Grace Amazing

I'm currently reading this book called Grace by top selling author Max Lucado and it's very enlightening.  It talks about the single topic of God's Grace.  Wow.  An entire book dedicated to that phenomenon.  Why would someone want to devote an entire book to that?  Maybe because we still don't understand it.  Sure we talk about God's Grace in our songs, hymns, sermons, and daily Bible discussion but do we really...I mean really understand the ramifications of God's Grace??  I know that I don't/didn't.  It's not something I can wrap my heads around it.  Like Jimmy Needham's song says: "You got that Grace AMAZING."

Do you realize what Christ did??  I mean do you really realize what Christ did for you?  This man, who came from God, came to the earth NEVER sinned, but took the punishment for the greatest sinner.  Bore the most humiliating death at that time!  I know I've noted that before but mannnnnnn...

Today (August 27th) is my parents wedding anniversary.  This year (2012) they will be celebrating their 35th Anniversary.  And I'd like to think that if you were going to ask them to sacrifice me to die for this wicked world they wouldn't do it. (I could however be wrong...sigh) But GOD did it!  Jesus willing died for us ALL.  Why??

Why the heck would Jesus die for this world?

There are something that I just...can't understand.  That's why His grace is AMAZING.

Not only is His grace amazing but it's free!  How does the saying go: The best things in life are free.  So you are telling me, that I get:

1. A peace that passes all understanding (Philippines 4:7, John 14:27)
2. Salvation; Eternal Life (Romans 10:9)
3. Forgiveness for ANYTHING I do. (Ephesians 1:7)
4. Love...not just any love but UNCONDITIONAL love. (Psalm 86:15)
5. Protection. (Psalm 23:4)
6. Power (2 Timothy 1:7)

All for FREE!  I'm sooooo thankful for God's grace.  This undeserving grace towards me.

I could've been dead!

Sleeping in my grave;

But God blessed me to see

Another Day

And even when I did wrong

You were still there

I'm so glad that

God

Still

Hears

A

Sinner's Prayer

Of course it ain't all that simple.  There is a force, there is a pow'r, there is a being that HATE's God's Grace.  He/It/That Thang wants us all the die...to perish!  You know what I'm talking about.  The great Accuser.  The devil doesn't want you to love God's grace.  He doesn't want you to accept God's Grace.  He wants you to look at it with skeptical eyes.  Blind eyes.  Lucado, in my favorite paragraph of the book so far talks about how the Great Accuser tries to make you feel bad...tries to blame you for everything..tries to pervert God's Grace.

"Satan never shuts up...Day after day, hour after hour.  Relentless, tireless.  The Accuser makes a career out of accusing...Satan's condemnation brings...regret.  He has one aim: 'to steal, and to kill, and to destroy' (John 10:10).  Steal your peace, kill your dreams, and destroy your future....He enlists people to peddle his position.  Friends dredge up your past. Preachers preach all guilt and no grace. And parents, oh your parents.  They own a travel agency that specializes in guilt trips.  They distribute it twenty-four hours a day.  Long into adulthood you still hear their voice: 'Why can't you grow up?' 'When are you going to make me proud?' Condemnation (is) the preferred commodity of Satan."

Now I'm not saying all this is true about everyone because I don't personally fit the parents section.  I've always felt loved by my parents but I've certainly felt the other mentioned ones as well as others not listed and I know you have as well.  As my previous blog, "No Condemnation" says, Jesus repeatedly said that he did NOT come here to condemn us, but to love us.

That's why Ima Christian.  That's why Ima Christ follower.  Jesus loves me, he gots my back no matter what!  I can talk bad about him under my breath (which God still hears), I can yell/argue with him about life, I can vent to him, I can boast about him...No matter what I do, He will still love me.  He loved me enough to die on the cross for me.  I just wish, I just pray that everyone one day will realize God's grace.  Will realize that He loves you.  Realize that he wants your heart so he can guard it and keep it safe.  God doesn't want your heart to eat, he doesn't want your heart cuz he's selfish.  He wants your heart because He knows that it's the only way to keep it safe for an eternity.  It's a fail-proof lock ya'll.

Ima end it with the song we used to sing at the end of my old church service:

Grace, grace, God's grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God's grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin.

You've Got To Forgive

Well, yesterday (August 12th), I preached my first sermon.  It was on forgiveness, and for the most part I think it went well.  I'm generally an overly critical person so there are somethings I don't like about it and there are some things that I need to improve.  But for the first time, I'm overly pleased.  You can check it out here if you want!

You've Got To Forgive

~Michael J. Adams

You

Hey, it's me again.  The one that felt deserted.  The one that felt unappreciated.  The one that never quite seemed to fit in because my family raised him a lil bit different.  Just because you may not have liked my parents doesn't mean it has to go down on him.  I wanted to help out...I wanted to desperately get involved, to feel wanted. And yet you shoved me out.  And now you are surprised when you find out where I am. Who I'm trying to become? How God is using me??

I used to hate you.  I used to absolutely loathe your presence.  Every week I would dread that day were I would face your presence.  If it wasn't for my loving parents forcing me to attend you once or twice a week I guarantee you I wouldn't have visited.  When I was in your presence I felt judged, looked down upon, and used.  Yes, there were parts of you that I loved.  Parts of you that welcomed me, that loved me.  But, the nasty parts..the mean parts always seemed to overtake me...to consume me.  But yet...yet...my parents still forced me to go see to you at least once a week.  There were times where I would act like I was sick just so I wouldn't have to engage you.  Yep, I said it...I lied just because I couldn't stand your presence.  You were supposed to love me.  You were supposed to care about me..for me.  You were supposed to be part of my family.  I was supposed to be happy to be around you..at least most of the time. But, I never wanted to be near you....

Once I graduated high school I felt free!  I never had to see you again.  I never had to see you or any of your cousins again!  But wait...I went to a college that was based off you.  Why?  Why would I spend the next four years of my life learning more about you!?  I initially didn't know why God pointed me in that direction, but soon I would find out...

My first year in college I did everything to avoid you and your cousins.  I would never go visit you unless I was forced to because of my love for music or some older people required me to.  I enjoyed my sleep. (I am NOT a morning person).  I mean seriously, why would I wake up early to visit you when I didn't even like you.

My next year I dated a girl who was in love with your extended family.  Wow...it was contagious.  She actually got me excited to go meet your 2nd-cousin-twice-removed!  Once I entered into her presence...I felt something different.  I didn't feel judged...but I didn't feel loved either.  But my girlfriend was in love with your family.  So, naturally I kept going.  The more I went, the more I learned.  Your 2nd-cousin-twice-removed is a smart lady.  She really knew how to keep me interested...to teach me.  But soon I lost the fire to visit even her.  I eventually broke up with my girlfriend and was left in the same place...

But then, I saw something.  You was struggling...Here was my chance to feel loved...To feel wanted! I had the tools to help you.  Yet you refused me.  Once again you looked down on me.  After that, I never wanted to see you again!  You scarred me for my next year (Junior Year of College).  Until...

I was coerced to come meet another one of your family members...It had to be God that introduced us because once I met this beautiful relative, I felt loved.  I didn't feel judged.  I felt anew!  Even though I still was unsure about this Beautiful Monster, I kept going because I couldn't get enough of her!  She wasn't perfect, but then again, no one is. She, however, loved me.  And I started to love her.  She had one of the best brains I had ever seen and the rest of her body was great as well (it gets a 9 out of 10 if you know what I mean!).  I never thought I could learn so much from someone like her.  I've fallen in love with her.  Eventually, there may come a day when I have to leave her.  But I want to say that thanks to her, I've been restored and replenished.  I've been restored in my faith in God.  And I love your family, flaws in all.

Now, I just want to tell you that I'm sorry.  I'm sorry for lying to you.  I'm sorry for hating you.  Before I just saw all of your flaws and denied the good in you.  Though you may be surprised where I am now, (aka trying to become an important part of your family) I hope that you continue to pray for me.  I just want to ask for your forgiveness.  If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be where I am now. Thank You You!

To my readers, if you havent figured out who you is.  You is church.  That's my church journey in a quick snippet.

"No Condemnation"

I'm reading a book along with my pastor as part of my spiritual development called: "A Good and Beautiful God."  In this book, the author addresses talks about the different aspects of God and how we, as a culture have produced false narratives.  The author's task is to combat those false narratives with biblical references.  Along with the practical theological arguments, there are exercises called "Spiritual Disciplines" which are every day tasks which can get us closer to understanding and gaining knowledge of God.  Some of those disciplines are just practical.  A lot of them have to do with our workaholic culture where we always have to be busy and the author is just challenging the readers to slow down.  To be still "and know I am God" type of thing.

Welllll, I've recently gotten finished reading a chapter entitled: "God is self-sacrificing"  Where is addresses the fact that Jesus died the most humiliating death known to man at that time and for what?  To save us!  The question arises whether or not it really needed to be done.  Why couldn't God just snap his fingers and humanity be saved?  Nowww that question may be answered in another blog post, but for this one I have an entirely different agenda.

