Steak & Shake.

When I wore a younger man's clothes, I would only read a chapter, or twenty verses of the Bible in an entire day. At the time, it was a good amount. I was a young Christian. I was still feeding off milk.

However, my problem, as a younger man, was that I was only feeding off of milk. I kept reading the same amount of scripture each day. I never grew. For the longest time, I was only reading a small amount. I was trying to grow, and only eat one meal a day.

I look at Micah, and I'm like "Wow, he really knows his Bible. I wish I knew as much as he does." Then I realized something; he reads and studies his Bible much more than I do. I wake up and get out of the shower, and he's studying his Bible. I'll start, and finish, my devotions, and he's still studying.

Christianity is, at least through my eyes, a lot like working out, or trying to "get into shape." The more quality work you do in it, the stronger you get.

The Bible tells us to grow from milk to meat. Milk is good for growing, but meat is better.
One chapter of the Bible has lots of information, but three have more.

The reason, I find, personally, that I'm not growing in Christ like I want to, is that I'm not doing what I need to grow.

Sharp iron.

I really see why the Bible says that "iron sharpeneth iron." A godly roommate is one of the best, most engouraging blessings someone in my position can have.

Right now, I feel like God's telling me to do something, but I don't know what it is. I feel like He's telling me to stop doing one thing, and replace it with another thing.

The only problem with this is that I don't know what I'm supposed to stop doing, and what I'm supposed to start doing.

I'm not complaning, because I haven't felt God move in my life like this in a long time. Right now, I can feel God working more than this summer, at the missions conference, or anytime I can remember really.

I'm so grateful that God is working in my life, even though I might not understand it totally.

Pray for sensitivity to the Spirit in my life, please.

Bonus blog.

http://visionbaptist.com/blog/2009/09/28/world-evangelism-today-with-matt-allen-1/

That's an interview with a missionary to literally the corner of the world. It's worth checking out.

Time's up. Turn in your test.

I Corinthians 2:2 is a beautiful verse. It shows the dedication of Paul, and what it really means to be a missionary.

Paul says, "For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified."

He decided that he wasn't going to take any substitutes for Jesus, (false doctrine, bloodless gospels etc etc....) nor was he going to occupy his time with anything other than Christ Jesus.

How much time do I waste thinking about things other than Christ? How often do I slightly alter what the Bible really says in order to make myself feel OK about my sin? How often should I be spreading the word of God, and instead talk about something else?

Paul is one of my favourite Bible characters. I mean, despite the fact that he wasn't good looking, a good speaker, married, and had a thorn in the flesh (we see all this in scripture) he still managed to get the gospel to all of Asia Minor (which I've researched to be about 9million people. I might be wrong, though).

He said, "Hey, guys, forget all those cool toys we have. Forget what we want to do. Forget our sin and flesh. Let's go tell the world the good news of Christ Jesus."

Not many decided to follow him.

"Fine! You guys go waste your life. I'm going to go spread the news of Jesus Christ!"

He didn't waste time on stupid things, much as I do today.

It's funny how I can remember lyrics to a worldly song I haven't listened to in years, but I struggle to remember the scriptures. It's funny how I update my facebook status more than my spiritual status. It's funny how I'm a Christian, yet I don't spend enough time with Christ.

God has grabbed a hold of my heart lately, and is really opening my eyes to all the stuff that I need to change in my life. I'm not complaining, because I'll stay a lukewarm Christian if my eyes aren't open.

The other night, God was doing something in my heart. I blogged about it. I literally could NOT focus on anything. Nothing. I couldn't sleep, eat, drink, nothing.

I went for a drive, and just spent a few hours talking to God.

"God, I can feel that you're doing something here, but I can't quite determine what it is. You're saying something to me, but all I can hear is noise! I want to do what you're saying, God, but I can't understand it!"

I spent almost three hours like that, both driving and walking around all of the city of Frederick, MD. In that time, God really showed me some things.

The most haunting, most powerful thing of them all, though, was North Market Street. I didn't mean to end up there; I just did.

North Market Street is the heart and soul of downtown Frederick. Everything's on that street.

That would include Café Nola. I used to go there once a month, on the first Friday of every month. The café was changed from café to club that night, and all kinds of evil actions took place.

I can't count how many times I've staggered out of there, having to have someone hold me up, and lead me back to a car so I could be driven home. Shame on me.

I realized, as I drove past the establishment, that I had wasted tons of time there. Ages. Eons! Assuming I went ever month, for a year (even though I'm sure I went more than that) from 10pm to 2am (which was my usual schedule) I wasted AT LEAST 48 hours dancing like a drunken idiot.

Two whole days spent. Gone. Never to come back. I wasted two whole days of my life (and that's just time in there, not driving there and back) because I was knowing other things.

I was knowing the world.
I was knowing sin.
I was knowing why the Bible says wine is a mocker.
And I wasted my life away by knowing them.

