Dirty Love: It Ain't Easy to Love Like Jesus, But We Kinda Need To.

It is not an uncommon occurrence for people to tell us about a problem that they are having. After all, they are either griping and grumbling or they have a legitimate dilemma in their life. In the event of having a legitimate problem, they need someone to be there by their side. Yet, in our culture, we are often too busy to give people that support.

Christians are called to live in a sacrificial manner, loving people in a way that is anything but beneficial from the Earthly viewpoint. Would loving that person inconvenience you? Would it make you late for something? Would you lose productivity? If you can answer yes to any of those, then you probably should go ahead and do what you can to show love. Love is dirty and difficult.

So, what are some ways to show love to people? Perhaps you'd like to know how and simply cannot think of a way. Well, here's a quick list of things that I thought of. There are many more, but I hope this gets you thinking!

1. Say nice things. When someone is having a hard time, or even just trying to get through a normal day (which is hard enough, amiright?!), they could almost always use a word of encouragement. Job was not having a good time of things when he lost all of his possessions, children and own personal health. It appeared that God had completely abandoned him, and he could have used a little bit of cheer. Instead, his friends opted to shame him and try to get him to confess whatever sin he had committed to make God do this. Job even calls them out on it in chapter 16, calling them "miserable comforters." How often are we miserable comforters, either failing to support at all or filling their lives with all of our "advice" about how they can get out of their situation?

Rarely does the person going through a breakup, battling a health issue or failing a class need more advice, especially not in the midst of their darkest hour. What people need more than anything is support and love, letting them know that we are there for them. If there is a sin problem causing their issue, it should be addressed, but not in the form of a brutal chastisement. Think about how you'd feel in their shoes, and respond with love.

So send someone a little note. Say they look cute (in a non-creepy way...) or notice their new hair. Compliment their Tervis tumbler (those are still popular, right?). You never know how far that brief word of positivity can go.

[Side bar: someone who really understands this is Hannah Brencher, the founder/starting blogger at www.moreloveletters.com. Go check out their work. It's officially one of my favorite things right now.]

2. Do something nice. Sometimes people just need to know you are thinking of them. When Jesus saw the crowds hungry in Mark 6:34, the Bible says that He "had compassion on them." He then proceeded to give them a simply dinner of fish and bread (for 5,000 people!). Now, this does not mean that we must feed crowds of people, but it does mean that we have compassion for people in need and be willing to go out of our way to do a little something for them.

Bring them coffee on a cold morning. Surprise them with a little gift that they mentioned in conversation a while ago. Drop some food over at a friend's room during finals. Scrape the snow off their car. Pay a drive-thru meal behind you, or maybe even just give someone a ride home when they need one. It's the little things, y'all.

3. Spend time with them. People get lonely, and that can actually increase during the holiday season. Be willing to make time in your schedule for the people in your life that need you. You and I are likely surrounded by a group of people that could use a little bit of our time. So what if you're busy? I get it, that is usually my excuse, too. But Jesus, ruler of all, stepped out of His eternal rule of all things that exist, have existed and will ever exist in order to walk around Israel for a few years, spend time with some rather dense individuals and ultimately die on a cross and rise again for our benefit. If He made time for the people that deserved His least (note: that's us), then we can give up an hour (or afternoon!) somewhere in our schedule for people that need us.

Go grab lunch or tea. Give them a call and talk about life. Watch basketball with the kids. Drink hot cocoa with your elderly grandparents. Help someone fix their car (unless you're more likely to break it more, and in that case go with them to get it fixed). Show that your schedule is not as important as the people around you.

People need love. Simple as that. Our lives should not be so pristine, and I know that mine has been far too clean for far too long. Love is dirty and difficult, and loving people the right way (the Jesus way) is hard work. So be willing to put in the time and effort to do it. It can be as cheap as a hug or a little smiley face on an index card stuck between the keys of their keyboard. It ain't easy, but it is necessary for the Christian. No efforts are perfect, but all efforts are better than the one that doesn't happen!

Go out, and by the end of the week, I want you to do one thing for somebody, and then shoot me an email at thefreedbug@gmail.com. Lemme know how it went. After all, I could use some more ideas on how to love people myself. :)

A Word to Young Ladies...From the Christ-Following Guys Out Here

This post is written to all of those young Christian ladies out there, from the point of view of a young Christian man. Hopefully, some of the young ladies that are following God out there will see this and be helped to see where the heart of many Christian dudes my age (college-aged) is. I don't tend to write more personal posts like this one, but it's really on my heart today, so enjoy. It's about to get real up in here.

Dear Ladies,

There is a massive problem on our college campuses (and in the world as a whole): the idea of a biblical man is becoming a rarer and rarer goal for guys our age (I'm sure I just got an "amen" from some of you). Dudes are simply not willing to man up and be the spiritual leader anymore. In fact, being a spiritual man isn't all that popular, in general.

However, there isn't only bad news. The God-fearing man is not extinct, and in many ways, is making a comeback. Many college-aged guys are striving to follow God in a more real and serious manner these days. While the total number of us may be few, there is a population of young men that are trying to follow after God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength.

Yes, we stumble. We fail. We don't always have it together. We may even fall in front of you. Yet, we exist. While many of us are growing in Christ, we are also not meant to be alone. This is where you come in.

This same group of men is looking for you. Ok, not you specifically. That would be creepy. We are looking, however, for a woman that is truly running after her Lord and Savior. We are searching for a girl who has sold out and given all that her heart can give to Christ and her walk with Him. We are in pursuit of a woman that sounds like the words of Solomon in Proverbs:

"Charm is deceptive and beauty

is fleeting,

but a woman who fears the Lord

will be praised."

-Proverbs 31:30, HCSB

You see, a nice appearance is great. This is not a letter suggesting that you swap the gym for the couch. No, I'm instead encouraging you to go deeper and deeper in your walk with God. Fear the Lord. Love Him. Be passionate about His mission, reflect His heart and walk in His grace.

All of this is to say: ladies, your Christian walk is important to us, as well. Not every guy is into yoga pants and low-cut shirts; some guys are into a woman with a bible in her hand and prayers on her lips. If you want to truly attract a God-fearing man, reflect the words of Proverbs 31 instead of Cosmo.

Don't be afraid to be that kind of woman. Encourage us to be the men of God that we should be. If both men and women in the Church would encourage the other sex to follow the Lord with all their heart, and help each other do so, there could be a lot of happy young men and women, all serving the Lord with all they have.

My prayer is that my generation would grab hold of this. I pray that young men would step up and take their walk seriously, becoming the spiritual leaders they are made to be. I pray that young women would put aside the opinions of the world and run headlong after their Savior, becoming the God-fearing woman of Proverbs 31. I pray that men and women of the Church would come together and serve our King in His mission, and I pray that y'all are praying for this, as well.

Ladies, stay steadfast. The biblically-based man is out there. I promise.

Sincerely,
A young man in search of the Proverbs 31 woman

Scar Tissue and Battle Wounds: When God Seems to Have Disappeared

Last week, I talked about how God is always with us, and how we are never alone. Yet, despite this, sometimes we still feel not just that we are alone, but that He has turned His back and done exactly what He said He wouldn't do in Joshua 1:9. Sometimes, we feel like God has dropped us off on a deserted island, and left us to fend for ourselves.

This is not an uncommon feeling. Even though we know that He loves us and saved us from our sins, and would never abandon us, we still feel this way. It's human nature. We are short-sighted and incapable of putting everything into perspective. Our problems we are having right now are always the "big one," the problem that's going to do us in. We won't ever recover from this one. We're forever doomed to sulk and weep, and it's all because God turned His back on us, right? I mean, He works for the good of His people, and this ain't good. Surely He has jumped ship!

No matter how spiritual you are, no matter how secure in your faith you are or how holy you think you are, you're going to have this feeling. I personally feel like this from time to time, and it is times like this where I cry out, "God, where are you?! I'm your child, heir and son. I'm saved by your grace, and I work for your good. Why won't you show me love?" This is why I love David.

David, the second king of Israel, slayer of giants and "man after God's own heart," was a lot like me in His approach to troubles. We both are/were emotional guys that wear our feelings on our sleeves. When things are great, David would sing a song (unfortunately, I cannot sing very well) and dance for joy. He loved worshipping the Lord. But when the crap hit the fan, David broke down. He'd scream and cry out and rip his clothes and fast and yell out to God, wondering why God would leave His side. Let's look at David's anguish in the 22nd Psalm:

"My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from my deliverance and from my words of groaning? My God, I cry by day, but You do not answer, by night, yet I have no rest...

Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted, and You rescued them. They cried to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disgraced...

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by people. Everyone who sees me mocks me; they sneer and shake their heads...

Do not be far from me, because distress is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls surround me...

They open their mouths against me— lions, mauling and roaring. I am poured out like water,and all my bones are disjointed; my heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength is dried up like baked clay; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.You put me into the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; a gang of evildoers has closed in on me...

But You, LORD, don’t be far away. My strength, come quickly to help me. Deliver my life from the sword,my only life from the power of these dogs. Save me from the mouth of the lion!" -Psalm 22:1-2, 6-7, 11-16, 19-21a HCSB

These are the words of a broken, desperate man. Imagine mighty King David, no longer majestic, but crying. Imagine him screaming out to God. He feels like he is going to die, and that his end is near. He has been beaten, kicked and knocked down, and all the while, it feels like God is far, far away.

But guess what? God wasn't as far away as David thought. In fact, God was working for David's good all the while, as we see one of the quickest turnarounds in all of Scripture in the second half of verse 21. Check this out:

"You have rescued me
from the horns of the wild oxen.

22 I will proclaim Your name to my brothers;
I will praise You in the congregation.

23 You who fear Yahweh, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him!
All you descendants of Israel, revere Him!

24 For He has not despised or detested
the torment of the afflicted.
He did not hide His face from him
but listened when he cried to Him for help."

-Psalm 22:21b-24, HCSB

You. Have. Rescued. Me. Those are four beautiful words. God. Has. Rescued. Us. We are no longer beaten. We are not alone. In fact, we never were. God was fighting for and alongside us the whole time. We're gunna make it out of this. Even if there is a permanent scar (as fighters and warriors often have), that doesn't mean we lost. A scar shows we made it through. When we die, we will all have lots of scars. We may be getting beat up over and over again, but God will keep saving us.

Kevin DeYoung once said that "Christians often forget that life is a pilgrimage, and we think Heaven is on Earth. If we are looking for Heaven on Earth, we will be consistently miserable and disappointed. If we remember that life is more similar to a desert, however, we not only will be less disappointed by our troubles, but will actually find ourselves more happy" (roughly quoted by memory from Just Do Something).

Life's a desert pilgrimage. We are marching forward towards the Kingdom. Things will trip us up, things will knock us down. We will be jumped by bandits and collapse of exhaustion. But I urge you: keep fighting. God is by your side and in your corner. If our God is for us, than what could stand against? And trust me, He is for us.

God Ain't Gunna Ditch You

Well, I made it. 100 posts. I spent some time pondering,

"What should I put for my 100th post? What would be different enough to make this post stand out?"

Then it hit me: video post.

So I practiced with the webcam on my computer for a minute to see how this would look. The verdict: not good. So I scrapped the vlog idea.

In the end, I decided that the best thing to do would be to write whatever is on my heart. A friend of mine just called me, telling me that her grandmother was very ill and may be headed to see Him soon. I looked up some verses to comfort her, and it just clicked: a lot of people need these. I need these.

Joshua is one my favorite characters in the Bible, and his book is one of my favorite books, as well. The way he leads Israel with extreme, bold faith encourages me to do the same, and he is the kind of leader I want to be someday. Joshua is the model of a strong, God-fearing leader that conquered army after army, all the time boasting in God's strength and power. Yet, he wasn't always such a confident leader.

At the beginning of Joshua 1, we see a much different Joshua. Moses, the great leader that brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and up to the edge of the Promised Land, was dead. And now, after all this time, Israel has a new leader. Can you imagine the pressure Joshua was under?! I mean, come on. Who on earth wants to be the guy that leads after MOSES? Talk about being hard to follow up on!

Yet, just as Joshua was as nervous as a cat above Niagara Falls, God steps in and smacks Josh upside the head with this,

"2 'Moses My servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites. 3 I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great Euphrates River—all the land of the Hittites—and west to the Mediterranean Sea. 5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you.
6 'Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance. 7 Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. 8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. 9 Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.'" -Joshua 1:2-9, HCSB

WOW! Talk about a confidence booster! Just when Joshua was questioning his abilities and getting all scared, God tells him to be strong and be comforted, because God will not forsake him nor leave him. God was always with Joshua, and would never bail. And guess what?

He says the same to you.

We have the God of the universe, the sovereign Lord of all, the Creator of all, Judge of all, King of all... comforting us. Right now. His arms are wide open for us to run to and seek shelter from the world. He empowers us through His Spirit to overcome the obstacles in our lives. In fact, He commands us to be strong courageous, and not be afraid and discouraged. I mean, He's with us; what could stand against? (Romans 8:31)

Bullies at school? Nope.

Cancer? Nope.

Heartbreak? Nope.

Your past? Nope.

Death? Nope.

Nothing can hurt you. For as the apostle Paul says, "to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21)." If we are alive, we have Him constantly guiding and protecting us, as our Shepherd. If we die, we are in His presence... forever.

For more on comfort, go to:

Psalm 23
Psalm 71:5
Micah 7:7
John 14:27
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

JESUS Film Series, Part One: Jesus Is Your Friend

It has been a while since I last did a series, as I usually just write free-standing blog posts. Starting today, and going for the next four weeks, though, I'll be doing a four-part series on Jesus and what He is really like. I'll be basing this series off of four videos made by Vintage21 Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Each post will feature one of these videos, and then we will look at what the video is displaying about Jesus, and how it isn't a Biblical version of Him.

DISCLAIMER: This video is not meant to be offensive. It is a satirical look at how Jesus is usually portrayed. No disrespect is intended by this video.



Ok, so, let's look into this. Peter is a bit bummed out because Jesus is apparently too busy for him. Jesus doesn't have time for Peter's silly games, and is indifferent to Peter's problems. Another guy is bugging Jesus with what he wants for Christmas. He claims to be Peter's friend, He just doesn't have time for him.

According to this view of Jesus, He is an incredibly important and busy heavenly Being that is far too concerned with running the world and "heavenly things" to worry about being Peter's friend. Let's look at this.

Yes, Jesus is an incredibly important heavenly Being. In fact, He is the most important Being in the universe. He is the Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8, 2213), Head over everything (Eph. 1:22), and the Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42). Those are some pretty important titles, and it only scrapes the surface. Jesus is the Son of God (Mt. 4:3), the Savior of the world (John 4:42). He is holy, God of the universe (2 Peter 1:1). It doesn't get more important than Jesus.

Yet, there is another title that is found in the Bible, and it seems to stick out. Look with me at this curious verse.

"19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'" -Matthew 11:19, HCSB

The Son of Man, another title of Jesus (Mt. 8:20), is a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Jesus is a friend of people who sin. Guess what? That's everyone. You, me, your neighbor, Uncle Timmy: all sinners. Yet Jesus says that He is your friend. But does He have time for you?

The overwhelming answer is: yes. Proof that God (who Jesus is) has time for us is all over the Bible.

