Calling All Christians

This message is directed towards our fellow believers and all those who bear the title of “Born Again Christian.” Not that that’s the only people I want to read this but that’s the audience I’m targeting right now. Just to let you know exactly who I’m talking to.

 

In past posts I’ve written about how being different is how we will make a difference. How examining our life and looking at evidence in our life that would point to living out what we believe is vital. No believer I think would disagree with that. I think that we all want to do better. Pray more. Read our bible more. Know god more. These are things that we desire as followers of Christ. But that’s about where it stops. What I mean by that is that’s all we say. We don’t get specific.

Something that really convicted me a long time ago is what I’ll call horizontal affirmation. We go to church or youth group or the community of friends that were with and we see what they’re doing. How often they pray. Read their bible. What they feel like is ok to watch and listen to. And we begin to gauge our spirituality by those around us. This is a huge problem. We should never gauge our lives by those around us in this way. We need to seek upward affirmation. Saying what does the scripture say about this? Is this something that is hindering my growth? Is this something that is beneficial? The bible says to abhor evil and cling to what is good. (Rom 12:9) We won’t get there by setting our sights by those living around us. We need to look to Christ to gauge ourselves. Just because our friends at youth group are dating and having sex doesn’t mean that it’s ok. Just because our friends in community say that it’s ok to be gay doesn’t mean that it’s what the bible says. And the list goes on.

 

Now what I’ve said so far is pretty basic, look to Jesus and the bible and don’t conform to those around you. Let’s talk a minute about a pretty common verse to the Christian world. Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”This seems pretty self explanatory at first but think about it. What does this look like? We understand that we are changed or transformed. We become new. But what does the renewing of our mind look like? We can’t just skip the new mind. We need to think differently. We need to become practically different. But I know so many people that just like to skip renewing their mind and add reading the bible praying and going to church to their to do list. But we still seek the same garbage and embrace the same lie that the world offers right along with it. We try to go to church and praise him on Sunday and then we go out to a raunchy movie right afterwards. Or get in the car after service and put on some obscene music that dishonors God and we continue to feed this into our lives.

Again, I haven’t really said anything profound. Honor God. Don’t listen to bad music. Be transformed. Be different. But yet again, this is the message I hear from people all the time. But what I realize is that no one wants to get specific as to what that really means. And this is where I’m probably about to piss some people off. There are some pretty clear things in this world that we frequently indulge in, support, and enjoy that have no place in our lives. And we excuse it for whatever reason we choose. It’s what people at church are watching. It’s what I like. There isn’t any good Christian music out there. And my all time favorite, it’s not my conviction. It’s not my conviction is probably, in my opinion, the thing that bothers me the most about this culture that we live in. Oh wow, you listen to that band? Don’t they swear a lot and talk about sex? Ya they do. But music isn’t my conviction. It doesn’t cause me to stumble….what? This is what we have come to as a culture? That claims to be different? What this really means is, ya but I really like the music and I don’t actually care that it’s bad and I’m so numb to it now that I feel no conviction whatsoever. Now this can be used in a way that doesn’t sound ridiculous. For example. Christians can drink occasionally. Yes. It’s ok. I’m more than positive that Jesus drank occasionally. Some people have the conviction to give up alcohol for various reasons and for others it isn’t a conviction that they have that they need to give it up. That’s fine. But to say ya that’s not my conviction as an excuse to do something is dishonors God is just being morally lazy.

Here’s the part where people are going to get pissed. I’m about to get specific.

Scrubs: I thought I would throw myself out there first off. Scrubs is a show that I relate to really well because of the relationship that Turk and JD share and it really makes me laugh and is hilarious. It’s also one of the most sexual and crass and explicit shows that used to air on television. It was raunchy and has no more place in my life because of it.

Friends: A show that has had millions of viewers and fans from the first season that it aired. Its sexual content and relationship and casual sex, and course joking and messages of worldly living and joking has no place in our Christian walk.

