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Belief.
As Christians sometimes, we tend to have a hard time trusting God. Believing that He ultimately works all things for our good isn’t exactly a walk in the park. We tend to play the victim card when things don’t go our way. I’ll be the first to admit that I have wrestled with that. Why are we so willing to trust God with huge things, like salvation and where we’re spending eternity, but struggle to put Him first in smaller things, like relationships? Or finances?
I’ve been challenged by something that was kind of a slap in my face. There’s a difference between believing in God and believing Him.For years, I thought believing in God was what it was all about. However, in James 2:19, it says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder.” I love James’ almost sarcastic attitude in writing that. That’s a hit-you-between-the-eyes verse. There’s no gray matter in that one. There aren’t a ton of straightforward things in the Bible, but that is one of them.
Believing and trusting in God is one of the basics of our Christian faith. The good thing is that Jesus is not worried about the things we’re worried about. Jesus isn’t sitting in heaven on the edge of His throne anxiously awaiting our every move so He’ll know how to react accordingly. He knew you were going to be sitting here reading this blog written by an Elevation intern. He sees the struggles you’re currently dealing with. He understands that guy was a jerk. He knows you’re beating yourself up over the test you failed yesterday. He knows your finances aren’t exactly where you want them to be. That’s the amazing thing. He knows. He understands. He cares. He sees your hurt and desperately wants to use you through it.
And now all we have to do is respond in trust. Psalm 9:10 paints a beautiful picture of this. It says “Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You.” That’s comforting to me. No, I don’t have it all together. No, I may not know which step to take next. I may be broken and confused. But that’s where God can use me most. As Pastor Steven has said, if we knew exactly what we’re supposed to do, there would be no need to trust God. God loves to use broken people to prove how strong He is. After all, Jesus didn’t come to save perfect people. He came to rescue jacked up people like you and me.
No, this isn’t an easy concept to grasp. I struggle with it sometimes, and if you’re being honest, I’m sure you do as well. Dig into the Word. Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you, inspire you, challenge you, and build you up. When you don’t know what God is saying, go back to what He has said. Seek first His Kingdom. And stand firm on who God says you are. You are loved. You are valued. You are beautiful. You are His. The Creator of the universe has a divine plan for your life. It may not be easy. Actually, I can promise, it’s not easy. It’s going to stretch you in ways you never imagined, but it will also take you to places you never imagined as well. Jesus said it Himself in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
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LEAD WITH PERCEPTION.
People often live based on intention rather than perception. The intention of ones motives may be pure but from an outsiders perception they can be questioned.
I have decided to make decisions based on perception rather than intention. This leads to inconvenience and at times more work, but at the end of the day I can stand on my character not being compromised due to the precautionary measure I have taken in my own life.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of the world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Compromise comes with a price.
At age 23, I have too many friends in the church that have been released from their position due to allowing a small compromise in the way they think, which leads to an action, then resulting in a loss of position in the church and/or jail time.
When we allow ourselves to think and act the way the world does, we are opening up a vault to let in a small compromise that steers us away from God’s good, pleasing and perfect will. If we don’t catch the compromise soon enough we will not only be steering away, but could end up on the completely wrong track. The thing about compromise is that it never just affects us, it effects those who we influence.
Raise the bar.
What we do in moderation those that we influence will do in excess. This includes anything from a thought to an action. What I allow my eyes to see and my ears to hear will directly affect where I am going. I have set standards in my life such as the movies I watch, the music I listen to, the people I hang out with, being alone with the opposite sex, and the time of day in which I hang out with people, etc.
With this being said, there is a difference in knowing what is going on in the world compared to how much you are involved in the world’s behaviors and customs. Be proactive and set your standard before you get stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time with no way out. Know your limits, set standards, and raise the bar!
Here are some helpful guidelines for leading with perception:
- If you question whether you should be thinking or acting a certain way, then you probably shouldn’t.
- If someone looking into the situation could possibly think there is something else is going on that could compromise your position, change the situation.
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SEE WHAT YOU HEAR.
Has God ever spoken to you so clear that people think you are crazy for believing it?
Has life ever lined up so close to where you thought what He had spoken to you was about to come to pass, but it took longer than expected and you began to doubt His speaking it in the first place?
Have you ever stepped out not only respond to what God has Spoken, but also lead the way and clear the paths for others to follow?
I heard a pastor speak on this passage a couple years ago and it still resonates in my heart.
1 Kings 18:41-46 (NLT)
41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!” 42 So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees. 43 Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.” The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.” Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. 44 Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.” Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’” 45 And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. 46 Then the LORD gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt[a] and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.
Respond to what you hear. vs 41-43
Elijah hears a rainstorm responds by getting on the ground with his face between his knees and prayed, then tells his servant to go look for where the storm was.
- We must understand that Elijah just called fire down from Heaven so it is only appropriate to get on his face before God in a humble manner to honor Him.
- He sent his servant to look for the storm. Can you imagine being the one looking out to the sea only to see NOTHING…six times? Elijah must look like a crazy man!
- We must recognize that when God speaks something so clear to us it doesn’t mean everyone else heard what he spoke. It also does not negate the fact that He spoke.
Don’t take no for an answer. vs 44a
His servant comes back and reports he saw nothing. So, Elijah sends him back SEVEN times!
- If I were Elijah I would have started to doubt what the servant was saying, but Elijah knows what he heard and he wasn’t going to stop looking until he saw what he heard.
- Keep looking until you see what you have heard.
- The process isn’t always fun, but worth the results.
Take action. vs 44b – 46
On the seventh time the servant sees a SMALL rain cloud. Elijah then prepared for a storm and He RAN until he got where he was going.
- He tucked in his cloak so he could run easier and ran to Jezreel. That’s about 17 miles from Mt. Carmel.
- When you begin to see what you heard treat it with urgency and RUN until you reach the finish line. a. Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
- Clear the path for others to follow.
Respond to what you hear, don’t take no for an answer, and take action!
Remember that there is only one reason we are here: So that people far from God will be raised to life in Christ. Don’t underestimate your purpose in the midst of this journey, for He has called YOU to rise up those around you. Don’t give into your circumstances; rather continue to push through until you finish the good work He has started in you!
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Thankful for Today
Today, November 1, marks the beginning of Elevation Church’s 30 Days of Thanks. To get you up to speed, it’s an outreach initiative that offers our church 72 opportunities to serve our city throughout the month of November. Today, we kicked things off at Crisis Assistance Ministries, one of Elevation’s many outreach partners. Crisis Assistance is a beautiful organization–they bless and provide for people in desperate need in a mirror image of how Jesus would reach out to them.
Standing one check away from homelessness, hundreds of people line up every morning to seek assistance in paying the bills. It’s not a first-come-first-serve line, mind you, but is managed based on the urgency of need. If people have been evicted, padlocked, or are without utilities, they will be seen first. Still, hundreds of people begin lining up before 7am every day, rain or shine, hot or cold. That’s how desperate the need is for these people. If seeing that doesn’t break your heart, you need to get the ice out of your veins–it’s not healthy.
After giving out biscuits and coffee, as well as praying with several groups of people in line this morning, I began noticing a recurring theme that would rattle around in my head all day. It’s a simple thought and one that I can’t shake. God gave us today, so there’s hope that he hasn’t given up on us.
Later today, I found myself in the Psalms, staring down a verse that I was taking completely out of context. Still, God was hitting me hard with this one, so I couldn’t ignore it. I’ve never been one to say that God literally spoke to me, but I guess this was as close as I’ve gotten in a while. Nonetheless, here it is:
Psalm 42:11: “I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me.”
Forgive me for not giving you any history, research, or any elaborate thoughts on this, but here’s what God impressed upon me today:
God woke us up today. We were not guaranteed today whatsoever. Today is a gift. God doesn’t just do things on a whim, so we’re here for a purpose. If not, he wouldn’t have bothered waking us up. I pray that this thought sticks with those in line at Crisis Assistance–no matter how dire the emergencies are in their lives, Jesus stands as their ultimate rescue. He is the unshakable foundation on which we can all stand, no matter how far life shakes us down. If we stand with the one that sits at the right hand of God, he will never let our enemies overtake us. They may get us down, but God has given us today to begin the greatest comeback we’ve ever made. Not only that, but he is pleased with us. Jesus, our savior, our redemption, our rock, and our hiding place, smiles over us as we conquer today. Take heart! You’re not done yet–your opportunity of today means that God is smiling at your victory that will soon unfold.
Much love,
Jonathan
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Excellence Begets Excellence
If there is one thing that bothers me more than anything else in this world is a lack of excellence. I’ve never understood why somebody who SAYS they are so passionate about something but would not ACT like it was of the utmost importance to them. There are many small things that can really show where your passion is, such as being on time, taking extra time for planning, spending time on the details, etc. I heard a long time ago that “your passion is in your pursuit,” meaning that how you pursue something shows how passionate you are of that thing.
When this “concept” translates to our faith is when it begins to bother me.
We serve an excellent God; therefore, let us be excellent.
No matter where we are, let us be excellent.
At your dead-end job, even when you’re under-appreciated.
At your school, even when you don’t see the benefit of what you’re learning.
In your ministry, even when you may not agree with the people you serve.
There are a couple places in the Bible that tell us to be excellent. Probably the most popular place to look is in John chapter 2 verse 1-11. This is the story of Jesus turning water into wine. Jesus’ mother informed Jesus that the party was out of wine and implied that he should do something about it. Seemingly reluctant to reveal who he really was, Jesus turned a couple jars of water in wine. However, this was no ordinary wine, this was the best wine anyone had tasted at the party. Jesus didn’t have to make the wine excellent; he could have just imitated the quality of the rest of the wine, but that’s just not who he is. His very essence is excellence; he exudes excellence; he IS excellence. Why then should we take the water God has given us and use it to yield mediocre wine when He has provided us with the talents and abilities to make the finest wine anyone has ever tasted out of some ordinary water in jars set before us?
Excellence is not for our glorification, but for His. He gave us the ability to be excellent, now all we have to do is present the excellence given to us. Just as the servants did with the wine that Jesus made. Do not worry if people praise you for work, but rather point them to the One who gave you the ability. At a breakfast held for us in September, Pastor Steven spoke to us about many things, but one thing that really sticks out, especially in this topic is this:
“Let’s be humble, but let’s be who we are in Christ.”
Christ enabled you to be excellent, so don’t downplay that, but point all glory to the one who enabled you.
The best example of this is in 2 Chronicles 9:1-12. This is when the Queen of Sheba visits Solomon to test him with difficult questions. When the Queen realizes that Solomon is indeed very wise and sees the magnificence in which God is expressed in His temple she is overwhelmed. She begins to praise God and not Solomon. Note how she says, “Praise the LORD your God.” Imagine that, someone didn’t skimp on the details to make something more affordable, but created an excellent place to allow the excellent Spirit of God to reside, and when the audience saw the excellence of the temple and the wisdom God had given Solomon (which was no joke), they gave praise to God, not men.
In all things, be excellent.
Don’t let there be an excuse from being excellent, but rather, let there be an intentionality to be excellent to truly show people who your God is.
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Mediocrity is Painful.
Mediocrity is painful. Why is this on my mind? Because I’m apparently a fan of mediocrity. I’m a huge sports fan–football, baseball, and basketball, particularly. My problem lies within the allegiances that I’ve formed over the years to my favorite teams, as well as in what those teams have done lately. My Carolina Panthers, who I’ve followed from their days as an expansion team in 1995, have never strung together back-to-back winning seasons. It’s either the playoffs (4 times), or average (7-9 or 8-8). In 16 seasons, they’ve only had 3 awful years of 4-12, 1-15, and 2-14. If you’re keeping count, they’re one season away from a decade stuck in the mud hole of mediocrity.
In my opinion, if it’s not great and it’s not awful, it’s average. Take the Atlanta Braves, another of my favorite teams. They’re always good, but good has only earned them 1 World Series ring despite 14 straight division titles. Then there’s the atrocious month of September that saw them collapsing their way out of this year’s playoff picture. At the end of the day, only a handful of teams are good enough to make the playoffs, but only one of these “good” teams will finish their season with a win. The Braves aren’t that team. That’s frustrating.
Now let’s take this to another level altogether–what does God think about mediocrity? The easiest, most glaring answer is found in Revelation 3:16: “So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
You see, God has never delighted in an 8-8 season for our lives. God doesn’t want us to be lukewarm and do just enough to sneak into the postseason and call it a good year. He wants to see us winning. He wants us to be 5-0, like the Clemson Tigers, looking to run the table, not 2-3, hoping to get it together in time to barely have a winning record. (If you like the South Carolina Gamecocks, check out 1 John 1:9)
I’ve heard here at Elevation that “the highest compliment you can pay anyone is to hold them to a high standard.” That rings so true, and not surprisingly, it is derived from the very attitude God has towards his children.
