Our world is a crazy place. Growing up in Texas it seems we often experience a whirlwind of weather changes. Our seasons consist of really hot, and then two really perfect days, 25 rain days, then maybe one ice day. Now, I didn't look up these stats, this is just how it feels at times. If I am being completely honest, my life can sometimes feel like Texas weather. I have seasons of joy, boredom, loneliness, and just plain confusion! I mean, why have I left home a couple of times to only come running home with my tail between my legs like a cold puppy? Why at times have I been so blessed to travel and really see God's work live? What about now?! I am at a university, I feel like I am sinking in loans, and this place pretty much laughs at the existence of God.. What is even the point of this? Why do we have winters of loneliness, or even a summer full of just pure pain? Why do we need seasons?
Currently I am enrolled in an Astronomy class, and I honestly thought it would be a pretty easy class.. I was wrong. It's is so vast out there and we really don't even know how far space goes.. (God is cool like that) But one thing I have picked up on is earths tilt in relation to the sun and how that creates our seasons. When the northern hemisphere tilts toward the sun we experience summer, and a tilt in the other direction gives us freaky ice, closed schools, and random sleet. (AKA Winter in Central Texas) What season are you experiencing? One of doubt, worry, and fear? Or one of joyous praise, repentance, and happiness? I think if we sit back and take a break from the business of life, we can pretty quickly determine where we are.. When we look at our lives, the season we are in is directly related to our tilt towards the SON.
Like I said, it gets really hot here. I walk to my car and soak through my shirt, it gets that hot... About once I year I experience an incredible phenomena that comes along with summer, I get a sunburn. Sun burn is so bad. Sunburn is what I experience when I go out for an extended period of time and ignore the burning sun for a couple of hours. (Isn't that crazy? A huge burning ball really far away burns my skin? COOL!) But let us step back for a bit. As we tilt towards Jesus, the sustainer of life, He will expose areas that hurt. The areas that are so dark and they just hurt to think of. Spots where even when I think of them in secret I push it away and pretend it didn't happen.. God wants to expose these areas so that true healing will come. He isn't doing this out of anger or pride, but out of pure love. Trust God and lean in, you won't regret it.
Today it snowed in Denton.. Like I mean real snow! It was cool and all but.. I had plans. Didn't God know that I was driving to a discipleship now today? This was my thought. If I am being real, thoughts like this go through my mind, but you know what? This isn't God's voice talking to me. In order to constantly lean in to God we must lean all the way in.. Including my mind. My thoughts must be taken captive and pressed on to see if they're God's voice. He finally came in, when I threw those thoughts out. That is another area when I lean in, that God exposes. So this week class has been cancelled three times. You know what I experienced? Boredom.. I enjoyed the sledding, snow ball fights, and yes, I even made a snow angel! (You can't judge me) But after that I had all that I needed out of the white cold stuff. To be honest I wrote out this blog and I knew it was missing something more, but God gave us so much snow today! So weather you're in a season of anger and snow... A season of boredom and summer. Wherever you may be, God is there. You know what will happen in a couple of days? This snow will melt. I will run free and experience the sun. This may seem crazy but I want you to experience the same thing! So evaluate where you are, lean in, let God bring healing into your life, and I guarantee you will run free with the Son! "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36 I pray that we will lean in. That God will give us people, if He hasn't already, who we can share things with. If anyone ever wants to talk or anything I am always here. God will bring this season to an end but I pray that through all we can lean to Him! Love you guys!
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"This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than we first believed." Romans 14:11
Do you think Paul annoyed his friends? I have been tossing this question around for a couple of weeks and I am sure he did.. I mean just think about the people who knew him as Saul. They killed christians together. Then all of the sudden he is for God and he even changed his name.. I'm sure those "friends" were weirded out by him, maybe even furious. But I also am starting to think he started to annoy some "lukewarm" christians. In America today, he would straight up bug the christian out of some people. Today if this dude came around telling us to live our lives as if Jesus is coming today, we would unfollow his Instagram and block his phone number. I want to just highlight why we may have stopped waiting on God. Are we even waiting on God..?Hopefully I can shed some light on this area and throw some steps out there!
