Thoughts on a Funeral

 Recently, a tragedy occurred. Not in my life, but in the lives of a family of one of my dearest friends. My friend's younger brother passed from this world. This happened August 29th, 2014. From what I understand, he took his own life.

The funeral. It was a beautiful, sunny day, slightly warm for my tastes, but a beautiful, clear day on the 5th of September. As I was driving there, I couldn't help but keep running a song by Green Day in my head,

"Summer has gone and past. The innocent can never last. Wake me up when September ends..."

I wonder how many people that fateful day were thinking along those lines. How unbelievable it must be; how much like a terrible, terrible nightmare it was. Except this nightmare was real. It's not something that one is able to wake up from and ignore.

Regrets. Usually not a man of one, I am. However, this day I was full of them. How terrible of a friend that I must be! Why was I not there for the family of one of my best friends? Why couldn't I do something about this to avoid this heartbreak, this tragedy?

This event that "should never have happened."

I put the previous line in quotes because I hear that phrase so often. But if what I believe is true, then nothing, nothing, happens for no reason. There is no such thing as coincidence, because God knows all. He knows what tomorrow brings.

Thus, I can only come to the conclusion that God knew this was going to happen. He knew, and He allowed the devil to influence someone loving, caring, incredibly talented to be taken from this life at an age many in America would consider "too young."

But why? Why do such terrible things happen? Why are we wounded so deeply, so hurtfully? Why does God allow such a thing to happen to His people; people that have committed to following Him? And also, why does it seem like sometimes, we're just so helpless?

The Christian life is full of hardship. No where in the Bible is there a verse stating that the Christian life is easy, as much as Western thinking would want one to think that way. In reality, the Christian life, frankly, is extremely difficult.

Think about it this way. Is it easier to drive on a wide, paved road, or some obscure trail through the mountains? That's the choice that God gives, and the way to Him is a path filled with obstacles, challenges, and discomfort.

How many prophets in the Bible lived easy, carefree lives? None. How did the apostles fair with the early church? They were prosecuted and thrown in jail numerous times, just for saying that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior.

I was reminded partly of this at the funeral. Horrible things happen because God allows them to happen.

However, two facts I know. God allows nothing to happen which is beyond our abilities to handle. God allows nothing to happen without a specific purpose/s

If something were to break us, God wouldn't allow it to break us to the point of not being able to carry on. If anything, severe hardship shows that God knows that you have the potential to be extraordinary, succeed, and rise up. He knows that by putting you through this, you will grow.

There is a saying in the Bible stating that the wise go to funerals, because in the funerals there is something to learn. My experience only confirmed that statement.

I've said this to some people before, but was reminded of this truth and was deeply impacted by it at the day of the funeral. Everyone, everyone, is full of God-given abilities. Everyone has the potential to be someone great. Someone fantastic. Someone worthy of being Biblical. Sometimes, I look around at people, and I'm sad that they themselves cannot see that potential. They can't see the impact they can make. None of this was more true to me that day then seeing and hearing how the deceased brother of my friend was remembered.

He was a performer, a musician. One of incredible talent. And yet he showed great humility and was meek as a lamb. He had his quirks (who doesn't?), but that just made him more unique, more himself. It gave him identity. People watch this guy perform and say "wow....he's good!"

I firmly believe everyone has the ability to be the person who will leave other people's jaws on the floor. We all have that potential. It is up to us to reach it.

I pray for the family, for their friends, and for my friend. I hope that in the days to come that I will be available for them should they need anything, even if it's just my presence. I pray that the healing hand of God will be on them, that they would be comforted in knowing that he is free now. His chains are gone.

P.S. If you're reading this and you know the family of which I'm talking about, please pray for them and reach out to them. Their hearts ache, I know it. 

It's My Disguise

Who am I?
Why do I feel the need to put up a front to fit in with certain people?
Am I defined by my best behavior? Or my worst?
What is my best? What is my worst?

What is my disguise that I hide behind?

To Give All You Have For The Hidden Treasure

“Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." -Matthew 13:44 (NKJV)

Often, the simplest things are often the most complicated things. Jesus Christ proves this again and again as He gives certain parables. The point He is driving home with this parable is crystal clear; the kingdom of Heaven is so great that when we see it, we should give all we have in order to be a part of it. However, to fully grasp the nuances of doing so tends to complicate matters, not to mention that the constant nagging of the Devil and our sinful nature make it difficult to live out.

