Car Maintenance

I told a story quite a few months ago. A story about a boy becoming a man. Well, like most stories, this one hasn't ended yet. (If you never read the story here is the gist: A boy fell in love, had his heart broken, then after much time he started to become the man he should have been all along.) Now to being the continuation of the story. Let's begin with a car. When you own a car, you must keep it maintained so that it will not break down suddenly when you least expect it. If you change the oil regularly, keep your tires inflated to the right pressure, etc. you will be in good shape. But say you don't do these things. What will eventually happen? Yeah, it will break. I recently had to replace the serpentine belt and the alternator in my car. That was a pain. First I had to remove it which consisted of taking out parts of the engine that shouldn't need to be touched to remove the alternator. Then after all this, I got to go spend money on new parts. If you have had to do something similar to this then you know exactly how I feel. If you haven't, then just wait. It will eventually happen. It's inevitable. Trust me. The point I am trying to get across is that to own a car that keeps working, you must put time and work into it. So, why have I told you this? You are probably thinking this is all just common sense and maybe it is supposed to be. But how many people actually do the work? Granted I know a lot of car maintenance cannot be done by someone who just has basic knowledge of cars but let's take changing the oil for instance. Changing the oil is one of the most basic car maintaining skills. How many people actually change their oil instead of taking it to a mechanic to have them do it? Probably only a few people. I don't blame them either because it is not fun. It takes time and a little bit of work. But the benefit of doing it yourself is the feeling of accomplishment and you save money. Now put this into a life situation. Say the car is God and you are the engine. What happens if you stop giving yourself fuel or stop maintaining your relationship with God? You (the engine) stop working and God (the car) can't move. Eventually you will become (to put it in car terms) a lemon. You will be useless. If you are not constantly seeking God and keeping a relationship with Him, you will break down. The process of becoming a man from a boy will start to reverse. The man will start to become a boy again. If you are not keeping your relationship with God then when you offer yourself to Him to be used, there is no way He will want to use you. God wants a relationship with us. He is a relational God. He loves us and would like to spend time with us to keep us on our feet as we are going through difficult times. The past year has been a tough one for me but I know that if I keep my relationship strong with God then He will bring joy in the end. I do not know when it will come or even how it will come but if you trust God then you can be sure it will be great. 

If you have the time, I would like you to read Hebrews 6:1-12. I wrote all of the above before I had read this. I think it is very good to read and applies to what I have written above. God moves in amazing ways. Let Him.

-- Kendall

6 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. 7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Was There Forgiveness in the Spring?

I have a question for you. You may have an answer or you may not. Maybe there isn't a definite answer. But I am going to tell you what I think the answer is if there is one. My question for you is this, before Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden, was there such a thing as forgiveness? Think about it. Was there forgiveness before the fall? Yes? No? Maybe? What would you say if I told you that there was no such thing known to man as forgiveness? Adam and Eve had no idea what it was. Why would they? If you lived in a place where no one did wrong and everyone was perfect, would you need to forgive? Of course not. There would be nothing to forgive. Forgiveness is something given to someone who has wronged somebody and if everyone was perfect in the world then how could they forgive? Answer me that. Can you forgive someone who has done nothing wrong? What about saying "I'm sorry"? Did anyone say that? Was it even in their vocabulary at the time? Again, why would it be? Why in the world would they need such words? You only tell someone sorry when you have done something wrong to them and you only forgive when someone has done something wrong to you. If we were to go back in time and ask Adam and Eve, before the fall, if they knew what the meaning of "sorry" and "forgiveness" were, I do not think they would have the slightest idea. Both saying "I'm sorry" and asking for forgiveness revolve around sin. You cannot have one without the other. To forgive, someone must have sinned against you and to say that you're sorry, you must have sinned against someone. They go hand in hand. Before the fall, Adam and Eve were perfect. They had no sin at all in their life. But when they ate of the fruit of the tree, sin entered which then caused there to be such a thing as forgiveness and saying that you are sorry. Because of sin there is now forgiveness. Before sin there was no such thing. Adam and Eve did not know what it was. Wouldn't it be great if we didn't know what forgiveness was? If we didn't need it because there was no sin in the world. But there is sin in this world. We all need forgiveness and we cannot earn it. Everyone of us does not deserve forgiveness. God still forgives us though if we ask it of Him. Every time God forgives us He is displaying His amazing grace. Through our sin God glorifies Himself by forgiving us when we ask to be forgiven. But that does not mean we should keep on sinning so God can display His grace and mercy. Paul writes in Romans 6 saying that we definitely should not keep sinning to build up the grace God has to give. How can we keep sinning and have Jesus living in us? It just does not work. Jesus cannot live in you while you are in the dark. You must stay in the light for Him to live in you. And just think, if God can show how great He is to the world through our sin then how much more can He show through our good deeds? By us obeying what His commands are, we can be messengers of God showing the world His greatness and His awesome power. So as you are sitting here on your computer or tablet or whatever device you have, always remember that God will work out everything for good no matter what it is. But even though He will work everything out, why do bad to build up grace and not really live for Jesus? That doesn't make any sense. What He really wants is someone who is dedicated and willing to do whatever it takes to make known the good news. Someone who will stand up and never back down. Not one of these so called "Christians" who say they follow Jesus but think they can be more saved by doing bad and being forgiven. They love religion. A true Christian hates religion but loves relationships. Religion is just a set of rules that you follow over and over again very devoutly but it still cannot save you. Only a relationship with Christ can save you. You must ask for forgiveness because we are all sinful and need to repent for our wrong doing. So we must stand strong and listen to what God has in store for us. If we are willing, He will use us for great works in His name. He will give us the power to forgive those who have wronged us and to tell someone you are sorry for the wrong you have done to them. I long for the day when no one will have to ask for forgiveness or say they are sorry. That will be the day Jesus returns and leads us home.

