Grace Like Rain - Todd Agnew

Another place and another song.

Devotional - Micah 6:8

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

How simple does God make it to walk in obedience and righteousness. He requires merely three things, although they are easy to understand they are also a substantial task to undergo. The first, we are to act justly in everything we do and every decision we make. The second is to love mercy, embracing compassion and forgiveness for everyone we meet. Lastly, is to walk humbly, lifting up our heavenly Father and serving others. Micah talks about the useless sacrifices we offer to God and asks the reader non-rhetorical questions of what types of sacrifices the Lord is pleased with. He simply states that it is not what we bring to God, but it is how we interact with God. He desires us to live out our faith by our actions, showing the validity of our testimony and proclaiming how God has changed our lives.

Devotional - Micah 4:5

"All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever."

As Christians what type of nation are we? We are not bonded by language, ancestry, geography, music, or food; but rather we are united by Christ. Our faith and relationship with our Lord, Creator, and Savior is what makes us a family, a church, and a nation. Other nations walk on works, prayers, lifestyle, and morality; but we walk on Christ's sacrifice and what He did at the cross. We didn't reach our hand out to be saved when we were drowning from a life of sin, but rather Christ reached his hand down to save us. We are forever grateful for this selfless act of love that changed the course of history. Now we can walk confidently in the light, stride boldly in the steps of the Holy Spirit, and fight fervently alongside a nation of fellow believers.

Nicaragua Spring 2009 - Solitude, Survival, and Semana Santa - Part 2

Conclusion of my Easter week and the World Premier of JD vs. Wild.

Nicaragua Spring 2009 - Solitude, Survival, and Semana Santa - Part 1

Three days of solitude and a week of Easter.

Devotional - 1 John 2:1-2

"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, The Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."

Thank You Jesus for the sacrifice that You bring. We are children of God and are not under the control of sin. However, when we falter and give into our sinful nature, Jesus Christ, The Righteous One, stands in our defense. It could also be translated that Jesus turns aside God's wrath. He is the vicarious atonement for our sins, so we don't have to be subject to death and separation from God. And he does not only do this for us, but for the entire world. John later goes on to write that we know the Father if we obey his commands. The man who declares to know Him, but does not follow His commandments is hence forth a liar and truth does not live in him. If we are obedient to His word, then God's love is truly made complete in us. This is how we know that we are His. If we claim to live in Him, we must walk as Jesus did. We must see darkness passing and see light shining.

Lead Me to the Cross - Hillsong United

Here is a song to reflect on what Christ did.

Devotional - Jonah 2:8

"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

Lord, what do my hands clutch that I can't seem to relinquish? Reveal to me the idols that I still put above You. I am sorry for trampling upon grace every time I put something before You. May my spiritual act of worship be to incorporate You into everything I do. Break these hands and let them cling to nothing else, but You. I was engulfed by a sea of darkness, surrounded by the deepness of sin, and wrapped up by every kind of wickedness, but You brought me out of this miry pit to take pleasure in You and have life to the full. Let me sing a song of thanksgiving to this wondrous bloody Charity that I have been given and offer to You the only sacrifice I have - my life.

Nicaragua Spring 2009 - Going Full Throttle

A jam packed couple of weeks.

Devotional - 1 Peter 1:13-15

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written; ‘Be holy, because I am holy.'"

Let us be active participants in the bringing of God's kingdom on earth, and let us not be passive bystanders. You desire us to take action and not be stagnate. But as we do this let us be self-controlled and strong-willed, not giving into selfish desires or being chaotic in our thinking. We are to be disciplined and obedient, living with a correct frame of mind that is knowledgeable and not ignorant. Let us not go back to our days of youth and immaturity. Lord, You have called me to a life of holiness. Let me embrace this with all my being, not giving in to Satan's sensuous temptations. Grant me pure thoughts, pure eyes, and a pure heart. Cast out darkness and obscurity, and let me revel in the light and clarity. Lord, shine in me, so that I can be holy. I can't do this on my own and I desperately need You.