Do

As followers of Christ we are challenged by Jesus to “do” something with our
life. In Matthew, Jesus lays it out pretty concisely.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I
commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

-Matthew 28:19-20

If you’ve grown up in the church or not, it’s easy to find yourself stuck in a
comfortable and complacent lifestyle. It can be difficult to receive the severity of
the message that Jesus is trying to get across here in Matthew if you are just serving
your time on Sunday mornings and have the “hippie, limp wrist, tree hugging,
tolerant Jesus” that society likes to make out to be “our example”. This box that
Jesus has been put into by our culture today to fit our likings is not the Jesus that is
in the bible. He took a beating with a whip embedded with shards of metal, bone or
pottery that tore deeply into his flesh and left him so physically torn and mutilated
that people were not asking, ”What happened to that man?”, but, “What is that
thing?”. The wounds from scourging typically were so deep that the victim lost a
great deal of blood and went into severe shock even before the actual crucifixion.
Not everyone survived the scourging so that quite commonly the crucifixion that
followed would be that of a dead, or at least dying, body. Jesus was not only forced
to drag Himself to a mile or two to Golgotha, the place where He was to be nailed
to the cross, after being scourged, but our mutilated Savior carried the patibulum,
cross-arm, which on average weighed about one-hundred and twenty pounds. After
nailing Jesus to the cross, He then proceeded to muster up enough strength to hang
on the cross for hours and to promise the thief next to Him that he would spend
eternity with Jesus then He offered His spirit up to God.

This is not some meek, limp wristed, sissy of a man. Christ bore more pain
and hurt then any modern day “hero” Hollywood could dream up. He felt the
abandonment of His Closest friends, His family, and God. If the physical pain wasn’t
enough the emotional pain of having no one there for Him was even worse, His own
mother was at least a quarter mile away, watching from another hill. The physical
and emotional abandonment and pain that Jesus felt was only a glimpse of the pain
He truly felt. God then proceeded to pour out all of the wrath that not just you and I
deserve but the punishment for all men before Christ, after Him, and after you and I
are long gone. He was completely alone.

This is the example that Jesus left us.

This being said, Christ gives us a mission in Matthew 28. It is called the
Great Commission for a reason, if it wasn’t so, it would have been called the Great
Suggestion. Christ lays it out in the most concise manner. All men are to go, baptize,
and teach others to observe Christ’s commands. This is a pretty straight forward
message.

Are you still uncertain if the Great Commission really applies to you
as a follower of Christ? A good friend of mine once put it this way, “The Great
Commission applies to everyone, if it didn’t it would be called The Commission.”

Don’t be content with the way the world is. God wants to reach the world and
He uses His Word and you and I to do it. Step into the Glory that God has in store
for His Children and His Ambassadors. Make your life count and make your blows
count.

Coastin'

If you know me at all you know that I’m a bit of a bike fanatic, specifically fixed gear bikes. These bikes are so appealing because when you are on them you can build up a “cadence, flow, rhythm” or whatever you want to call it. It’s impossible to coast on a fixed gear because unlike other bikes the cog on the rear wheel is actually mounted directly to the hub, this means when you pedal forward the bike moves forward and when you pedal backwards it goes backwards. At some point while on a fixed gear you can reach a speed where your legs cannot keep up with the pace your crank arms want you to go, this is known as pedaling out, when this happens your feet can slip out, you cannot stop as quickly, you have to plan way ahead for any kind of turn, stops, or intersections. Though it very rarely happens in Manhattan, when it does the effects are sometimes brutal. Scaring, bruises, and stitches are all just minor consequences of “pedal bite”; BUT there is no greater feeling than coming out of an incidence bleeding, hurting, and still on your bike pressing forward to your destination with a little more character than when you started. It just feels right.

Lately I have been riding on a single-speed rear-wheel (thanks for letting me borrow yours Sam) because my old wheel fell apart while riding on it. When riding on a wheel like this it is impossible to have a cadence after a certain speed and then you just coast until the need to pedal again. There is no real danger involved or as much reward physically. I’ve been riding on this wheel for a little over a week now; Like all new or different changes in life it was fun for a couple of days, but I really miss the “flow” of my fixed wheel.

This is relevant to my spiritual life lately, specifically my relationship with God. Two weeks into school I had a “cadence” going, I was riding hard for God, I was connected to Him daily. It just felt right. At some point between then and now I traded my “spiritual fixed wheel” in for a “spiritual single-speed”. In doing this I’ve begun to just “coast” using excuses like “I’m really busy!” or “I just don’t have the time to read!”. Or when I do read I just “coast” through it and move on with my day. While these statements are true, it is still no reason for me to ignore my relationship with God. I can’t just occasionally pedal and then coast. I don’t want to sprint for a little bit of my life and then coast out. I would rather “pedal out” for Christ and carry the scars from “spiritual pedal-bite” the rest of my life and remember the times He sustained me, then just coast through life on a free-wheel of complacency.