Now what happened?? Why as believers have we become way too patient for Christ's return..? We think "if they really believed He would come soon then 'soon' is gone.." It is sad to me that we don't believe God can return today.. Honestly we may say He could but we still have our birthday coming up, or a big promotion, or we are making brisket for dinner. These things are too important and He can wait.. As believers we need to see patience as an act, not an excuse to be lazy or watch another episode of Breaking Bad on Netflix. I am not saying you can't do things you enjoy, but I think we need to constantly have a Kingdom Mindset and look to spread the gospel daily. Yes.. Daily! Like, every single day. "You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near." James 5:8
They said soon over 2,000 years ago. To me when people say 2,000 years I am like "sheesh what a long time!" But honestly I can't even imagine 100 years ago. So when they said the word "soon" what did they mean. I don't think they knew exactly and I know that no one knows the exact date, except God alone. But these dudes lived as if Christ was coming back that day. For my birthday I watched one of my favorite movies, I am Legend, in the movie Will Smith quotes Bob Marley and says "there are those who plan evil and they don't take a day off, so how can I?" Now I know Bob Marley may not be the most christian source but he was definitely on to something. Paul and these men believed that God was coming soon, because He is, and because we cannot stay stagnant!
I think sometimes we view God as a tow truck driver.. Just waiting for us to park in the wrong spot so he can drag us away. God isn't mad at us, and He has given us freewill. In fact He so loves us! (See John 3:16) But it is up to us to respond to His love and His calling in our lives. God is calling us closer today and bringing us near to Him. So get up for our Father is coming very soon now. My prayer is that this may spark something in you. So don't lose hope, just because they said "soon" in the 1st century doesn't mean God won't come back today. Have faith and believe. Christ will come back when His message has reached all of His people. You may ask, "well how can that be true with ISIS and Boko Haram around?" It is up to us to pray and seek God so we may overflow Him into our world! How do you know you won't meet an unreached person at the mailbox or at the DPS? The next person to receive Christ may even be your waitress! Walk with faith today and believe that God will use you in big ways! (Read that last sentence again. I am talking to YOU!) He is calling, all we need is obedience and courage! Love you guys!! The past couple of months I have been captivated by this thought. It is the thought of light. I mean it is such a common "Christian word", right? His word is a light to our path. (Ps. 119:105) You are the light to the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. (Matthew 5:14) I could go on!
I think so often we throw these phrases around and never truly give it a second thought. I hope to just share what I have been processing, and we will see where it leads. So what does light do? Warms us: Have you ever been camping? Or close to a bonfire? You can just feel the heat, it is pretty nice. My favorite place to be while camping is by the fire. For some reason it seems I am always camping on the coldest weekends. So I wake up probably laying on a rock that has lodged into my side. And immediately I am so cold and I want to rebuild the fire and just let it warm me. Safety: Light is safe.. Isn't that crazy? Well lit parking lots and buildings just seem safe. Why?? Because nothing can hide there. I don't think that is a coincidence that we see this word "light" in God's word. I remember as a child refusing to go to my room because it was dark. The darkness was unknown and terrifying. Shows us: They put lights on our phones now! We flip those babies on so we can see in dark areas. Can you imagine the darkest place you have ever been? The darkest place I have experienced is Longhorn Caverns when they shut the lights off. They say that if you stay down there you will eventually go blind. Blind.. from lack of light..! I can't imagine how awful that would be to find yourself fumbling around in a place like that. The thing is we are so often in places like that. We stumble somewhere we shouldn't be. Then the lights are switched off and if we don't get out it will blind us. Our bodies yearn for warmth, security, and guidance. And I believe so do our souls. My prayer today is that we can see the light. That Jesus will make himself clear to us and we can put the distractions aside and focus on Him. To sit by the campfire, so to say, and communicate with Jesus. "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." John 8:12 |
AuthorMy name is Andrew Berry! I am just living my life chasing after Jesus and trying to point others to Him. Archives
January 2017
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