Wednesday Morning Devotional

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  – Matthew 5: 5

I heard a great definition of meekness:  Absolute power under perfect control.  I see it or hear about it every once in a while and it reminds me of how I am to be.  I get to read about it and see perfectly what it looks like every time I read Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.

I recently had a great conversation with a man who told me how he could have absolutely annihilated another man physically and/or verbally because of something this man was saying and doing.  Instead of “putting him in his place,” the man I talked to chose the high road and simply walked away.  It wasn’t that he didn’t want to inflict harm; he just really believed that Jesus was changing his heart because he is absolutely sure that he would have been incapable of walking away from that fight just a few short years ago.  Of course, there was an audience that witnessed the exchange, so other men quickly uttered their disbelief and let him know exactly and in detail what they would have done.  I get a front row seat to witness this type of physical, alpha male posturing every day with students.  It is so sad that for most, that junk never goes away.

I thought for a long while after our conversation and Matthew 5:5 came to mind.  Ultimately, it is people like this man who will inherit and rule the earth.  It seemed impossible 2000 years ago, and it sure seems impossible right now.  The current reigning beatitude is “temporarily satisfied are the prideful, for they shall use any means necessary to get their way.”  I can only imagine a world full of people who are the opposite, people with a mild temper, who are gentle, and not so easily provoked.

According to this teaching of Jesus, the new heaven and the new earth will be populated with meek people who have learned to let stuff go in light of Christ and in light of eternity.  Unfortunately, idolatry is rampant in America and each person has become his or her own idol.  America has to currently be an unprecedented society of narcissists.    Everyone seems to have such staunch opinions and even has their own shrine via social media to express them.  When someone speaks ill of our idol, we get mad, lash out, and then make sure everyone knows that we got offended.

You and I, because we know the Lord Jesus Christ, are not to be this way . . . at least not if we want to be blessed.

The meek shall inherit the earth.

Lord, help me show everyone I come in contact with today what this looks like.

Later

Adam

“A new commandment I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so also you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:34-35

The word of God says some crazy stuff.  When I really dwell on these two verses, I think, “Is that even possible?”  How could I possibly love someone as Christ has loved me?  And to top it all off, this love that we have for each other is how everyone else will know for sure that we are His?  So much for simply putting “Christian” beside “religious views.”

I can see that I have grown in this love, but it’s like growing inches when the measuring stick is the light year.  When I started this Christian walk, there couldn’t have been anyone more selfish than me.  I only looked after myself, I only bought stuff that would make myself happy, and every relationship I had outside of family was simply made up of people who could benefit me.  Slowly, little by little, I have had experiences where God has given me opportunities to show His love.  To my shame, I haven’t always wanted to do it.  In fact, many times I only did it because I honestly believed that He was asking me to.

One door He opened that I walked through is my current job at the alternative school.  When I look at these students, I see what Jesus calls “the least of these” in Matthew 25.  Many of them are simply unwanted in so many ways.  The stories I’ve heard them tell me are absolutely heartbreaking.  Many of these students go to school and care nothing about it.  The primary adults in their lives didn’t or don’t care about them, so why should these teachers?  It is a logical projection.  Therefore, they do no schoolwork; it is all “boring.”  They misbehave, so teachers have loads of trouble managing an entire class with them present.  The easiest thing to do with them is send them over to us at the alternative school.

Now, I’m not knocking our system.  I’ve been on both sides of this.  I’ve had the kid that I wanted out of my regular classroom, and I’ve had the kid come in that others wanted out.  It just is what it is.

Here’s the thing:  Most of the time, I feel like I show them God’s love.  Other times, especially when I’m exhausted, I know I don’t.  Even when I do, I feel too often that it is some sort of a manufactured love.  I am praying today that God will place in me an ability to show His love regardless of what I feel like.  I feel like only God can give me that pure heart that loves purely.

Here is the other thing:  There is another teacher at my school that actually does love them without even having to try; and loves how I believe Christ would have me love them.  It is amazing and glorious to watch.  It’s like God shows me a picture every single day of what I should do and the way I should be and says, “Go and do likewise.”

One more thing:  This teacher makes no claim to be a Christian.

So, here I am, the supposed preacher-teacher, the Christian, the man of God, and I pale in comparison.

