The Reason I Came into this World

Jesus answered, “…In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” John 18:37 Why did Jesus Christ come into this world? Ever think about it? There are a lot of good answers, but only one right answer – and it may surprise you. Sure He came into this world to save us from our sins. Sure He came into this world to provide us with eternal life. Sure He came into this world to set the captive free. Sure He came into this world to physically, emotionally, and spiritually heal people. But these were side benefits. The real reason He came into this world – straight from His own mouth – at the most critical moment during His trial in front of Pilate – with all the world and the heavens watching – He says He came into this world to testify to the truth. Then Pilate sarcastically asks the most important question of our time, “What is truth?” Check back tomorrow for the answer… Please post a comment below or send me an email at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Facebook “Friends”

Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away. Proverbs 27:10 We've never had so many options for connecting with people - mail, email, phone, text-messaging, even Internet video. Yet recent findings reported in the American Sociological Review show that the number of people who claim to have no one to confide in on important matters is up from 10 percent to 25 percent since 1985. True friendship - what's happened to it? Some people, of course, claim to have a multitude of friends. One college student said, "You go on some people's online profiles, and they say they have a thousand friends. Truth is, they probably don't even know half of them." So these days, in this high-tech, low-touch culture, is genuine friendship even necessary? More specifically, once you're married and settled as a couple, is there still a great need for you to maintain friendships? Husbands and wives both need at least one close Christian friend of the same sex. It's also important for you to have at least one other couple you can share with - mutual friends you can turn to for fellowship and accountability. Martha and I have a handful of true friends upon whom we frequently lean for counsel, advice and balance. We've discussed everything from discipling our children to finances, areas of struggle, managing pressure, and the seasons of life. As you look at today's culture of high-tech communication, one of the greatest needs you have is to be connected to some true friends - kindred spirits, followers of Jesus Christ who will tell you what you need to hear - friends who won't hesitate to weep with you or bring comfort or encouragement (or even correction) in a time of need. Please post a comment below or send me an email at curtis.songer@gmail.com

It Only Takes a Spark

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 For a firefighter, one of the most terrible phrases in the English language is "blow-up." In a firefighter's world, blowing up occurs when a manageable forest fire suddenly explodes into an inferno that rages through the grass and trees at a deadly speed. To me, "blow-up" is an appropriate description of what's happened during the last decade at the heart of American society. A searing fireball of destruction has engulfed a priceless part of our culture - the family. At a Campus Crusade for Christ conference in Dallas the audience was asked who had been affected by divorce (through their immediate or extended family) - 80 percent of the audience responded. One young man came had a father who had been a leading evangelical pastor. "My dad was my hero," he said. "He taught me everything I know. And now he's gone. I'm the only one left in my family that is still walking with God." Far too many Christians today feel this same type of impotence. They are filled with fear - and burned by the heat of our cultural blow-up. If you are tempted to lose hope and courage, take heart: You can make a difference! God can give you the strength and power to withstand the heat. In fact, when a firefighter cannot outrun a blow-up, one common tactic is to ignite a fire of his own to burn the area around him before the fireball reaches him. If you feel threatened by the fires of today's culture, it's time to start a fire of your own. You can do that by returning to God's Word and walking daily in obedience to Jesus Christ. Please post a comment below or send me an email at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Will We Ever Learn?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 Does God ever have to teach you the same lesson over and over and over again? Too many times, I have taken off down a path that seemed right in my own estimation without giving it up to God in prayer first. This week has been another one of those times. Often, I think I am being super-faithful, super-righteous, or super “trusting in Him”. But in reality, while the idea may require trust in God, the course of action I want to take is really the course of action I WANT TO TAKE. Sometimes, I’m even afraid to give it up to God in prayer because I know He may have a different idea in mind. Is this where He wants me? Is this the state He wants my heart to be in? Of course not! He is much more concerned about my willingness to submit to His leadership and will than any crazy idea or concern I have. Total trusting submission to Him and His will, without concern for myself and my future. That is where He wants me. As the virgin mother of Christ said in Luke 1:38 – “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.” When we are ready to accept God’s will for us, whatever it may be, then He is ready to reveal it to us. I thank God that He puts people in my life to open my eyes, especially my dear wife Martha. Please post a comment below or send me an email at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Measuring Up

…for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ… Genesis 1:27 God’s incredible, visionary, optimistic purpose for every believer is to grow so much in our faith that we shine like beacons to everyone around us. One of the ways in which we do that, one that the world around us is looking for, is the level of love that we have for others and how we show that love. God’s vision for each church is that we would grow so much in our love for God that we’d love people the way that He loves them: unconditionally and passionately. Can that vision really happen? Not if we’re content with having lukewarm affection for God, tolerating people instead of loving them, and just getting by in our efforts to touch others’ lives. To become a world changer, you must love others enough to sacrifice some of your own life to impact theirs. Please post a comment below or send me an email at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Creation: The Ultimate Leader Initiates