Moving forward..at the end of this chapter, the Spiritual Discipline that the author challenged me to do was to read the entire book of John in 3 days.  Now, I have to admit, I failed that challenge.  I only got half-way through the book because I, like every other American, fail to make time for God.  But, reading through the first 12 or so chapters of John I came across something that Jesus repeatedly said: I came not to condemn the world, but save it (or some variation of that).  He said that repeatedly (I'm too lazy to count the exact amount).  The importance of it is that he kept hitting that hammer on the nail for emphasis.

I mean what does condemnation mean?  According to the KJV Bible Dictionary, it means: "to prononunce to be utterly wrong; to utter a sense of disapprobation against; to censure; to blame..."  Sooo, you are telling me, that the Lamb of God.  The one that did no evil.  That had no blemishes on his coat.  The one that DIED for a wicked humanity.  The one that would have every right in the world to comdemn and to judge, didn't come to condemn us.  He came so that the blind would see. He came so that the sick would be healed.  He came so that they that didn't believe, believed.

Wow, that just hit me.  I always hear the phrase (which 2Pac is always quoted saying): "Only God can judge me."  And I gotta be honest, I'm always quoting that phrase because honestly, who wants to be judged?  Especially if you are being judged by another sinner!  Buttttt reading/listening to the book of John, I've come to realize that Jesus doesn't WANT to condemn us.  He's not here to look down on us. He wants all of us to be saved.  He wants all of us to not hurt.  He wants ALL of us to be Loved!

I mean seriouslyyyy!  Jesus....the ONE that literally has every right to look down at us, the fallen creation, humbled himself, was known as the meek one and still didn't condemn us.  People ask me why is there a Hell.  If God loved us so much, why does Hell exist.  Well let me tell you something, God doesn't send people to Hell per say.  People send people to Hell.   The decisions we make, the most important decision we make of whether or not we allow the Gospel to enter into our hearts and penetrate our souls...That's what sends people to Hell. 

Once you fully believe in the Gospel and the Holy Ghost dwells in you, you aren't going to Hell.  Hell isn't a punishment.  Hell is a choice!  I'm not here to condemn anyone.  I'm here to love everyone.  I'm not here to judge anyone.  I'm here to understand everyone!  For we ALL have sinned and fall short to the Glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, Jesus. ~ Romans 8:1

Praise the Lord!  Thank you Jesus for dying for my sins.  For dying FOR ME.  This is something I'll never understand.  I'll never comprehend the vastness of what you did.  But all I can say is: I'm glad you did.

What's Your Story?

When I was an incoming freshman at Messiah College in '08 (whoa that's a long time ago), the theme was: "What's Your Story?"  The idea was that we all come from different backgrounds and diverse experiences and thus have a unique story to tell.  A unique story that cannot be duplicated.  Sure, people can relate to it, but no two people have the same exact story...not even siblings...not even twins. Everyone has a unique perspective on the same events.  Which is why witnesses in a crime are in one case veryy helpful, but they can also really complicate a case if their stories don't match up.

With that being said, the most powerful thing...the most life changing thing...the most unique thing about you is your story.  If I wanted to use religious terminology we would call it your testimony.  Your testimony is your life story.  It's all the mistakes you've made.  All the great blessings that God has blessed you with.  It's YOU. It's what makes you, you.

For that reason, it is the most powerful thing about you.  The bible reminds us that the tongue is the most powerful thing (Proverbs 18:21).  What comes out of your mouth can affect people both negatively and positively.  This is why...this is why we need your story.  Everything you go through, happens for a reason.  Ok, you was a womanizer.  And yes, that's not the most positive association in the world.  But, only by the Grace of God you have been redeemed.  You need to tell people that!  You have no idea who's in the audience.  Who's surrounding you.  Who needed to hear about God's love and how He loved you despite your tendencies.  But most importantly, how he redeemed you or is working on you.

Maybe in your audience you have someone that was victimized by a womanizer and need to here your repentance.  Needs to hear your repentance so she can feel the love again.  Maybe in your audience is a womanizer that's trying to change...trying extremely hard to change, but you say how you changed or is changing and you give him hope.  You give him the push to make his life better.  To treat woman with respect.

I don't know about you, but people who are open and honest about their fallacies to me gain a heck of alot more respect from me than people that try to hide it.  We like to think that our past will get us judged.  And maybe it will, maybe it deserves to be judged.  But I like to think that when we are open and honest to each other, that's where the life changing happens.  Wall building stops you from getting hurt, but it also stops the healing process.  It's not until we confess and repent, that we are about to heal from the wounds of our past.

