July 31 2010

Something that always ends up crossing my mind when I go for bike rides is "why?" Why do I wreck my body and tire myself out only to come in fifth or sixth place. Given that I even finish. Then I remember that as a Christian following Christ I don't ride for a perishable prize or reward. I don't ride to get in first, I ride for a higher calling, a nonperishable crown of glory. Because of that truth I must ride differently. Today I realized how it is that I need to be riding, not in the front fighting for first, but in the midst of the people fighting for their souls! I need to be building relationships that God can be working through so that they might come to know Him.

Today we were riding and a guy wondered why I was all the way out here. I said that I was attending the bible college and then broke into other conversation about other things. During that conversation I had a chance to mention that we are all messed up people and that Christian aren't absent of sins more than any other. They probably didn't hear that, they probably heard they we are hypocrites and it is all a joke, but it was worth a shot. I need to work on how I present my statements, but I am trying to stop wasting my chances when I am out with the lost.

I thank God for the work that He did in my sister's life to encourage and challenge me to start witnessing at any and all opportunities. With those that we love, but even those we just met in passing. We have to live in a reality of Hell, that by not telling them about their lost condition would experience. We need to communicate Christ to them, I need to communicate that to them.

As much as I would like to say witnessing is all we need to do, that is not even where we start. Words are easy to say in comparison to what we communicate with our attitudes and actions and other nonverbal communications. A have heard this said, "speak the gospel everywhere and if necessary use words" and that is very true. What we communicate with who we are is far more powerful, I think, than what we say. Example, I could say that I care for someone a lot, but if I don't actually act like it, do my words count for anything - no. They do not count because our actions don't match. Another more personal example: I love my mom and want to see her come to Christ, but if I have a bad attitude toward her and my actions don't say that I love her, do my words count for anything. Maybe, but doubtful.

I need to figure out how I can bike in such a way as to communicate my love toward the lost, my desire to see them saved, the gospel. I need to figure out a way to live in such a way as to communicate the gospel wherever I go, and when necessary speak words. The good news for me is that I don't have much figuring out to do, I already know what it is that I must do. The answer is written down for me in John 15. Abide in the true Vine, Christ. Although the practical steps aren't that simple, the principle is the same across the board. And for that I am thankful.

Later

Finished the project bike today. Looks good and rides even better. My friend should be here today to pick it up. I'm excited to see what he thinks.
Jeremy

Freedom in forgiveness

I am working through the 60-60 experiment, where a person connects to God every 60 minutes for 60 days, and this week is about reconciling relationships. The book reads that we need to go to people that we have offended and reconcile that relationship and bring it back into unity as Jesus has said. Though not close to perfect, I didn't think that I had a long list of people that I have offended. I know that I have in the past, but this week I could not think of anyone to practice reconciling relationships with - then it hit me. I offended someone at the start of the week because I was rude and impatient. I spoke too soon. Now I had to reconcile a relationship with someone that I didn't even know.

I began to think that I didn't need to because she would be gone within the week or because I was just doing my job. I came up with lots of excuses that justified that I didn't need to ask for forgiveness, but the truth was that I did need to do something. I prayed.

"God, I need to say sorry to that lady, please give me an opportunity to do that" I prayed to God. Then I walked out the door to meet her and before I could even think I was talking to her and saying sorry. Then the amazing thing happened, I was forgiven. I said sorry and was forgiven. Forgiven and free from gilt! Remarkable. I worshiped because of what happened right there, it was great.

How much more amazing is it to be truly forgiven. Forgiven from the God of all creation for everything that we ever done! That is what is truly remarkable. But the process is the same. I felt that something must be done, I knew that I had done something wrong and needed to ask forgiveness from the one that I had wronged. God. Yet, unlike the lady at work, God will always forgive me regardless of what I had done if I simply ask for it. Forgiveness. That is truly amazing! Whoa. Praise God for forgiveness of my sins and the redemption through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ!

New project bike for a friend. It is a trek 1200. With 105 components. Nice bike.
Jeremy