Tag: Jesus (Page 19 of 22)

Advocate
Almighty
Almighty God
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Captain of Man’s Salvation
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Carpenter
Carpenter’s Son
Chief Cornerstone
Chosen
Chosen of God
Christ
Christ Child
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Christ the Lamb
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Creator of All Things
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Emmanuel
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Finisher of faith
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God of Thy Father
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God’s Holy Child Jesus
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I AM
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Jesus
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Judge of Quick and Dead
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Lord Jesus
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Shepherd
Son
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Son of Man
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Son of the Everlasting God
Son of the Highest
Son of the Living God
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Stem of Jesse
Teacher Come from God
True Vine
Truth, the
Unchangeable One
Way, the
Well Beloved
Wisdom of God
Wonderful
Word of Life
Word, the
Worthy

Sorrow Comes. Jesus Overcomes.

HopeThe last few weeks have been difficult for so many of my friends. From the loss of loved ones to scary medical news, it’s been rough. The thing that pulled me into reality is the fact that each piece of news came out of nowhere. I’ve always known this is the case with tragedy, most times. Tragedy doesn’t typically call and say that it’s coming to visit. Instead, it kicks in the door and ravages everything in it’s path.

Sorrow comes.

It’s inevitable. No one is immune. Tragedy will come violently crashing into your’s or a loved one’s life. In that moment there is little that can be said to comfort or make sense of it. In those moments, sometimes the best possible answer is to simply be with the one that is hurting.

Jesus said “For wherever two or three are gathered in My name, there I Am in the midst of them.” Let me first point out that the “I Am” Jesus used is the same one that God used with Moses and the same one He routinely used to identify Him and The Father as one. He was telling us that HE, the presence and power of God, would be in the midst of them. Secondly, let me clarify that Him saying this doesn’t mean that He isn’t present when we’re by ourself, He is. He meant that He honors the gathering. I’ve said this a number of times before and I’ll continue to say it; we can experience Jesus in all His glory and completeness when we’re alone, but there is something different that happens when we gather. As the saints gather together, there’s a fullness in Christ, through that community, that cannot be experienced any other way. Because Jesus loves His church, because He honors the gathering, He shows up in a different way bringing with Him a fullness that is nearly undefinable. The gathering is important, but not just for Sunday morning service. The part that we rarely talk about is that this promise isn’t reserved solely for celebration. Jesus’ promise isn’t relegated to happy moments of singing while we gather in a building for an hour every week.

I would offer that as much as Jesus’ promise is for celebrating together, it’s more for when we gather to mourn together. When we gather in two or three to grieve and mourn, Jesus is in the midst of that; present with all the power and presence of God. In those times He brings a fullness that is translated through His people into His peace and comfort. In that we are encouraged and reminded to hope in Him; to cling to His completeness and enoughness.

Corporate grieving is just as important as corporate celebration. We see it throughout the bible. There are so many times in the Old Testament that it says Israel gathered and mourned as a nation. After Jesus was crucified many of the disciples were together, mourning, when Mary told them the tomb was empty. Gathering together to mourn will look different for different people, but it’s still an element of Gospel-centered community that can’t be dismissed. We gather to encourage and remember Jesus’ promises. Promises like, He has overcome the world, He will wipe our tears, He is with us, and He will return. In Him there is all hope.

Jesus Overcomes.

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A New Year isn’t a New Life.

New-Years-Resolutions-SysAdmin Every year we wait in gathered anticipation for the chiming of the bell that will signal the new year and with it the hopes of new beginnings. We take stock of the previous year and assign levels of disappointment or satisfaction to help formulate our plan for the next 365 days. Our entire culture, from the big screen to social media, suggest that if we can just make it to 11:59 pm on December 31st, we’ll be alright. But that isn’t the truth. The hanging of a new calendar doesn’t guarantee a fresh new start. I don’t want to be a complete killjoy, so I’ll admit that there’s something about the scent of anticipation that is intoxicating. And, to be fair, the starting of a new year and a calendar free from the ink of the previous “to dos” does allow for a good launching point for starting… or restarting.  Goal setting should be as much a part of the tearing off of the December page as it is the rest of the year. So, while a new year doesn’t guarantee a new start, it does provide the possibility of one.

While a new year doesn’t guarantee a new start, it does provide the possibility of one.

