Am I Crazy?

Am I crazy?  This is a question I sometimes find myself asking.  Am I crazy to believe that God exists? That He knows and cares for me? That I can have continual conversation with Him? That He answers prayers? That He satisfies my needs? That He sent His Son to die on the cross? That He loves me enough to shed His own blood for my ransom? That He is more than enough for me?


I can see how conventional wisdom would find these thoughts crazy.  The human in me cannot fathom how a Being with no beginning and no end created everything I am, everything I see, and everything I hope to be.  My mind cannot wrap itself around the concept of God, but my soul, the very core of who I am, believes in and needs this God more than my physical body needs its next breath.  This faith, this God, that can seem so foreign, even crazy to some, is the sole purpose of my existence.  


The idea that a Man that was born in this world, but was not of this world, came over 2,000 years ago strictly so He could die for our sins is beyond comprehension, and that is why it gets labeled as crazy.  Our minds simply cannot handle these truths.  The skeptics and nonbelievers label me as crazy, as a weak being needing a fairy tale story to use as a crutch to get through this rugged life simply because, without faith, it is nearly impossible to see the rationale behind the crazy love of Christ.  We find unconditional love to be a foreign concept, but Christ died to change that, to save us, and to allow us to live out a crazy life of faith, reliant on the One True God.


Verse:



God didn't send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done, collecting a following for him. And he didn't send me to do it with a lot of fancy rhetoric of my own, lest the powerful action at the center—Christ on the Cross—be trivialized into mere words. The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It's written, I'll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I'll expose so-called experts as crackpots. So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn't God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.


~1 Corinthians 1:17-20 from The Message


Christ died for me, for us, and I long to spread that news to any and all.  I do not spread His Word, or write this blog for my own fame and reputation, but rather to show that this crazy concept of Christianity, is not a crazy concept at all.  It is a truer love than one can find anywhere else.  It is a relationship with the Creator of Heaven and of Earth.  It is a life of faith in things unseen, but belief in their reality nonetheless.  It is a chance at losing this life for one that is far greater than anything we could have ever planned.  My mission, my purpose, my aim, is to continue to serve Christ with all that I am.  Am I crazy?  Absolutely! I am crazy in love with the One who gives me reason to live.  

Fear, Rejection, & Hope

As I approach college graduation, the chats that occur with people are often concerning what is next in my life; where are you going to work, what do you want to do, etc.? Just today, a friend of mine said she is ready to move on and graduate, but fears applying and searching for a job because she hates being rejected.  This statement resonated with me; I'm sure none of us enjoy rejection, but as a follower of Christ, I have learned that through fear and rejection, I can still find hope. 

That hope is in Christ Jesus.  Sure, I may not know where I will be in 3 months, or whether I will have a job or not, but I do know who my Savior is, and have full faith that He has my best in mind.  Fear is natural and rejection happens, but God has each and every one of us in the palm of His hand.  He is there to ease the hurt, teach valuable life lessons, and help us to grow with each passing experience.  The plans I have and dreams I've created will all fall short of the remarkable things that God has already planned out before me; I may get rejected from my "dream job," but the dream job that God intends for me will be right around the corner.  

Verses:

 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,

“I will never fail you.
    I will never abandon you.”

So we can say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper,
    so I will have no fear.
    What can mere people do to me?"

Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.

~Hebrews 13:5-7

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

~Jeremiah 29:11

I prayed over and submitted my first job applications today.  Some I was excited about, and others scared me, but I applied nonetheless because who I am to close a door that God has potentially opened.  I still have a fear of rejection, of not being where I think I should be, but I also know that this fear is no match for my Savior, and that is cause for great joy.   I will be where God intends me to be, making a difference in His name because I am willing to do so.  He will use you no matter where you end up.  So fear not, for the Lord, our God, is with us.  Take heart brothers and sisters, we have a hope in Christ Jesus, and He has a plan for our future.  

Christ is Risen

As we begin this Holy Week in remembrance, reflection, and celebration of the most life changing events in human history, I am overwhelmed with joy in the truth that Christ is risen and alive today!  He is alive and well in the hearts, lives, and actions of His followers who have carried their crosses, and spread His love since His death and resurrection over 2,000 years ago.  It is in this joy and gratefulness, however, that we are also forced to face the truth of the matter that necessitated Christ's death on that cross so many years ago.  


It was the sin of the human race, past, present and future; our sin that held Him there as He cried out to His Maker.  He had done nothing wrong, and yet He took our place upon that cross.  He had committed no crime, and yet He paid for our lives with His blood along side those who had.  Yes, it was a remarkable and necessary event, seeing as the wages of sin is death, but it is key to recall that it was our sin that put Him there.   


Now in the sadness of this realization, we can take heart in the outcome of Christ's death on the cross.  For though our actions put Him there, the love and power of God overcame the cross, overcame our sin, and defeated death for any and all who confess Christ as their risen Lord!  It is because of this death and resurrection, this life saving event by the Maker and Lover of our souls, that we are given the gift of everlasting life.  We do not deserve it; in fact, we deserve just the opposite, but Christ is in the business of forgiving, and His actions on the cross are proof of that.  


Verse:
"He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.  And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”
~Matthew 28:6-7


I cannot express how bitter sweet the emotions are when I think of the events that took place at Calvary so many years ago, but the one truth I can rejoice in is that Christ is risen, He is alive, He forgives us, and He longs for a relationship with each and every one of us.  We've run long enough.  It is time we turn to Him, cast our fears and worries at His feet, and thank the Lord for the risen Christ who is and was, and is to come!  Christ is risen!  


The lyrics to the song Christ is Risen by Matt Maher express the depth of this truth:


Let no one caught in sin remain
Inside the lie of inward shame
We fix our eyes upon the cross
And run to him who showed great love
And bled for us
Freely you bled, for us

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave!

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with him again
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave!

Beneath the weight of all our sin
You bow to none but heavens will
No scheme of hell, no scoffer's crown
No burden great can hold you down
In strength you reign
Forever let your church proclaim


And here is a cover of this song that I made last night!


http://soundcloud.com/jacob_wager/christ-is-risen


Much love and God bless y'all!