Recently, I went through a phase in life when my priority list got skewed (I am still fighting off the effects). I started to place my social/dating life above following my Rabbi. It got pretty bad; to the point where I really began to sway and lose sight of Jesus. I was constantly thinking about my social life (specifically, a significant girlfriend/boyfriend relationship) and how to make "my next move." My own priorities began to blur my sight, and I could no longer see clearly.

Because I lost sight of God, I had no one to follow but my selfish desires. How intentionally I followed these desires scares me now. I literally was always going after what I wanted with all that I had, using my brain to make new plans and bend my body to my own will. I really thought that having a girlfriend would make life so much better.

However, thanks to the support of my good friends, I managed to come to terms with myself and start on the path of recovery. Have I gotten there, no; it's a process that is going to take time and consistent effort. That's not the point however. 

After I came to terms with myself, I realized that what I was doing was what I should be doing with Jesus. To really be a disciple of Christ, to be a talmid (a talmid strives to become what his Rabbi is), an aspect of that is fixating your mind on your Rabbi, to "beat your body into submission" (1 Corinthians 9:27). 

Now, I love the passage in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. As a former cross country runner in my high school days (sheesh, was it really that long ago?), and currently training to run a marathon, I understand what it means to run not just for the sake of running, but running to win. Running so that I prove that I am the best on the field, that the work I put in training and the talent that I have brought me to being not just my best, but the best. Thanks to intense running workouts, I know what it means to truly beat yourself into submission, to bring out the potential that you did not know existed. Many of you who play sports and are athletic understand what I'm saying.

Just like how an Olympian runner runs to win the gold medal, just like how much I really wanted a girlfriend, that's what it means to really sell out for Jesus. Fixating Him in our minds, imprinting Him in our hearts, and going after Him with all, that's what it means. Let us train with Him, and when our number is called in the race, let us run with passion with the end goal in mind.

My Book of Reflections - Chapter 11 (Selflessness As A Virtue)

Every Christian knows that the world is in a broken state due to sin. The effects of this can be seen everywhere around the world. People are starving, people are dying, and diseases without cures are evils that lie within the world. Within this dark shadow lays virtue, however, given by God to His people. These virtues are signs that bring hope, because they foster belief that the world isn’t wholeheartedly evil and that good still lives. While it is possibly unfair to rank these virtues in order of the greatest one, I say that the greatest virtue that anyone could possibly have is a selfless heart.

             

There is a beauty in having the selfless servant heart. Jesus Himself shows and speaks about being the last and serving others the way He showed His people. Serving really gives a certain joy to one’s heart. There is something special about being the one to put a smile on someone else’s face. It is the simple joy of putting someone else first and carrying one’s own cross that I believe Jesus was getting at.

             

Selflessness also provides a path to achieving great things in the world with God’s hand. I look towards organizations like World Vision and Compassion International. These companies were made off of a vision of a person who had the heart and the mindset to change things. Mother Theresa is another great example of how selflessness can lead to worldly change. These people are not limited by their fame either. I think of people like Becksvoort, Tamminga, and all of the unsung heroes of Christianity who ventured forwards into places where Christ was never even heard of. These men and women touched so many lives through just being selfless. In a society that tells people that they need more stuff, that they need to look a certain way and that these things need to happen this way, it is utterly foreign to the world to have a selfless attitude. I believe that it is Satan’s way of leading people away from things that are good and godly.

           

 I realize that selflessness is only one virtue and that the many other virtues have tremendous amounts of worth as well. However, Paul does say in the Bible that the greatest of is love, and that without love people can do nothing. Jesus tells the Pharisee that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord and to love your neighbors. Selflessness is a defining characteristic of godly love, and thus is the greatest virtue that one could have.

Suit Up!

(Many of you will recognize that line from the show "How I Met Your Mother." To be honest, I am also a big fan of the show and love watching it.)

I have this habit of dressing up when I go to church. Yes, I do "suit up!" The reasoning behind the suit to church is because for me personally, it's a symbol of respect for the House of God. My logic is that if I'm going to go "meet" God in His house, I should dress up out of respect for Him and give Him my best, even though a lot of times, my best isn't really all that great. I don't have a problem with people who think otherwise, it's just the way I see things.

Recently, a pastor at a church put this thought in my mind that has been bouncing around. Why do some believers feel like they have to figuratively put on a suit, shave, clean themselves up, and have their lives together in order to approach God? Why does it feel like in order to even just attend church, we have to be able to say that life is "all good" and that God's been blessing us so much (even though that is true all of the time, even in the storms)?