May all of us evaluate the love that we have for the people that surround us consistently on a daily basis.  Our lives are vapors that appear for a little while and then vanish away.  What could possibly be more important than sharing and showing God’s love inside of you?  It is, after all, the way that this world will know that we really belong to Him.

Lord, create in me a clean heart.  Renew a right spirit in me.  Help me to love as you love.  Help me to allow others thousands of fresh starts and do overs, just as you have allowed me.  When others see the way that I love, may they know that I love you and that your Holy Spirit lives in me.  Thank you for strategically placing me exactly where I need to be placed in order to learn how to truly follow you and love as you love.

Amen

Adam

Therefore, to him that knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. – James 4:17

Sin has one purpose, to separate you and me from God. As an immature Christian, I spent years indulging in my favorite sins. I would ask for forgiveness and just hope to God that if I drew my last breath, I would get to go to Heaven. My afterlife was pretty much all I cared about. Years later, I realized that I should have been focused on this life. That is the danger with deception, when you are deceived you are completely unaware of it.

Right now, the biggest sin in my life is not living moment by moment. If I had heard someone say that to me 10 years ago, I would have thought, “there is no way that is a big deal to God.” I would not have been able to imagine the consequences of not living moment by moment. However, this morning it has become very clear to me.

Just like yours, my life can quickly become overwhelming. I am a husband to my wife, a dad to my two children, a teacher at the alternative school, and a preacher at Lifeline Community Church. If I think collectively of all they require for success, I get so quickly overwhelmed, almost to the point of despair. Just before typing this WMD, I have laid all of this down at the foot of the cross. I feel so light again.

Jesus flat out tells us that His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). So, if you and I are overwhelmed, it definitely didn’t come from Him. The truth is, I overwhelm myself by thinking of things way too far in advance. When I do this, there is one thing that I am not thinking about, and that is walking with God and enjoying His Presence. Knowing Him and feeling Him throughout the day is the greatest joy of my life. But, as soon as I start thinking about when this week I’m going to date my wife, spend time with my kids, write my next WMD, write my next sermon, meet with so and so . . . I cease to enjoy Him and pick up a heavy burden that I was never meant to carry.

I know to live moment by moment. When I don’t, I sin. I know I sin because I go way too long completely unaware of God and His Presence. This particular sin separates me from Him.

So, this morning I renew afresh my commitment to live day-by-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute, and moment-by-moment. All I have to do is enjoy finishing up this WMD, then enjoy getting ready for work, then enjoy getting the kids ready, then enjoy my drive to work, and then enjoy my job (some days are easier than others). Sometimes in thinking too far ahead and picking up some worry along the way, I miss the in-between moments where God so often reveals Himself to me.

What could I possibly have going on today, tomorrow, or this week that is worth trading my joy in the Lord?

Absolutely nothing.

Later

Adam

For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.  – Philippians 1:29

I have been studying about suffering for about a month now.  Paul’s letter to the Philippians along with Acts chapter 16 has been my focal points.  I have read these five chapters over and over and every time I see something different that just blows me away.

Not that I am an expert on suffering.  Keep in mind, here I am, sitting in my favorite winter spot next to the gas fire logs typing this WMD on my MacBook Pro.  I guess my only slight difficulty right now is my job, which has gotten considerably more difficult due to a recent influx of new students.  My teaching partner and I are scrambling like crazy to try and get these students back on the right track.

But, you know what?  I do have a job, and not just any job.  I have a job where I honestly feel like I honor God most by simply keeping a great attitude while I’m doing it.  I don’t get to act overwhelmed, I don’t get to complain, and I certainly don’t get to act as if I don’t want to be at work.  Sometimes I want to, but when I meditate on this Bible verse and think about Paul writing the entire letter from a prison cell, how can I possibly complain?

Americans for the most part are spoiled.  The American Dream is basically to have a nice suffer-free life where you always know great health, great wealth, and never have any problems or any unmet needs.  Forget suffering.  As soon as we are even slightly inconvenienced, everyone, especially those we tell on Facebook, knows it.  We publicly let everyone know exactly who or what caused a problem for us and make sure the world knows we are angry about it.  God used to record the bad stuff we did in His books, but now we do it for Him and He can just take screenshots. (Joking . . . Kind of)

I’m not saying I’m above any of this, because I’m not.  I am saying that God is seriously dealing with my thought life.  I can become such a crybaby as soon as I get stuck in traffic, have to wait in a long line, or am eating my favorite meal at a nice restaurant with an empty tea glass.  It isn’t that I’m about to go off or anything, it’s just that Christ lives inside of me.  If Philippians 1:29 says I have been given the grace to suffer for Him, then surely I can graduate to “beginner” status and be inconvenienced for Him.