Everyone has a story...everyone has a testimony.  And more importantly everyone's testimony matters.  Whether you was abused as a child by a drunken father or you used to be a thief or you are an alcoholic that was saved or anyyything, you life matters.  Your life can change other people's lives if you let it.  But let alone that, have you ever confessed something to someone and instantly felt the weight of the world come off your shoulders?  All you are doing there is telling your story.  Don't feel ashamed of who you was.  If you are in Christ, you are a NEW creation.  Tell the world about your new creation!
What's your story? Cuz I would love to hear it!

*By the way, that example of being a womanizer is a part of my testimony*

Let Em Uze Ya!

The Sacrifice of Worship

What do you do when you've done all you can and it seems like you just can't make it through?  What do you do when you are down on life.  Maybe a relative passed away.  Maybe you lost your job.  Maybe you aren't succeeding in life as much as you would like.  What is the quickest, easiest way guaranteed to get you out of your funk?

Well I'm glad you asked these great questions.  I have the magic answer: You Worship God.  I can tell you from experience that when I am feeling down and out, the quickest and surest way to get out of my funk is to just starting singing the songs of Zion.

Listen, God loves us.  God wants nothing but for us to be happy.  But sometimes, things happen.  Life is an emotional roller coaster.  But the one constant in our life is the Love the Christ has for us.  Everything that happens, whether it's negative or positive, will ALWAYS work out for our God. (Romans 8:28) It may not be the immediate or foreseeable feature.  But, that's a promise that the Word of God gives us. But I would be naive if I didn't acknowledge the fact that it still sucks when bad things happen in life.  Like sucks A TON.

It's at these moments however, where God really needs to shine in your hearts.  There are sooo many great things that God has blessed us each with and we need to be thankful for that because the cliche holds true: it could ALWAYS be worse.

It's at these moments that you, as a creation of God, need to extol him.  Need to thank Him for all he did for your life.  This is called the "sacrifice of Worship."  When you are feeling down, sing.  When you are feeling depressed, sing.  When you are feeling suicidal, sing. I guarantee that if what you are singing is coming from the heart, you will get out of that funk.  In Psalm 22:3, the Bible tells us that God "inhabits the praises of His people."  Now it doesn't say that we have to be in the best mood when we praise.  Quite frankly, a lot of the times that I end up having to lead Praise & Worship in church or when I have to have my mini praise session, I don't feel like it.  The devil was getting to me, attack ing my soul.  But the beauty is that as long as I'm praising, extolling God, he will inhabit it.

Now what does inhabit mean?  It means to dwell, to live in.  Where will he dwell in?  In our hearts.  To calm the storms of our life for that moment.  Notice I didn't say permanently, but he will give us that peace that surpasses understanding.  Like out of nowhere, we will feel amazing.  Don't believe me, I have 2 great examples. One personal and one testimony.

I don't know if all my readers know, but one of the things I pride myself in, is directing Gospel Choirs.  My senior year of college I directed 2 choirs, one at school and one at church.  So, in essence, music is my life.  But this story comes from one of the choir members in the school choir who was a Sophomore for the 2011-2012 school year.  This was her first year in the choir after a rough freshman year filled with heartbreaks and disappointments.  And it's safe to say that she was having a rough relationship with God.

So she joined the choir after seeing us perform during the 2010-2011 school year (her Freshman year & my first year directing the choir) the next year having those thoughts looming around in her head.  For the first half of Fall 2011 she was still down, still having a plethora of thoughts running through her head constantly asking God: "Why? Why? Why?"  But, the more she sacrificed or forced herself to sing, the more peace she started to feel about it.  The situation in itself wasn't necessarily getting better, but she was gaining that It is Well With my Soul peace.  By the end of her Sophomore year, I'm sure she will tell you that forcing herself to praise God even though she didn't feel like it, realllly reallllly helped her.  Because God inhabited her praise.

For me, my one of many examples came from my Senior Year of College.  Where the school choir was scheduled to perform that morning and I rolled out of bed completely in the wrong spirit.  I legitimately rolled out of the wrong side of bed.  And when I direct, I don't just stand there and move my arms, I have energy, I engage the listeners and hype up the singers.  But that day...I just didn't feel like it and I know people could tell on my face.