“(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.”
1 timothy 4:10

Cody J Hill

altitude

a mile high gasping for air still doesn't quite compare
to the feeling that we will all one day have to be prepared, for.
when the sky rips open and down comes the Son
on his white horse that burns brighter than the sun.
doesn't matter if you believed in Him or not,
we will all have to face judgement and some, well, some will rot.
these mountains have a way of pointing to something greater
it's like the peaks are beacons just suggesting we put our hands in the air
and fall to our knees and acknowledge God, the All Mighty Creator.
so yes it's been fun, and yes it's beautiful
but nothing compares to the altitude of Heaven
and an eternity with my brethren.

Breaches

"You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the LORD." Ezekiel 13:5

We are in battle 24/7 a spiritual, emotional, and physical battle. Are you willing to take a stand, willing to allow yourself to be wounded, and allow God to rebuild you?




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17WLQNyYO0o

Flesh

A reminder that we aren't home yet.

365

When I was four life seemed so care free, I was innocent. A year at that point was a quarter of my life and those 365 days until my next birthday seemed like ages. Now at the age of twenty a year seems like no time at all. I’m no longer innocent. The law (ten commandments) has revealed to me my need for a savior, the necessity of a perfect sacrifice, and the grace of God.

When I lived outside of the law I had no understanding of what sin was. Man to me was good. I went to church, I didn’t do what everyone else was doing, all the time. I tried to obey my parents (at times), I did my best to serve others. But all of these things were to build me up and it was on a scale made up by humans to just keep me from ‘not doing bad’ instead of pursuing God.

My next couple of posts are going to be over the ten commandments and understanding our standing with God. These fundamental borders are necessary to understanding the need for a savior, they are necessary to understand the weight of eternity and to grasp that this world we live in, these vessels we dwell in, and this life we have been given are not eternal. The ten commandments are more then suggestions they help you to realize that ‘ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God’-Romans 3:23, and because we are sinners we needed a sacrifice we needed something to pay our debt and because of that…‘for God SO loved the world that He GAVE (this means it was a choice, God didn’t have to) his ONLY son that WHOEVER believes in Him will have eternal life.’ –John 3:16, and ‘While we were still sinners Christ died for us.’ –Romans 5:8 God’s love for us is eternal and there is nothing you can do to make Him love you anymore or any less than he already does.


(completely irrelevant from the above post)

Something to chew on
‘I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.’
–Revelation 3:8

‘Open the gates
that the righteous nation may enter,
the nation that keeps faith.’
-Isaiah 26:2

‘On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.’
-Acts 14:27

The works of a God fearing man will never go unnoted. The works of a God fearing church changes not only the community but changes hearts, wins souls, and preaches the Gospel. God has set before me and all of his followers an open door. It’s not just an open door but a door that no one can close except God. We have an opportunity to live the life that God intended for us. God is calling us to something greater than just ourselves. God is whispering, ‘come, listen, follow me my child. I have much to show you.’ We are but mere mortals and our lives are just a spec in light of eternity, our flesh will rot and decay before we know it. How are you going to leave this earth, as just a “good person” or someone who allowed God to rule in their life and really leave a stamp on eternity? Walk through the door.

grow grow grow

spiritual knowledge does not equal spiritual maturity
but you can't be spiritually mature without spiritual knowledge
it is a continual growing experience
not just a chapter of your life
but its a whole book
one full lifespan on this earth of growing
and allowing God to lead

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 3:12-14

"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways." 1 corinthians 13:11

teach me Your paths

to You, o Lord, i lift up my soul
o my God, in You i trust
make me to know Your ways
teach me Your paths
lead me in Your truth
i will follow You

lift up You hands
open up the gates
be lifted high
o Ancient of days
lift up You hands
open up the gates
be lifted high
come into this place God

psalm 24 and 25 (read em)

my mind is a forest

if you look closely you will see
there are bugs within the roots of me
my mind is a forest
my forest is infested with bugs and swarms
but if they left me could i endure
might it be if i could lure
these things so vial and full of despair
out of my forest and out of my core

the termites leave me with holes
the damage isn't just surface
holes so deep no use for a bandage
if i remove them there's still hope for me

the beetles those little guys
all i can do is sit here and cry
while they chip away at my outer shell
and get to my core where they choose to dwell
they ruin my growth and set me back
if only i had something to go on the attack