Instead of whining about the traffic, how about I play my favorite praise and worship playlist and then listen to one of my favorite preachers via Podcast on my really expensive iPhone?  I could have a church service alone with Him in my car that I might not have had otherwise.  Instead of complaining about the long line, how about I ask the person in front or behind me how I can pray for them?  I bet that line would seem pretty quick if I did.  Instead of letting a manager know that my tea glass has remained empty, how about I pray for my waiter or waitress because they might be going through something way worse than my empty glass?

I guess I say all of that to say this:  Christian persecution is coming to America.  The current majority of American Christians is not and will not be prepared for it.  Way too many people who say they are Christians are acting like we can somehow relax now simply because we have a new President.   Our favorite idol is this worry-free; “my way right away” lifestyle that just does not fit with the word “Christian,” or often times even the word “adult.”  Jesus Christ did everything perfectly and ended up being crucified on a cross.  He told his disciples beforehand, “In this world, you will have trouble.”  Believe it or not, that still applies today to you and me.

It has been granted to us “not only to believe in Him, but to suffer for His sake.  We love the believing part.  We love getting to go to Heaven by saying a prayer and saying we believe in God, but Paul says in this letter it doesn’t stop there.  He says we also have been granted the ability to stand up for Him regardless of what it costs us.  Here in America, it probably won’t cost us our lives (yet), but it could certainly cost us our jobs, our dollars, our pride, our friends, our reputation, and certainly our right to be offended.

Really think about this.

What has it really cost you to follow Christ?

Would you suffer for Him?

Christ has granted you that ability if you love Him.

Later

Adam

P.S.  My attempt at writing about this is pitiful.  If you really want to dive deep into what it looks like to follow Christ regardless of the cost, read anything by Richard Wurmbrand.  I haven’t read all of his stuff, but “Tortured for Christ” changed my entire perspective.

Give to everyone what you owe them:  If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.  – Romans 13:7

Here is something that is very difficult for me and I would imagine quite a few church leaders and leaders in general:  receiving honor.  As a preacher, worship leader, or church musician, sometimes you will receive praise, which I consider a form of giving honor.  The truth is, people like acknowledging other people in whom God just revealed Himself by saying, “that really spoke to me,” “great job,” etc.

Now, what I have done because I have seen others do it in the past is give some sort of “humble” answer, “All glory goes to God!”  The only problem I now have with this is how sometimes it comes off as condescending to the person who just wanted to thank you for being obedient.  Sometimes, the person who was just honored by the other is now kind of chastising that person for what they have deemed an incorrect and inappropriate response.  Sometimes, when I hear a preacher, leader or musician give an answer like this, it comes off to me as a false humility.  It makes me wonder if they want even more praise and adulation for now being so humble.  It also makes me wonder if the person who just simply gave a compliment now feels like they were corrected.  It definitely makes me wonder exactly how I should or should not respond.

With that being said, and whether I am right or wrong about this, I am wondering what to do with honor that people give to me.  The verse I used clearly says if honor is due; then give it.  And it doesn’t say “to God,” so it suggests that there will be times when it will be appropriate to give honor to another person who is not God.  In fact, the immediate context of this verse is the government, so be very careful what you say about our governing officials; especially the ones you don’t like, and especially if you call yourself a Christian.

“They lay down their crowns before the throne . . . “ Revelation 4:10

Here is what I’m going to do from now on.  If someone honors me because of a song that was played, a lesson that was taught, a sermon that was preached, or whatever it is they are showing honor for, I’m going to say . . . wait for it . . .

“Thank you.”

Then, when I get alone with God, I’m going to say, “Lord, someone gave me something today that belongs to you.  Without You, I would never have received this.”