TWEET THIS!

But, for so many people, they approach the new year with excited anticipation only to have their hopes for newness dashed once the “magic” of the holiday fades into the normalcy of everyday life. They look around and see that nothing has really changed; they’re still in debt, maybe deeper from over-reaching Christmas, relationships are still broken, maybe depression still drowns them or their loved one is still gone. For many the escape from pain or disappointment was temporary; measured in mere days. The hope of the new year that we’re peddled is mostly an illusion. It doesn’t take into account the realities of most people’s lives.

This isn’t the case for everyone. There are some that are in a great place in their life; tragedy or hardship hasn’t yet crashed down their door. The new year is a time of great reflection, in which they decide what bad habits they are going to abandon and which good ones they’ll adopt. And they have the will power, discipline and accountability to do it. To those I would say, don’t forget that there are those, in your life, whose new year started with dragging the chains of 2014 into 2015. There are people in your life whose 2014 ended with hurt or whose 2015 started with it. Don’t forget them. Be a light to them. Walk with them through it. Remember them by being with them and loving on them. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” Comfort them, don’t try to fix it, just comfort them. For those that can’t see a new year past the despair caked lens of 2014, I’ll say this, there is hope. While everything else is uncertain and turbulent, God is not. James 1:17 gives us a promise to hold onto. It says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” While every other area of your life may be uncertain and ever-changing, God is not. We are able to trust the promises of God, through Jesus. Life may not make sense right now; it may not fit with how you thought things would be or how you want it to be, but there’s still hope. God, through His people, can provide the comfort you need to bear your circumstance. Reach out to someone and hold on.

We are able to trust the promises of God, through Jesus.

TWEET THIS!

Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting that if you hope in God all your problems will vanish; they won’t. But God has given His people to grieve with you, to comfort you, to be with you and to sustain you, so that you don’t lose hope. I wish I had answers for our “Why!?”s, but I don’t. All I can offer is my time and my prayer. If I know you, and we’re in close proximity, you can have both, just let me know. If neither apply, my prayer is still available, just let me know (I promise I’ll pray for you).

Top 5 of 2014

FiveI can’t believe another year is gone and let me just say, WHAT A YEAR! I retired from the military, moved my family across the world, started a new job and welcomed our DAUGHTER into the world! Banger year, I say.

As far as blogging goes, I think I did a little better this year. I posted almost 3 times a month. This year I plan on upping that to once a week. I’m also hoping this will be the year that I complete one of my major projects. Anyway, without further a due, here’s the Top 5 of 2014.

1. The Best Gender Reveal You’ll Ever See…

Of course the number one (and two) most popular posts has to do with our biggest news… Hazel Dae. I think it was the most popular for two reasons. First, it was news that a ton of people were waiting to hear. Second, the video (created by my mucho talented friend, Jeremiah Karr) was EPIC and Harry Potter themed.

2. I Fell in Love Twice!

This is the story of our Hazel; from prayer to home birth, it’s all here. It’s a great story about God’s promise and His faithfulness. It also include my perspective on our home birth, which I’m now a huge fan of, and a link to my wife’s blog about the birth story, which is put together so eloquently.

3. Jesus Didn’t Say That!

This post was my offering to the same-gender marriage conversation. Hopefully it contributed in a positive way. The Christian stance on the LBGT community should be the same as with every other “community”… love, without exception or expectation.

4. God Doesn’t Have a Plan for Your Life.This is actually an article that I’d intended on writing for a long time, but wasn’t able to until my frustration hit a point that it had to be written. So many times, during difficult life seasons, well-meaning Christians say, “It’s all part of God’s plan for your life.” without giving a second though to how ridiculous it is to believe that God wrote divorce or a child’s death into your life plan. If we’re talking about Jesus and you say that, kudos to you, you’re spot on! If I’m sharing a personal tragedy and you say it, I may punch you.

5. Repent All Ye Sinners! 

Let me just say, I love Christians. I really do; they’re my people. But we have, and continue to, say some really dumb things. The way we’ve communicated repentance to non-Christians is one of those things. While the intent is always good, the delivery isn’t always the best and the end result can be messy, if not damaging. This article was an attempt to flesh out the idea of repentance for both Christians and non-Christians.

So there you have it, the Top 5 of 2014.

See you in 2015.

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