-He listens to us (Jer. 29:12)

-He watches over us (Ps. 33:18)

-He protects us (Ps. 23)

-He loves us (Ps. 36:7)

-He wants to hear your problems (1 Pt. 5:7)

No, He is not the cosmic vending machine that you pray for your Christmas list to. But Jesus cares deeply about you, and has more than enough time for you. After all, He's God. There are no limits on Him. He can love you and be the best friend that you can have because He alone is capable of unfailing love.

Will you remember that you have a friend in Jesus, or will you continue to think that you are a bother? Approach Him today as the friend that He wants to be for you.

Guest Blog: God Won't Leave You

Rachel Rummell is a friend of mine that I met in Atlanta this past January at the Passion 2011 conference. We have stayed in touch since that time, and I have been asking her about being a guest writer for this blog for almost the whole time. She is an English major at Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Mount Vernon, Ohio.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – John 10:10

As I was preparing for the summer, deciding what to do with my three months off, I applied for jobs anywhere I could that offered security. I knew I could always return to the research firm I was at last summer, but I wanted a new, exciting experience as my last summer before entering the “real world.” I had applied for and gotten a job at a camp I visited last year but something just didn’t feel right. I felt there was more out there than just being a camp counselor yet again. I had received an application for an internship in Kansas City, Missouri, but they could never in a million years pick me. So I settled for Music and Ministry with my college for another summer.

I knew it would be a blast, having six guys and two girls, almost just like the last summer I had participated in the traveling worship team. Now that was a job I knew I’d love and enjoy! After the first meeting, we had all signed the contract and were ready to go shopping for our new outfits!

However, God had a different plan for my life. Driving home from college for Easter Break, I received a phone call from a new number. It was the Nazarene Publishing House, calling to offer me one of the internships I had applied for! Of course I said yes!

The only major problem I faced is that I did not own a car that I knew could make it out to western Missouri. Summer was only a few weeks away and there was no way I could find a reliable car in my very low price range to get out there safely! I was at a loss. A week and a half before finals, my mom called me, however, with news of a car for sale. Of course, loving yard sales, my mom was at a yard sale that fateful Friday where a beautiful bright red 2001 Chevy Cavalier was perched in the yard with a price tag almost low enough for me to purchase. My parents both looked at it that night and determined it was to be mine. So they bought the car, for which I would pay them back. Thus, Raphael joined my family, named after the super awesome Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. He has since gained a Superman steering wheel cover and seat cover, as well as a bumper sticker that says, “I break for SUPER POWERS!!!” He is epic.

With transportation taken care of, I had to determine where to live. I received phone numbers for living with an employee for the 8 weeks so as I looked into that, I called Darl, who seemed like a nice woman with cheap rent. I went ahead with it and was ready to leave!

Since I could decide when to start, we picked June 13 as a good starting Monday and I headed out. I drove 9 hours that first day with my mom, stayed near St. Louis, MO, and got to check out St. Louis for a morning before we drove the next 5 hours to Kansas City!! This is where things started getting iffy for me.

Darl was an older woman that I honestly didn’t feel comfortable with. She is a sweetheart, don’t get me wrong, but it just didn’t feel right at all. As my mom was standing in the airport, headed for home, I just hugged her and cried, so unsure, so scared, and feeling more alone than I think I’ve ever felt in my life. But I stuck through it and went to work the next day. There, I met Kim, who was to be my boss for the next 8 weeks. God couldn’t have picked a better boss for me! Easy-going, 29 years old, and full of adventure, Kim has just been a great person to work with and work for. When she learned who I was living with, she looked me right in the eye and said, “I have room in my basement if you want to live with me and carpool every day with me.” Joy filled my heart as I drove home to Darl’s, packed up, and moved to Kim’s townhouse in Overland Park, Kansas. That night, I slept infinitely better with a heart full of peace that God was truly taking care of me, and He hadn’t left me in the dark with a strange old woman I didn’t feel right about.

