Adversity

Adversity. This was the theme presented to us at the opening ceremonies for Ironman CDA 2015. The announcer spoke about several competitors who had overcome adversity. Like the first ever double amputee to complete and Ironman or Scott Smiley who was a vet and was blinded while serving his country and was attempting his first Ironman. It was an inspiration to hear these stories. Little did I know this word, adversity, was going to carry so much more meaning on race day.

Race Day – 3am

I woke up feeling good. I was a bit tired but better then I thought considering to sun wasn’t up yet. I worked my way out of bed and got some nutrition in me knowing all good and well this was the last meal I was having till I finish.

430am

I arrive at the start a bit late but I still had enough time to get my gear ready and get suited up for the swim. I got so busy trying to get everything ready that I didn't have enough time to relax and focus on the feat before me. I make my way to the the beach where I say a quick prayer and stretch. I was surrounded by 1800 athletes and the energy in the crowd was real.

Swim start - 545am

The canon goes off (yes an actual canon) and we start are way into the water. It was a rush.. So many people in the water battling. The water was a cool 72 degrees and with a wetsuit it felt almost like swimming pool. Unfortunately it's a lot harder to go straight in a lake then a pool that has lines beneath you. The swim course was a two lap 1.2 mile course. The amount of people in the water made it difficult to keep a fluid stroke but despite it I still managed a total time of 80 minutes and right where I was hoping to finish. I felt fresh coming out of the water and was ready for the bike.

Bike Start

After changing and getting lathered in sunscreen I was off on the bike course. The bike was also a two lap 56 mile loop and had a total elevation gain of 5700 ft. The course went though downtown a total of 4 times which made it great for seeing friends and family. I was about to finished the first loop right on schedule but adversity hit at the aid station at the end of the first loop. I was going in for a hand-off at an aid station and had my left hand on my front break. As I approached a volunteer I grabbed a Gatorade bottle. During that time I failed to notice everyone ahead of me was at a dead stop. For fear of crashing into them, I smashed my front break only to find myself over the handlebars and on the ground a split second later. My bicycle came crashing on top of me. I heard one of the volunteers yell for oncoming traffic to move out of the way. Knowing good and well I was at risk of being hit I shot up and made my way a few feet away into a chair at the aid station.

I was in mild shock. I sat there as the volunteers poured water on my wounds. I looked over and saw road rash on my arm and my left leg. I sat there for a couple minutes trying to assess the situation. I was halfway done the bike. Should I try and continue? How bad was I injured? Was my bike OK to ride? So many questions flooded in that instead of trying to answer them all, I rose up. The volunteer asked if I wanted a medic, without hesitation I said no, knowing good and well if the medic deemed me unfit I would not be able to continue. I went to my bike and noticed the handlebars were no longer perpendicular to the ground but pointed at the ground. At that point I get out my tool kit and fixed my aero bars as best as I could and got back on. As soon as I tried to get on though my left arm was in a considerable amount of pain. I decided I would try and see how far I could make it. At least, I thought I could make it to the next aid station. As I got going again I heard someone shout “If Ironman were easy it would be called crossfit” I chuckled in pain.

I get to the next aid station where I get off and start tearing up in front of a couple girls. It was hard and I wanted to quit but at the same time I didn't want to waste the 700 dollar entry fee on a crash. So I decided I would try going to the next aid station again. And when I got to the next, same thing, I went on, one aid station at a time (roughly 12 miles apart). It was crazy the amount of times I held back tears on the bike and the amount of times I wanted to quit. I mean after all, no one was going to judge if I quit seeing as I got into bike accident and the fact that temperatures reached 105 degrees by mid day made excuses reach an all time high. Fortunately there was one verse that kept running through my mind.

Hebrews 12:1b ...let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

This was the motivation that pushed me through my training and this was going to push me here. The bike crash played a huge part in my slower pace. I was over an hour slower on the second loop because of it. At this point my end goal time was out the window so the only goal was to finish and I was feeling good enough to run/walk still.

As I approached the bike finish I was able to finally tell my friends what had happened which was a huge relief to everyone. And now I could concentrate on the marathon that stood between me and the finish.

