Itinerant Inspiration

11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving

"And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name."
~1 Chronicles 29:13

This passage from 1 Chronicles records the words of David near the end of his life. At this time, David gathered all of Israel and gave a speech describing how he had planned to build a temple and described all the preparation that he had done in order to do so. He went on to explain that his son, Solomon, would be the next King and it would be Solomon's task to build the temple. David closed the announcement by praising God and thanking Him for all that He has given them. After giving thanks to God, the nation had a feast to honor God "with great gladness" (1 Chronicles 29:22).

Today, many people across the nation are also observing a dedicated day where we give thanks and have a feast, we call this day Thanksgiving. But why do we as a nation observe Thanksgiving? Who exactly are we giving our thanks and why are you thanking them? Is this day simply a day to give thanks for the sake of giving thanks? If so, then our day of giving thanks is not really directed to anyone and has become simply an exercise where we all practice positive thinking. While there is a benefit to reflect on the good things that we are grateful for in life (Philippians 4:8), these thoughts should ultimately point us to praise Him who provided these blessings (Philippians 4:4).

Let us take a quick look at history to help us understand the purpose of this day. The first recorded Day of Thanksgiving on the American continent occured about two year before the Plymouth Thanksgiving, and centers around 38 English settlers who arrived on the banks of the Virginia Colony. The group's charter mandated that "the day of arrival be observed yearly, and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God." The group's Captain, Captain John Woodlief, was true to the charter and a service of giving thanks to God was held on December 4th 1619.

Another historical example comes from President Abraham Lincoln, where he invited the nation to "set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." Though Presidents had declared a national day of thanksgiving in the past, the day was not observed annually throughout the nation until this proclamation from President Lincoln. Since this proclamation, the American nation has celebrated Thanksgiving every year at the end of November.

But notice the common thread of why these leaders across time led their people to set a dedicated time to give thanks and to whom they were giving their thanks. King David, Captain Woodlief, and President Lincoln all held a day of Thanksgiving not just for the sake of giving thanks; rather each case was meant to be a day to thank and praise God for all His love, blessings, and provision that He has giving us.

In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul states that we should give thanks in ALL circumstances (during our highs and our lows). Remember, everything we have is ultimately God's and every good thing comes from God. Therefore, we should be ever grateful for the things that we have, since everything we have (our family, our life, the air we breathe, and even the gravity that keeps us on the ground) is a gift from God. When we truly understand the scope of God's provision and graciousness to us, we will be compelled from a grateful heart to honor Him with praise and demonstrate our gratitude with prayers of Thanksgiving.

Of course, the greatest gift that God has given us is His Son, Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself to save us! This alone is deserving of our eternal thanks, and yet God has given us so many other blessings in addition to our salvation. So as we celebrate Thanksgiving, let us remember that this is a day to thank God for all the amazing blessings He provides us each day.

"Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever."
~Psalm 136:26

08/31/2024

🏈Christian Fan Challenge🏈

Spend as much intentional time being a “fan” of God per week as you spend being a fan of Football. Football can be a good thing and it can also be dominating. (1 Corinthians 6:12)

What does this look like

Any active attention given to a game, give that much active attention to God throughout the week
—— Example is watching a game with no distractions, spend that same amount of time with God (reading, praying, singing, going to church) without distractions

Any passive watching/listening of games or commentary, spend equal amount of time passively with God
—— Example listening to a game in the background while doing chores or listening to a podcast while driving; do similar with God(worship music in the car, listen to a sermon while doing chores, etc)

Any sports talk with friends spend that same amount of time talking about what Jesus has done for you
—— Example after talking with anyone about the football ask them how you can pray for them or tell them about a blessing God has given you

Rules:
1: Don’t be legalistic, but make a conscious effort to spend the same amount (or more 😇) with God each week as you do with Football.

2: Tag a friend that you would like to do the challenge with, to be encouraging / accountable to.

3: If you haven’t completed rule 1, BEFORE you favorite team plays next, then don’t watch the game until you have spent the appropriate time with God

Football is Good but God is Great!

05/11/2024

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules."
~ Ezekiel 36:26-27

God transforms us and changes who we are at our core by giving us His Spirit. As a Christian, the Holy Spirit dwells within you, gives you new life, and makes you a new creation. Thus, the Holy Spirit gives you a new identity in Christ. While we are given this new identity from the moment we believe in Christ, the transforming work of the Holy Spirit will last a lifetime to conform you into the image of Christ.