Kesha, Black eyed peas, katie perry, modonna, Blink 182, green day, mettallica, ACDC: what we listen to effects us greatly. Most of this music just wants to talk about parties and sex and alcohol and the indulging of every sin that Jesus Christ died to save us from. This has no place in our Christian walk and if it’s something that you listen to regularly you probably shouldn’t. And by probably what I mean is, it is god hating indulgence of the flesh. So don’t.

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia: Incredibly crass and sexual joke that makes light of issues such as abortion, Gays, and many other things that pollutes our minds for the sake of entertainment.

Nip-Tuck: some of these I feel like I don’t even need to put up here. This show can barely go an episode without having some sort of explicit sex scene, foul language, and adulterous scenarios of obscenity and evil for the sake of being entertained.

Twilight: A story about lust. With the back story being about vampires and the living dead, it’s a story purely about lust, and embracing evil in a way that is idolizing lovers and many other underlying messages that go against scripture.

This list could go on and on and on but really just take a look at what we are letting into our lives. And why? For entertainment. When we (I’m including myself in this we) indulge in such things, what we are literally telling The Savior that bled out on the cross for us is I don’t want to commit that much. We walk onto that hill where he is hanging look up to him and say, you aren’t worth cleaning out my iPod. But I’ll come to church on Sunday. Saying there isn’t good Christian music is just saying that being pure isn’t worth it. We don’t have the self discipline to filter what we let into our lives for entertainment, how is God going to trust us with bigger things that he desires to have us be a part of?

I once heard a pastor say that he refused to be entertained by that which Christ suffered and died to free us from. Something to think about.

 

For His Glory

Frank Shortly Raden

 

 

I Don’t Believe in God

Before I continue let me be clear so that no one gets the wrong impression. God the Father, Jehovah Jirah, the Creator of all things, the Alpha and Omega, is the ruler and savior of the universe. All powerful and all sovereign. The great I Am. Everlasting God. He is. Regardless of my opinion, what I believe and how I react to Him. He is. And that’s the point im trying to make.

Something that I’ve been noticing lately has been this trend of discussing peoples beliefs about the world, theology, religion, politics, social structure, and whatever else people want to talk about that has varying opinions. I’m mainly going to be talking about Religion. And when people begin discussing their religious beliefs about God, Christianity, Buddhism, Atheism, Paganism, whatever it is, you get people telling what they believe. Which in and of itself is fine. Until you throw God in the mix. Then it gets a little tricky.

For example. If I say that I believe that God sent his son down to die for us, then I’m stating an opinion. Something I believe to be true. Someone else believes that there is no God, no higher power or purpose in life. We’re both right to an extent. We both believe what we believe. The content of our words isn’t being judged by saying this is what I believe. You can’t argue what someone believes. They believe it. Whether or not that it’s true is something entirely different. Saying that you believe something implies that you think it’s true as oppose to not being true. But somewhere in there you leave room for someone who thinks that it isn’t true, not to believe that it’s true. That it’s not a fact. As if there is an option that it isn’t true. So folks usually just say, fine believe whatever you want to believe.

Really? That’s how we talk about God? I believe in God is such a hollow statement. For the God that we claim to love and worship the best we can say is that we believe that He died for us? And has saved us? And has taken our debt that could never be repaid and given us the power of His spirit? We believe it? And that’s all? We use the term “I believe so” in moments of doubt. It’s used interchangeably with “I hope so.” Little kids say that they believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny. Coaches tell their players they believe they can win a game. We believe dinner will be on time. The word believe has become almost as distorted as the word ‘love’ in our culture. We love God but we also love tacos.

Let’s take a look at what gravity does. Gravity is a natural phenomenon by which physical bodies attract with a force proportional to their mass. This means that every single time that we take a step, we know our foot is going to come down. Buildings stay on the ground. The earth stays revolving around the sun. If we push something over its going on the floor. If we throw a ball, it’s coming down. One hundred percent infallible perfect system of gravity says that if it’s going up its coming down. We rely on it every second of every day. The things that we build are created around it. The planes we fly in are designed to manipulate it using aerodynamics. But it is always in effect and will not cease to be in effect no matter what we do.