Run Start

I was feeling good but knew there was one issue that could present itself. Blisters. I've trained hard, ran lots and have never had issues with my feet. What I didn't train for was the heat and with heat comes lots of challenges. It got so hot that there were over 350 people who did not finish the race, double the amount of a normal drop out. In order for me to stay in the race I had to douse myself with water and Ice which caused my feet to get wet and it stayed that way from the time I got out of the swim till the finish. If you talk with any marathon runner they will tell you, you need to keep your feet dry in order to reduce the risk of blisters. So I knew I was dancing with trouble.

26.4 miles to go. I could do this. I started out with a nice light jog and kept a good slow pace for the first 7 miles. Once I hit that mile marker though I slowed to a walk. And it sucked. My arm was still in pain, it was hot and now I could feel those blisters on my feet. Fortunately I didn't have any stomach issues or cramping issues. I knew I still had lots of time to finish so I took my time. I decided to walk the next 17 miles which sounds easy but with each step came pain and doubt. Things were starting to weigh on my mind. Should I drop out? Is my arm actually broken? My feet feel like mush, should I continue and risk my health? Mile 22 was hard, I was still walking but slowing down my pace a lot. At this point the sun was starting to go down and the pain was almost unbearable. The worst part was there were very few people to keep you alive and upbeat. It was quiet time, but I kept going, I was so close I couldn't fail now. Mile 24. I was sick of walking and all the pain in my arm and feet that I decided run. With each step came a numbing feeling but a sense of accomplishment. At this point, everyone around me was was walking. I was the only one running and it felt great. Then came the best mile of the race, the last mile. Here is where I met up with two friends on bicycles, they were there to encourage me and track my progress and I fed off that energy. They were pumped and I was ready to see the final stretch.

Sherman Ave.

The final stretch was amazing. I heard of people talking about that moment and to enjoy it do I did. 4 out of the 7 blocks were lined with people, shoulder to shoulder cheering on the last of the competitors. I passed several people and found a good gap to run down the chute by myself. I got into the chute and heard those great words from the announcer. You ARE an IRONMAN. At that moment I see a lot of my friends and support crew, it was the best moment of the day. It will will forever be ingrained into my memory. It was a great day filled with wonderful people. I can't thank you enough to all who have supported me from being there at the start of this journey to the finish, from those who were in different countries to those who made it to the event. Thank you. I am blessed and would not have completed this journey without all of you there to support me.

Final Thoughts

When you think it's hard, just remember, we all face adversity, it's how/if you choose to overcome it. God has given each of us an incredible gift, our mind. It is a powerful gift that allows us to overcome doubt, fear, judgment, negativity, really anything we choose. Please just remember who gave you that gift and why we have it. To use it for His glory. I hope you leave here inspired and challenged. Thank you for taking the time to read this and God bless.  

Clearly Confused

So many thoughts have been consuming my mind which has restrained my ability to think clearly. Have you ever been in this scenario?  Even as I write I am pushing myself to think of every single word so I can make a coherent sentence. This disturbs me greatly.  I am emotionally exhausted and I cannot seem to articulate my thoughts because of this.  Seriously, how am I supposed to function? Well I figure a good place to start is seeing how Jesus dealt with it.  A good place, I found, to start is the beginning of the book of Mark.

Jesus had spent roughly thirty years of his life prior to making himself known among the people.  In the first chapter of Mark many thing happen in a short period.  Jesus was baptized by John, then led into the wilderness for 40 days and tempted during that time. After that, he found some unlikely disciples.  Following all of that, Jesus spent what most would call a long day.

They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!"  "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.”  News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.  The whole town gathered at the door,  and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

In other words, if I did this in a day (or a few days), I would be exhausted and emotionally spent. 

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages - so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Please understand, Jesus just spent a long time in prayer prior to these events, He knew what his mission was going into this and yet he already had to go back in prayer and refocus.  This is Jesus we are talking about. This is eye opening to me.  If Jesus already needs missional clarity after a short period like this, then what does that say about me. 