Look back in Genesis 4:4. From the very beginning, God was happy with nothing less than the best from Cain and Abel. God saw Abel’s best in his offering, but saw right through Cain’s mediocrity. I’m sure that Cain had plenty of moments of regret during his subsequent lifetime of restless wandering.
In Colossians 3:23-24, Paul writes, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul also writes, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
Whatever you do in your life, never settle for anything less than your best. God did not give his son Jesus to us, nor promise us the Holy Spirit, the same power that conquered the grave, to watch us waste it away. He did not give us every talent and ability we possess to squander it on a lifetime of half-hearted efforts. No. Do everything with all your heart. You are serving the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter how small the task at hand may seem. Handle it responsibly, so you will not have to be ashamed of your work.
The last thing we want is to be vomited out of Jesus’s mouth. So now, when God is giving us everything we need to be champions, why should we ever settle for anything less?
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Push Through!
As all of us Interns know, we are in the midst of the New Thru 30 reading plan, where will finish the New Testament over a 30-day span. I just wanted to briefly share a thought that came to me the other day while reading Matthew 14. For whatever reason, the hamster jumped on the wheel and triggered my brain to find this
We all have moments in life where we can feel particularly overwhelmed or burned out. As Interns, I’m sure most of you are feeling like we’ve just been tossed into the deep end of the pool, no floaties in sight. Time to sink or swim! In those moments, I find it easy to get into a zone and just wrap myself up in the world of tasks that are around me. The last thing I want to do is to take on any extra burden or responsibility. Yet, I believe that those moments where we feel as though we are at a tipping point, we may actually be on the brink of something remarkable. We just have to push through and see the outcome after the fact.
Heading into Matthew 14, Jesus had been traveling, preaching and performing miracles all over the place. I would imagine that He had to be physically exhausted. I know it’s hard to imagine the Son of God in need of a nap, but I’m sure he had to be at least a little fatigued. Meanwhile, there’s John the Baptist, who Jesus acknowledged as the one who came before him (Matthew 11), as well as the man who baptized him (Matthew 3). He certainly gets the short end of the stick as he was beheaded seemingly on a whim at the request of Herod’s daughter.
In Matthew 14:13, you can see that “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” Obviously, Jesus is going into mourning. Coupled with the fatigue he’s already feeling, the untimely death of John the Baptist (not that there ever is a timely beheading) had to have taken a severe toll on Jesus. I don’t know about you, but I would think that exhaustion, shock and grief would be more than enough for me to want to put on blinders and tell the world to just leave me alone. But this is Jesus. Verse 13b: “Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.” The man couldn’t even grieve without people swarming to him.
This is where we see how the nature of God is so much greater than us. I would have been nice about it, but I would have told everyone to leave so that I could just be alone and get myself together. But here’s verse 14: “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Just the disciples surely thought they’d finally get a break from their tour with Jesus, he had them right back at work. You could almost sense their frustration; “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” (Matthew 14:15)
And here’s the kicker–Jesus didn’t buy into the frustration. All of these men were being pushed to their physical and emotional limits and if they’re anything like us, they were just begging for a break. Some time to breathe. However, Jesus had them push through to the finish, and I’m not so sure that any of them saw what was coming next. Jesus said in verse 16, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” And then, Jesus proceeded to feed over 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. Miraculous.
Had either Jesus or the disciples decided to take their grievance period, this miracle may never had happened. Being the Son of God, Jesus had the wherewithal to know this was coming. However, you and I don’t have that luxury. But even so, if we have the Son of God living inside of us, we have more than enough strength to push through whatever is pushing us right now. And besides, if we’re faithful for just a while longer, there’s no telling what God has in store for us on the other side.
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The Jordan Crossover
In Joshua 3, We see how God was going to prepare the Israelites for a demonstration of His miraculous power by leading them across the Jordan river.One of the things God commanded Joshua to do was,(v.3b) “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it.” (V.4), ” Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits(just over half a mile) in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.”
