Seeking a Sign

I have a question for my readers.

If you personally witnessed a "miracle" of God, would you more easily believe in God?

If you were with Moses when God parted the Red Sea, would the existence of God be undeniable to you?



While most of us would like to think witnessing a miracle of God would seal up any lingering uncertainty, it is rarely the soul source of faith. What I mean by this is miracles of God in and of themselves are not the answers to doubt. "Signs" cannot be the source of our faith. Furthermore, seeking a sign for proof of God is actually rebuked by Christ.

Luke 11:29-30
When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.

Earlier I asked if witnessing the parting of the Red Sea would erase an individuals doubt. According to scripture, this miracle had little impact on the people of God. In chapter 14 the Israelites cross the BOTTOM of the Red Sea and in chapter 16 they are lacking food and doubt God will provide it. Now scripture does say that after the parting of the Red Sea the people feared the Lord and believed in him and his servant Moses (Exodus 14:31). However, their incomplete faith is apparent in their grumblings for food in chapter 16. How can one witness a sea part and not fully trust God in everything from that point forward? It is apparent that since the Israelites didn't find their faith only in "signs", that God doesn't intend for us to find our faith only in "signs" either. The Israelites didn't need to witness the parting of the Red Sea to believe in God. God's existence is beyond "signs" because it is written on our hearts (Romans 2:15).

So what else supplements our faith?

While God himself is ultimately the source and giver of our faith, his holy word is also another well of faith.

Roman 10:17
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Ultimately, faith is something given by God. Faith is most commonly granted or increased by the confirming of the truth that is written on our hearts with the truth that resides in scripture (the word of God). Miracles are something God did and still does. However, seeking miracles in order to obtain faith will not only leave you disappointed, but also working against how God designed faith. Seek God's face in prayer, scripture, and community. Walk by the Spirit and love others.

Grace and Peace,
JoMo

Hello everyone! Sorry it's been so long since my last post. Today's post is grounded in a pretty simple truth. In fact, most believers of Jesus Christ reading this have probably already developed this perspective. However, it's good for all of us to be reminded of simple truths from time to time.

Anyone who has set a goal in life understands the commitment, motivation, and perseverance involved in obtaining that goal. We decide we want something and we begin taking the mental and physical steps necessary to achieve our desires. However, these desires we have seem like pretty good ideas until trials and setbacks come along. All of a sudden, the desire to lose fifty pounds doesn't seem so plausible after only losing two pounds the first week and gaining four pounds back the second week. Or how about the individual who decides to quit drinking alcohol? Monday through Friday was a breeze, but everyone is going out Saturday night and not joining seems like social suicide. For me, it was wrestling. I clawed my entire life to obtain wrestling success. Ever since I was six years old my life revolved around early morning runs, grueling practices, and cutting weight. Needless to say, I had some major moments of question during my sixteen year wrestling career. There were days I wondered if I would ever reach the end, and even if I did I wondered if it would be worth it. However, I knew that what was ultimately going to satisfy me wasn't necessarily the results, but rather finishing the process. So, I pressed on.

We experience this same struggle in our spiritual lives. The difference is, our spiritual lives encapsulate our entire human existence. Whereas the examples mentioned above are segments within our human existence. Experiences we get to start and end ourselves. With the examples above, most individuals only call upon mental and physical fortitude. Our spiritual life obviously requires us to call upon our spiritual fortitude. Which explains why our spiritual lives can be such a struggle and in some cases a wreck. Most individuals incorporate spirituality so sparingly in their lives. In fact, I would venture to guess that most people only call upon their spiritual fortitude within their spiritual life.

So where am I going with this?

Ultimately, our spiritual life (our walk with Jesus Christ) is like any other goal. Expect there to be good days and bad days. Days where you want to run through brick walls for Jesus and days where you just aren't sure if you can keep running the race. In fact, our spiritual goal of following Jesus is more difficult than any other worldly goal in that 1)the finish line (or prize) is unseen and 2)following Christ is contrary to the ways of this world. So people pursue weight loss, sobriety, wrestling success, ect. with the idea that these goals are obtainable. In other words, people have hope. Hope is the same thing that allows us to sustain a lifetime of spiritual highs and lows in a walk with Jesus Christ. And hope is only obtained and increased through struggles.

