I haven’t been particularly excited to share this initially… but I’ve been under attack. I wanted to post something themed around the recent holiday, about thankfulness, about the season of celebration we are going into as we move towards Christmas. But in good conscience, I won’t.
Instead, I’m going to write about constant struggle, about fighting the evil inside us, sin, and about ultimate victory despite sometimes failing in the battle.
There is an enemy, the devil, he tempts us into feeding the appetite of our sin. The enemy is wanting sin to grow in us and consume us. In some moments and seasons the attack from the enemy is subtle. But as I’ve come to find, there are also times when it’s very apparent the enemy does not approve of the direction our lives are going.
I’m headed to share the Good News! To share the love of Christ Jesus my Lord and Savior in 11 countries across the world over the course of 11 months starting at August in Spain moving through the 10/40 window to China. Right now, I’m preparing to do that now by starting to do what I think I may be doing over there right here in the Atlanta area where I live. I’ve gotten together gear. I’ve started fundraising (Big news, I’m selling cool T-shirts. Check them out below). I’ve been in community. I’ve been praying, and seeking after God and trying to represent him well. I’m sharing who He is and how He loves every Spirit led chance I get. The enemy is hating it, and as a result… Temptations are high. I’ve lost some battles. Still, Jesus is greater.
The issue ultimately is this: our sin builds a wall separating us from God and consuming us to death. It makes us not even want to believe that a loving God cares about us as individuals and is even a possibility we could experience. In sin, we feel unworthy of God. That we must manage without Him. Pride says we can manage without Him, also sin.
I have personally been tempted to let those walls go up. If I’m really honest, this past week they have. My emotions were very erratic as a result of the situations I was in. Some situations were my own doing, but some were not. Either way God is with me and is good despite my own personal circumstances.
The walls go up first between me and God. I pretend, I choose to believe He doesn’t see my rebellion, that He is distant or somehow out of the loop of my life. Then the people closest to me… I distance myself. I shut people and God out. Sin separates. It leads to death, and in my sin I was dying. The enemy wants to take advantage of my giving into temptation, the enemy wants to end me for good. When I choose to listen to the lie, I do horrible things. It’s the disease of my flesh…
“Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar.” Galations 5:19-20
Thankfully, God sees right through that, and meets me where I am. He’s put people in my life who do the same. They see the walls I’ve built, sometimes as I build them and do all they can to get me past them. They take up arms when I’ve laid down. They are patient with me. They remind me that my struggle is a symptom of a disease affecting all of God’s good creation. People wrong me and sin tells me to blame the people. I’ve wronged me and sin says I’m scum. The way the world works doesn’t always seem in my favor, and sin says that God must not care.
“But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” Romans 5:8
If I’d just change my focus… back to God. If I look up, If I choose to repent. Admit my sin, humble myself. Just say,
“No sin, yes God.”
It’s a free, and freeing choice. But God doesn’t force me to do anything. He chose me, He called me, and when I let Godly sorrow in me say,
“God I want nothing to do with that any more! Jesus you are Lord! I’m trusting you!”
There is peace in the struggle. I’m comforted in calamity, even calamity I’ve caused for myself. I know from present experience, God is good! He doesn’t reject a humbled heart. Read Psalm 51 if you never have. Like David in the passage God met me in my brokenness before Him. Just like David, He cleanses me from my sin.
The enemy seeks to steal kill and destroy (John 10:10), he’s an accuser, and the father of lies. He is constantly telling me lies about myself, my situation, my calling, other people and about who God is and how he relates or feels about me.
My rebellious and sinful nature naturally puts me at odds with the Creator of the universe. That’s how we all start out. The enemy seeks to keep us at odds or cause us to live in odds against God so that we won’t inherit all that God has freely given by undeserved unearned grace. It is the greatest problem of all mankind.
Sin is at odds with God and separates us from Him in turn making it literally impossible to truly and fully experience Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faith Gentleness, or Self Control. The fruits of the Spirit that come from God (Galatians 5:22).
If we continue in sin we can’t enjoy God for who He is, what He’s done, or even the characteristics that overflow as a result of believing and living out who God has called us to be.
The Father calls me His masterpiece, made to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). I intend to align my plans with those God has for me and do those good works. Not because I must, God can do plenty of good without me, but because I’m thankful and willing. God says I was made for it, He says that about all who choose to believe the truth about Him and stop feeding their sin with lies from the enemy.
The truth is that we can be free from living under the burden of the perfect standards decreed by God simply by believing Christ Jesus, the person of God that humbled Himself and took on flesh, died for us. Our debt for not living up to the universal standard God had set (Side Note: We all know we don’t live up to that perfect standard because we often fall short of the standards we set for ourselves. How could we then live up to a higher and perfect standard?) is paid. The truth that in Jesus’ death conquering resurrection three days after being buried, He has also brought us life and life to the full.
A lie is simply a twisted truth. You know that. The enemy is constantly tempting us, offering us false versions of the truth. More convenient options that lead to a fleeting satisfaction that in the end leaves us empty.
“I say then walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16
Repentance is an ongoing aspect of following the Spirit, but continuing to walk by the Spirit in obedience will save us from lots of pain and regret. We ultimately reap what we sow. We either surrender our lives to Christ (a daily surrender) or we don’t. We walk in trusting Him and giving up our lives in the flesh. We put our flesh to death by trusting that Christ is enough. We listen and know Jesus as Savior and Lord of our lives, then our lives change. They change for the better forever. We are set on a new path a new trajectory. We are given hope because our future becomes bright. We are given peace because everything will be worked together for good (Romans 8:28), and we are given life because Christ brings us life. Jesus is greater.
Fundraising needs:
I’m in the process of starting to send out letters. Please reach out if you’d like one. Call or text me: 770-296-8242.
If you’d like to donate to the cause of Christ through my life and ministry with Adventures in Missions and the World Race you can click the donate button on this page to support me. If you are called I’m in need of both monthly contributions and one time gifts. I’m in the process of raising about $18,000 to support the financial needs of our mission starting in August. Currently we are a long way from the goal, but that just means there is plenty of opportunity to opt into the story God’s weaving together financially. For those who have already given, THANK YOU!
You can also opt to buy a T-shirt to support the cause. I’m partnering with Fund the Nations and they designed this awesome T-shirt:
T-Shirts require a minimum donation of 20$. Please hold off on donating if this is the what you would like to do. Please text or call me with your name and size if you’d like to be put on an list for a T-shirt. Then I’ll give you some specific instructions 🙂
*XXL+ cost 2$ extra
Prayer needs:
Please be praying for the warfare I’m facing. Pray that I’d stay strong and represent Jesus well as a good and faithful servant. Also, pray for my roomate Josh, he’s got a lot going on. Pray for my small group they are an incredible force for Jesus. Pray for my family that they would be brought to see the full extent of Christ’s love through me as I pursue Him wholeheartedly both now and on the race. Pray for the people at my workplace that they would be encouraged in the same way. Pray for my World Race team who are going through similar seasons.
THANK YOU!