Gravity just is. We don’t say that we believe it is. It just is. Because regardless of what we believe it will do what it’s been designed to do from the beginning. If I decide not to believe in gravity it’s not just going to stop working just for me. We don’t select the law of gravity. It just is.

God is. Believing in God sounds silly. Like there is an option not to? The Bible says that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is lord. If you don’t believe that, you’re knee will bow and your tongue will confess regardless of what you believe. What we believe doesn’t matter when talking about the existence of God. Now I’ll probably say that I believe in God again at some point in a conversation. And I do mean what I say when I write all of this. But don’t we owe Him more when we talk about Him? Even when I first  thought about this I was thinking that I was reading too much into it. But really? You put yourself in the position to make Gods existence a selective opinion when we say “well that’s what I believe.”

In closing, I would just like to say that I am a Christian. God exists. He created the universe and everything in it. He gave us free will. We chose poorly and exchanged the truth of God for a lie. In a loving effort to save us from our eternity that we fight Him so hard on, He sent down His Son to die the death that we were deserving of. He was crucified with our sin and then raised Himself from death conquering the grave. He ascended into heaven and sent us His Holy Spirit to empower those who accept His free gift of grace and repent to complete His work. Now we go into the world representing His love, studying the Bible, Gods truth in written word to instruct us on how to be more like him in order to show Him to the world so that He will be glorified.

I don’t just believe this.

This is irrefutable, historical, factual, and undeniable truth.

And it is more foundationally dependable than gravity itself. Therefore i will base my life around these truths.

And last of all, whether or not you believe in these truths, it is truth. And our opinions on the matter affect nothing.

God is. Regardless of what we believe.

 

For His Glory

Frank Shortly Raden

 

What are we NOT doing?

i havnt blogged in awhile cuz ive been super busy but i wanted to share what ive been going through and whats on my mind. so yes. im using shorthand. my spelling and grammer will be wrong, sue me. lol these were my thoughts after reading portions of acts. a letter i wrote my mentor i meet with.

 

Im actually quite discouraged. Reading about how the holy spirit is flowing and people are being saved by the thousands and how dedicated the followers are and the miracles performed…its discouraging to see how none of that is happening today. And I know that it DOES happen. But its not evident in my life. I keep going back to why. I mean, they didn’t even have a new testament to study. They weren’t even free to worship. We have all of these things and yet other access to scripture and other teachers and yet we seem useless compared to the first church. How many churches are there in the northwest? They were one. And they started a movement. Were hundreds of thousands and were doing so much less. Why? Why is that the case? Im literally upset that we don’t have that same vigor. What’s keeping me from that? What in my life is keeping me from being closer to God? Cuz I don’t want this mediocre Christian American differntless lifestyle of living in and of the world and wearing a Christian nametag like im part of a club. God works through us when we step out in faith. How do I step out in faith? The Bible says it is impossible to please God in Hebrews. How do i exercise that kind of faith? Cuz I want to be able to give God my everything and that takes faith. But faith is more than just believing. Its belief that leads to action. its not hope. Hope is the the promise of the future. Fiath is the present tense peace of God and understanding that leads us to step out. So what is it both? I want to be a man of faith. I want to look for opportunities to exercise my faith and give myself over to god. I want to be that healer. That speaker. That miracle worker. That servant. A man afdter the kingdom of god and to grow its numbers. But I keep realizing more and more how far I fall and how much grace really abounds.

 

For His Glory

Frank Shortly Raden

 

Joy=Happiness?

John 16:21-23

²¹ A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. ²² So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. ²³ In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

The dictionary describes joy as: the expression or manifestation of such feeling or, Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness. Which makes sense to a certain degree? But is it simply being happy? Is that all Jesus wants? Is for us to be happy? So what does he mean when He says,” I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”? Joy is a mindset. The idea that even when things are miserable and your walls are crashing down around you, that your joy, what keeps you going; your hope is in Jesus Christ. We are more than optimists. The book of James says to consider it PURE joy when we undergo trials of many kinds. This is more than just realizing our situation sucks and then turning to God. Joy is supposed to be preemptive. Throughout the book of John Jesus talks about making our Joy complete. And it usually says it will be complete in Him. Or through Him.

I like baseball. So let’s use a baseball analogy. Let’s say one way or another, we know for a fact that the Mariners are going to win the World Series. Time Travel, Future telling, however you know it you just do. Now what happens if they lose a game? You know the outcome of the series. You know that they are going to win. So how much sense does it make to sit and worry when their behind in runs? If you know that they are going to win then why would you get discouraged when there are two outs and no one on base with a runner up? You should really get even more excited waiting to see how their going to come through to win it.

This is the joy that Christ has given us. He is raised. He won. The grave couldn’t hold him down. Sin was defeated. We know the outcome and that is that Christ will return and be glorified. Why do we doubt and get angry and upset when we know that Jesus is right there with us and we know the outcome? In time where things get hard, why don’t we get excited to see what God will do through us? Why do we despair when we know that freedom is the end result? Joy is a meaningful acceleration in the rhythm of our relationship and our understanding of God. The more we understand that God is in control and His plan is perfect, the more joy will just happen through us. It’s so much more than being happy. Its hope. And a reason to rejoice in suffering. Jesus is our joy. We should never despair.

For His Glory

Frank Shortly Raden

 

On Trial

Been reading out of the book of Acts for our intern bible study the past few days. It’s crazy seeing so many people coming to Christ in such drastic numbers. It’s actually quite overwhelming when I think about it. One of the other things that blow my mind is the persecution of the church. The more I look into what was done to the followers of Christ. Whether it is in biblical history books or in the scriptures, I continue to see that people suffered for the gospel. Crucifixions, burnings, stonings and other awful things that we cant really grasp in the freedom that we live in everyday. I feel like we take it for granted at times. I know I do anyways.

One of the ways that followers would go through is a trial. They would be put on the stand and other would bring forth evidence proving their Christianity. a bible, witnesses who saw them going to church meetings, seeing them in prayers, serving others, performing miracles, working on the Sabbath, and other such things. But in many cases they would need to be proven guilty of being a Christian before they could be put to death.

I wonder sometimes, if someone put me on the stand if they could prove that I am a Christian. Would they look at me and say look, he is different. This is why we know he is a follower of Christ. Would there be a sufficient amount of evidence to prove me guilty of following Christ? If they take my music and line it up with what the world listens to would I be different? The movies I watch, would they be cleaner? How I spend my time? My money? Who my friends are? Who I’m NOT friends with? How I treat others? How different am I from the world? And am I different enough that it shows?

One thing that bothers me is sometimes I see groups of believers striving so hard to make a difference but coming up short. Not that their not trying but that their not seeing the point. You can’t make a difference by being the same. We should be making a difference by BEING different. When we focus on being different, that’s when we stand out. That’s when the difference happens. Its when were set apart that people see us. If we see a world painted in red and we want to stand out do we go in adorned with another shade of red? How can we expect anything to change when were going through the same motions as the rest of the world?

The scriptures say that we are a new creation. That we are to live in the world but not of it. That we are set free. Set apart. That we are his. That sin and death were beaten and no longer have a hold on us. That we have new life. That we are to no longer sin that grace may abound. So when I look at my life and hold it up to light of how I should be living it won’t be perfect. But how hard am I trying? These followers in the early church are being tortured and burned alive for simply saying that they believe while I go about my day listening to whatever I want and talking about whatever I want.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that if I were on trial, I wouldn’t want to have to wait 10 seconds before enough evidence was brought forth to persecute me. I want to be different enough that people know it and see it in every aspect of my life. Everything I do and everything I say should echo the truth of the gospel.