Yet in the Gospel, there are so many instances when Jesus would go to people and minister to them when their life was absolutely wrecked. Think of the demon-possessed man in Luke 8; how messed up he looked to the rest of society! He was filthy and dirty and none wanted to approach him because he was so obviously in a mess! Yet Jesus approached him, rebukes the demon and the man is healed and he immediately gives his testimony, of what Jesus has done for him!

And the leper in Luke 5 is another beautiful example. Back in those days, having leprosy was considered very unclean. Lepers had to shout "Unclean!" over and over as they walked through streets so that people could purposefully avoid them by walking all the way around them! They were complete outcasts because touching a leper would make you unclean as well! And yet when the leper in Luke 5 sees Jesus, the Son of God, walking towards him, he falls on his face (how the NKJV translates it) and says "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean (NKJV)!

Now, you have to keep in mind that Jesus was not walking by Himself. He has His disciples with Him, and the disciples were well aware of the social stigmas and traditions of that society. I can imagine that they saw the leper and heard him shouting "Unclean!" and moved to the side of the street to avoid him while their Rabbi walked straight at him! Imagine the horror on their faces as they saw their Rabbi interacting with this "unclean" leper! And remember, the goal of the talmidim (the disciples) is not just to know what the teacher knows, but to be what the Rabbi is. That means they were supposed to be up close and personal with this leper as well!

Jesus then does what ancient Jewish society would say is unthinkable. "Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed” (Luke 5:13 NKJV). Notice that Jesus touched the leper! According to Jewish custom, that made Jesus ceremonially unclean! But the story goes on to tell how the holiness and power of God the Son vanquished the uncleanliness and made the man clean.

My friends, the point is that when approaching Jesus there's no reason to try to put away the shame and guilt, to try to clean up your sins. God sees them anyway and He forgives you for them! All you have to do is go to Him and have faith. It doesn't matter how messed up your life seemingly is. He will accept you anyways, for you have been created in His image and He loves you.

How To Walk

Many times as a Christian I was told that I have to follow my Rabbi, be covered in His dust, and to learn from Him. However, there are times when I feel like my Rabbi has stepped aside and watches me rather than lead the way. In those situations, I am quite lost.

However, the joy of a father does not come from carrying his child. The joy comes from watching his child walk without his aid.

When Jesus stood out on the water in front of His disciples and called Peter to Him, He didn't say, "Oh Peter, let me go out there so I can give you a nice piggyback ride and a high five for saying the right thing." No, He stood some distance away from the boat and called Peter to walk on the stormy waters. He watched Peter walking on water! I can't imagine what joy our LORD must have felt when Peter was walking on that water, even though He knew that Peter would be distracted by the winds and the waves and would sink.

It is of utmost importance to be covered in Jesus' dust as we follow Him. But when He calls us off the boat into the stormy seas, let us not be afraid of walking. Let us instead stride out doing what our Rabbi does, as a talmid would do so. Let us not be afraid, even though we may fail, for Jesus rushed immediately to Peter's aid when Peter was sinking. He is out there. Let us walk and do what He has made us to do.

How Bad Do You Want It?

Some of you Youtube viewers will look at the title of this post and say, "Hey, I get the reference! I've seen that video on Youtube!"

If that is not you, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsSC2vx7zFQ

The video talks about success. The man narrating tells viewers about how to be successful, you will have to want it badly.

The big line in the video is "If you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you'll be successful!"

Recently, I came down with an injury that was by far my scariest injury yet. I pulled a muscle in my back (I'm no expert in the human body, so I don't know exactly what) and that little injury left me unable to breathe normally. Taking in a breath hurt my back and sent sharp pain throughout the left side of my chest. It scared me half to death.

Let me tell you now, while that injury was fresh, I did not think about anything else but trying to breathe and survive. Even though I was visiting and cheering on my high school cross country team (I graduated in 2012), I wasn't thinking about them. The only thought I had was "breathe!" I prayed to YHWH that I would be able to breathe.

Breathe, breathe, breathe, get some air! The thoughts consumed my mind like a furious flame.

That's exactly the point the video is trying to make. That point in my life, when I was struggling to even get a small breath, showed me how much I would have to want success. More than that, to have success, you really have to need it. If you want to be successful in anything, you have to work at it. The only way is through having the sheer force of will to be successful.

As a Christian, I feel like that's what we're called to do. We are called to be a driven people with the best purpose that any person could have, which can only be found through Jesus. We should have that spiritual hunger to really follow our Rabbi and be covered in His dust.

That force of will is why I love running so much. So much more of it depends on your mental strength rather than your physical training. It is my personal prayer that I will have that mental strength in everything that is good to the Lord.