The 11 Commandments?

I'm sure everyone reading this post is very familiar with the 10 Commandments from Exodus 20:

1. Have no other God's before me

2. Do not make or maintain idols in your life

3. Do not take the Lord's name in Vain

4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy

5. Honor your Father and Mother

6. Do not murder

7. Do not commit adultery

8. Do not steal

9. Do not bear false witness

10. Do not covet.

While several of these commandments are full of truths that present definite struggles for us today, several really don't most pose major problems for us on a regular basis. I would venture to guess most of us don't struggle with murdering, stealing, committing adultery, but others do still present very real challenges for us. 

This morning I was reading through 1 Thessalonians 5 where I think God's present His 11 Commandments for the Christian and their daily walk.

The 11 Commandments / Admonitions of the Church  (verses 12-22)

1. Admonish the unruly

2. Encourage the fainthearted

3. Help the weak

4. Be patient with everyone

5. Do not repay evil with evil, but always seek what is good for everyone

6. Rejoice always

7. Pray without ceasing

8. In everything give thanks for it is the will of God

9. Do not quench the Spirit

10. Do not despise prophetic utterances, but examine everything 

11. Hold fast to what is good and abstain from every form of evil

As important as the Ten Commandments of Exodus are for us in our Christian walk, the 11 Commandments of 1 Thessalonians 5 are crucial in our daily life and interaction with those around us. Christ calls us to these 11 things to enhance and encourage each other not only in our Christian communities, but in our circles of friends/family/influence.

When I had this thought this morning about this blog post, I found myself realizing my struggle at times with each one of these challenges. I struggle with portions of the 10 Commandments, but they're not always so previlant in my day-to-day attitude. This is not a list of things to pick and choose which I'd like to work on and follow. These admonitions are all mandatory in an effective Christian life. I know I struggle with all of these at times and God has definitely reminded me of the daily work I have to do. How about you?

-Ryan

I'm back...Hopefully :)

As I sat thinking the past few days, I thought about my blog and read a few blurbs or what I have written in the past. I feel the past few months so much has happened and I could probably blog for quite a while... BUT, not right now. I will return, I promise. you are loved... -ryan

Whats your RSVP?

So I was considering the option of people 'maybe attending' an event, say like on facebook. Personally, I love the option of selecting 'maybe' because it creates the possibility of sidestepping commitment. I don't have to secure my place at an event thus committing my time and place on my social calender. However, by saying 'not attending,' you have shut yourself off to the option of going to that event. For no apparent reason, while in the shower I was thinking about this set of options...You RSVP to almost any event on earth securing or rejecting the invitation.

What about your arrival to heaven? Whats your RSVP look like for that day? People sometimes treat it as if there is a 'maybe attending' option and that 'yes' or 'no' aren't the only responses. We are all guilty of, at times, treating life as if we just checked the 'maybe' box. Our lives, at times, show mixed responses to what we choose when asked 'Whats your heavenly RSVP?' If 'yes' was checked, then why do our lives not always display that? Do people look at you and know, through your actions and life, that you checked the 'yes' box? I know I've failed in displaying this attitude before and know it'll probably happen again...BUT that shouldn't ever be my attitude. I should be living in a way that says 'you bet i checked yes and I'm gonna do the best I can the show people that.' I signed up for the commitment when I said yes to Jesus Christ and my heavenly arrival. *I feel like all these thoughts and becoming jumbled and mushed together, so i apologize if that is your thought reading this* What things in our life create confusion for people regarding the choice we've made? Is it our bias about our religious opinions? Do we discredit anything that is different from our unique view into this life? I'd bet each of us have something we could think of in that area... WHAT IS IT? A verse I used a couple posts ago also very much applies..

2 Peter 1:10-11 says, '¹⁰Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, ¹¹and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.'

Christ is with you and in you in everything you do...don't be afraid of showing it! love y'all - ryan

Come gather 'round, its prayer time..

Hello readers. This is a little step away from my usual posts, but as I just finished a long phone conversation with a friend, I was thinking of the several things in my life that could definately use a baptism of prayer and direction. So who better to share it with than my handful of readers :)

1). I am currently in the beginning stages of planning a missions trip to Mexico with one of my friends and small group leaders, Aaron Carnahan. Having spent a portion of my life on the mission field, I've seen the incredible impact God can have on people when they are taken out of their 'orb' of life and reminded what life is really about. SO, with that being said, God had really put it on my heart to take that experience and share it with people the best way I know how.. by leading a team to Mexico to experience first-hand what an impact God wants to have on people. Please pray that first and foremost, God will direct each step taken in this process and open or potentially close any doors He sees fit in these planning stages. Also, that people would prayerfully consider committing to this project and investing time and potentially finances to the advancement of our trip.