I don't walk that road any more, praise the Lord, but I still waste time. Only now, I'm not as aware of it, because it isn't as obvious

I'll get up in the morning, and maybe I'll hit my snooze button a few times. 20 minutes I could be spending in God's word, or in prayer, and I'm sleeping in.

I'll sit down to read a book, or type up a blog, and waste an hour looking up soccer scores or on facebook.

I'll start with good intentions, and waste them away without even realizing it.

God was telling me, as I spent time in Maryland, and still even today, that there is no time to waste. My life is even as a vapour (James 4:14).

There is a world, on its way to hell, and I want to sleep in, or check out what someone wrote on his or her facebook status. I'm too busy checking scores of some game to be spending time with God.

For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
I need to change the things I know.

Eaten alive.

Something is eating at me. It’s sitting inside my chest, and I can’t stop feeling it. It’s just sitting in there, and I don’t know what it is.

Since I’ve returned to Maryland, something ahs…violated, or bothered my spirit. I feel like I have an important assignment due for school, and I haven’t done it, and it’s due tomorrow. I have this insatiable tension on my heart right now, and I cannot figure out what it is.

I feel like I should be doing something, and I’m just sitting here. It’s 8:45 at night, but I still feel like I should be somewhere. I feel like I’m missing someone, or I’m missing something.
I feel incomplete right now.

I’m not sure if God is trying to show me something, or what it is, but I really cannot lose this spirit of unrest right now. I’ve prayed about it, and read the Bible over it, but something is wrong. I just don’t feel right.

I felt it almost as soon as I got back to Maryland. It’s like a hole in my chest. I know I’m rambling, and you’re probably not even reading at this point because I sound totally insane, but something just isn’t right. I can’t describe it other than I feel like I should be doing something, but I don’t know what it is.

It’s driving me crazy. It’s driving me insane.

I loved preaching today. I love preaching. I can’t wait till I get to do it again. (I’ll blog about that later)

In the meantime, something feels wrong.

When I was a child.

I will openly admit that I am not as mature as I should be. I often get carried away, go too far, and end up not only embarrassing myself, but even worse, I tarnish God’s name. I don’t bring God any glory at all when I act like a child. When I was a child, I spake as a child…but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Far, far, far too often in my life, I don’t put away those things. I keep playing a game too far, and go too long. I still think like a child, act like a child, and understand like a child.

If it’s fun, I do it. If I want to do it, I do it. If I like it, I do it.

If it’s boring, I don’t do it. If I don’t want to I don’t. If I don’t like it, I don’t do it.

However, in the verses leading up to this verse (I Corinthians 13:11) Paul is strictly talking about love, and we know “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

See, a MAN has no greater love than to give his life, his desires, and his will up for others.
A MAN loves other more than self.

A CHILD does what the CHILD needs to do. It eats when hungry. Sleeps when tired. Goes to the bathroom when it has to go to the bathroom. Vulgar? Sure. True? Yes sir.

I am constantly embarrassing myself in public, and it’s very obvious that I follow myself and my desires much, much more often than I follow God’s will.

A MAN lays down his life. A CHILD lives to follow its own will.
God has been kicking my butt with this verse for a long time now. I realize I’m not near as much a man as I should be, and it hinders my ability to properly glorify God, and get the gospel to a lost and dying world.

When I was a child, I spake as a child…but when I became a man, I put away childish things. If I truly love God like I say I do, I would lay my commandments down, and the truth, from the bible is this:

If you love God, you’ll keep His commandments. You’ll lay down your life, and you’ll put away childish things.

This post has been three years in the making.

NOTICE:
This is something I’ve been running through my mind since about 11th grade. That’s about 3 year’s time. I can honestly say that I’m not satisfied with it right now, because there’s so much more that I want to put into it, but don’t know how to do it. Maybe in the future I’ll be able to put together the version I have in my head. For the moment, however, this is what I have for right now…

Running is one of the greatest metaphors for the Christian life. The two are so alike that it cannot be a coincidence that the word run appears in the Bible 65 times. Both running and the Christian life require dedication, devotion, character, determination, preparation, assistance from others, and lots and lots of training. LOTS of training.

The greatest similarity between running and the Christian life is that they are both open to everyone. Some sports require equipment, pads, score sheets, officials, and specialized playing areas, but running requires nothing. No equipment, uniforms, playing fields, rulebooks or anything of the sort are need for running. Simply put, running requires nothing more than a desire and a will to run. Much by the same token is salvation, the entrance into the Christian life, available freely to all who seek it. The Bible says (Romans 10:13) “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Whosoever literally means just that: anyone. In John 3:16 we read, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

In this aspect, as in all others, the Christian life is superior to running. Not quite everyone can run. Those who are physically too weak cannot run, but even the feeblest and most tender soul can be freely saved by Christ!

The Christian life requires no preset standard, no qualification, no application is needed. Just like running, it (Christian life) can be practiced anywhere, in a field, on a track, at home, or even in a busy city.