Keep on being strangers
-Kendall
Romans 6:1-14

Vlog!

So Abby and I started recording videos for a vlog... Yeah haha. There really isn't much to say about it you just have to watch it. Here is the description Abby wrote:
Britain took over when Gandalf was prime minister while Taylor Swift sung Holy Ground accompanied by a screaming goat while watching Psych and whistling the Doctor Who theme song while quoting me.
-A

Growth Spurt

     It was the beginning of the year. The time when resolutions are made but never kept, when people decide to change their life style to become a "better" person, when students in college start preparing for all the new classes, when loan companies thrive. Around this time the boy decided he would take a class with some of his friends. He thought it would be really fun to be with his friends while taking a class. And it was. The boy was having a great time studying and learning new things with his partners in crime. But there were also two new people who he had never met before that were friends of the people he knew. These new people became his friends also but after the end of the class, he did not see them again for a quite a long time. Little did the boy know, one of the new friends had some interest in him. Then after about six or so months the boy found out that the girl he had met in class liked him. So he started emailing her to get to know her. Fast forward a month and the boy and girl are really getting to know each other. Then one day the boy's parents decide to have a bible study at his home. So the boy musters up the courage to invite her to join the study. To his delight the girl accepts. As the bible study continues, the boy and girl begin forming a strong relationship. This relationship was focused around God and both of them loved Him very much. Again, fast forward a couple months and they are considered a "couple". Spending time with each other is their favorite thing to do. They thought that nothing would ever separate them. Together they planed to do great things for God. But later their relationship became more and more about them and less about God. Over time their relationship began to fall apart. Neither one of them wanted to accept the fact it was falling apart. But as they kept seeing each other, the more arguments they would have. Although they both love each other the arguments would just not stop. It was getting to the point where the girl was starting to doubt whether or not the two were meant for each other. One day the girl starts to realize that she does not love the boy anymore. So, she breaks up with him. The boy was heart broken. He had tried so hard to fix the problems in the relationship but in the end it did not work out. The boy started to become depressed. There was nothing anyone could do to cheer him up. He asked God "Why?" so many times. He tried to get her back but it was useless. The two were finished. He finally realized that they were not going to get back together. The boy did not know what to do so he just kept on living his life while being depressed all the time. One month later school started. It was his first time in college and he was nervous. He had always known that the girl was going to be by his side during this time but she was not. The boy felt alone. But still he kept on living his life. He started to meet new friends at school and became more involved with a college group. Over the course of the semester the boy started to come closer to God and his new friends. During the semester the boy started to see how the break up might have actually been a good thing. In the beginning he thought it was the worst thing that had ever happened and that there was no way God could use it for good. But, as he thought about it more he realized that if they were still together he might have not been as close to the new friends he met. He also realized that had they stayed together, he could have stayed stagnant in his faith. He was finally starting to see. The mud was washed away from his eyes. Although the experience had hurt him badly he was glad that God did use it for good. The hard time brought the boy closer to God and turned him into a man. He saw what he had done wrong and why certain things happened and started to change them. By this time he was not changing his ways for the girl, he was changing his ways for God. When the man looked back at the time just before all this happened he remembered that he had prayed that God would bring him closer to Him and that he would start having a great relationship with God. The man knew that God really did bring something good out of a hurtful experience. In the end the boy became a man. He started living for God like he was supposed to be all along. Through all of this his friends were always there for him and helped him get through the hard time. He was very grateful for his friends and thanked God for them because without them he would still be depressed.  