Romans 5:3-5
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Keep running the race. Stay to the narrow path. Walk by the spirit. The finish line is always closer than you expect!

Grace and Peace,
JoMo

Are you blessed?

Let me begin by saying that God has given me the ultimate blessing of awaking my heart to his son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Next, I was born in a country were I am not prosecuted for believing in, worshiping, or proclaiming Christ.  Next, I was born into a situation were I have shelter, easy accessibility to food, and CLEAN water.  Next, I was blessed with all five senses and all four limbs.  On top of it all, I got to go to a recognized state university where I received a college degree.  I am statistically a lottery winner.  I have lived a life in 23 years that most people can either A) only dream of or B) it takes them their entire life to obtain it.  It is in the mist of all these blessings that I can't help but wonder how I happened to be born into the "correct" situation.  Now what do I mean by the "correct" situation?  Well, while I am so thankful for every physical and financial blessing, the only thing I have that ultimately matters is Jesus Christ.  Although I didn't fully call on Jesus until July 28, 2011, I grew up going to church and having truth spoken into my life (like most American children).  This repetitive exposure crossed with the delay in recognizing the importance of Jesus Christ is what brings me to my point for the day.  While America is saturated with truth (Christianity), we take so for granted the spiritual blessing right in front of us that many never really KNOW Jesus.  We have "Christians" everywhere, but we treat our faith and the church like a youth sports program.  We have one practice a week (weather permitting) and we all get together once a year for a potluck to talk about how everyone is a winner.  America has the right religion, but we as a country do NOT have the right relationship.  We are blinded by professional sports, flat screen TV's, wealth accumulation, sexual satisfaction, status, and self exultation.  We have the truth of Jesus Christ sitting right in front of us (I would bet most people are within a stones throw of a Bible based church), yet we keep just enough Jesus in our life to give us what WE need (comfort, security, salvation?).  Yet walking with Christ isn't about filling OUR spiritual needs.  Walking with Christ is about fulfilling your purpose as a creation of God.  Your purpose of glorifying and worshiping God.  A purpose we will only be able to fully achieve when we are made complete in heaven.  Nonetheless, we are to strive to glorify God in every situation.  This is made easier when an individual no longer lives, but instead Christ lives in them.  Christ in them allows them to live and walk by the spirit (walk with Christ).

Romans 8:3-4
"For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.  By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."

Galatians 5:16-18
"But I say walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."

There are a lot of people in America who really love Jesus!  And just for the record if you watch professional sports on a flat screen TV, I am NOT saying you don't love Jesus.  The only point I am trying to make is this:  America is extremely blessed to have the truth of Jesus Christ currently prevailing over other religions, let us then LIVE the truth many of us CLAIM and be the church.  If you feel blessed by God that you truly KNOW Jesus Christ and are saved, show it by walking by the Spirit with boldness and courage!

Grace and Peace,
JoMo

Works

I don't know why, but there seems to be a lot of misconception about works verses grace.  Let's begin with this:

Ephesians 2: 8-9
"For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Grace alone is what has saved you, me, and anyone else that has ever claimed Jesus Christ as the son of God.  So we're all good right?  We have grace and it's a free gift, so we can shrug righteousness and entertain wickedness and folly?  NO!  So if we're saved by grace alone and not our works, why do we need to focus on works?  The answer is... you don't have to FOCUS on works.  If your heart has been truly awakened to Jesus Christ and you love the Lord, works and righteousness are things that either happen or convict you... this is an overflow of the perfectly righteous Jesus Christ who now lives in you.

Matthew 5: 17-20
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

How in the world am I supposed to reach a level of righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees?  Fortunately for us, the scribes and Pharisees were so concerned about human exultation for themselves that they cared more about works than loving Jesus.  If Jesus lives in you, you've inherited his righteousness which easily surpasses the scribes and Pharisees.  Simultaneously, if Jesus lives in you, you will desperately seek righteousness.

John 14: 15
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments"

Some of Jesus' final words to the disciples!

James 2: 14-17
"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?  So also faith BY ITSELF, IF it does not have works, is dead."