I want to be different enough to make a difference.

For His Glory

Frank Shortly Raden

 

Are we Making a Difference?

¹⁴ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Romans 10:14-15

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor , but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Luke 5:29-32

Imagine a hospital. A hospital that is available for everyone. No charge. No health insurance necessary, no payment for treatments. You’re sick. You come. They treat you. Done. Anyone that’s sick or dying or poor or disabled were able to come in and be healed and have their lives instantly changed.

But there’s a problem.

The People that aren’t sick just stay in the hospital. Just sitting there. Not telling people about this amazing place. Not helping out. Not even sick. Just waiting and making sure that they don’t get sick. And on top of that, when someone comes there that’s ill they avoid them. Just in case they’re contagious. Wouldn’t want to get sick again. So even people that hear about the treatments they offer get screwed because they get no help from the people that are there. So what you get is a hospital full of healthy people that is immobile, that doesn’t let in the sick, that can’t treat those that are already well. So whats the point?

The Hospital is the church. How often do we just go to church on Sunday and go through the Sunday rituals of making ourselves feel better by sitting in our Sunday comfort bubble? When do we really go out and make a difference? Why do people come in searching for hope and leave feeling judged and empty? Aren’t we supposed to love others and heal? Why do we look down on those with sin like were better or that being around them is below us? What’s the point of church?

I used to view church as a gas station. I would go on Sunday and top off to some worship and fellowship and a good sermon before I jump back into the world doing what I want. Then Wednesday rolled around and I would fill up again at youth group. I was just a machine that needed some juice and that’s why I would go. To be encouraged and to feel like god loved me and to hear al about all the good things he has done.

How selfish of me. I went to church for me. So that I could make it through my week. So that I could feel good about myself. I made church about me. So what should I have been doing? How should I view church?

Now I view church and bible studies totally differently. Now I look at it like training ground. Like whets god going o teach me today that is going to assist me in spreading the gospel? What can I do here to help others? How do I change my life to better serve god’s purpose for me? If this is a hospital with a cure, how can I get that treatment out there? How can I tell people about it? How am I serving?

Church shouldn’t be the safe zone. Church should be training for the war zone. Threes no magic the church walls, but there’s power in the church body. We are the body of Christ so if were not moving, how effective will we be? Let’s put aside the peaceful picture of the church sitting on a grassy hill with flowers and butterflies and replace it with the army of God called to fight the good fight and charge into the spiritual battle like a thousand soldiers on fire for God. Not sitting in a pew but pushing forward the front lines. Not singing a quiet song but screaming out our battle cry for the lost. Not setting a few bucks in the offering plate but throwing all that we have in for the cause of Christ.

If your healthy then your ready for battle.

For His Glory

Frank Shortly Raden

 

Taking the Step

Been reading some awesome stories in the bible and have been thinking about this one in particular. Some of you may already know it but it’s the story of Peter walking on water in Matthew 14:22-33

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. don’t be afraid.”

²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

²⁹ “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

I noticed something that kind of blew my mind a little bit. Something seemed to be missing from this passage and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. And then it hit me. All Jesus said, was come. Come. Not a word of encouragement. No instructions. No reminding him why he’s doing this. No saying why. Jesus didn’t even pray for him. He simply said, come. Why? Why nothing? And why didn’t peter even question that? There’s this baffling story of obedience and faith that has nothing to do really with walking on water.

He just says come. What is Jesus trying to say here? He loves us and gives us everything we need. He’s not just setting us up to fail. He’s not even waiting for us to ask for instructions. I think what Jesus is trying to say here is that that’s all we need from Him. His calling. A word from God to come is all we should need to come. This is stepping out in faith. Faith is often described as believing in what you can’t see, like the wind.  I tend to disagree. I believe that faith is belief that leads to actions. So it’s more like knowing what wind is and does even though you can’t see it, you put up a windmill to act upon it. We act on what we believe. That’s what our faith is. Jesus says if we believe, we will act. And we should act, when He calls. We don’t need anything more than His word to come.