Living with Kim has made everything all the better. Now I have someone I can talk to, someone that can drive me to work almost every day that understands poor college students, and someone that can plan awesome weekends and help me sightsee and get the most out of my stay here in Kansas/Missouri. But life isn’t always full of rainbows and butterflies.

See, God knows how I work and what I need to function and have a successful time here. However, Satan knows what elements I don’t need for work, but what I need to survive in life. Living on a college campus, I am always within 5 minutes of a friend whenever I want to do something. Living 13 hours from home and being placed in a city I’ve never seen makes seeing said friends slightly challenging. I assumed I would get involved in a church college group and make friends like I would anywhere else. But things get in the way of those original plans. Not only have I yet to attend a college group in the two weeks I’ve been here, I have yet to make a friend outside of work. Yes, Kim is great. But we all have those days when we just wanna go out and see friends we haven’t seen in awhile or meet up with someone for coffee. That’s difficult when I live and work with the same person every day and who I hang out with on the weekends as well.

Satan knows I want to get out and make friends. He has arranged to make it nearly impossible. He has instilled a slight fear of driving in the city and getting lost or in an accident with these crazy drivers. He has given me a long 8 hours of work every day that I am not used to yet. He has placed me a half hour from the one church that I found a college group and was interested in attending. He has placed fatigue in me to want to stay at home every night and try to sleep, even when a fellow co-worker has invited me out. And he has placed many of my close friends in great positions where they are doing great and making money, but unable to really talk to me. In doing this, Satan has delved deep into my soul and filled it with a feeling of loneliness it seems no human can fill. He has made my 8 weeks here more difficult than I imagined.

The story doesn’t end here, though. Satan, though he thinks himself a genius, forgets that I still have God to turn to, God to talk to, God to just love on and feel His love. Yes, I feel super lonely and I feel like I’m the only one in the world who feels this negative. Yes, I feel like these 8 weeks could be miserable and just look forward to each weekend and wait for my time to go home. But I refuse. God did not bring me 13 hours from my home, away from my friends, and out of my comfort zone to make me miserable for two months. God has a bigger plan than that. God wants to take me out of my comfort zone so I can grow and feel the stretching and the molding that is taking place. In my comfort zone, I can never truly transform into the woman He has created me to be. Yet in this scary, new, and not-always-inviting place, God can change my heart and change me for a new and brighter future. It is here, in this place, that I am truly His to do what He will.

In taking me away from my friends, He is forcing me to re-evaluate some of my friendships, as well as really take to heart what being a true friend means. He is trying to erase all traces of selfishness I hide in my heart, to make me the best friend I can be to anyone who needs a friend. In taking me away from my family, He is showing me how much my family cares. When I come home on breaks from school, it is so easy to want to be around them for a few days and then get tired of it. But out here, I really see how much I truly miss them. When they are no longer 2 hours away, a simple drive, when they are at long last 13 hours away, I find I miss them more, or so it seems.

The things God can do with us when we open up to Him is incredible, how God can truly change us and mold us into who He created us to be when we let Him. What’s more amazing is how Satan tries so desperately to turn us away from God and to allow ourselves to get wrapped up in sin and lies, yet God’s love will always come back for us. He never really does leave us or forsake us. He really is always there. We may not see Him. It may take a crazy adventure to remind us that there is One who is greater than the madness of this mortal world. But when it all comes down to it, God really is always there for us and He looks out for us. We just have to be patient and learn to look for the sun on a cloudy day. Just as the sun is still there when it’s covered by clouds to bring rain, God is still there, covered by Satan and the lies that he breathes to rain on our parade. But with the sun comes a rainbow, and with God comes a way out.

Rachel has since survived Kansas City, being blessed with all that she has learned, as we read above. If you want to contact Rachel, her email is frk4jcandchocolate@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter: @Rummellstiltskn. Hopefully her writing has shared what God has been doing in her life, and we hope to hear from her again soon.

If you are interested in being a guest blogger, contact me at thefreedbug@aol.com or via Facebook or Twitter. I'd love to hear from you and share what you have to say!