The lack of inspiration or necessity to write has begun to drive me crazy. So, although I could not carve out a specific reason in my mind to write – here we are. But, the process of trying to decide on a theme to write about caused me to wonder what motivates other individuals to write? What serves as the instigator to some of the authors of books, articles, blogs, or even tweets that I enjoy reading?

My list is fairly simple:

• Weather
• Coffee
• Pressure (personally or corporately)
• Good writing music (NeedToBreathe, Jack Johnson, Coldplay, Mumford & Sons, Josh Garrells, etc.)
• Reading other authors who are more talented than I am.

Finally, the most enjoyable motivation (in my opinion). I LOVE reading other authors. Especially if I know them personally or am connected to them in some way. Of course, I enjoy the nationally syndicated authors found in the Wall Street Journal, Bluffington Post, NY Times, or other newspapers. Additionally, I am an avid reader of novels and stories. However, my most frequented source for material to read and enjoy comes from the blogs and online journals of others. Some of my favorites are listed below:

http://amerivanity.blogspot.com/

http://drivethrumonolog.wordpress.com/

http://www.deepthoughts4you.blogspot.com/

What motivates you to express yourself?

Some of you are too, and some of you are PC’s. Personally, it’s not that big of deal to me…but some people require a specific technology subscription for friendship, dating, or even marriage. I understand, it could be a huge deal… the
technology a person chooses to employ explains a lot about them : artistic, fun, cool, enjoyable (mac) -or- nerd, loser, failure (pc).

Obviously, I’m kidding. But the point remains, there is contention among friends and relatives as to which system is superior. However, we would never equate or even compare our “unity” or membership in a certain camp of technology with our unity and membership found in the Church of Christ.

I feel like a discussion needs to take place that addresses a similar issue that is pervading the church, specifically in this season of the year. I would like to discuss the dis-unity and division pervading the Church due to political disagreements.

I know, I know…some of you are thinking “whoooa ho ho, easseeyy, eaa he he seeeeh, Adam.” I understand your hesitancies. But, we need to discuss the huge seperation and division that occurs within the greater body of Christ due to political affiliations or decisions.

I am speaking here, in particular, to those of a conservative background. I am not a liberal, and cannot speak knowledgably to the issues or problems within liberalism today. However, I have had ample opportunity to observe many individuals, particularly the “black sheep” democrats, be excluded and alienated from our Gospel communities because of politics. In my opinion, this is wrong. And here’s why :

Jesus.

Christ died for the entire world, and for every member of the Church. An obvious point, however, when we separate with one   another due to political affiliations- we are neglecting this Truth. We are ONE body. “fitly joined together…” Therefore, every member of that body – Republican or Democrat- has a unique purpose and responsibility within the Church.

Scripture.

We are commanded to confront those who are not doing right, to do so. The greatest argument I have heard concerning this       issue is that, “I have to separate from sin, so therefore, I must separate from this person.” Granted, if you truly believe a brother in Christ is sinning there is a process laid out in Scripture on how to deal with them, the problem is, separation is not that included in that process. (at least initially). Check out Galatians 6:1.

The problem is, when confronted with this truth, most people suddenly lose the conviction against the “sins” taking place by their political counterparts. Please don’t misunderstand me, I’m not making light of the platforms and issues that are so heatedly debated. But, if you really feel that they are in sin – by all means, do what the Scripture commands. If this idea causes you to hesitate, I invite you to keep the conversation going.

Relationships.

The Scripture lays out clear examples of how we are to communicate and relate with one another within the community of the Gospel. The precedent set in Scripture is seemingly easy to follow. When there is a disagreement, an individual who has an established relationship with his/her counterpart, approaches that person in love to discuss the topic. A few examples:

1. Jesus and Matthew.(politics) Jesus didn’t attack Matthew’s corrupt political practices, rather, he approached him with the Gospel, established a relationship with Him and taught Him about the Truth through Scripture.
2. Paul and Peter (racism). When Peter was in sin, Paul took the time to call him out and confront him in his failure. However, Paul had a relationship with Peter.
3. Paul and the Corinthians (lifestyle). Paul sends the letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians) because they were in sin and needed to be straightened out. BUT! Even in this circumstance, Paul communicates his love for them and his intense desire to relate to them. After he establishes his relationship, he attends to the topic needing to be addressed.

Do you see? Why is there no precedent where a member of the Church who is “more knowledgeable” or “spiritual” approaches another brother in cold blood and discusses an issue. Well, there is – the spiritual ones were called Pharisees back then. We don’t want to be them.

Here’s my point: In an age when separation is a hot term floated and used on a regular basis, it would seem that we as conservatives need to improve in this area of Christ-like unity. Because of what Christ did on the cross, we as believers are free to worship, live, and serve with other believers we may disagree with on a number of fronts.  As we live in unity with one another and in community within the Church-we may resolve smaller conflicts that do not abate the Gospel. Until then, we are called to live a relational lifestyle that includes those of different beliefs and communicate to them the love and hope found in the Gospel.