I think it says I am way out of focus, and I need to spend a long time in prayer to refocus.  Without continued prayer, the clarity we often need is substituted with confusion. 

Did I hear you right?

As time has been going by I have been questioning whether or not I was really called to Estonia.  Did I hear God correctly?  It's funny how time can really affect someone.  Fortunately, I have been hearing some sermons that reflect the doubts that I have been having and it isn't till I write this post that I realize now how much those words have impacted me.

We have been following the story of David before he became King.  It is an amazing story filled with laughter, joy, pain, sorrow, treachery, and much more.  It's a story I knew before, but like many stories we hear, we consolidate them and because of that, we miss the emotions and trials of the character sometimes.  In David's case it is particularly important to know the emotions he faced on his journey to become king.

Like many stories it has a beginning middle and an end.  The beginning of David's story as we know, starts with someone prophesying that he will be King of Israel.  If you continue to read, David does eventually become King, but the process was a long one (over 15 years) for him and thats the section I want to focus.

Even though I wasn't there, I know David, at times, felt doubt in prophecy to become King of Israel. I mean, when you look at scripture, it's pretty evident that to go from being praised for killing Goliath, to a warrior among the troops of Saul, to being hunted by Saul, to having a chance to kill Saul, to..... you get the point.  Being hunted by Saul, the current King of Israel, would put doubt into what someone prophesied to me many years previous.  This is where faith plays a roll.  We often need to take a leap of faith in order to fulfill the goals ahead.

David had a long a complicated journey and if he would have known how difficult this journey would have been prior to starting, I am not sure if David would have accepted the challenge.  I don't think I would have.  There were times in my life if I knew the difficulties of what I would face ahead I would not have choose to go down some of those paths because of the pain it brought. And I think that's why God never gave David the 'journey' section of the story, only the goal of being King.  I am glad David kept taking that leap of faith, if not the world would have been a much different place.

Even though I have doubts sometimes, I need to take those leaps of faith like David did even when times are tough.  When is comes down to it,  I only know one force out there that thinks going to Estonia to preach the Gospel is a bad idea.

Does God Change His Mind?

I was recently asked an amazing question the other week. Does God change his mind? This is a loaded question and one I have been struggling with for awhile. As for a lot of things in life, it's always good to dive into scripture to see. Now this question has been raised many times throughout the years and is part of the debate of Calvinism vs Arminianism. Now those two words opens up a huge can of worms that sadly I believe it's not healthy. Because of this, I will only briefly describe the two schools of thoughts and then help shed light on the main question.

Calvinism centers on the supreme sovereignty of God, predestination, the total depravity of man, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints.while
Arminianism emphasizes conditional election based on God's foreknowledge, man's free will through prevenient grace to cooperate with God in salvation, Christ’s universal atonement, resistible grace, and salvation that can potentially be lost.

These descriptions were not of my own but I think they summarize them up fairly well, I do, however want to add that Calvinism believes that God elected people and those elected by God will go to heaven while Arminianism believes that it is up to the individual to accept Christ and be saved. In other words, God has chosen who he wants in heaven beforehand (Calvinism) while the other side argues only the person can choose to go to heaven (Arminianism).

Can you see why this would be such debate in Christianity? The weird thing is if you look, you will find both cases you in the Bible. Some may ask or be skeptical and say perhaps "see the Bible is contradictory." I'd respond with a no. See there are times where God needed a certain individual to rise above the expectations of themselves and follow God's path to show His almighty power. Or God needed someone to pave a way for someone else, I.E. John the Baptist. It was decided before John was born that he would help the Messiah, and he did. Now not everyone was chosen like this, for example, the women who was healed from her internal bleeding because of her faith (Mark 5:21-34) it was her faith in Christ that saved her. Not God choosing. Some could say that God wanted her to touch Jesus at this specific time from the time she was born, but listen to what Jesus says in verse 34 'He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."' That seems like a clear statement to me.