So, the rehearsal right before the we sang i was just flat.  And when the actually moment came for us to sing our first few songs I was out of it.  I grabbed the mic started engaging the audience, and it was just....flat.  So I just stopped trying and just focused on the choir.  But the longer the service went the better I was solely starting to feel.  We sang approx... 3 songs and then the speaker for the morning spoke who was amazing by the way.  By the time the speaker was done speaking, I started to feel the Spirit but I needed that finial push.  So the choir went up to sing its final song which was a simple song called In This Place.  Where the main line is: "Lord have your way in this place."  This song, in its simplicity never really did anything to my spirit before.  But this wasn't any ordinary time.

For the first time in my life.  I started crying because of the Holy Spirit.  It was tears of joys.  It actually had a little trouble directing and thankfully made it through it.  But when it was over, I just sat in my chair and just started thanking God silently with my head buried in my hands.  That was the legit moment where I felt the Spirit move the most in my life and it ironically came at the time when I felt the worst initially.

See brethren!  You gotta force yourself sometimes.  The Sacrifice of Worship.  It's not about how you feel.  It's about recognizing the sovereignty of God.  That despite it all, The Lord Has Been Sooo Good to you.  I'm going to end it with the first verse and chorus to one of Kirk Franklin's most famous songs (I told you that music is my life) which was actually probably his first legit hit called Why We Sing.

Someone asked the question:

Why do we sing?

When we lift our hands to Jesus;

What do we really mean?

Someone may be wondering,

When we sing our song;

At times we maybe crying

And nothings even wrong.

-

I sing because I'm happy

I sing because I'm free

His eye is on the sparrow

That's the reason why I sing.

Glory Hallelujah!

You're the reason why I sing!

Do What You Gotta Do!

Go for it!  Do those that thing that you've been passionate for!  Wait...something is stopping you?  What in the world could be stopping you?  Ohhhh:

Fear

Doubt

Those..are nasty little things.  When you have those two little words circling around in your head you are major league screwed.

Is that the only thing holding you back?  Despite that fear and doubt of the unknown, do you still have this burning desire to do something??  Now hold on, I'm not JUST talking about those major life decisions like "I'm gonna go to Africa for the next few years" or "I'm going to get married!!"  I'm talking about those "minor" decisions as well.  The, "should I ask her out on a date" or "should I call her."  To name a few...oh wait...those are the ones that CONSTANTLY FLOAT THROUGH MY HEAD!

Once again...I digress...ok, but seriously.  It's the little things in life that makes the most changes in our lives.  Its those things that we tend (consciously) to pay the least attention to, that in the long run matter the most to us.  It's those everyday decisions that shape us.  Why?  Because we do them...everyday!

So, what has been placed on you heart today?  What are you running from?  What are you fearful about?  What do you have doubts about?  If it's on your heart, and the biggest thing holding you back in the unknown, I say go for it!  But, I'm not justing saying that!  The Bible says that as well! Proverbs 16:9 says:

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps."

Has there been something that was placed on your heart (by the Lord) and out of nowhere a door opened and you had a chance to walk through it??...And you didn't ask the girl out...you didn't take the promotion...you didn't move to Africa because of those two pesky words?  The Word is clear: "the Lord establishes their steps."  If a door comes flying open right in your face..that's probably the Lord.  Granted, there's a chance that is the Prince of Darkness. But, if the deed was on your heart and the only thing stopping you is doubt, then, it's probably not the Devil.

Proverbs is in the OLD Testament, we want something in the New Testament oh crazy blogger!  Oh you want some NT huh?  Well how about John 14:26 where Jesus tells us a HUGGEEE secret! "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (It's the words of Jesus so it has to be in red right!?
Quick Historical Break...The context of this is Jesus talking to his disciples right before he ascended into heaven.  Here he is promising that we will have a map placed on our hearts to direct us and that map is from God.  A couple of verse prior to this, he tells them that they will do "greater deeds" that He, the Prince of Peace, did.

Sooo, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us!  That famous gut feeling that you always get right before any decision?  Yea!  That can be the Holy Spirit telling you something!  You just have to discern whether or not its the Spirit.  But don't let fear stop you any longer from doing anything!  Do let doubt of the unknown hinder God's blessing for your life any longer!  Do what you gotta do!  In Joshua 1:9, God makes a command to us. "Have I not commanded you? (see! haha)  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
Let's go out and grab fear by the horns!  Let's go change the world!  Let's go take that risk!  Lets...go...ask that girl out...ehhh...we'll see about that. Haha.

Ima leave you with a quote from a great woman that goes by the name of Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962).  Thus saith Madame Roosevelt:
"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.  You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."