At first, a runner will start with easy, basic training until he or she is able to handle more intense training. I Corinthians 3:2 says, “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it….” Much like a new runner, a newly saved Christian will start with small training and learning until he or she is ready to step up to bigger things. A new runner could not be expected to run a marathon, and a newly saved Christian could not be expected to pastor a church!

However, as a runner trains more and more, he/she will become a stronger runner, and will be able to train harder, with more intensity, and for longer periods of time; much like a growing Christian will move from feeding on milk to feeding on meat.

The runner who trains once a week will always, always, always be beaten by the runner who trains daily. No matter what one’s base talent is, hard work will beat talent when talent doesn’t work hard. In the Christian life, the same concept applies. No matter how gifted one may be in an area, he or she will accomplish nothing without studying God’s word and spending time in prayer each and every day. II Timothy 2:15 tells us to, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God…” In the same book of the Bible, in chapter 3, we read that, ” All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” These are the things that will properly train a Christian to reach his or her full potential in Christ. Just as long hours spent on the track, or in the weight room will toughen and improve a runner, so will hours spent in God’s word and prayer bring a Christian to his/her full potential.

(In high school/ college, teammates and I spent up to 4 hours a day, five days a week making ourselves ready for a race that would last less than 60 seconds.)
Once a runner is trained and ready to race, he or she will enter into a contest. The 400 meter hurdle race is probably the greatest representation of the Christian life in all of track and field. Not only is it a grueling race, but it is the hardest race in track and field, bar none. It requires flawless technique, dedication, speed, blood, sweat, heart, endurance, guts and grit, and most importantly, a will made of iron sinews.

The Christian life is the same as this race in many, many ways. You only have one chance at life, one shot to do things right and after that, it’s over. James 4:14 says that ”…For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” Much like life appears for only a little time, the 400m hurdle race is over in less than a minute, which is not a very long time. The race only takes one lap around the track to complete, and we only get one chance at life!

From experience with the 400 meter hurdles, I personally know the agony and pain the race can cause. The last 100 meters of the race can be tormenting beyond belief; every fiber in your body wants to quit, wants to stop, to give up, and is burning with pain. Where a mediocre runner would be content with a second or third place finish, a truly dedicated runner is always looking to win, no matter what the pain or agony. The Bible says in I Corinthians 9:24, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” We, as Christians are not commanded to be satisfied with second place, but rather to lead a victorious life full of God’s grace and glory. To win a race takes total sacrifice of one’s personal will. Christ Himself personally sacrificed His will for us, by dying on the cross to cover our sins. Through His sacrifice, we are able to be saved, totally and completely from our sins! Christ could have sacrificed less than his life, but no victory would have been obtained; it took Christ giving up His ENTIRE life for our sins to be forgiven.

After a race is finished and over, there is a victor, even if by the smallest of margins. Just as our lives will all eventually end. The difference between winning a race and coming in second can be less than .000001 seconds, but second place, no matter how close to first place, is still second place. In the same regard, the soul that almost trusted Christ as savior, though not fully, will still spend an eternity in hell. Races have been won by a period of time so short that the bare human eye cannot notice it. Even if only by a millionth of a second, the runner who finishes in first is the victor.

And so is the soul that fully trusts in Christ for salvation a winner. There is no “tie for first place” in life; a soul will either spend an eternity in heaven or hell; there is no middle ground!
After a race is over, there is always a victor: one runner who triumphs above all others. The victor will feel no pain, no agony, no burning, only an overwhelming sense of accomplishment, joy, and a surge of energy. This is why a runner can finish a race, and will have no energy left, having left everything on the track, yet are still able to take a victory lap, screaming in happiness and emotion.

Much like a Christian life might seem difficult and too much to handle at times, there is a reward at the end far beyond the glory of a single track race. The prize is so great that no human mind can truly fathom how amazing and beautiful it is. What reward could ever be this good? What reward could be worth all the trials Job suffered? What could make up for being thrown into a den with lions, or going to battle with a giant as an opponent? The answer is twofold, really. Not only will a soul which has accepted Christ as savior escape an eternity of torment in an eternally burning hell, but will also be able to spend an eternity with the Lord God. The same God who created the earth, the Christ who died on the cross for all the sins of the entire world are waiting for you in a place called Heaven, an eternal paradise void of sin and evils.

Logic would state that to obtain such a glorious prize as an eternal spot in heaven would require an extreme dedication and devotion to the things of God, and the things of a spiritual life. That only the most dignified and pious souls would be able to enter into heaven, and escape the eternal flames of hell.

However, on the contrary, anyone can enter into heaven. John 3:16 tells us that “…God so loved the WORLD.” He didn’t send His Son to die for just the USA, or just Asia, but the whole world. And herein is the most visible contrast between running and Christianity: Only a select few ever get a chance to be an elite runner, but the door to be a powerful Christian is open to all.