Though Christians will still struggle with sin, our identity is no longer a sinner. Jesus gives us a new identity in Him by clothing us with His righteousness. Therefore, Scripture repeatedly refers to all Christians as saints (one who is sanctified and holy). We have been sanctified by the blood of Christ, and therefore we have been made holy in Christ. In this new identity, Scripture calls us to “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). Having our identity in Christ means that we have been given a new heart, a new spirit (the Holy Spirit), covered by Christ's righteousness, and are now in restored reconciled relationship with God. Let us embrace our relationship with God by living each day in a manner that reflects our identity in Christ. To Him be the Glory, forever and ever. Amen.

03/29/2024

"And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments... And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"... After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), "I thirst." A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit... And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom."
~ Luke 23:33-34; Matthew 27:46; John 19:28-30; Mark 15:38

Today is Good Friday, the day that Jesus was crucified. Some may wonder why we call it "Good" Friday; after all, this is a demonstration of humanity at its worst... the day we killed God! How can we call it "Good"? But to remember this day in only this way is to forget that God is in control of all things, it is to forget that the reason that Jesus came to earth was to die, and more importantly it is to forget what was accomplished by Jesus' death on the cross. The crucifixion was not an accident, it was the Plan. While this is a place for mourning as we consider the suffering that Jesus went through on this day, and time of sorrowful reflection as we consider our sins that made the cross necessary; but today should also be the MOST celebrated day for Christians. By no means do I intend to make light of the suffering that Jesus went through, nor do I mean to minimize the severity of sin that brought Jesus to the cross, nor undermine the horrific act that was intended in the hearts of man that day... but let us remember this Friday as God meant it to be remembered, as Good. Good Friday is “Good” because it marks the day that Jesus atoned for our sins through His perfect sacrificial offering of Himself, granting forgiveness of sins and eternal life to those who believe in Him. Good Friday is "Good" because it marks the accomplishment of Jesus' mission to save mankind, as Jesus notes in His final words, "It is finished." Good Friday is "Good" because it marks the day that mankind was brought into a restored reconciled relationship with God, which is demonstrated by the curtain in the temple being torn in two showing that there is no longer a separation between God and His people. Good Friday is "Good" because the crucifixion demonstrates the unconditional Love that God has for us; God came down to us in the flesh to suffer and die for us, taking the punishment that we rightly deserved in order to have a relationship with us; this sacrifice is clearly an act of God's passion for us.

03/29/2024

Here is a video explaining why Good Friday is "Good"

Why was the Crucifixion of Jesus important?Music:"Heavy Is Our Savior's Cross"By: Jeff Lippencott, The Phoenix Chorale & The Choristers of Canterbury Cathedr...

03/28/2024

"And they went and found it just as He [Jesus] had told them, and they prepared the Passover. And when the hour came, He reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he [Jesus] said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood."
~ Luke 22:13-20

Today is what is commonly referred to as Maundy Thursday, which refers to the Thursday before Jesus was nailed to the cross. On that Thursday, Jesus had one last meal with His Disciples and during the meal He ordained the taking of Communion. He commanded that we take it in remembrance of Him and the sacrifice He was about to give. His disciples understood the dinner only as the traditional meal for Passover. However, when Jesus picked up the bread and said "This is my body" and then took the wine and said that it was His “blood,” Jesus was telling them that He was the True Sacrifice for the Ultimate Passover. The Passover they had been celebrating for the last 1500 years was about to be complete in Him. For by Christ's offering, God passes over our sin and grants us eternal life in Christ. Let us remember this night, the Last Supper Jesus had on the night of His betrayal. Let us remember the sacrifice that this Last Supper eventually led to, which is the perfect atoning sacrifice that only Christ could give.

01/26/2024

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
~ Romans 6:23

We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Due to our sin, we have been separated from God, deserving death, and doomed to suffer in hell for all eternity. There is nothing that any of us could do to remedy this situation since we simply do not have the power, strength, or ability to atone for our own sins. We are helpless in our sins.

The Good News is that Jesus came to earth to redeem us from our sins. In our helplessness, Jesus washed us of our sins. He did this out of love for us, desiring to have a relationship with us. Jesus took the punishment of sin that we deserved to grant us forgiveness for our sins. The punishment for sin is separation and death. On the cross, Jesus took our sins upon Himself and for the first time in eternity He experienced a separation from the Father. Jesus then died the death that we deserved to give us eternal life. The punishment of our sin has been paid for in full through Christ. Through Christ, we have a restored reconciled relationship with God.