In other words both sides, have some truth to God's personality but they only seem to be half truths. Before you ponder too much, please consider this question. Was it God's intention for his people to be separated by these two train of thoughts? I feel like this debate is similar to that of listening to a hockey game or football on the radio. We can hear what is going on so we make assumptions of how the players would look running with the football or shooting the puck, but the only people who can really tells us what happened at the game are the people at the game. In the same sense, we can talk about the God of the bible (listening to the radio) but if we do not spend time with Him and his Word (at the game), then we miss who God really is.

Now back to the original question, does God change his mind? I can really only speak about me and other peoples experiences. I would probably say No, but I think God changes His Will for us based off our ignorance of Him. What I mean is, I think God has a plan, it has been laid out for many many years (read Revelations) but since he wants to use us humans who are full of sin, we often don't follow God's plan. Good thing God has Grace for us, because even though we may not always follow God's Will, he is always trying to bring us back on the path. A great example of this, is young people who basically do shotgun weddings. Now I know I am still young, but please understand that, I have met people who make a drastic decision that not only affects them but, friends, family, and more importantly God. To go out and marry someone that may have not been God's Will for you, is basically forcing God to change his Will because of that selfish act.

Something God has taught me this past year, is regardless of how I see my future, if I follow God's path he will show me a future much brighter than I could ever imagine. Don't settle for your dreams which are mediocre compared to what God has in store.... if you allow him. Just think of what would have happened in John the Baptist didn't pave the way for Jesus, or if Jesus would have said "yes" to Satan when Satan offered him all the kingdoms on earth.

Humility Hurts

Humility is something I wish I had more of.  I think it's safe to say that many people also wish they were more humble but I believe humility comes at a cost.  To be humble, according to webster's dictionary, requires someone to not be proud or haughty.  Another way of saying it is to not be arrogant or assertive.  Most of us can relate to at least one of these definitions.  For me, I can relate to both.  I can be proud at times and I can be assertive. This past week however has both broke of my pride and has left me wondering about God's plans which in turn, has made me less assertive in conversations.

Before this week, I always thought of myself as an outstanding guy who to be honest, thought that whoever I would have a relationship with was lucky to be with a guy like me.  Do you see the pride in that?  It's pretty ugly stuff.

Well after hearing some pretty shocking news about one of my past relationships, that outstanding guy I thought I was, got ripped apart... I broke and I didn't understand. I felt like I was on the ground and Satan was kicking me.  Have you ever felt that way?  It isn't a good feeling.

It took me couple days of being emotionally down and out to get back on my feet and if I didn't have awesome friends I don't know how long it would have taken me otherwise.  One verse that I read in 1st Peter 5:7 really helped with this whole process. It says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."  What a refreshing verse and if you have some extra time you should read the verses before to see the irony in it. At this point in the week I was doing ok, but it wasn't until today where one simple demonstration helped me realize some stuff about how God views us as opposed to how we view ourselves.

The pastor pulled out a dollar bill and asked us what it was worth.  The answer isn't tricky. It's only worth a dollar.  Then he proceeded to beat up the dollar bill, crumpling it, rubbing it, rolling it up, etc.  Well even though this dollar bill looked in worse shape after the beating the worth of the dollar bill is still the same.  This translated to even though in life we get beat up, torn down and defiled God still views our worth as the same as when he first created us.  And incase you don't know, we are worth a lot. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son..."  John 3:16

This whole week hasn't been easy and I hope I don't have another week like this for a long time, but the thing is, even though it was hard and hurt tremendously, humility did blossom out of this and that is good.

"'God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble (Proverbs 3:34' Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may life you up in due time."

With all this in mind, I want to make sure that you understand that, Satan will kick you when you are down because he is is out to destroy God's people.  But please do not focus on that like I did.  Please just focus on God and his promises when and if you get torn down by your pride.

Calling

"What is a calling? How do I know I have one?"  As I speak with Christians sometimes, I often wonder what their definition of a calling is. It seems that this term is a puzzle for many Christians.  Due to it's mystery, some do not even figure out if they even have a calling.

Why don't some Christians want to think about their calling?  I want to go through a few examples and questions that I had as a new believer/non-believer.

