We cannot be overcomers without trouble to overcome. There are days that I wish I did not have to deal with difficulties. If I had to choose between something easy and something difficult, most of the time I would choose easy.
But how shallow and inexperienced would my faith be if this was always the case? I heard a man, wise in his words and rich in experience, speak one single sentence that challenged me.

'A faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted.'

That's all I remember him saying. Nothing else. He did, in fact, say other things, I just don't remember them. I remember that one sentence and the result of his faith. He was from India, came to study in the U.S. and then he returned to his country to begin to change things. And he is still changing things there to this day...building centers to train pastors to go out and be catalysts in this generation.

As I read through the first chapter of the book of Exodus this morning, I was reminded of him and the one sentence that challenged and shaped my faith.

Shiphrah and Puah, you remember them, right? You do remember their heroic defiance of a kingdom that 'gave birth' to God's plan, right?

No. Are you sure?
(Exodus 1:12; 15-21)

Most people will never know of the things you do, but whenever we choose to partner with God and overcome difficult situations with the strength and faith he gives us, we grow both in the present and our hope in the future.

The things that you do today in obedience help give birth to God's plans for tomorrow. We don't shrink back in adversity. We move forward not only in faith, but in obedience to what God's calling you to do.

So the significance of Shiphrah and Puah obedience?

Enter Moses.

What you do in the shadows, when no one is around, when no one can see, is the accurate measure of your heart. Your conduct in these times is more important than when in the presence of others. Many times we are very aware of our words and actions when others are around yet we still seem to deal with unexplainable lack in areas of our lives. I believe when our light shines in the shadows it will be more visible at all times, in all situations.

In your time alone, conduct yourself with integrity and honesty so that your life is filled with strength and abundance.

These were turbulent times that Paul and Titus lived in. They were part of a movement that literally changed the world.

They didn't start the fire.
It was always burning since the worlds been turning..;)

Jesus was a quiet rebel who created quite a stir. In a small area of the earth, about a 50-mile radius, Jesus turned the world upside down. There was a pecking order determined by who religious reputation, societal status and brute force. Jesus intentionally had nothing to do with this order of things. He challenged the religious within his own people and defied an empire with a message they could not comprehend...Caesar is not Lord; there is One Lord, and I am He. In Jesus death and resurrection, he disrupted the message of the religious and disrobed the empire.

How did he do it?

Purity. You don't change the world and live for His Kingdom by following and adhering to the ways of the world and the empire of this day. You are a catalyst for change when you interject a new message and confirm that message with the way you live.

The apostle Paul, not of the original 12, but called by Jesus himself in the most extraordinary of ways, constantly communicated that the kingdom of God would be found within the heart of men...and that heart better be pure. For when the heart is pure the message is undeniable.

How do we maintain purity in the message our lives communicate (marriage, family, career, relationship, etc)?

'For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age...' Titus 2:11-12 (NIV)

We maintain purity through His grace in our lives and gratitude as our response. We live not for ourselves, but for Him and His Kingdom. Gratitude and grace have the same etymology and root meaning. Their synonomus and connected to each other. It's simple. As we receive grace (forgiveness; forgotten past; something we don't deserve) our response should be a life of gratitude (thanks; appreciation).

Let grace rule in your heart and gratitude be your response.

What does this mean for your life? How can you respond in gratitude?

'But mostly, show them all this by doing it yourself incorruptible in your teaching, your words solid and sane. Then anyone who is dead set against us, when he finds nothing weird or misguided, might eventually come around.'
Titus 2:7-8 (The Message)

There are two reasons for purity in our lives: passion and path. With the knowledge that my life has been changed, not by my own doing, but by a God that chose to redeem me through Jesus' life and sacrifice, maintaining that purity in my life fuels a passion for greater things. When I pursue purity through the ways I live me life, I actively involve myself in God's plan for my life. It connects me, reminds me that I'm nothing without Him and develops a growing passion for His kingdom and His redemptive work. Simply, I have a passion for purity because it helps me to be more like my Savior.

Purity also creates a path into lives all around me. A pure life is like a skeleton key that opens every locked door. My words fall short, my past can disqualify me and my fears and doubts can slow me, but one thing that cannot be denied is a life that is consistent and honest.

Paul instructed Titus to live a pure life by 'showing them all this by doing it yourself...'

What does this mean to you? What do you understand this to mean? How does this change your life?

I'm looking forward to at least a few comments and maybe even a little discussion..:)

Over the few days we will look a little deeper into purity, specifically what it means in different areas of our lives as well as how to maintain and live purely. I hope you enjoy and add to the conversation.

'To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are destable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.'
Titus 1:15-16

As strong as these words sound, they are true and spoken from a pure heart. There is a difference between pure and corrupt. The difference may not be as big or drastic as you think.

Think about what it means for something to be pure...

...without spot, blemish or stain; consistent; true

Anything that deviates from this is corrupted, or impure. It has to be, otherwise we alter the meaning of purity.

The trail that you leave behind you is more revealing than the direction you're headed.
How you spend your time...your money...your relationships broadcasts a message about who you truly are. By the way, what you don't do and spend is also very telling. Whether you are aware of it or not, you are constantly speaking to others from your heart. This being the case, we must be mindful of our message...not the one we want others to hear, the one they will hear and see by observing us.

You are a living canvas.

'so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.' Philippians 2:15

I was part of an interesting discussion yesterday. I thoroughly enjoy thought-provoking conversation that causes you to not necessarily find a definitive conclusion, but continue to ponder, study and process.
Our discussion was based on what we read in 2 John together, specifically verses 10-11. It is easy to see that there are many deceiving influential voices in the world today.

As people of love, how should we respond to those who do not recognize Jesus as the Son of God and promote their belief? Think about it a bit before you answer.

There seems to be two predictable responses: love them and find common ground or reject them. For the record, I do not believe there is a definitive answer that brings you to a simple, cookie-cut decision and response. I think this is good. We must wrestle, study and pray.

Here's a thought: Love is never the object of our faith. Jesus is.

If we objectify love above all, as the top priority, higher than Jesus, then all we have is tolerance. That's not the Gospel. Jesus can be decisive at times.

The journey of a lifetime begins with one step.

It's easy to get caught up in the moment that we currently find ourselves in...good or bad. I get so mentally involved in striving to continue forward that I sometimes forget how it all started. Each of us have that one moment when it just clicked and it all came together. I call it my genesis moment. It was the day when I first felt my dreams come alive inside of me. In that moment, every part of me was awakened, my dreams defied my fears and I was free. It was decided then that that's what I would live for and that's what I would die for.

My genesis moment happened after being asked a simple, and at the time, very realistic question: What if it doesn't work?

In that moment, I determined that it didn't really matter if I thought it would work or not. Something within me spoke louder and reassured me, It doesn't really matter what you think; it only matters that you really believe.

There are days that I forget.
There are days that I fear.
There are days that I lose.

But when I remember, those days only serve to strengthen what was once spoken. Those days matter the most. It is in those days that my life is realigned and my eyes see what they are supposed to see.

Today is one of those moments when I remember. Marianne and I are in the process of starting something big. In fact, we don't really have any direct experience that would qualify us. We just really sense God's leading. As many of you know, we just recently moved to Texas as part of a leadership team starting a new church (churchonajourney.com). In addition, we are working to develop a non-profit centered around a thrift store, the Gospel and life development initiatives that will help give individuals in our community a brighter tomorrow.

There is an old adage that has definitely been floating around in my thoughts lately. 'God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called.'

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." Hebrews 11:1