Later

Adam

To obey is better than sacrifice. – 1 Samuel 15:22

I just want to document what happened this past Sunday at Lifeline Community Church. There are church services, then there are CHURCH services . . . I’m talking when the presence of God is very thick. I think I am finally at the point where it takes two hands to count the ones that I’ve experienced. Anyway, this last one was just amazing.

I had just completed a 21-day fast. I wasn’t planning on eating regularly again until after the service. The band played wonderfully. When they played the song “Open up the Heavens,” something just shifted. It was like God opened up the Heavens. Our welcome/announcement guy had just spoken from Isaiah 58 about true fasting and our motives for doing it. In the three years I’ve been at Lifeline, he hadn’t done anything like that before. The service continued and it was just an uncommon atmosphere. People were very much in tune with the Holy Spirit.

I preached my sermon on “The Grace to Suffer.” Then I opened up the altar. So many people came. I turned and answered my own altar call. It was there that I heard from God. The first words out of my mouth were, “God, if we can have this, I’ll fast for another 21 days.” His response blew me away, “Adam, you think you are experiencing this because of something YOU did?” Immediately, I knew that I was so capable of doing what so many have done before me . . . trying to manipulate the Presence of God by following some systematic formula. I repented and asked God to simply help me stay in love with Him.

I got up and prayed for as many families as I could before they left the altar. Right before I prayed to dismiss everyone, I prayed in my mind, “Lord, I need some sort of sign that you have released me from fasting.” (As if getting on to me earlier wasn’t enough) Right after church, a lady brought me a homemade loaf of bread. She said at first that she felt bad for bringing it because she knew I was fasting. Then, she was delighted because it just so happened that she was the evidence that God had released me.

Amazing.

Lord, may every person who reads this experience you this year more than any year in the past. You are the Creator. Create in each individual a desire to honor you in absolutely everything we do. Create in our churches an atmosphere of Presence and praise that is absolutely irresistible.

Amen

Adam

If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land. – 2 Chronicles 7:14

The second step that Christians must take in the process of healing our land is to pray and seek God’s face.  Humble people know how far away they are from God’s Holiness.  Therefore, they enter what I like to call “process.”  I mean the process of actually growing in the faith.  It does not happen magically, which today’s American Christians despise.  I hate the fact that I waited so many years to get serious about praying and seeking God.  I know now that I did not pray and seek Him because I wasn’t humble.  I compared myself to other Christians and figured I wasn’t that bad.  I thought other people were the problem.  Had I looked at my reflection in the light of God’s Word, I would have known.

In general, you can spot a fake Christian by how much time they spend pointing out the faults of others as compared to their own faults.  They are so aware of the specks in other people’s eyes that they don’t really concern themselves with the plank in their own (Matthew 7:3).  I’m not saying we should never point them out, but there is certainly a right and wrong way to do it.

On the other hand, you can spot a real Christian by their humility and their desire to build on that humility.  Do they pray and seek God’s face?  You never have to ask them . . . You just know. 

The solution to healing our land is not legislation, lest we really think that any man or woman in the Oval Office will heal our land.  The solution is for people who call themselves Christians humbling themselves and turning from their wicked ways.  To me, this is the best part:  NOT EVERYONE HAS TO DO IT!  “If my people,” not “if all people.”  We don’t have to spend ANY time bashing non-believers who don’t live like us.  We simply have to go through the process of praying and seeking God’s face.  It is not enough to know about Him, we must know Him.

You know how much time that you spend alone with God and praying to Him.  You know how much effort you put into reading, learning, and memorizing His Word.  You know if you are growing in His likeness.  You know.  And, if it is very little or none at all, it is not that you do not have time, it is that you really don’t think you are the problem.  You think everyone else is the problem. 

Humble yourself.

Pray and seek His face.

Believe it or not, He does not hear the prayers spoken by prideful Americans who say they are Christians, but if brutally honest, make no time for Him or have any real need for Him.  If you don’t believe me, just read the verse.  It is conditional.

“If my people will . . . then I will hear.”

Later

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Adam

If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land. – 2 Chronicles 7:14

If I had one wish that I could make for all Christians in 2017, it would be that the people who call themselves Christians would really be Christians. In 2008, one poll said that 80% of Americans identified as some form of Christian. By 2015, it went down 5% to 75%. I would love to know the percentage that God Himself would give as the percentage of Americans who truly follows Him. Somehow, I doubt it is 75%.