What do you think? I’d like to hear from some of my conservative minded friends…

Last week, I was able to sit down with the Communication Star Josh McCarnan. Josh is a personal friend, gifted communicator,  and the Director of Communication at Hampton Park Baptist Church.  He said that the greatest need for communication at Hampton Park is the alignment of philosophy with practice. Often, the stated goal or objective held by an organization is not supported by the everyday operations executed. This type of scenario is a tell-tale sign of poor communication. For Josh, there is often a disconnect between what is strategically planned by the leaders of Hampton Park, and some of the practical lifestyle applications that go on within the church. His goal is to aid in the transportation of the vision to the everyday execution. This internal communication must be established before further external communication can be enhanced.

Josh claimed that the biggest asset in his quest for valuable communication is the freedom to fail. He acknowledges an open and understanding mindset at Hampton Park that allows him to experiment and find results. This “openness” is absolutely neccessary for quality communication to be garnered within a corporation. In addition, he stated the importance of trust and assurance of loyalty between employees and employers to communicate honestly and effectively with each other.

Effective communication can transform an organization from the inside-out. Or, in the case of Hampton Park, it can be used to methodically align philosophy with practice.  It merely takes a concerted effort and sense of discipline on behalf of the participants. There is a Japanese proverb that claims, “we are fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.” The same, I think, could be said for communicating well.

by: Adam Vazquez

Thanks to CJF ministries (http://www.cjfm.org/) I and a group of fellow believers were able to go back to where it all started. We got to go back to where our roots truly lie as believers. We got to visit and experience the land of Israel. Obviously, I could write for days about the experiences had, friendships gained, and the lessons learned on a such a trip, however, there is one specific lesson God showed me through my time on the trip to the Land.

Over there, there are three major religious groups: Jewish people, Muslims, and Messianic believers (what we would identify as Christians). My group was filled with the latter and we traveled around worshipping at the different sites that reminded us of our faith and confirmed the veracity of the Scriptures. Often at these sights we would be able to set up a small praise service and shout praises to the Father together. The thought that continually impressed itself on me during this trip was the beauty and variety of God’s kingdom. The people composing this tour were not of the same background by any means. We had students from staunchly conservative schools, more moderate Christian schools, and then a few state schools. There was a teaching pastor from a great ministry in San Antonio, a worship leader from the same church, a small New Yorker with a big bark and a head full of Jewish culture, and a Jewish tour guide who lives in and with one of the local congregations there in Israel. Despite all of our differences, we all came together and worshipped one incredible God who loves to be worshipped.

God gave us all a great experience that he intended for us to enjoy together. For a few days there were no denominations, no associations, and no problems between any of us because of what brought us there in the first place – Jesus. We were granted the experience of going back to our roots – not just geographically, but also as a family of Christians who love and need to worship the Savior. We were taken back to the times when worship was not deemed negative or positive on style, but merely enjoyed the times of worship because of who we were worshipping. It was breathtaking. Every moment of worship on the Sea of Galilee, or in the Garden of Gethsemane, or in the Garden Tomb absolutely engraved itself into my mind for eternity. And it made me thankful, not just for the trip and friends and experiences, but for the day when we will all set aside our differences and worship our one Savior in unison. Until that day…

2 Peter 1:2 “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”

Jerry Jones and Jesus

Even a casual sports observer will tell you that there is a distinct connection between religion and sports. The similarities (cult-like followers, television stations, riots, parades, holidays, etc.) are too many to ignore a definite link between the sort of faith put in religions and the faith that is invested in sports figures.

This connection stems from the players themselves and trickles down their sweaty bodies to the loyal fans hoping for a touch of their workout towel. Whether it be a pre at-bat ritual, a post touchdown celebration, or a cure to a public relations nightmare – athletes often lean heavily on religion and faith for a variety of reasons. Recently there have been several examples of this in and around the media : Tiger Woods’ return to faith in Buddhism following his revealed affair, the entire city of Cleveland falling into a deep depression after the loss of Lebron James, and of course the decade old claim by Jerry Jones that the crater-sized hole in the roof of Texas Stadium allows God to watch “his team.” Each situation reveals a religious tendency in both athletes and fans nationwide.

We are a sports-crazed culture. So, what are we doing with it? How are sports and all the great things that come with it being used for the ultimate goal of bringing souls to Jesus? I’m not talking about holding a three on three tournament where we lure unsuspecting ballers to a gym, preach at them for several hours, and then let them play a pickup game on the side court. I’m talking personally – how can we use our own sports biases and loyalties for the cause of Christ?

Personally, I am from the sports-idolatrous city of Philadelphia. We have the greatest fans in the world and arguably the worst fans in the world. But, nonetheless EVERYONE from there is a fan. You’d be hard-pressed to find an individual from South Philly who doesn’t have a vested interest in either the Phillies, Flyers, Eagles, or Sixers. It’s a beautiful thing. And, the most glorious part of it is that Jesus’ sacrifice of death and resurrection can be proclaimed through such foolish things!