Now let’s look at Peter. That was a bold step. But was it really? Should we consider that bold? Or just call it what it is? Call it faith? How many times do I ask for God’s guidance and then not act on it? Or even worse just stayed in the boat. And not sought god at all. We know that He’s there, walking on the water but we don’t cry out. We don’t seek him. Sometimes we even pretend we don’t see anything and ignore Him. Claiming ignorance to excuse what were doing. And we don’t step out. I don’t sometimes. And I should. How about this, what if Peter had asked for a miracle to prove that it was Jesus. What if he said still the waters first, then I’ll get out. Or have the fish spell my name in the water and I’ll believe you. Nothing. He just takes Him at His word and walks out onto the crashing waves. Do we sit and wait for God to prove himself before he can use us to prove himself again? Should we wait for a miracle before we let God perform a miracle? How ridiculous does that sound? And yet I do it constantly.

Last of all peter did walk. And Peter did lose sight, and Peter did fail. Peter sunk. All that and he sunk. The best part of this story is verse 31. Immediately. Jesus immediately pulled him out. Didn’t let him soak in the water. Didn’t kick him down, didn’t even let him tread water. Once Peter cries out Jesus immediately pulls him out. How comforting is that? Ever think how depressing this story would really be if he made it there and back? Good job. Now we all have to walk on water and if we fail were screwed. No, when we step out in faith and we do Gods will He is going to be there when we cry out to Him. When we act in faith and come when God calls us, He’s not going to let us drown.

So that’s the good news. The bad news is this: now we don’t have an excuse to step out when God calls us. Haha bummer right? When Christ calls us to do something, we need to step out and act in faith, and He will deliver us through it. Every time. If we are faithful to Him. And that has got to be the most comforting realization I’ve felt in a long time. Praise god.

For His Glory

Frank Shortly Raden

 

What is Worship?

I lead worship on occasion for church and for camp. This last summer I was the music director at Island Lake. I’ve been playing the guitar for about 4 years now and grew up in a pretty musical family so my voice isn’t bad. I led a set for a high school bible study this last weekend and I couldn’t get this idea of worship off my mind.

When we talk about worship, the first thing that usually comes to mind for Christians is music. When we go into church the typical schedule is worship, greeting, announcements, worship, message, worship, close. They tend to vary but that’s pretty basic. We tend to categorize worship as the music portion of our church life and that’s all. Then you hear people say,” worship isn’t just music, that’s just one way we express it. We worship god with our lives and in everything that we do. When we try to please god, it’s all an act of worship.” I agree with this. That everything we do can be an act of worship. Choosing not to watch an inappropriate film. Choosing not to make a crude joke. Using self control and not lashing out on someone. Prayer. Reading your bible. Any kind of intentional dedication or devotion towards God can be considered an act of worship. And in John 4:23 the bible says,” Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”

But this isn’t the point I’m trying to make. Most people in the church have heard this and know this and believe this. So why am I bringing it up?

I want to know why we don’t call those things worship.

I think that the day they decided to call music worship and classify that as its definition that the devil was giving out high fives like a kid on a kickball team that just scored a run. Because the day that happened was the day that we stripped worship of its true meaning. That that’s how we talk about it. How we regard it. Our first thought of worship is songs we sing. I think we call music worship because it’s easy.  What if we called the hard thing worship too? How do you worship god? What if we called feeding the homeless worship? Stepping out of our comfort zones and talking to our friends, family, strangers, and teachers about Jesus Christ. Going on missions trips. Tithing. Using self control. All these things that can be hard for us. If we naturally classified that as worship would you say that you worship god? Or do you just do the easy part. And sing songs that you already have memorized. We do that in the shower not even thinking about it. How can we say that that is the depth of our devotion to god?

I mean no condemnation to anyone. I myself have fallen in this area of just filing worship away in my mind as something to do on my guitar. For a long time my thought was voice plus guitar plus Jesusy lyrics equals worship. I grew up in the church and started on worship team when I was about fifteen. I didn’t really make the connection till much later what true worship really was.

Lets take another look at john 4:23 “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” What does it mean to worship in spirit and in truth? Well first we should recognize that it says spirit AND truth. Not or.  One without the other can’t be true worship. But what does that look like? Our spirit, our hearts and what our intentions and focus are must be based on our love for God and His will. Just like singing in church we can go and do all sorts of amazing services and ministries, but if you’re doing it without love, without that intent of devotion and worship, then it means nothing. This is worshiping in truth without the spirit. Action without intention. In spirit and is your intent, and the truth is what it’s based upon. Intent by itself means nothing. If I intend to eat but I never actually pick up the fork and put food in my mouth I won’t get fed. Or if I intend to do Gods will but it’s based on a false idea of who God is I can make some terrible mistakes. This is where we must also worship in truth as well. We need to back up what we do with what Gods word says. You can say that you’re going to go worship god. But if it’s just because its song time at church and it’s not from your heart then its just noise. But if you’re worshiping because of your gratitude towards Him then it’s for His glory.

I don’t mean to imply that music is a bad form of worship. I love it. I do it all the time. I play guitar and lead and sing and love praising god with song. But I hate how we butcher the expression by willingly limiting it to music. Yes, we know that that’s not JUST what worship is. But I think that sometimes worship can just turn into that slot we fill on our church agenda and we fill it with songs. Instead of really truly living our worship to god. We take the easy way out we call the song worship and we can check off that worship box for the week.

I think that we need to begin calling all those other things that are worship, worship. I think that we need to unlearn that idea of having our first thoughts be music and replace it with devotion. When we say were about to worship at church we prepare to sing. What if we began our day with intention and a decision to worship god with all our actions? With intent and with a true heart. What would your life look like? What would our world look like if all his followers made daily choices of intentional worship towards him? We turned from the idea of sunday morning worship and began our life long song of dedication to him? What if I showed him that I loved Him instead of just singing about it? Does it even matter if then?

I guess what imp trying to say is that worship shouldn’t end on a whole note. Our lives should be the unceasing symphony of devotion to our savior and that worship shouldn’t just boil down to the noise we make on Sundays in a meager effort to fill the slot of our church schedule.

For His Glory

Frank Shortly Raden

 

What is my Blog About?

Hello! So this is my new blog. I should probly start by sharing a bit about myself. My name is Frank Raden. I work for Crista Camps as a program intern and hope that I might be able to continue working here full time. But its ultimately up to God and where He wants me. Born in Tacoma Washington, raised in the Spanaway area. My parents are still together. I have an older brother and a younger sister. I’m 21 years old and recently have been having a lot of different ideas about the way I think about things in regards to my faith and what I believe in. I’m a christian and claim no denomination but to say that I was raised in a baptist church and then an evangelical free church. I believe that slavation come through confessing that your a sinner and that you need Jesus as lord and savior of your life, accepting him as such, and loving him and following him with unrelenting joy and passion. I wanted to start a blog to outlet things that I believe Gods been teaching me and putting on my heart and mind. aAother way to delve into His word and who He is. I’m not here to condemn people or push an agenda or be holier than anyone. I just want to put some thoughts out to share with others and get some feedback so I can continue to grow and learn about who God is. So I’m taking on the challange and making a blog! I think ill try to make a Post every Wednesday and maybe little things inbetween when I feel like something cool happened in my life. Anyways I hope you guys keep up on me that this goes well. Dinner bell just rang so I’m gonna go get some grub.

For His Glory

Frank Shortly Raden

P.S. My middle name is not Shortly. Haha here at Crista Camps we all have “camp names.” Upon my arrival to Island Lake they intoduced me saying “This is one of the new guys that will be working with us and we will be naming him shortly.”  They meant soon but the name kinda stuck. So my name is the butt of a bad joke really. Anyways, farewell all. just felt like that needed to be explained.