The Empty Grave

As the semester draws to an end, it is good for us to look back over the year and see all the goodness that took place. I can honestly say this has been one of the best years of my life, if not THE best. Last summer I went to The Philadelphia Project where I was able to help people and excite youth groups. It was incredible! Then, leaving there, I came back to IUP where from the first week of classes we all knew something was different. A campus ministry of about 15 people jumped to around 75 over the course of the year. And do not think I am just impressed by the numbers. The numbers mean nothing. The seeds that were planted 7 months ago are blossoming and that is what we are to rejoice about! In addition to all of this I began dating my beautiful girlfriend on October 3^rd. Our relationship has been incredible! I cannot see myself with anyone else and I love how she challenges my growth and pushes me closer to God.

With all that said I am not even scratching the surface. There are a lot of opportunities on the horizon to allow this summer to be even more incredible than the last, but for totally different reasons! I cannot hold in my excitement for all that is going on in my life. But, I am not here to brag.

This, everything shown above, had nothing to do with me. Yes, I am a leader in the campus ministry and I was half of my relationship with my beautiful girlfriend, but in all honesty, none of it was me. It was all God. Every ounce of everything was Him! There was no way, in all of heaven and earth, that I would be a part of The Philadelphia Project and do as well as I did, that the campus ministry would explode in the manner in which it did, and there is no possible way a confusing bro, such as I, could get such an amazing girlfriend if it were not all for God. God had his hand on all of this and all of us! All of the glory goes to Him!

I will admit, I tried to take control of my life a lot of the time, but it all resulted in failure. There is nothing I can do. Every time we mess up we have to realize that if we do not have God then that would be our state of being all the time. It is because of God that we do anything good at all. It is because of Him all the lives were changed for eternity this semester. It is because of Him that Love is blossoming on this campus. It is because of Him that I love. 

Start thinking.

I was just thinking how over the course of my day I probably think every moment I can. As I was taking my morning stroll to campus this morning, it was a little cold, but my mind wasn’t on the world or how I felt, my mind was in my mind focusing on God. I was thinking about life and how I can use this moment to glorify God.

Usually my mind thinks about how I can do things differently or become better at something. I am starting to realize that I don’t have to do that as much and I should begin thinking about how awesome God is. As we think of how awesome God is all of our wishes and desires seem to melt in comparison. If I really wanted a car, but  found God, I should be perfectly okay with that. Finding God is better than anything on earth and it takes time to get that sometimes. The more we reflect on God the more he fills us. The more filled we are the more of a Love Life we will live.

Other times I try to think about scripture. I have been thinking about Luke 11:42 this week. I believe it says, “But give as alms the things from inside and behold all will be made clean.” I keep trying to figure out what I can do with this. How can I give up the sin inside of me to God like I give close to Goodwill. How can I give something I have already done to God? I think about this a lot. God talks back and helps my thoughts because he thinks it is a good thing. We should all think a good lot more. Try it! 

“I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” 

The person who is seated behind you speaking of sex, drugs, and other immoral acts that you just cannot stand is sitting there because your God created them. Not only that, but God died for them, too. Just like He did for you. 

The more we realize we are sinners the more we see how amazing God is. 

This morning, like some others, I opened my Bible up to the Psalms. Today was Psalm 63 and it has become one of my favorite Psalms. Check this out. 

Verse 1: O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 

Did you see that? What is happening here? 

• You are MY GOD
• I earnestly seek you
• my soul thirsts for you
• my flesh faints for you as in a dry and weary land where there is no water

Do you ever think that you even miss God? David earnestly seeks, thirsts, and faints for God. This is a man of great distress, but he isn’t like us and just prays and waits until God does something. 

Verse 2-4: SO I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. SO I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.

David responds to his faint soul: He

• Looks upon God in the sanctuary
• beholds His power and glory
• He thinks about God’s steadfast love and its comparison to his life
• He lifts up praise
• Blesses the Lord for all time
• Lifts his hands

 This is so cool. David is giving us a way to respond to the rough times. He doesn’t tell you to meet up for a one-on-one or to read this book by this guy. No, he tells us how it is done. 

Verse 5-8: My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

David continues with more things to do. Take Note!

• my mouth will praise you with joyful lips
• remember you 
• meditate on you
• sing for joy

Then the kicker. Verse 8: My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. 

My soul CLINGS to you;

I just think of a a little ant holding onto a giant rock in the midst of a storm. The little ant has just one little hand still on, and then…

your right hand upholds me.

God is like, “Here you go little guy here is some help. I’m going to give you Jesus!” And then life becomes a never ending Christmas and Easter! 

God is incredible! Love it! Have a blessed day everyone! 

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 John 3:1)

Read this verse throughout your day and watch your self esteem elevate! 

LOOK! Just LOOK! Look at this love the Father has given to YOU! Look at it!! Take a look and really take it in! It’s so much love that you are now called a CHILD of GOD; AND SO I AM!

SO I AM! just keep saying it. AND SO I BE! What you going to do about that world. I am a Child of God! Take that! 

He says, “Look at me now! Back up, I’m a Child of the God most high! What now!?” 

Live like it

I’m thinking about writing a decent paper to be published for the school collection. It would be really cool if I could do something covering how great God is. But if it is title “God is Awesome” no one will read it. So it has to be about something that may not initially come off as Jesusy, but it totally drenched in the Gospel and Grace? 

Any Suggestions?