Enduring Christianity

At the age of 17, as an only child of two Christian school teachers, Emily and her parents went to the doctor to treat what they thought were simple symptoms of the flu.  After some blood work and a longer than anticipated wait, they received some of the hardest words they would ever hear, "Emily has cancer."  
That night Emily immediately began taking chemo treatments and her fight against Leukemia began.  Although the emotions were real and the family's fears were legitimate, they immediately placed their hope and trust in God. 
Today Emily is cancer free, but it did not come without a long and painful journey.  They learned many things along the way, things which included the power of empathy and encouragement, but possibly the most important reality they learned was the weight of the words, "Your will be done."  
Sometimes I believe we can think of God's will being wrapped up into a single moment, but most often God's will includes a long journey.  God's will involved a journey for many lives in the Bible including the life of Abraham, Moses, Joseph and many more.  I believe it is important to realize that God's will is often a journey,  the most important journey being the transformation into the likeness of Christ.
As Paul said in Philippians 3:12 "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me." In a very similar way, see Emily's story as that, a life that continues to press on for the will and purpose of Jesus.  She is able to empathize with those who are suffering and to share the gospel of Jesus wherever she goes.  

We continue our series of studying how God interacts with His people through enduring trials and testing. In this episode we continue our discussion on Abraham and the promise he received from God to receive a son.  When God revealed that the son would come through his wife Sarah, Abraham laughed, for both he and his wife were well beyond their natural reproductive years (Genesis 17:17) The laughter of Abraham was a response of absolute belief in God's word.  "Abraham believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:6)  Twenty-five years after God spoke his promise, Abraham and Sarah gave birth to Isaac, which means laughter.
Listen in as we discuss the journey between the promise and the delivery, plus how works play a vital role with faith.

The popular message of the day is typically how to remove the hard, not to sit with the hard.  We long to know how to solve troubling circumstances and not to sit in them.  But what happens when the hard is immovable, and our only option is to learn how to live through it? What happens when an incurable diagnosis is given and life as you knew it, can never, will never be the same? While these are the types of trials no one desires to receive, it is these types of trials that anchor us into a trajectory of learning to fully rely on God. It is these types of trials that God teaches us how to sit with the hard. And if we humble ourselves to His loving purpose we will come to know that there is no expense we are not willing to pay if it personally teaches us how to truly abide in His enduring love.
In this episode we speak with Meagan and Chris who walk us through their discovery and journey of parenting their young daughter who was diagnosed with type one diabetes. Their family  plans and a life they had envisioned for their daughter was forever altered by this life threatening and incurable diagnosis. But through it all they would not change a thing if it meant not knowing the Father in the way they have come to know Him. There is much to learn from this family, I hope you take the time to listen.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30 are so comforting to read.  It is a declaring promise that Jesus is with us and will help us in our time of need.  God created us to be in relationship with Him and the most common practice of our relationship with Him is in awareness of our need for Him.  
In this episode we talk with Andrew and how an unexpected event of his wife being hit by a truck taught him of his limitations.  We discuss how we can not allow the stress of our limitations to become our focus. Rather in times of stress we are to align our focus on our help, God.  Jesus asked for help in His time of need, it is only proper then for us to do the same.

We continue our series of study on how God interacts with His people throughout the Bible. In this episode we begin with the call of Abraham, the meaning of a name and how the call of God required Abraham to leave the land he knew. This is a story of the past, but is there a relevance to our story today?  It would be easy to go about concluding a call in our own life if we already knew the outcome, but the reality is that when God calls, we do not yet know the outcome. Sometimes, as in the story of Abraham, the call requires us to leave what is familiar or comfortable.  The wrestling with a call can include leaving our familiarity or worldly comfort. The point of a call from God is that it comes from God, and so to respond appropriately, it is vital we learn to trust God more than our own understanding.  But before we place our faith in the call, we must know that the calling is from God.  Listen in further as we discuss believing and responding to that which God has led us to act.

It's easy to get caught up in the race of life, filling our schedules with chores, sports, school or working long hours.  Maybe our schedules become overflowed because the things we prioritize are important, but what happens when the busy things fail to make enough room for the best things God intended for us?  Do we pay attention to the details of how a good work ethic can lead to working too many hours? Do we realize how the amount of hours affect the more precious things such as our children, spouse, or other family members?
In this episode we talk with Adam, who was blessed with a great career, yet at some point came to the realization that his work life was overshadowing a priority of his family.  It was then that he knew he needed to prioritize his priorities and make a change.  When he made a change, he not only had more time with his family, but God began to work in his heart in deeper and unexpected ways.

Jesus said His return will be like in the days of Noah.  While the return of Jesus is the best thing that could happen to a believer, it is also the worse thing for those who are not.  While the most common topic of Noah maybe the ark, animals and a rainbow, the harsh reality is that all died in the flood except for a single family.  This reality should bring a very serious tone to how Jesus described His return.  It should give us a fear of God that honors what He is worthy of, our allegiance and obedience.  The patience of God and the love of God is not to be taken for granted.  He has given us His word for a single reason, to obey it.  The kingdom of Heaven and Satan are real, and if we fail to realize just how real, we truly begin to fantasize versus believe.  The hour is coming when none will know, so be ready at all times.  Do not grow weary, but be ever present in your allegiance to Him. 

"And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man.  For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,  and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man." Mathew 24:37:39

Before he became a pastor, Randy served active duty Army combat ops.  Although he grew up in a Christian home and went to church on a regular basis, it was not until he experienced two bullets swoosh by his head during the Black Hawk Down mission  that made Jesus become ever so real.  Finding himself in the humble trenches of war, brought forth the reality of death and a true need for Jesus.  Listen in as he shares not only his story, but wonderful advice for a growing relationship in Christ. 
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

We continue our study of endurance in the Bible with Cain and Abel.  In this episode we specifically look at the effects of sin in Cain's heart and how sin ultimately is an active hatred of God.  Something that stands out to me in this study is how God remained patient with Cain, even after he killed his brother Abel.  It is a reminder of not only the power of sin, but the amazing patience and grace of God towards us while in our sin.  It is a patience that is provided with hope that we repent from our exposed sin so that we may graciously return to what is best for us, God himself.

"If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

In this episode we speak with Ryan, a hospice chaplain, who regularly deals with death and  spirituality. We discuss the power of a person's testimony and how our greatest spiritual joy is celebrated in death.
Our bodies will die but our spirits live on, and this is why Godly spirituality is so important. Our humanity may not enjoy talking about death, but it is our belief and trust in Christ that has freed us from death.  "For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." (Romans 6:5).   
It can be difficult to explain spirituality with physical words and it is impossible to see or understand unless it is revealed to us by the Spirit. But yet this we know, "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." (Romans 8:5).