James is NOT saying works save you... they don't... it's God's grace through ones faith that saves.  What James is saying is that if God's amazing grace has captivated your heart to the point of claiming to believe in Christ, you will realize a foreign righteousness that is Jesus within you that produces works and increases faith!  When Christ occupies a house (a soul) he does not merely stay there, he proceeds to clean the place up!  If an individual does not seek righteousness and has no inner conviction to pursue acting as Christ would act in any given situation, that individual may want to consider whether Christ truly resides within them.  Live gratefully in God's free grace, but realize living with Christ inside you comes with pursuing a life of righteousness!

Grace and Peace,
JoMo

The Greatest Gift

All of us have that one Birthday or Christmas were we got the gift of all gifts.  The one thing we wanted more than ever.  The thing that we kick, and screamed, and cried for.  I was a spoiled child, so mine is a tie between the Jurassic Park Compound, a full train set, and a Playstation 2.  While I remember receiving these gifts, they have long since been collecting dust in a storage room.  Now days, I recognize that the greatest gift I actually received was grace.  Grace that I didn't deserve.  Grace that was extended nearly 2000 years before I was born.  I'm obviously talking about the gift of Jesus.  I remember truly claiming Christ July 28, 2011.  It's been almost a year and my greatest fear is that Jesus will start collecting dust like the earthly gifts back in my storage closet.  We are all afforded the worlds' greatest gift everyday... Jesus.  Unfortunately, very few of us choose to cherish Jesus daily as the gift he really is (this would be me).  Keep this in mind next time the world has you down.  If you're in Christ you've received the greatest gift ever TODAY and it is no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you.  Cherish Jesus and his word daily!

1 Corinthians 15:1
"Now I would remind you, brothers of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are BEING saved, IF you hold fast to the word I preached to you- unless you believed in vain."

Paul notes that being saved involves holding fast (continually cherishing/receiving) the gospel!  Thank you God for the gift of Jesus!  May we never grow inoculated to this gift or the truth of the gospel!

Grace and Peace
JoMo

Glorify God!

When I woke up this morning my heart just wasn't in the right place.  I think sometimes I focus too much on my heart condition (or how I feel) instead of just living in obedience.

What should I do when I'm tired?  Glorify God!

What should I do when I don't understand?  Glorify God!

What should I do when I'm angry?  Glorify God!

What should I do when I'm stressed out?  Glorify God!

What should I do when finances aren't perfect?  Glorify God!

I'll be the first to admit this is easier said than done.  I'm just trying to relay the idea that obedience without heart is better than no obedience and no heart.  I also think it's interesting how acting in obedience has a way of changing your heart condition.  As cheesy as this sounds, obedience is the wind to the hearts sail (yes, I made that up).  Start acting in obedience and discipline and you're heart will fall into place.  We're of the flesh, and as a result there will always be a struggle with our spirit (Galatians 5 and 6).  In other words, our heart isn't going to be in the right place all the time.  This requires that there be times of walking in obedience even when our hearts don't feel like it.  Ultimately, it is keeping your election pure in Christ through obedience that will realign your heart with God's.

Grace and Peace,
JoMo

Who is for you?

How often do we compare our walk with Christ to others walks?  Furthermore, how often do we look at our own walk as more correct?  I think the Bible offers a good verse in relation to this dilemma.

Luke 9: 49-50
49 John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us." 50 But Jesus said to him, "Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you."

Jesus really simplified that! The important part here is that the man casting out demons was doing it in Jesus' name.  Today there seems to be so much that divides us as Christians.  We get so hung up on what denomination we prefer, style of worship music, practicing of spiritual gifts, ect but Jesus doesn't want those differences to divide the church.  Jesus is saying if you truly recognize him as the son of God, then your on the same team.  Now I won't deny that Christ followers still need to be cautious of false teachers and prophets.  The only conclusion I'm trying to get to today is: Instead of looking at all the little differences that divide us as Christ followers, let's look at the one major thing that unites us... Jesus Christ!