Now, do not get me wrong. I realize that it takes a while to grow as a Christian. I love the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. When you give your life to Christ, you are simply a seed that goes into the ground. Jesus says that birds eat some of these seeds, some seeds grow a little bit, but then get scorched, and some seeds grow pretty good, but then get choked out by weeds. What has happened in America is that all of these seeds that have never produced, are not producing, and will never produce continue to call themselves Christians.

Only the humble truly give their life to Christ. You cannot and will not come to him unless you have been made aware of the sin that lives in you. Once you are aware, Christ is presented as the only cure. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) The problem is, did 3 out of 4 Americans come to Christ because they were convicted of sin? Or, were they simply convinced that they should? It only takes a growing season or two to know which is which.

I have lived both scenarios. I got saved at 16 because I was convinced I needed to be saved. I grew in knowledge, but also allowed the weeds of this world to grow right along side me and keep me from producing any real love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. (Galatians 5:22). By the time I made it to college, I still called myself a Christian, but I behaved exactly like the world. I would have been in the 80% who said, “Oh yeah, I’m a Christian”, but I was not a true follower of Jesus Christ. I thank God that a guy called me out on it. It hurt my feelings, but it led me to a place of crying out to God because I was actually convicted of my sin. I asked God to help me really live for Him from then on. I prayed that sin would no longer have dominion over me (Romans 6:14).

This year, really examine your life as a Christian. Pay attention to how you treat people, especially people you don’t like (Matthew 5:44). Do you think of yourself more highly than you ought? (Romans 12:3) If you do, then you are not humble. Do you nitpick the specks in other people’s eyes while ignoring the plank in your own? (Matthew 7:5) If you do, then you are a hypocrite. If you are a teacher and call yourself a Christian at the same time, do you follow the golden rule and treat each student like they were your own flesh and blood? Would you enjoy being in your own class? (Matthew 7:12) Do the other teachers who know that you call yourself a Christian see you as different? Or, do you have the same whining, complaining spirit as everyone else? Do you even believe as a Christian teacher, or a Christian worker, or a Christian whatever it is that you do that you should look different than those who are not Christians? Whatever we as Christians do, we are to do “as unto the Lord!” (Colossians 3:23)

I guess I’m asking: Are you different in all the right ways?

If you don’t know, find someone who will shoot you straight and ask them. You need to know if other people see you as the real deal or not. It’s the difference in being in the 75% who say they are Christian and the 5-10% who probably actually are Christians. (I completely made that percentage range up, but it is definitely much lower than 75%)

I believe this is what it looks like for us to humble ourselves. It is the first step to God hearing from Heaven and healing our land that so desperately needs to be healed.

Later

Adam

But He answered and said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” — Matthew 4:4

If you read Matthew chapter 6, you will find that Jesus expects us as His followers to do three spiritual disciplines: Give, pray, and fast. He does not say, “If you decide to (give/pray/fast)”, He says, “When you (give/pray/fast).”

Over the course of my 25-year walk with Christ, I had no problem immediately beginning to pray. Granted, they were some of the most pitiful prayers ever uttered, but they were prayers. Over the course of these past 25 years, the relationship that I have with God now through prayer is absolutely astounding. I can now honestly say that I love God. More importantly, I can say that He loves me.

When it came to giving, I had no problem putting in a few dollars here and there, but when I learned that true tithing was 10% of our income, that was insane. 10% was out of the question. Probably 8 years after becoming a Christian, I began to give, like for real give.  Over the course of the past 17 years of giving, I am amazed at how much more I have now keeping only 90% of my income and giving away 10%.  I know now that He wanted me to give so that I could actually own money. He knew if I didn’t learn how to give, money would always own me.

This leads me to the last spiritual discipline: fasting. I told my daughter one time that we were going on a fast. Of course, she said, “What’s that?” I said we were going to go a week without eating and drinking only water. Her immediate response was “You’ll DIE!!” I assured her we would not, though around the 2^nd or 3^rd day we’d probably feel like it. I talked to her about how it is a time to dedicate to God and focus and concentrate on His word. I know she thought we were crazy.

Many of you might think we are crazy. Every time, I bring up the subject of fasting, someone asks if it is possible.

It is.