We did not and could not earn this reconciliation. Apart from Christ, our good works are like a dirty rag that only makes the mess worse, thus it is impossible for our so-called “good works” to have any atoning value. We are only saved because God, full of grace, chose to save us. Salvation cannot be earned. Rather we receive this salvation as a free gift through faith in Christ.

12/20/2023

We are five days away from Christmas Day! As we approach this joyous day, I would like to encourage each of us to remember why we celebrate this day. For those interested, here is a 35 minute video I made reflecting on Christmas.

Why do we celebrate Christmas? Why do we celebrate the birth of Jesus?

11/10/2023

From the book "Do You Believe?" By Paul David Tripp

10/31/2023

Happy Reformation Day

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith."
~ Romans 3:23-25

October 31st 1517, exactly 506 years ago today, a monk by the name of Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the Wittenberg Castle Church door. Though he did not intend it to, this event triggered what became known as the Protestant Reformation. As time went on, the reformation spread across Europe. At the heart of the reformation was the desire to recover and proclaim the Gospel! A summary of the reformation teachings can be summarized by five simple Latin phrases known as "The Five Solas."

-Sola Gratia, which is Latin for "Grace Alone"
-Sola Fide, which is Latin for "Faith Alone"
-Solus Christus, which is Latin for "Christ Alone"
-Sola Scriptura, which is Latin for "Scripture Alone"
-Soli Deo Gloria, which Latin for "Glory of God Alone"

Salvation is given by GRACE ALONE, we do not deserve it. We are sinners, rebels against God, and deserving of hell. But God, out of His love, mercy, and grace, chose to save us from our sin.

We receive this salvation through FAITH ALONE, we do not have to work for Salvation, nor can we earn this Salvation. God offers us salvation as a free gift. We do not need to earn a gift, otherwise it would not be a gift. Furthermore, there is nothing we could do to earn our salvation. There is nothing we could do to rightly atone for our sins. The good news is there is nothing we need to do to earn salvation, we simply receive this gift through faith.

CHRIST ALONE is able to atone for our sins by offering the perfect sacrifice: Himself. Christ alone lives a perfectly sinless life. Christ alone died on the cross to take our sins upon Himself and in exchange He gives us His righteousness. Christ alone resurrected from the grave, defeating death, which confirms that His atoning death reconciled our relationship with God. To say that we still need to earn or contribute to our salvation is to say that Jesus' work on the cross was not enough. Yet, we know that Christ's work was perfectly sufficient to save all who place their faith in Him.

We can know and trust in Christ's atonement that is offered by God's grace and received only by faith because SCRIPTURE ALONE is the highest authority of knowing truth. Scripture is God's very words, and there is no other authority higher or equal to God. It is His revelation of Himself about His great love for us. There is no greater demonstration of God's love and no greater declaration of God's truth than the Gospel of Christ, which is the focus of all of Scripture.

We are ultimately saved for the GLORY OF GOD ALONE. Since our salvation is entirely the work of God, He alone deserves all glory for this amazing work. To say that we contribute anything to our salvation is to take some of the glory that rightly belongs to God alone. God created us, sustains us, loves us, and saves us, therefore God alone is worthy of all Glory. In all that we do, all that we say, all that we think, all that we are, we are to glorify God!

In Summary:

Salvation is given by GRACE ALONE received through FAITH ALONE accomplished in CHRIST ALONE according to SCRIPTURE ALONE for the GLORY OF GOD ALONE.

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
~ Romans 5:1-2

10/05/2023

As we begin October, I tend to reflect on the Protestant Reformation by usually reading a book and/or watching videos about the subject. To that end, I have made a video describing what the Reformation was about, why it still matters today, summarizing the key points/teachings of Reformation, and examine how these teachings were developed through the focus on the life of Martin Luther (who was the key person that triggered the Reformation).

Click the link below to view the 50 minute video:

What is the Protestant Reformation? Why was it important?This video explores the history leading up to the Protestant Reformation through the lens of Martin ...

09/27/2023

"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."
— 1 Peter 1:13-21

I encourage each of us to be mindful and deliberately think about the glory and holiness of God throughout our day, in every thing we do from driving, to working, while we eat, while we relax. In all that we do, do all for the Glory of God. In all parts of our life, let's live our life being mindful and transformed by the holiness of God. God has made us holy by covering us with the sacrificial and atoning blood of Christ. Therefore, let us live up to the call and our identity in Christ by being holy, as God is holy. Let not just know this theoretically, but live it in every area of our life. Let this truth govern all that we do, all that we say, all that we think, in every aspect of every area of our life.