1.  What is it?
2.  It seems to have so many definitions out there, so how would you know if you even have a calling?
3.  The idea of having a calling is terrifying to someone who craves "freedom."


The term "Calling", refers to someone who has a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence. (Websters Dictionary)  Well that is a whole lot of words that can be dangerous when misunderstood.  Well I would like to add to that definition.  A calling has two parts, a primary calling and a secondary calling.  Both important, but often the secondary calling takes precedent over the primary calling which is something to be cautious about. Well how does one know if they even have a primary calling?  Well best place to start is to turn to the bible.  Here are a few verses to look up.  Ephesians 4:1, 1st Thessalonians  1:4 and 2nd Timothy 1:9. Notice that all of these instances Paul writes to the whole church (congregations), telling them that because they have received the word with power/grace, they have a calling. This can happen many ways.  Angels came to Mary and Joseph to tell them their son will be the Messiah, imaging as a child hearing that from your parents for the first time.  Saul (who later became the Apostle Paul) was blinded and lead to a man where scales then fell off his eyes.  Jesus healed a man who was paralyzed.  These are but a few cases where God allowed people to follow his calling.

What's his calling?  It's the same for all Christians, the Great Commission.  Matthew 28:18-20.  We are to go and make disciples of all nations.  In other words we are not to withhold the Gospel from people.  Some will only go down the street, others will go to India and help with prostitution.  It all depends on where God calls you but the important thing in these verses to know, it to "go."  Wherever that might be is between you and God. Now the question is, where do I go and what do I do once I go?  This is the question that is asked when you want to find out your secondary calling.

Our God is a God of mystery and he loves doing things in a unique way for each of us.  He has also gifted us in a unique way as well, which goes to show that we cannot all be called to serve in India helping prostitutes escape from their lifestyle. I couldn't do that, God hasn't given me that desire to do that. Just like he hasn't given me that desire to serve at a church where they require janitorial work, both are pleasing to God's eyes, but both are not what I have been called to. Paul talks a little about this in 1st Corinthians 12.

People can tell you many things about what a calling is suppose to look like.  Some will say, you must hear God's voice or else it does not mean anything. Others will tell you that "it is sudden and you will know."  Well, I know those are some ways which when you look in the bible you will find, but that doesn't mean that is the only way.  Paul mentions in 1st Corinthians 12:4  That there are many gifts but the Spirit distributes them.  In other words, when we seek the Spirit and ask for His gifts, we will find our calling through that.  In order to seek the Spirit we need to stay in the Word to better hear Him.  We need to be patient and listen and he will give us what is needed for your calling.  For me, it took 6 months of waiting on his word.  three of those months were making sure I was hearing correctly.  Now as I mentioned before our secondary calling isn't to proceed our primary calling.  For me, my secondary calling is to pay off my debt and go to Estonia and plant churches there, however during that time, I am here and still need to follow my primary calling of sharing the Gospel.  God has put young men on my heart to help and show them what it means to be a Man of God, I know that calling is the same here as it will be over there in Estonia.  

The idea of leaving to go to a foreign land that I didn't even know where it was on the map six months ago, is terrifying, but one thing I have learned a lot of this year is that allowing God to make the plans for me, means although I have to hand over my "freedom" but, I am allowing a God full of greater imagination to control my life which means, my life will be exhilarating.

Corny Christian

Something that has bothered me for quite awhile and probably always will is meeting  "Perfect Christians" otherwise known as "Corny Christians".  Let me explain before you start to make a bunch of assumptions.  First off, a Christian is someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  To be under ones Lordship is to allow that person to rule over your life and for someone to be a savior means someone who saves someone from something they could not save themselves from.  I.E. Lois Lane falling off a building only for Superman to save her from an impending quick death. 

In other words, to be a Christian is to follow Jesus' teachings not only by studying scripture, but also by living out that faith (this is a really short explanation). Simply believing Jesus died for the sins of man and actually walked this earth isn't enough. Even the demons believe those things. (Acts 19:15)  It's similar to when someone calls themselves "Christian," the act of saying doesn't mean you are.  Other terms someone might use instead of Christian is to be Christ-like or a follower of Christ.