Just like I started out with pitiful prayers and pitiful giving, my first fast was also pitiful. I had set my mind to fast for three days. I lasted about 18 hours. I had the worst migraine about 12 hours later. I ate something and immediately vomited. My body did not like being denied its necessary food. It made me wonder if John 4:4 was true. It made me wonder if Jesus really did fast for 40 days.

The next year, I read books about fasting. I learned that the poorer you eat, the harder a fast will be. No wonder I was doomed after half a day. I read about a Daniel fast, how you could cut meats and sweets and only eat fruits and vegetables while drinking only water. I decided to do this one for 21 days because surely it can’t be that hard. I was wrong. But, I did manage to make it through it. All I know, is at the end of that fast, I was so much more sensitive to God and His Holy Spirit. It was amazing.

Ever since then, I have given the end of December/beginning of January as a time of fasting. Every year, my goal is to make it just a little more difficult than it was last year. Every year, God seems to bless me way more than I deserve.

If you do not fast, or have never fasted, read up on it and start. Do not do like I did and think you are going to do a multi-day water only fast . . . you will probably be disappointed and insanely sick like I was. Maybe for your first fast, you only cut out sugar for a week. Believe me, it’s harder than you think; especially if you eat them as much as I do. You and God both know what would be a worthy sacrifice for your first fast.

If you have fasted before, try to take it to a new level year after year. I think it lets God know that you actually believe John 4:4.

Happy New Year!

Adam

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. – 2 Peter 1:5-7

If you love God, like really love God, then you have arrived at the pinnacle of Christianity. The greatest miracle that God accomplishes in a God-hating, sin-loving person’s heart is transform it into a heart that desires Him and His ways. I must confess, in the beginning years of being a Christian, it didn’t seem possible. However, with God, all things are possible. If you continue to pursue Him on the journey from faith to love, He will reveal Himself to you and you will fall in love with Him.

Someone asked me the other day, “Why did God create us just to watch us die?” I said, “Who did God actually create with His own hands and His own breath?” They said, “Adam and Eve.” I said, “You are correct.” We then discussed how there was never an intention for us to die. We discussed how pure love does not exist without the choice to love. Adam and Eve made the choice to try life apart from God. They divorced Him so to speak. What was on the price tag of this choice?

Death.

Yet God, in His infinite Wisdom, and out of His infinite love, made a way for death to be reversed. Jesus Christ came down from Heaven and lived the only sinless life that has ever been lived. Then, He willingly gave Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for sinners. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Oh, if we could only grab a hold of that truth. Entitled Americans look at it as something else that was done for them for absolutely nothing. “I said the sinners prayer and I believe this, therefore I’m going to Heaven when I die.” That person has one more question to answer: “Now that you know He loves you, do you love Him back?” The truth is, God does want something in return, and it isn’t a ton of religious activity that you really don’t enjoy. It is the restored relationship with man that He had at one time in the Garden of Eden. If you really think about it, the fact that this is even possible is absolutely amazing.

You have to be brutally honest in assessing your love for Him. I said that I loved Him for years, but then turned around and played golf, watched television, and played on the Internet probably 100 times more than I actually spent pursuing Him and learning His ways. When I was a teenager, I remember getting saved and then around the same time getting a girlfriend. Church and God took quite the backseat, though I never would have admitted it. The right answer was still to say that I loved God more than anything else. But, He knew, and deep down, I knew.

Years later, I do remember pursuing Him really hard for a season of my life. I was at the adding knowledge to what little virtue I had stage. Out of nowhere, in the middle of a ride to work, He just showed up. His Presence filled my little Ford Ranger. I was simultaneously filled with pure joy and at the same time had this awareness of my sin like I could not believe. My immediate response was to say, “Turn that off, Lord, I can’t take it.” He turned it off.

That moment changed my life. He had made Himself known to me . . . like really known. He revealed to me that as I grew in Him, I would be able to withstand higher and higher degrees of His Presence.

He was right.

I hope in reading about the journey from faith to love that you have found where you are in your walk with Him. More than anything, I hope you are pursuing Him like never before. In pursuing Him, you find Him. In finding Him, you fall in love with Him.

I didn’t realize that I’d end this little series on the Wednesday before Christmas. The truth still remains that He is the greatest gift that this life offers. He is the gift that keeps on giving.

Merry Christmas

Adam