i'm not only trees
these bugs exist so His glory prevails
it's not about how clean i get
it's about learning from what i have

the bugs are gone and now just compost
now is the time where i flourish the most
with these bugs and things of the past
i can grow stronger than a hardened cast

looking back at the struggles i've had
the termites were rough
and the beetles were bad
but i wouldn't settle for anything less

i've grown so strong that it would be a waste
to not share what i know
instead of choosing to just sit and wait
for the next batch of beetles
or even a bigger swarm

now i've allowed Him into to my center
the beetles seem smaller
and the swarms just litter
He moves in me and allows me to grow
my mind is a forest
and i give Him control

commitment

not about looks
not about feelings
not about who she could be
not about what i need
commitment

nothing to do with talents
nothing to do with gifts
nothing to do with money
nothing to do with deeds
commitment

in five years
in ten years
in twenty years
in eighty years
commitment

despite flaws
despite let downs
despite failures
despite conditions
commitment

-our example of love and commitment is this

"but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."-romans 5:8

as Christ loves me so shall i love her... whenever that might be...eventually... maybe...hopefully... someday... in the future...

timmy boy

stick to the Word.
love no matter the circumstances.
sanctify in scripture so you can be-
certain of what you are teaching.
for those that have accepted Christ-
the law no longer applies-
because God's heart is love-
and the law is fulfilled through love-
even though the law doesn't apply-
children of Christ will change-
and want to follow the law.
God's mercy is unfathomable.
you can trust that Christ-
came and died for all sinners-
which i am one of the worst-
but He died for you and i and-
has made us righteous.
don't neglect your gifts-
God has given you them-
for a reason don't keep-
them for your own.

in Christ,
paul

irony

twenty-four hours in a day...
and struggling to find a minute

late night

late night
bike rides
social times
abandoned lots
swimming pools
new friends
old renewed
smiles around

new creation

pride is something that holds on to me (or i have held onto for a long time now) but galatians 5:25-26 says in the message translation, "Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original." recognizing that my life is not my own but is only God's to use for His glory has been huge.

i was a model and actor in my mid to late teen years and as a result i grew in my ability to make myself look better and feel better than everyone else. if there was a way to view myself as better than someone, i did. i was in the top of my class in modeling and was on my way to a career full of selfish, arrogant, conceded thoughts and actions. by the grace of God He had/has captured my heart and over the past couple of years has taught me that i am nothing, my accomplishments mean nothing, my achievements while at the time were huge still mean nothing and have no eternal effect, but God is the one who has granted these things to me and on my own will i would have never accomplished anything but hate, lust, sin, and death. growing up God has allowed things in my life to happen in order to mold me and make me into His creation, He has used the skills and strengths that i have developed growing up to make me into the man i am becoming. patient, loving, humble, a servant, and a hard worker. though these areas are minuscule in comparison to Christ's example, He is working in my heart and is calling me to listen to what He has to say.

a life with Christ is what i desire. He remains faithful even when i am not. my life is nothing apart from Christ, my accomplishments mean nothing apart from Christ, apart from Christ i am nothing, in Christ i am a new creation, something eternal.

as tall as lions

love love love (love love)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nrEAqLVEOM&feature=related

rays

the sun is out again

the blood under my skin begins to boil

it is a warmth that has been missed

i have welcome the sun

like a prodigal child returning home

riding my bike with friends

arms open wide as if to taunt the sun

screaming at the top of my lungs

is that all you got?

eyes shut, arms wide, wind in my hair, and a smile on my face

it's summer time at last

the sun, a source of joy

the Son, my source of joy

the sun, a source of warmth

the Son, my source of warmth

the sun, shines on me

the Son, shines in me

treasure

the older i get, the brevity of flesh becomes more apparent. at 20 i'm realizing that my life in the flesh is an on going battle. if i was able to control my pride, lust, anger, and selfishness i wouldn't need God, but in surrendering my life to God, He has helped me with all of the things i struggle with. God allows me to struggle in my flesh because by denying my flesh i am giving God control and allowing Him to receive the glory due to Him. without Christ in my life and in my heart... i am a worm, He has set up in my heart and i have handed over the reigns and given Him control to rebuke, convict, and correct me in my flesh. so it is no longer of importance to me. i want to burn out for God. i want to make disciples the rest of my life, and i know God will use my time on this earth for His kingdom's work. my relationship with God has become a treasure to me.

Your word it sustains me

i've come to this place

with intentions of finding You

Your truth is a lamp

Your wisdom my light

i'm seeking Your face

with intentions of finding You

i would run for a thousand years

if i knew every step would be getting me closer

i'd swim to the ocean floor

for my Lord is the treasure

my Lord is the treasure

Holy holy

Holy is the Lord