Now to be a "Corny Christian" is contrary to what Jesus taught and did.  Corny Christians are people who probably reads their bible everyday, someone who is always polite no matter the circumstances (pushover), and someone who never seems to have any problems/troubles in life (clean hands).

Well how is that different than what Jesus did?  Yes, Jesus knew scripture by heart (it was common practice for the Jewish culture).  Yes, Jesus was kind to many people, and yes, Jesus never sinned.  

First off lets look at scripture Matthew 4.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Jesus not only knew scripture, but he studied it even at a really young age, (Luke 2).  Something else that is really crucial to notice is that the Devil also knows scripture which he tried to use against Jesus.  This is why it is extremely important to not just read the bible only to check it off your to do list for the day. Satan tried to tempt Jesus, who knew scripture by heart, what about a typical American who doesn't study scripture, that's like you are given Satan permission to mess with you head.  People need to study scripture to understand God's story.  The more you study His story the more you will understand His mission, which isn't about being a "Perfect Christian."  

Jesus.  What images comes to mind when you think of this name?  Is it a picture of a handsome caucasian man with a beard, blue eyes surrounded by children and sheep?  Or maybe a man who hangs on a cross till he bleeds out?  There are probably many things that people think of when they hear that name.  For me, I think of a Jewish carpenter (Mark 6:3).  Someone who wasn't beautiful (Isaiah 53:2b).  Someone who wasn't afraid to speak truth, and let's be honest, the truth can sometimes stings (John 4)  Someone who didn't hide his emotions (John 11).  Someone who was physically strong, (I don't know many people who could be beaten and whipped then partially carry a cross beam which they were about to be nailed to.) When you study scripture you start to get the picture of who Jesus really was and it's pathetic how Americanized people now portray Jesus (a beautiful fun loving polite push over).  Makes me want to go flip over some tables and speak hard truth to those who have have try to skew his Word. ( Matthew 21:12-13)

Jesus was not a pushover, he was a Warrior, a true definition of what a Man is suppose to be like.

I do want to make it clear that Jesus was always appropriate with his audience.  To those who needed help, he helped, to those who were "perfect by law" (I.E. Pharisee's) he spoke truth to, to those who needed comfort, he comforted.

The third thing is, "Perfect Christians" always seem to be problem free.  Nothing ever seems to be wrong.  Honestly, what kind of lie is that?  I have met countless "Christians" who never seem to have anything wrong in life.  Marriage is great, kids are awesome, job is doing well and on and on.  Struggles seem to be non-existent and these Corny Christians always seem to have the answer of "God's is in control."  News flash, God's only in control if you let Him be, he has given us that choice.

In order for God to have control of our lives, we need to have a trusting relationship with him. A lot of God's story deals with His constant pursuit of man.  Truly, I would much rather have the God of this universe plan out my life than myself (he has awesome imagination).  God wants to have a relationship with everyone, but in order to have a relationship there needs to be communication on both ends.  God does speak to us, but that means we need to listen and we also need to speak to God so he can hear our cries.  I promise you God is a much better listener than you or any of your friends. When we claim to have no struggles or pains, we only fool ourselves.  So how does a perfect man, Jesus, fit into the scenario of struggles?  Well before Jesus put all the sins of man on his shoulders, he had a lot of time to process and pray.  Jesus, who did not sin, still had struggles and he brought it to God. (Luke 22:39-44)  Just to let you know that sweating blood is an actual medical condition of someone who is  put under a large amount of stress (I'm sorry but Finals in college don't match up to this).

These are only brief descriptions of why being a "Corny Christian" is unbiblical.  Sure the Pharisees were "Justified Jews" at that time but Jesus put them straight so there wouldn't be any confusion.  So when we don't study the scripture, stand up for what is truth, and don't share our problems with the appropriate audience.  The devil laughs at another soul wasting away.

There is hope, God wants to meet us where each of us are individually.  Weather it's someone who has followed Christ all his life, or a someone who is selling their body for drugs or other pleasures.  We all fall short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23).