Grace and Peace
JoMo

Doubt

Doubt is probably one of the biggest struggles people face in a walk with Christ.  Correspondingly, doubt is probably one of the least addressed issues.  I think this is because when we are among other Christians (church, bible studies, ect) we look at the situation and say something like this: "Okay I'm in a place where everyone else believes in God... I believe in God too but right now I'm struggling with (insert your doubt here)... If I bring up this doubt, how is this going to come off to others who believe... I'm a little scared to even put my doubt into dialogue... Verbalizing my doubt might make God think I don't believe (this statement is a little contradictory but I'll be the first to admit that it has crossed my mind)."  The fact is EVERYONE has doubts.  God designed doubt into the human experience.  Pay attention here, this is important.  Just like any other hindrance in our faith, the devil wants you to keep your doubt to yourself.  I'll let you in on a doubt I struggle with.  In Sociology there is this concept called The Self Fulling Prophesy.  It states, that situations we define as real, become real in there consequences.  In simpler terms, things we believe to be true, ultimately become true due to our belief in them.  Here's a real world example of how this theory works.  There's a weak and self conscious male who enters the military.  The military takes this individual through physical training and mentally breaks the individual down.  The individual is then built up through physical gains and the implementation of a belief system (brain washing).  Before you know it, you have an elite military resource who believes he can do anything.  Now take that same concept and apply it to ones faith.  This is where my doubt comes in.  I have this doubt that maybe everything I believe in, is simply a product of the beliefs I have been exposed to throughout my life.  That my belief in God is a result of slowly convincing myself of God.  I think there's probably more doubt in the Christian faith today than ever before.  With modern science and technology we have become a society that depends on our senses and our understanding to determine what is real and what is not.  I just had a post concerning Proverbs 3:5 which urges us not to lean on our own understanding.  God tells us this because it's our own understanding that produces doubt.

Here's the take away.  Realize that doubt is part of following Christ.  Realize that EVERYONE else has doubts too.  When your in moments or seasons of doubt, don't keep it pinned up inside (that's what the devil wants).  Most importantly, look at the big picture and re-think your interpretation of doubt.  So you have this ONE doubt... somehow we as humans take the one shred of something bad and it overrides everything else.  Do not forget the undeniable facts in life!  It is undeniable that you exist.  Which means you either came from nothing or you were created.  It is undeniable that Jesus the person lived.  It is undeniable that he was put to death for saying he was the son of God.  It is undeniable that the 12 disciples who followed Jesus must have seen the risen Christ... otherwise they would not have faced persecution and death so fearlessly (11 of 12 disciples were executed after refusing to deny their savior).  It is undeniable that the apostle Pual was formally Saul who persecuted and executed Christians and through an encounter with the risen Christ was immediately transformed and became one of the most important catalysts of the Christian faith.  It is undeniable that today nearly 1/3 of the worlds population believes that a man named Jesus was the son of God and died a sinners death to save the world!  Do not forget the multitudes of undeniable facts in life!

Grace and Peace
JoMo

How faithful is God?

God is so faithful that he tells us how to pray (The Lord's Prayer) because he already knows everything we need. (Matthew 6:8)

God is so faithful that he has only cursed the ground once (with the flood) because of man's evil heart.  Furthermore, in his promise to never curse the earth again he has had to supplement destroying earth upon his return with restoring/renewing earth. (Genesis 8:21 and Revelation 21).

God is so faithful (don't forget loving) that while we were STILL sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

God is so faithful that even when we wander he never leaves us nor forsakes us.  (Deuteronomy 31:6)

The things God CANNOT do can be counted on about one hand.  He is so faithful that one of the few things God CANNOT do is remember your sin once you have confessed it.

I would be interested to see how many different "God is so faithful" responses I could get.  Let's see if we can even begin to scratch the surface on how faithful God is!

Grace and Peace,
JoMo

I don't understand!

I was reading through Proverbs chapter 3 today and read a verse concerning understanding.  Specifically, not supplementing our lack of understanding for our own knowledge.

Proverbs 3:5
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding"

What a simple yet drastically overlooked truth.  Certainly if we don't understand something it's likely because we don't possess enough knowledge.  Therefore, when we don't understand situations of the world that are difficult like suffering and tragedy, we shouldn't jump to a conclusion about God based on feelings of emotion.  Our emotions are worldly and lack eternal perspective.  We have no knowledge of Gods eternal purpose (which I can guarantee you is GOOD and better than any plan man could develop).  In other words, we as humans basically have no knowledge other than what is given to us in Gods word.  Our emotions and instincts do not equate to knowledge.  Emotions and instincts are things of our flesh.  Sure we have knowledge in regards to physics, math, biology, ect but the knowledge contained in these categories offer no better understanding of moral situations.  To make a long argument shorter, trust God in ALL things.  In fact here is some good scripture to memorize.