God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27 God is the ultimate leader. Not only did He create the universe, redeem humankind, innovate with entrepreneurial energy – He also leads. Although God could have ruled and redeemed planet earth on His own, He chose to include mortals in His plans. He could have limited His creation to animals of instinct – but He didn’t. He created human beings with a will of their own, men and women who must choose to follow His leadership according to His plan. God always brings others along with Him. As the ultimate leader, God always initiates. He initiated the creation of the universe. He initiated the birth of mankind. And to satisfy our greatest need, He initiated the redemption process, extending Himself to us so that we might be saved. As you read Scripture, watch how often God demonstrates His magnificent leadership. Truly He is the Ultimate Leader! Please post a comment below or send me an email at curtis.songer@gmail.com

The Great Things about Great Things

Call to Me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which your do not know. Jeremiah 33:3 Sometimes all we want to do is survive. But God has bigger, more wonderful plans for us than merely survival. In fact, God’s plans for us may be, at times, beyond our comprehension. As stated in Jeremiah, the promise may be clear and strong, but the path we must follow may not be easy. God doesn’t guarantee a smooth ride. God’s great promises often involve great challenges to test our faith in and our loyalty to Him. As we respond to His promise, we need to have our eyes and ears open. God’s path to freedom may first take us where we suffer in order to purge hearts of impure desires, and God’s path to blessing may wind through severe loss. Through it all we must cling to His promise and to God Himself. We must reflect on His goodness and greatness and remember how He worked in the lives of men and women who trusted Him with their lives, their hopes, and their futures. Then we will trust Him too – and we will learn more about the great plans He has in store for us. “The thing is to understand myself, to see what God wishes me to do, to find the idea for which I can live and die.” – Soren Kirkegaard Please post a comment below or send me an email at curtis.songer@gmail.com

God is the Ultimate Leader

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 God wanted His creation to begin well. In the beginning, He communicated His vision for the world to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (just to mention a few). Like all good leaders, God took initiative. Yet He never forced His leadership on anyone. Each time His people failed, He laid out His plan, then selected / trained / organized / motivated those He would put into action. He relentlessly pursued His goal and plan of redeeming men and women from their failures, even as He maintained a relationship with them. God is the ultimate leader. The Bible says He created us in His own image. How does your leadership style compare to His? Please post a comment below or send me an email at curtis.songer@gmail.com

All Is Not Well

You who have shown me many troubles and distresses will revive me again. Psalm 71:20 Do you ever get one of those phone calls or emails that you simply don't know how to respond to - reports about friends and family members facing extreme difficulty? Perhaps it's an upcoming surgery or the loss of a job. On occasion it may involve something even much more severe - a relative has been diagnosed with cancer or a friend's child has unexpectedly taken his life. There is a little church on a windswept hillside, in the county of Cornwall on the southwest coast of England, where a section of the front lawn is set apart for a cemetery filled with old, uneven tombstones, many dating back several centuries. One tombstone there has the names of an entire family. Judging from the dates, it seems the mother had died three weeks after giving birth. The child's name, John, also appeared, having died before he turned one. Lastly is the father's name, indicating he had lived not much more than a year after his son's death. Etched beneath their names - in letters you can barely make out - is this simple perspective: "We cannot, Lord, Thy purpose see, but all is well that's done by Thee." Here was a little family that didn't last long but had apparently responded to some tough circumstances with a resilient faith in God. They trusted that God knew what He was doing. So whenever friends and family face problems, remember that little Cornish hillside, where God reminds us that because He is good, "all is well." Pray for the grace to walk through trials with a faith strong enough to still be speaking long after the situation has come and gone. Please comment below or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

The Edge of a Cliff

Flee from the midst of Babylon, and each of you save his life! Jeremiah 51:6 Centuries ago, a popular queen was interviewing applicants to serve on a six-man team responsible for carrying her on a portable throne on long journeys. As she interviewed each man, the queen asked, "If you were bearing me along a mountain path, how close would you go to the edge of a cliff?" Some men would answer, "Your Royal Highness, I am so strong, I could go within a foot of the edge of a cliff." Others would boast, "Not only do I have superior strength, but I have almost perfect balance. I could go within six inches of the edge." But a few declared, "Your Highness, I would go nowhere near the edge of a cliff. Why would I want to imperil your valuable life by leading you so close to danger?" Guess who got the job? We live in a cultural landscape where it seems there are more cliffs than safe passages. We spend large parts of our day within easy walking distance of all kinds of sharp drops and perilous dangers. Sexual temptation. Financial greed. Immoral entertainment. Emotional affairs. Addictions galore. Ethical compromise. Rather than stay as far as possible from these obvious threats to our families, we often allow the enemy of our souls to lure us closer for a better look. We sample just a bit too much of what the world has to offer. My friend Josh McDowell says, "I would rather build a rail at the top of the mountain than have an ambulance service at the bottom of the valley." I agree. But I'd suggest we take it a step further. I would prefer not putting myself in position to find out whether or not that guardrail would hold me! Safety rails aren't meant for pushing on but for steering away from. Please comment below or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com