Time to die!

“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” John 15:13 (NASB)

              A strong majority of people (including myself) read this scripture and immediately think of the situation of dying heroically to save another person. To fully explain the thought, consider the movie/tv cliche: there’s a man with a gun threatening the life of one character and another character screaming “Nooo!” jumps in the way off the bullet just in time. I believe that we would all like to think ourselves brave enough to take a bullet for the people we care about, but I don’t believe that this is the only point the verse is trying to make. We jump to this conclusion simply because it’s stated by the man who died for all of mankind’s sins (Jesus), representing that He has loved us in the highest way. It also may have to do with our action-obsessed culture in America, but that's a different story all by itself.

              Jesus didn’t just make sacrifices when it came to His death, but His entire life up to that point was filled with selfless acts.  Hopefully, you and I may never be entered into the situation where we get to prove our courage by jumping in front of a bullet. So how can we show or even help our love of those around us grow by everyday life? Simple. Give your life up to those people. An hour spent listening to a person you love rant about how their co-worker is just so rude to them, is an hour spent giving your time and attention to them. We live in a culture that generates a lot of self-centered lifestyles, but you can simply share the greatest love just by giving up a bit of your money, time, and attention. There are people around you who feel weary, broken, and alone. We, as Christians, personally know the love of Christ, while some people don't even know what love feels like. Live your life with purpose and give your love to them as Christ would.

Carl J. Bromley

It's a messy world out there.

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me (Jesus) you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” John 16:33 (NASB)

                Let’s face it; this world is a messy place. In all honesty, I am not very good at keeping this verse or principle in mind. It’s way too easy to look at the obstacles of life and feel hopeless, but that’s what these words are for. There are two very important keys to this message. The first is simple; you and I will have tribulation and trials. There is not a word, which leaves it open for an optional road, such as “you MIGHT have tribulation” or “IF you have tribulation”. Rather, it states it plainly as a cold fact, which to some may seem like a heavy burden to carry, but Jesus immediately brings warmth into the verse. The second key is that we can and are commanded to take courage, because of the fact that Jesus has already overcome this world.  We fret over grades, jobs, and money and in one hundred years, when we’re all dead, none of that is going to matter. What IS going to matter is our relationship with Christ or lack thereof. Re-adjust your eyes to the one who has overcome the race, rather than the track filled with obstacles.

               It's funny and ironic that I post this later than I normally do for my blog. I worked a twelve hour shift today (not complaining, I like money). This is just further proof that a lot of the time things don't go as planned all of the time, but that's okay! I had a great day today and though it was long it was very fulfilling and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Keep in mind that sometimes when things don't go the way we really want it, it can end up in our favor. Get your mind in the game and enjoy life's little curve balls. 

Carl J.

We are Covered (Part 1)

"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” Matthew 6:26 (NASB) 

                Being a twenty-two year old, working as a manager at a Pizza Hut, and struggling with payments on bills, you can easily see I’m not really living what most would call the “American Dream”. For almost a year now I have been saving up to get a new laptop. It drives me insane how close I have gotten only for a car to break down or some other random circumstance that has forced me to break my metaphorical piggy bank and lose all of my fun funds. I have a hard time not getting frustrated with my circumstances, but that is an awful outlook on things isn't it? (I actually wrote this a while back and now have my laptop, which is such a blessing. I'm very thankful to be able to use it to write update this post right now! Funny how it works too look back).

 Right now you might be thinking of some item that your piggy bank is specifically for and you’re just feeling so empty because you lack this item in your life. I have watched people on social media complain about being broke. That is a sad statement. I’m writing this on a great computer and you are reading this on some form of electronic device. You and I are far from poverty. In fact, we’re beyond blessed. According to Poverty.com about twenty-one thousand people die a day from hunger or hunger-related causes. Twenty-one thousand. I chose to write today to remind all of us of what we should be thankful for and I chose the verse so that we can remember who blessed us with these wonderful things. I genuinely hope that our statuses or statements of lament over not having the new iPhone will turn to praise and thanks that we even have food to eat; in fact, we are much more important than the birds and God takes care of them pretty dang well. Don’t allow your life to be dictated by stuff, but rather be happy with what you've been given already.

January 5, 2015

Hebrews 3:12-13

“Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling way from the living God. (13). But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today’, lest anyone of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

I definitely know what it’s like to have a hardened heart. I have been in places where all I feel is anger and apathy. I have had people nickname me rain cloud before, mostly because my cold disposition and my scowling face. Call me Scrooge. What turns a person into this little ball of bitterness? Well, for me, it was being wrapped up in sin. I was doing things I knew for a certain to be wrong, whether you look at it from a spiritual or an ethical code of morality, it was wrong. I got to the point where I didn't really feel guilt or shame anymore. It’s a terrible place to be in. I thought by being a person who didn't give a crap over anything would mean I wouldn't feel bad, but that was just a short lie that I bought with no return receipt. A hardened heart can’t learn, can’t grow, and most importantly, can’t love. Life is pointless without love. I just didn't even have a reason to get out of bed in the morning. It killed my aspirations, my passions, and my relationships. How stupid of me. Sacrificing all of life’s greatest treasures for the world’s worst trash.

                I love the fact that the verse says as long as it’s called today, encourage each other. What I love to see in this verse is not some kind of Christian pep rally; that we pat all of ourselves on the back for giving a homeless man a five dollar gift card to McDonald's but rather people just living out their lives in love. That goes for everyone. Don’t talk down to the person taking your order at Chili’s. Let your coworker talk about their new video game that they’re excited about. Don’t be condescending towards those who have different beliefs. Despite of who they are at that moment or who they have been in the past, Jesus loves them and so should you. I don’t know how to make that any clearer. There are a lot of people with hard hearts towards Jesus because of His followers. Your “bad mood” or close mindedness can be the actions to turn another’s heart toward the deceitfulness of sin.