1 Thessalonians 5:18
"Give thanks in ALL circumstances, for this is Gods purpose for you in Christ Jesus"

Grace and Peace
JoMo

Favorite Verse

So its been awhile since my last post.  Sorry for the leave of absence!  Since then, I traveled to Brazil and back.  Serving at the Davis Lar orphanage in Brazil was definitely a great experience.  It was amazing to see children given a second chance in life.  Especially since almost all of them had been rescued from human trafficking and poverty.  The truth that we are ALL children of God is undeniable.  Jesus is the name above ALL names that transcends every difference in language or nation.  A huge thank you goes out to all those who supported me with donations and prayers!  Because of you I was able to fully fund my trip.  Your sacrifices have helped glorify God and his great kingdom.  For further information or pictures, you can add me as a friend on facebook or e-mail me (jomo486@gmail.com).  As for the future of my blog, I would like to start moving towards unpacking some of Gods word.  What better place to start than my favorite verse!

Luke 9:23-27 ESV
23 And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."

Man I love God's word!

Verse 23:  Jesus is saying this to ALL and to ANYONE.  Not just those who grew up in church or those with miserable and broken pasts, not just men or just women, not just rich or just poor, not just the healthy or just the sick...  ANYONE.  Although the Bible does use "his", this is an acceptable term for both sexes in literature.  Nonetheless, we all have the same requirements in running after Jesus.  We must deny ourselves.  We must take up our cross.  We must decrease, God must increase.

Verse 24:  This is potentially my favorite verse in the Bible.  This statement pretty much sums up following Christ in one sentence.

Verse 25:  A rhetorical question from Jesus, yet not so rhetorical to man.  We somehow still seem to think there's something to be gained from THIS world.

Verse 26:  If you claim to follow Christ, I hope it's not best kept a secret.  I'm not going to judge... that's up to God, but I will say that if people don't recognize Christ-like characteristics or tendencies in you... you may be setting the Son of Man up for disappointment.

Verse 27:  Jesus' final remark touches on the difficulty of applying truth.  We are often able to recognize when something is true, but it's the application that is difficult.  Yet it's the application that makes all the difference.  For example, everyone would agree exercise is good for you, but merely accepting this as true does no good.  It's actually getting off the couch, tightening up the shoe laces, and pounding the pavement that makes the difference.  To me, Jesus seems to be saying something similar in verse 27.  Jesus is saying... all of you hear me, most of you agree with me, but only a few of you believe it to the degree of applying it.

In summary, our walk with Christ should be a daily struggle of dying a little bit more and more to ourselves.  I love this journey!  The transformation isn't always easy or comfortable and the race is LONG, but that's why "the path is narrow, and few will find it" (Matthew 7:13-14).  Don't let the things of this world distract you... keep your eyes on JESUS!

Grace and Peace
Jomo

One Week

Well, I leave for my mission trip to Fortaleza, Brazil a week from today (Friday March 9). For those of you wondering where Fortaleza is...

I'm excited to see what God has planned. However, I'm also a little nervous being that I was hospitalized this past Tuesday. I randomly had a passing out / fainting spell. Good news is they couldn't find anything wrong and and think it was a random occurrence. Bad news is they don't really have any answers. Either way I'm putting my trust in God. He is always good and always faithful! He will neither leave me nor forsake me! My soul has been sealed in the Holy Spirit! Keep Christ at the center and be in the world, but not of it! Also, check out these two songs! Peace

First post

So as many of you know, I'm not a big social media junkie. However, I have started making strides towards being more socially available on the world wide web. I just got a twitter account @justjoemo and now this blog. I still don't have Facebook, and I would venture to guess I won't in the future either. I still like to maintain an element of mystery and elusiveness. I am as Lynyrd Skynyrd says a "Simple Man." I like to fish and play guitar. Wrestling has historically been a big part of my life and still is, but Jesus Christ is the biggest and most significant pursuit of my life. I will be heading to Fortaleza, Brazil in March for a mission trip. I hope this blog can serve as an effective tool to keep those of you interested updated with info and pictures.

Peace