Today’s post is a guest post courtesy of my amazingly talented wife, Alisha Anderson. You can follow Alisha on twitter at: @AlishaAnderson7 There seem to be a sweeping attitude in our American culture today that upholds, admires, and respects individuals for their extreme commitment to science, industry or work accomplishments. However, when put in context of ones religious or spiritual beliefs, that is held lightly. You see this all throughout popular culture; in our films, newspapers, magazines, etc. Characters and individuals are praised for what they do – but not what they believe (ironic, considering what they believe is likely at the core of why they do it). We have become focused only on the earthly and temporal and have not given credit to God. This attitude says, “I’m a Christian, but if that offends you, I won’t act like one around you.” Or, “I’m a Christian, but that’s just …
Tag: Truth
This week, after the Supreme Court decision, Christian bloggers from across the globe took to the internet to express their opinion. Social media lit up with a flood of cheers as well as an onslaught of groans. I would venture to say the hashtag of #lovewins is likely one of the most trending topics on the internet. I don’t know that I have anything new or unique to add to this topic, yet I feel compelled to chime in. As I read many of the blogs over the past few days, my heart just broke. It broke for 2 very distinct reasons: 1. My heart broke for those who call themselves Christian and spew such hatred and venom in their rhetoric. No matter your opinion on the subject, we are to always walk in love (now, that doesn’t mean we don’t express our opinion – we just need to have a better …
On this day, March 3, in the year 1863 a resolution was adopted proclaiming a National Day of Prayer and Fasting. The United States of America continues to recognize this resolution on the first Thursday of May each year. I was reading the speech that President Lincoln gave on March 30th following the signing of the resolution. It is a fascinating read and can be found in its entirety at this link. This was a President who recognized the need to honor the God in whom all things have been created. There is a quote that stands out as particularly intriguing to me: Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. – President Abraham Lincoln President Lincoln recognized that we can get to a point in life where self-sufficiency overrides our perceived …
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:30 NKJV) Those are three of the most powerful words ever spoken in the history of the World. “It is finished”. At the time, the disciples watched in horror as their teacher took His final breath on that fateful Friday. Everything they had been taught over the previous years was now being put to the test. Little did they know that this was just the beginning. Some followers fled, and some even denied ever knowing Jesus. To many of them, those final words meant exactly that – “it is finished”. What we had hoped for, dreamed of and desired are gone. Everything was shattered. But Jesus meant something completely different. Those three words were not a statement, but a proclamation. A deceleration of Freedom, Forgiveness, Grace and …
I am one of those people who is motivated by simple words of encouragement. Even in my employment, it is not the financial opportunities that drive me nearly as much as a simple acknowledgment of a job well done. The reality is, I think we are all in that same boat. Each and every day we seek acknowledgment and approval from those around us; strangers, co-workers, family and friends. We seek validation of our accomplishments, hopes and dreams. Some days, we receive it and some days not so much. The problem arrises when we rely only on what people say about us and we forget what God says – after all, it is His opinion that truly matters. So what does God say about you? He says you are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14), He says you “are the apple of His eye” (Psalm 17:8), He says you are …
This past week we took our first out of state trip (which included a 3+ hour plane ride) with our almost 3-month old. As we approached our trip, I spent countless hours canvasing through blog after blog digesting the wisdom of brave parents who have traveled before with an infant. I will admit, I had some fear about this task (ok veteran parents, now is your time to laugh at me for dreading travel with just 1 baby). Needless to say, everything went even smoother than I could hope for. It was on this trip that a concept my wife discussed with me weeks ago came to light. On this trip we submitted our little one to numerous new encounters; planes, hotels, car rides, museums, and the worst of them all, a carnival midway. And along the way, it never mattered to him where he was – but rather, who …
We are coming off of Independence Day and with that, you are drawn to take a pause and reflect on what it all means. What is freedom? What does it mean for our country, our society, our way of life, or better yet, what does it mean for me individually? The sacrifices made by multitudes of men and women throughout the history of our nation cannot be taken in vain. They all had a core belief for the freedom of man. The founding fathers also believed firmly in religious freedom and established the laws of the land based on the doctrines of the Christian Word. I was reading a quote this weekend by Patrick Henry that really struck me: “It is when people forget God that tyrants forge their chains.” Patrick Henry could not have been more right. When you step away from the power you have in God, you …
There has been one verse that has been running in my mind all week: Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.” (John 7:6 NKJV) This statement comes on the tail of one of Jesus’ largest public miracle – the feeding of the 5,000. Following that miracle, you can see a chain of events in John 6. I recommend reading it in its entirety – but I will provide the readers digest version here. We see Jesus make some very bold statements throughout John 6 that He is the bread of life and whoever seeks after Him will be redeemed. These statements perplexed many and offended others resulting in somewhat of a dissension in the ranks. John 6 tells us that many of His disciples turned away and stopped following Him. His own people rejected Him. This statement in John 7 is …
God desires to bless you. It is as simple as that. He desires to bless you and make you a blessing to others. No need to overcomplicate it – the word declares we need to grab ahold of that promise! One of the scriptures that I have taught on in the past starts in Psalm 67 verse 5: 5 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. 6 Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us, And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him. Pay particularly close attention to verse seven. Why is it that the ends of the earth shall fear Him? What is causing that fear? What leads to it? The answer: His blessing on us. That means, His blessing must be so great that others will take notice and …
Earlier this week we started with the first two truths we can take away from the story of Joseph: 1. It doesn’t matter where you find yourself, God will show you favor! 2. When you are favored, everyone around you will be benefit! This brings us to the next stage in Joseph’s journey and another promise. During Joseph’s time as a slave in Potiphar’s house, he was falsely accused of a crime and thrown into prison. I would think it in a public vote, prison would not be a place that many would chose to go. Yet, Joseph knew that God was with him and favor yet again followed him (see Genesis 40). We see in Genesis chapter 40 that while in prison, Joseph interprets the dream of Pharaoh’s cup bearer. When the cup bearer was released, Joseph asked him, this man of power, to remember him. He didn’t and …
I heard this song recently by Kari Jobe, and just had to find the video to post here. Such a great word in this song. Essentially, I will find you, God, in all things. In my last post, I discussed the “Even If mentality“, and this song seems to just sum it up so nicely. No matter what, I will find God when I surrender and listen to Him. Instead of writing, I am going to let the song speak for itself today: Question: What do you take from this song?