Our love for sports as a culture leads us to be open for conversations and discussions of an athletic nature. People always want to talk about sports! This past Sunday I was in a coffee shop when an older gentlemen from New York struck up a conversation with me about the Yankees. Then, on Monday a trainer from the gym I go to asked me about the Phillies and revealed he was a Mets fan (gross). The point is, sports fans are everywhere, and they always want to talk about their teams. So, talk with them! Let your biases and loves be known! Once someone talks to me about sports the conversation almost always veers toward what I want to do in life or for my occupation and then – boom. Jesus.

The web magazine was started by a guy named Mitch Miller who is an extremely talented and funny guy. He’s currently interning at Mars Hill Church in Seattle and plans on helping the Church for his occupation one day. The entire concept is really a practical one – talk about things people wanna hear about, and introduce them to Jesus in the process.

Mitch has a heart for people and especially for rejected and unwanted people. If you are looking for him on any given weekend – you could probably find him preaching on a street corner in Atlanta or helping a small church in a rough part of town in Greenville, SC. It is out of this sort of heart for ministry that the New America was started. Mitch and his friends decided to stop sitting around and to use their talents and gifts for redemptive purposes. God is really using them to continue and expand the name of Jesus and to spread HIS fame around all kinds of different people nationwide.

http://vskezz.blogspot.com/

discontent

Terrell Owens is one of my least favorite athletes to ever play the game of football. For those of you who may not follow the NFL Owens is a professional wide receiver. He once played for the Philadelphia Eagles and starred in the first Super Bowl appearance the team has had in the past three decades. However, Owens then blew up the team and essentially his career due to the fact that he could not remain content with any quarterback he played with. Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb(!!!!), and yes I admit it, Tony Romo are all at least decent quarterbacks ( I feel obligated to leave it at decent due to Romo being included). But, Owens was never satisfied and instead of having a career of prominence and Super Bowl glory he is now playing with a down trodden Buffalo team. Owens may be a prima donna who was unsatisfied with each stage of his career, but in reality he is a tame version of my own heart.

Regardless of my stage of life or location for living out those stages I continually find my heart yearning for a different set of circumstances to participate in. I write this as a letter of testimony to the work God is doing in my own heart, and as a note of encouragement to fellow college students or anyone struggling to be satisfied in Christ and the relationship he offers alone.

My struggle is one that is very simple to explain and surprisingly easy to correct. I become unsatisfied with my position in life and discontent when my eyes avert from my Savior to me. As soon as my thoughts stray from loving the Savior and the relationship he extends to me daily – my heart becomes discontent. As soon as I focus on the institutions, leaders, faults, disagreements, or errors of the places I am currently living with I become unsatisfied. And no, I’m not only referring to Bob Jones University. God has used that school in my life in more ways that anyone cares to read. But just to name a few, and to remind myself:

• I was introduced to my mentor and teach Matthew Hoskinson when moving to Greenville for the purpose of going to Bob Jones.
• I was given many positions for growth and leadership through the school and was involved in several ministries connected to the school that would have been unavailable otherwise.
• I have met the most Gospel centered and closest friends I could ask for at the school.
• I met a beautiful girl, who has been a huge ministry of grace to me and continues to challenge my thinking daily.

God has blessed generously through every context that he has placed me in, yet I remain discontent. Why?

To be perfectly open and honest, I am excited and extremely anxious to continue moving toward whatever God has for me in the future. However, that does not strip the responsibility from what God has called me to do today. Often I use the excuse of not loving the circumstances I am to be lazy when it comes to the work God has called me to. He has called me to love Him more every day, to share his love with other believers through the context of the local church, and to evangelize the lost by loving them for the souls that Christ sees them as. Those objectives remain true despite context.

When we choose to love Jesus and enjoy Him on a daily basis rather than serving ourselves by thinking of different or “greater” contexts for life, he will use us to an even greater capacity then before. He wants lives that are totally submitted to His will. Not submitted yet unsatisfied. Committed.

My prayer is that I will continue to love Jesus so much and enjoy His Gospel to the point that my context is irrelevant. Did Jesus (the creator of the world) really desire to be a carpenter/builder? Perhaps, but I think he also chose to be our perfect example by living a perfect life totally devoted to the Father in a context otherwise considered less than perfect. But How? How do I fight those battles with discontentment? Simple worship. If I am worshipping God and thanking Him for every situation and stage he has set, I simply cannot remain discontent. HE IS SO GREAT! I can only be thankful and live out a life of grace in love for what he has done for me.

In my quest to be like Jesus I will choose to love him over any circumstance. And I encourage you to do the same.

The Lens Factor.

Every single person on this planet views the world from behind a different lens. The slant people have on life can be compared to the uses of different lenses on a camera. If the photographer wishes to shoot a wider image he may use a wide angle lens. Similarly, each individual “shoots” a slightly different image on any given topic. Whether discussing God, love, sports, food, coffee, shopping, weather, politics, or family. All shots or opinions will be different. More accurately all shots will be biased.

So, this is my attempt to express the view from behind my lens. I admit it now, I will be biased. I will discuss lots of controversial topics on here with as much accuracy as possible. But, will there be bias involved? Absolutely. If  there weren’t, it wouldn’t be worth blogging about.