2). This past week I was introduced to an idea of one of my friends and sister-in-Christ for a local youth/college age worship gathering. The idea is to bring God's church together for a time of nothing but worship, teaching, and fellowship. It would not be hosted or sponsored by any one church, but rather be a place where denomination is irrelevant. People could simply see their brothers and sisters in Christ as ONE body working together for the ONE purpose, praising His name and reaching the lost. It would be heavily encouraged that people bring their 'lost' friends and catch a glimpse of something so much bigger than what their living for. Please pray that God will raise up people to lead and direct this potential ministry and for musicians, speakers, a location, etc. to all be a part of making this thing work. Pray for God's direction and moving in people's heart, but above all that God will do ALL the planning and directing, not us.

3). Within the past week, two of my friend's grandma's have passed away. I know death is a part of life, but it is always hard losing a loved one. Please pray for the familys of Matt Knobloch and Emily Moser as they rejoice in knowing there grandmas are finally home, but also comfort those who are dealing with the loss.

Those are just a couple of things on my heart today and the last few days.. I appreciate your prayers and look forward to sharing how God has worked in each of these ways at a later time..
love y'all - ryan

Jetman: more than just an addiction, its life.

Weather Forecast for this post: Semi-Serious to Serious, with a 70% chance of humorous detail

Giving credit where credit is due.. Greg Reich, thank you for the topic suggestion.

I'm sure most of my readers (and by readers, i mean the 5 of you) are most likely connected in the world 'o Facebook. And as we all know, there is a little game on FB called 'Jetman.' Now, in case a new reader, unfamiliar with this internet addiction, is reading the blog, let me explain..(there are alot of commas in that last sentence) JETMAN: you control a little man, or a variety of other characters, up and down and clicking your mouse to propel him up, and release the mouse to make him fall. You fly in a cavern of sorts over or under a continuous series of blockades. The farther you can go, the more points you get. If you hit a blockade, a small explosion occurs and you die and must start over. You can challenge your friends to a 'duel' where one person starts, and the other has the beat that score.

Now, as greg had pointed out to me earlier, I believe this game can be loosely interpreted as a view of life, especially our spiritual lives. We coast along somewhere between these two worlds of heaven and hell and try to do the best we can. We attempt to dodge or refrain from as many obstacles as possible.. but often these blockades are hard to miss. Sometimes these obstacles/temptations even become attractive looking... in the game, you sometimes get as close as possible to these blockades to best setup for the next one. In life, sometimes, even though we know they are out to destroy us, these hindrances have a way of becoming desirable. We often try to get as close as possible without getting hurt.. often seeing just how close we can get, and experiencing the thrill of escape. But its not always the case... often we find that getting too close causes us to 'crash' into these temptations. We give in and what happens...we got burned. Guilt, shame, frustration, etc fill our minds and often feel as though we lose the progress we've made. We are forced to start again.. I think we often forget that by ourselves, we couldn't even play this game. It is only because of the jetpack strapped to our backs that makes it even possible. Same with our spiritual lives, they aren't even possible on our own. We are being carried and sustained by something completely separate.. Jesus Christ. He is the only reason we are in this spot anyways. Because of his 'crazy-mouse-clicking skills', we are able to avoid every blockade in life.. we have the potential to 'play this game' until the end..no starting over, no crashing, no burning, none of that.. He has every ability to sustain us to the end. Now, sadly because of our human nature, never having these incidents isn't possible. But it should be our mindset.. and our goal in life. Let God control the jetpack, quit thinking you can play the game without it...its not possible. PERIOD. Let God, and you'll have a high score to brag about :)

just random thoughts from a random guy.. love -ryan

God's timing > Our schedules

thats a 'better than' symbol in the title for those who are confused :)

Warning: this post contains some serious material including, but not limited to: spiritual references, personal struggles, lack of faith, etc.

Inside of every person, there is a soul. Inside this soul, i believe every person has this little compartment called the 'i wanna make a difference chamber.' This is where we all get that desire in life to make the world different by the things we do. I haven't met anyone who has expressed to me that they'd prefer to leave this world and the people they've met untouched and unchanged through all their interactions. If you are a person like that, i'd like to meet you and see what someone like that is really like... How depressing would it be to look back in your old age on your life and think, 'wow, i had so much opportunity to make a difference and i completely failed.'
As a Christian, i have that same desire as anyone else. Though, i feel my goals are tweaked a bit to mimic Christ and impacting the world for His cause and His name's sake. Do i wanna be that guy who could always make you laugh? Or the guy who will listen when you need it? Yeah, i'd like to be that guy... but more importantly, i'd like to be that guy who gets remembered cause 'he helped lead me to Christ' or 'he really set an example and i want what he's got.'
About a month ago, i found myself laying in bed thinking, 'God, why don't i have any of these stories of leading people to Christ?' It frustrated me... I got back from my Christmas in Mexico and was home for one night before i left again.. That night, after having supper with friends, a friend i used to work with called me up and asked me to come to the bar he was at. I told him no thanks, but he was persistent in wanting me to come, which i thought was a little odd. So i show up, thinking maybe i can give him a ride home. He sees me right away and gives me the biggest hug. For the next 20ish mintues, we make small talk, but he continues to tell me how much it means that i came.. each time becoming more and more sincere. He starts crying at one point while hugging me again telling me how much it means to him that i'm here. I remember thinking, 'ok, he is a lot drunker than i thought.' He gets embarrassed by the tears and storms out of the bar.. I was so confused as to what was happening. I go after him and find him outside, bawling. The real reason for the tears came out.. 'Ryan, you have no idea what i've been through lately. I called you because I know there is something different about you... something i can trust. I have other friends, but i felt like you were the only one i could be honest with. My life is such a mess and i want to end it all. I have a gun at home and i've tried to pull the trigger so many times but i can't. I feel if i do it, i'll hurt too many people... thats the only reason i'm still here.' I sat there with my jaw on the pavement. The next hour we talked was a new experience for me.. How do i convince this 34 year old guy that killing himself is not the answer? I told him Jesus Christ is the only way your going to find true happiness and peace in this life. We talked through all the obvious reasons for staying alive (family, friends, etc.), but i knew nothing would really satisfy but Christ. 'You have no idea what i've been through in life' he continued to say... and he was right, I had no idea. So i got him connected to a brother in Christ who had experienced many of the same things.. After he felt satisfied from the conversation, i left. This guy saw something in me that he could trust. He called me in his darkest hour in life and poured his heart out to me.. Since that night, my friend has been coming to church with his wife and kids, and just a few days ago accepted Christ Jesus as his reason for living. WOW!
Its amazing how when we feel down or upset about something and pray to God for a pebble size of what we think we need... God pushes a heavenly boulder crashing down on us. Just know... people are watching. They know how much you love this Jesus you follow by how you live your life... I sure found that out in a big way! Did i have all the answers for my friend? No. But i listened and tried my best to point him in the right direction. How are you impacting the world for Christ? Are you living half-hearted, banking on God's grace or taking advantage of every opportunity to make your call and election sure? Are you impacting YOUR world for the cause of Christ?

2 Peter 1:10-11 says, '¹⁰Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, ¹¹and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.'

-ryan

little things that make a big change..

This blog is the result of a series of experiences i've been a part of the past few weeks. Will i write on it regularly? Probably not.. Will it be an enjoyable read or just another blog that drags on and on about my emotions? Potentially. However, one thing is for sure..it will be random! If i think it, i like it, i'll write it on here..if i have time :)

January 7th- This was the first day of my new job.. the big break i felt i'd been praying for. A chance to use my God-given personalility and sell SOMETHING to someone who doesn't even know they need it, at least, till they meet me ;) I'm not gonna lie, i was pretty excited. Little did i know that something much bigger was going to happen to me that day..... At approximately 11:55am, as i was observing/helping on my first awning installation, a co-worker says to me, 'you bring a lunch?' I responded, knowing that i had a large Tupperware bowl of Honeycomb waiting for me back at the shop, 'yeah, but its back at the shop.' After learning i was officially deemed 'lunchless' because of the distance back to the shop, we proceeded to the nearest 'quick- as -you -can -make -it -and -get -it -under -the -heat -lamp -till -purchased' establishment.....Taco Bell. Now, if i had a list of my top 10 of these said restaurants, Taco Bell would have been somewhere in the lower half. I approach the order counter with my normal attitude at Taco Bell, 'what form do i want my beef, cheese, lettuce, and tortilla in today?' I remember in the back of my mind, due to clever marketing, the taco thats soft, crunchy, cheesy, and melty all-in-one..The Cheesy Gordita Crunch. I indeed give into the commercial's intent and order the combo consisting of 2 CGC's and a large soft drink. Once that 'order #264' was called, i grabbed my tray, got an unnecessary amount of mild sauce, filled my plastic container with flashy propaganda with Diet Pepsi, and sat down to what i presumed was just another meal... After appropriately dressing this new mexican version of a sandwich with the needed sauces, i lift with both hands to my mouth where i bit down into a plethora of textures I had never before experienced. In a matter of about 3 seconds, as the taste of this unique range of flavor and goodness covered all facets of my tongue and chewing area, I realized this was no ordinary lunch..no no, this...this was the single greatest fast food experience of my 22 years on earth!! A literal party of flavor in my mouth.. and not just a 'going your great-grandma's birthday party where the close family shows up to support her' party.. no, i'm talking a party like you've been told your going to die tomorrow and here is $100,000 to throw 'the most insane night of your entire life' party. That was happening in my mouth! MINE! The next 8 minutes, approximately how long it took me to polish off the remaining meal, was pure fast-food bliss. So much so..that i had this very meal everyday that week for lunch! 5 days in a row and never once regretting it. For documentations sake: Greg heard my news and joined me 3 of the 5 days.

That being said...I first and foremost want to encourage all of you who have not tried a Cheesy Gordita Crunch.. do yourself a favor! BUY ONE NOW! ..or maybe the next time you have the chance. 9/10 doctors disapprove of this type of eating, but go crazy.. live on the edge. See what happens when you don't take doc's advice.. I guarantee a party of flavor in your mouth!

-ryan