres something you can set to music.

Master and Ruler, you have thoroughly examined me and you know me.

You know every time I sit down and every time I get up; despite the distance that separates us,youre able to read my mind.

You know when Im going out and when Im turning in; you know me inside and out.

Before a word leaves my mouth, you know what I am going to say.

Its like Im in a cage and youre holding me in the palm of your hand.

Such intimacy blows my mindtheres no way I could ever know someone so well.

Is there anywhere I can go away from you? Is it possible to escape you?

If I were to go into deep space, youd be there. If I could camp out on the ocean oor, youdbe there.

If I could surf the early morning horizon or oat along the where the ocean meets the sky, eventhere your hand would be guiding me, holding on to me tightly.

I might say, When it gets dark, Ill be able to hide, but there no such thing as darkness to you.To you, even night looks like day and darkness like light.

You see, you created my inner core; you knit me like a sweater when I was in my motherswomb.

I am amazed by how you made meits too awesome and incredible!

I have no doubt that everything you do is astonishing.

You could see right through to my skeleton when I was being formed in God knows wherewhen I was being woven together in the womb of the earth.

You saw me when I was just a shapeless blob of cells, and you wrote in your book the story ofevery day I have been destined to live, before I lived even the rst one.

I cant tell you how much I value your thoughts, God. Their sum equals innity!

If it were possible to count them, it would be like me setting out to count the grains of sand onevery beach in the world.

I wake up every morning, and I am still with you.

Theres just one thing, God. Its these evil, bloodthirsty men. I wish youd mop the oor withthem! They always mouthing off about you and disrespecting you.

Master and Ruler, dont I hate anyone who hates you, and loathe everyone participating inthe rebellion against you?

All I feel for them is hatred, and I consider them my enemies.

Examine me through and through, God, prod and probe and dig into my anxieties. Let meknow what you nd that doesnt please you, and guide me along the way to eternal life.

genuine motivation: young christian man oct/nov 2013

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