Tag Archives: Matt
The Allure of the Epic
I don’t know about you, but I grew up a Superhero fan (thanks Mom & Dad), and to this day love the idea of supernatural heroes. So when this summers blockbusters “The Avengers” & ” The Dark Knight Rises” were in theaters so was I. I feel like a kid watching the Hulk and Thor battle for the safety of the world, something in me soars watching Batman come to aid of Gotham yet again and secretly I walk out of the theater pretending that I am one of them with my secret identity being dad to three and McDonalds frequenter. There’s something inside me that longs to be the one wearing the cape, having the whole fate of the world on my shoulders. To be a part of some grand adventure that transcends my seemingly insignificant existence, and I finally know why. It’s what I was created for. No, I wasn’t given x-ray vision or a super soldier serum, but I was created in the midst of an epic adventure that is playing out unbeknownst to most of us. The grand adventure of eternity, the redemption of the world. Hear me out, I can explain to you my logic in hopefully three easy parts.
Your DNA.
Without going into all the different reasons comic book heroes are heroes I want to examine one of the more common reasons. Let’s take the Hulk for existence (we could use almost any Marvel hero, especially any X-men), Dr. Banner basically tests a formula he was developing on himself which modifies his DNA causing him to turn into a giant green monster any time his pulse rate gets to high. It was the change to his DNA that caused him to become “the hero” he is. Spiderman; bite by a radioactive spider. The fantastic four; after exposure to cosmic rays during a scientific mission to outer space. All the mutants in the X-men universe were born with “special” DNA. Bottom line, these heroes are simply wired for a different type of existence. Guess what? So are we. Check it out, Solomon tells us in Eccleisastes 3:11:
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”
Clearly theres a lot in here, but for our purpose lets focus on the element of our DNA that I bet you didn’t realize you had. “he has put eternity into man’s heart,” in other words there is a part of you down deep on some subconscious level that knows that you were created to live forever. So, you have eternity planted in your hearts by God and as a result there’s this knowledge that things aren’t the way they were intended to be. That unsettling feeling, that desire for more, the part of the movie world that resonates in my soul is mentioned by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans.
“22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Romans 8:22-23
Since the fall of humanity in the garden in Genesis 3, all of creation has been fractured and as a result is groaning, longing, waiting to be made right again. It’s waiting for the renewal of all creation, and Paul says “not only creation, but we ourselves”. We too are groaning, waiting, longing to be made right. We have eternity on our hearts and a sinful fractured world around us, our soul remembers what it was like to be whole with God and it yearns to be there. It’s our DNA that is setting up this call into adventure. You have actually been created for it, the question now is what is it, and will you become a part of it.
The Seek God Challenge (Day 31)
HOLD ON TO GOD
READ
“22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had.24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him.30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.”
– Genesis 32:22-32
THINK
While there is lots to be learned through this passage the concept we want to look at is in verse 26. Jacob despite being in pain and clearly going from a position of strength to brokenness refuses to let go. What is Jacob’s reason for refusing to let go? Why do you think the blessing was so important to Jacob?
Look again at verses 25-28. In what ways was Jacob changed in these verses? Which one made the greatest impact on his future? Why?
What are you holding onto God for? Who are you holding onto God for?
PRAY
These thoughts and prayers are just a guide to get you started in your conversation with God. Think of them as conversation starters rather than a check list to quickly pray.
Cry out to God for the things/people that you are refusing to give up on.
Thank the Lord that He changes you from death to life and from darkness into light. Ask Him to help you be a light in the darkness to your generation
DO
We are seeking the Lord through prayer and fasting starting tonight at dinner (skip dinner), and finishing tomorrow at dinner (skip breakfast & lunch, then eat dinner).
The Seek God Challenge (Day 30)
MINISTERING TO THE LORD
READ
“25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
“1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”
-Acts 12:25 -13:3
THINK
The church at Antioch understood the importance of passionately seeking God and His direction. Keep in mind that there are things in our life that we don’t need to seek God on, such as sharing the Gospel, because we have been clearly commanded through scripture to do them. What would be an example of things you should seek God’s direction for?
Some translations use the phrase “ministering to the Lord” in verse two which is a great picture of what it means to worship. He is our audience and we are giving honor and attributing praise to God. The picture here is that they were giving up food to worship God. They refused to just sit casually and attend church as normal. How might fasting change your relationship with God?
Knowing the end result of this meeting, (1.3 billion people coming to Christ, 13 books of the NT, etc.) what then can we conclude might be accomplished by diligently seeking God through prayer and fasting?
PRAY
These thoughts and prayers are just a guide to get you started in your conversation with God. Think of them as conversation starters rather than a check list to quickly pray.
Pray that you will begin to desire God even more than lunch or dinner.
Thank the Lord that He hears our prayers and draws close to us when we draw close to Him.
DO
Make a plan to set aside tomorrow night and the following breakfast and lunch to seek the Lord through prayer and fasting.
The Seek God Challenge (Day 29)
GOSPEL IS OUR ONLY HOPE
(ETERNITY IS FOREVER)
READ
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
-Philippians 3:20-21
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
-Revelation 20:11-15
THINK
The reason that the Gospel is the only hope for those that surround us is concluded in the fact that what we do with this truth effects peoples eternity. What should the knowledge of the Gospel lead us to concerning those around us?
How does the reality of heaven and hell effect you? Your family? Your friends?
PRAY
These thoughts and prayers are just a guide to get you started in your conversation with God. Think of them as conversation starters rather than a check list to quickly pray.
Pray that you will be unashamed of the Gospel for the sake of those people in your life who don’t know Christ.
Pray that although the destination of eternity is pressing that your faith will be built on more than just going to heaven.
DO
Time again to jump out there, share the truth of the Gospel with one of the three friends you have been praying for.
The Seek God Challenge (Day 28)
THE GOSPEL IS OUR ONLY HOPE
(THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH)
READ
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
-Ephesians 2:4-7
We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person
is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
-Galatians 2:15-16
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
-Romans 5:1
Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
-1 John 2:4-6
THINK
So we’ve seen our condition before God (dead in our sin), and then we’ve seen God’s saving plan (Jesus death & resurrection), now we want to see how we move from death in sin to life in Christ. According to both Galatians 15-16, and Romans 5:1 how do we stand right before God?
As we mentioned early on in our study, too often we stop at what we believe is the point of salvation then we may miss Jesus altogether. 1 John 2:4-6 tells us that what must be present to say that we “know” God?
Why is doing what Jesus tells us to do an important part of faith?
Jesus’s actions on the cross and through the resurrection opens the door to us to move from death to life and if we will place our faith in Christ, repent from our sins, and walk in His ways we will be transformed, both in our eternal destination and on this earth.
So then the whole answer of how we enter from death to life is?
PRAY
These thoughts and prayers are just a guide to get you started in your conversation with God. Think of them as conversation starters rather than a check list to quickly pray.
Pray that your faith will grow in such a way that you will walk in the ways of Jesus.
Pray that as we desire God we come to better understanding of the gospel and its role in your life.
DO
Take a minute and write out the gospel in a way that helps you clearly understand it.