Okay, lets cross this cultural-Biblical bridge and look at this passage in an applicable manner. God presents us His grace, compassion, love, salvation, and deliverance through Jesus death. This is what our hope and faith is placed in this. We have to recognize God’s presence and not take it for granted.
The tangible object that the Israelites focused there hope upon was the Ark of the Covenant. It was a symbol of God’s favor and presence in their time. It was sacred and NOT taken lightly. There are accounts of men who died by touching it just because it was slipping off of its hinges. So as the Arc was carried through the camp they were to recognize its presence, but remain at a distance…
Maybe, God wanted to place this distance so they didn’t get distracted by following the object. He wanted to refocus their attention on the miracles that HE was doing ahead. Sometimes you can get so focused on an object you can misplace your faith in the hope of an object rather the God who made that object. Faith is just as strong as the object it is placed in. Later on God parted and dried the Jordan River for the entire Israelite nation to cross.
As you see God coming, step OUT of where you used to be, keep a clear perspective of where your faith is and don’t lose focus on the miracles God is doing in you and before you. Keep your faith in Him and not misplace it in His miracles. Then, by His leading, you can cross your ‘Jordan’ and arrive to what God has promised you.
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Little Puppy. Big Dog.
I am going to let you in on a simple concept that you must learn and make sure others know as well about salvation. This is- you can’t want a puppy if you’re not willing to take care of a dog.
Someone, especially children, may go ‘ga-ga’ over a little puppy and passionately want to get one of their own. And when they do they realize that having a dog is a lot harder than having a puppy. To be honest, it takes more responsibility than I thought it would. I’m not saying all people are like this, some love their dogs until the day the dog dies. This is just an analogy so go along with me.
As a result of wanting a puppy but getting a dog, at least in my case, one loses interest after you have to deal with the responsibilities of reality, which in this case was excessive amounts of poop and barking. The individual who just wants a puppy doesn’t seem to appreciate it as much once it becomes more than what he or she expected. I’m not saying they would go Michael Vick on it, they just have a hard time learning to love and live with something they never expected would come. The substance was different than the surface.
So next time you, or someone else, thinks this Jesus kind of faith is a cute little fuzzy, warm feeling, make me feel good, let’s cuddle lifestyle, you/they are far from the Truth. Now some of those might be bi-products of the True faith(minus the cuddling), but they are not to be the only expectations once committing to this relationship with God. There is much more beyond the surface of Christianity. People expect it to be easy and quit when the going gets tough. It will be hard. Times will get tough. There will be pain. There will be struggles. There will be moments when you doubt everything you know. In 1 Peter 4:12-19, Peter communicates to us that we should consider it a joy and honor when we face opposition for our faith. Not shut up, sit down and join a legalistic protected community which caters to your feelings and ideas. Even Paul’s trials stand as a clear example of constant momentum when facing hardships.
WHEN we face pain and haters who desire for us to fail, we should find our worth in knowing that Jesus is worth it. THIS faith, His Grace, this salvation, is worth it. You have experienced true redemption at its core.
This world will experience salvation depending on how you react to tribulation. It’s time to raise this ‘puppy’ into an aggressive K-9 Unit dog named Roscoe. This Faith is going to be hard, but the hardest things that are achieved are valued more than what comes easy.
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Craziness
Week two is down and I am gradually realizing that I am going to plan EVERYTHING!!!! There is not much room in my days for anything else. This week was a little crazy with Monday off and Thursday all staff being gone and the amazing pre-record for Craig Groeshel on Wednesday morning. And you can’t forget the launching of two new campuses this weekend. New tasks were put on my plate with little supervision but I think that I handled it pretty well. Even though a few of the cue sheets were not done correctly, I was able to learn from my mistakes and this week, I hope to blow them out of the water.
This week I was able to write down all of the requirements I have to attend throughtout the week and I came to the realization that time to myself at least once a week will be much needed to remain cool, calm and collected in the future.
I’ve come to a great realization over the past week of the importance of “putting the wrong ones out and letting the right ones in.” Even though it will be a great change I know that I am not surrounded with all of the right people to bring me to full success spiritually and personally.
This weekend was unforgettable in the life of Elevation Church and I am blessed to have been a part of it. I am looking forward to see how god moves throughout the city and me over the next 13 weeks of the internship.