     God really does bring good out of everything. You might not see it right away but God is always in control of our situations. It may take months or even years to finally see why God did something or you might not ever see why He allowed something bad to happen in your life. But we should always trust God and know that He has our best intentions in mind. He will be with us always and guide us to live a life of love. God does not like to see us suffer. When we are suffering it may feel as if God is not with you but He is there. There is an illustration where someone is walking in the sand and they can see their footprints. They notice that there are another set of prints that are right next to them and they realize they are God's. But when they start going through a hard time, they look down and see that there are now only one set. They think to themselves that they are all alone and that God had left them. Later they ask God why He was not with them during the difficult time and God responds saying, "I was still with you. Those are not your prints in the sand, they are mine because the whole time I was carrying you." God will never ever leave you. He will be with you until the end. Take Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego for example. They were on thrown into a fiery furnace for not bowing down and worshiping King Nebuchadnezzar's idol. Although they were about to die they stood their ground and knew that whatever happened God was with them. And God was with them. They were thrown into the fire but they did not burn. Nebuchadnezzar even saw a fourth person standing in the fire with them. We must always believe that God is with us because he always will be. No matter what you are going through whether it is break up or not God is with you. We must trust Him. In Psalm 139 David says that God knows our every thought and that He is always surrounding us with his love. God knows everything about us. He created us, He should know. Even though God has said it, I still forget and I doubt. But we must not doubt God. We must believe in Him that he will guide our paths and that He will be the light for us in the dark. Through God we will grow to be the person He created us to be.

Psalm 139: 1-12

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
² You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
³ You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
⁵ You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.

⁷ Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
¹² even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.

Never Drink Stagnant Water

     There once was a boy who loved. He loved God, his friends, and his family. This boy was just like any other normal human being. He went to school, got a job, and went to church. Hanging out with his friends at church was one of his favorite things to do. They would joke around and just have a great time during Sunday morning and the Wednesday night devotional. Everything was going great for this boy. But something was not right. The life he was living was no different than other people. He went to church where he studied and learned about the Bible. But still there was something wrong. There was no growth in this boy. He was becoming stagnant in his faith. Church was becoming just a "hangout". A place to come see friends, hear a few good words, and leave it all behind once it was done. Life was becoming more about friends than about God. Sure he was still learning from the Bible but his days no longer revolved around God, but around friends. The relationship with God he once pursued was rapidly falling down the ladder of importance. His family warned him about the path he was choosing. They told him to not let his life revolve just around friends but around God and family also. Most importantly God. Being the young rebellious boy he was, his ears were closed. Nothing they said could get through. The boy lived his life how he thought was good and became stagnant in his faith. After a while of living this non-growing, stagnant life, the little boy finally came to  a little bit of his senses and starting reading his Bible more on his own. But still life was mainly about friends until that one day. The day he met a friend that would change his life forever...

     Have you ever felt like this little boy? As if you know what is best for you life so you ignore the advice your loved ones give you? You think to yourself, "I read my Bible and I go to church so that makes me a good person". But deep down on the inside you feel as if you are wrong but do not want to admit it. Life moves on but you stand still, not moving in any direction. Sure you read your Bible some but what is the point of reading if you do not apply it? There is no reason to read the Bible if you do not pursue a relationship with God. The Bible is God's word. God is talking directly to you. If you were talking to someone and they were listening but did not care about a single thing you said, would you want to be with them? I don't think so. We want to be around people who love us and who care about us. Why wouldn't God want the same? He created us. He put the emotions and feelings in us. Everything comes from Him. God loves us and He wants what is best for us. If we come to our senses and realize that all life is about is loving God and becoming closer to Him, then we will never be stagnant. Our lives will flourish with Him and we will shine brighter than the sun.