Good to be back

It has been such a long time since I have blogged!  I have a somewhat good reason for it though, which is that my password was lost and was assigned to an email that was no longer in use.  Crazy huh?  So Google would send me my reset password, but I wasn't able to access it.

Anyway, long story short, I'm back.  I've missed a lot of writings and updates to my life over the past year.  Updates that were life-changing for me and my family.  Because I want to blog more, I have decided to make a blog entry at least every two weeks.  God deserves recognition for the things He is doing in my life and my blog is one of the best ways for me to do that.

And finally, the purpose of this blog site is to help me remember key events in my life and how God has been communicating to me through His Word or through daily encounters.  For this reason, I have disabled any ability for others to comment and don't have any analytics monitoring this site.

It's good to be back!

Leadership through humility

Paul’s humility was a striking characteristic in the early church.  As a former Pharisee, he would have had a deep understand of the Old Testament and it’s teaching on humbleness.  He knew of Isaiah’s text that said God would “put an end to the arrogance of the proud” (Isaiah 13:11).  He would have examined and honored the life of Moses, a man who “was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).

This basic knowledge alone wasn’t enough to change his heart.  He needed a powerful catalyst that would propel him to become a man of humbleness.  That event was the Damascus Road in 33 AD.  On that remarkable day Paul’s human strength and wisdom finally failed him.  His entire life spent living for himself and keeping the law as he knew best, suddenly came to a crashing halt when he came face to face with the object of his persecution.  Rather than dropping him dead for atrocities against His bride, Christ offered him a path of redemption: to become a disciple of the true Rabbi, and to carry the salvation message to the world. 

The reason that Paul included humbleness in this passage is because he viewed himself as one of the greatest recipients of grace, and seemed to have no other choice but to remain prostrate in the presence of an eternally merciful Savior.  Paul received a gentle hand instead of a death sentence.  He was suddenly aware of “the appearance of wisdom and self-made religion” (Colossians 2:23) and finally understood that a heart of “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” was incredibly valuable, especially as a beneficiary to such mercy.

I believe Paul displayed his humility through an overwhelming love for people.  It is doubtful, after living a life promoting his own power, that he would ever consider himself to be higher than another person in stature or position (Philippians 2:3).

Church leaders today, myself included, should take a healthy slice of Paul’s humble pie.  An old Indian proverb says, “Don’t cut off someone’s nose, then ask them to smell a rose”.  As Paul discovered, a knowledgeable mind, embraced by a heart of humility, is a powerful witness to the Gospel of Christ.

Hezekiah Reed Anderstrom

The past few days have been a whirlwind to say the least.  As you may know, my wife and I are what you might call "social-butterflies".  The month of June was no exception.  As I was thinking about all we did before Hezekiah was born, it kind of blows my mind.  Take this for example:  Just 15 days before he was born, my wife and I ran around town at midnight picking up 8th grade students while dressed as a gorilla and graduate (yes, with a creepy Samurai in the background).

Or just 6 days before he was born, we made a trip to Vite Greenhouses to pick up loads of plants.  Then we went home and actually planted them in the hot summer sun!

Two days before he was born, we went to a fantastic concert by Joanna Beasley.  I still don't know how my wife managed to stand on her feet that entire time...

And finally, just six hours before labor, we spent the night eating Mexican food with some fantastic friends.

Then the moment finally arrived.  Our greatest joy and gift from God.  Hezekiah Reed Anderstrom.

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD; The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They shall not be ashamed, When they speak with their enemies in the gate. -Psalm 127:3-5

The Highest Responsibility

People often ask me what I do to keep the faith.  I hear this a lot:
"Jonathan, life is really hard, I don't know what to do."

If the person is a Christian, I usually reply,
"Are you reading the Bible every day?"

The answer, almost 99% of the time is "no".

That's how I keep the faith.  I renew my mind with the object of my faith, which is God, displayed through His Son, Jesus Christ.  The only way to do that is through prayer and daily Bible reading.

The English pastor, Robert C. Chapman (1803-1902), penned these true words about the Bible:

"This book contains the mind of God,

the state of man, the way of salvation,

the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers.

Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding,

its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable.

Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe,

and practice it to be holy.

It contains light to direct you,

food to support you,

and comfort to cheer you.

It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass,

the Soldier's sword, and the Christian's character.

Here, paradise is restored, Heaven opened,

and the gates of Hell disclosed.

Christ is its grand object,

our good is its design,

and the glory of God its end.

It should fill the memory, rule the heart,

and guide the feet.

Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully.

It is given you in life,

will be opened in the judgment,

and will be remembered forever.

It involves the highest responsibility,

will reward the greatest labor,

and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents."