The Potter's Clay

Suffering and Sacrifice, or lack there of...

2009-10-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

Last night at Siege Reece spoke about Jesus death and the price he paid to forgive us of our sins. I had heard this message before. I had seen a cross before. I mean they are all over the place. But it never really occurred to me how truly significant the cross was until we broke out into small groups and I started teaching some youth about it. How many people these days wear a pretty little cross around their neck or have t-shirts with crosses on them or cross tattoos? How many of those people actually believe and truly understand the meaning and significance of that symbol. People will tell you "Oh yeah, Jesus died on the cross for our sins." There are a couple things wrong with this answer. First of all its left at that and nothing more. People don't elaborate or explain what it means to them. To many its just a symbol from a story. A story that many people still don't truly understand. Second of all, their answer is the complete opposite of the way the topic and vision of the cross should be approached. The cross wasn't a happy thing, like oh yay for me cause Jesus died cause he's so nice and that's cool, I'll wear a cross around my neck to show off that i know the story of Jesus and he died for me cause I'm special! Just so everyone knows Jesus death wasn't what many think it was. Jesus suffered! He was beaten beyond recognition and was stripped naked and NAILED to a cross and was hung for everyone to see. He was spat on and mocked and he had to pull himself up by the nails just to catch a breath. He had a crown of thorns, like actual sharp thorns, forced upon his head. That is just the tip of the iceberg. His death and crucifixion was a huge act of sacrifice that put him through more suffering than we could ever imagine. We go about our lives thinking that we have to make so many sacrifices that are inconvenient to us and we don't even stop and think about the ultimate sacrifice that was paid. Our definition of suffering is so flawed its not even funny. Girls don't want to suffer through the rain cause their newly straightened hair will get messed up. Guys don't want to suffer through an in depth conversation with their significant other because the game is on. We can't sacrifice 2 hours of our day to go help with this church event, or pray, or read our bibles, or just stop and thank God for everything. We are too busy with work, school, a social life, and many other things. What gives us the right to refer the petty things in our life that we don't want to do as "suffering"? The next time you look at the cross around your neck, on your shirt, or inked on your arm stop and think about the true significance that we as a culture have turned into just a cool symbol. Think about what real suffering looks like and take the time to thank God for his sacrifice that saved us!

Long time no blog...

2009-08-31T07:26:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard or used the phrase "Long time, no see?" What's up with that phrase anyways? I mean, people use it when they haven't seen someone in a while, but have you ever listened to yourself say it? First of all, it's not even a grammatical sentence! I mean "Long time, no see..." What are we, cavemen? Second of all, it's just an obvious statement. We see someone we haven't seen in awhile and we tell them we haven't seen them in awhile...like they didn't already know. We might as well be walking up to someone wearing a blue shirt and say, "Hey, you're wearing a blue shirt!"
Anyways, that was just a random thought I had about that phrase. But it is a phrase we often use and it is followed by "How have you been?" And, "What have you been up to?" Well I haven't blogged in awhile so I thought I would update everyone with what's going on in my life.
I've been working at the church for over a month now and I'm LOVIN' IT! It is a lot of responsibility for me sometimes, but I like a challenge. It has been a learning experience working for Shane. We have become closer and more trusting of one another, and he has shown me that his coolness factor doesn't dwindle during the week... He is cool 24/7 lol! Although it's cool to work for him because he is laid back, he is also goal oriented. He understands there is a time to work and a time to play. He instills that in me while I'm working, constantly letting me know what needs to get done and always keeping me on my toes, yet not jumping down my throat about it.
Along with this job I am still in school which has started back up again. I have mixed feelings about it really. I'm still a college student so I want to hang out and go to football games and be a college student, but at the same time, since I've moved to Morgantown, I've grown so much as a person that I have to step up and take care of myself and assume responsibility for my actions and get my priorities in line. I'm attempting to juggle school and a job this semester. On top of all that, I'm engaged to the most amazing woman in the entire world and we are getting married next summer so we're planning our wedding slowly but surely.
My life, in a nutshell, is busy. I'm either at church or in class. School and work all the time. I don't get to talk to my family very much because I'm constantly doing something. I'm also finding myself getting to the point where I use that unusual phrase "Long time, no see". But I don't use it with my friends and family, or my boss at work, or my teachers at school. I use it with God.
It has gotten to the point where whenever it's convenient for me, I talk to God. Like God is just waiting for me and will drop whatever He is doing to come running to me. "Long time, no see, God" is what I find myself saying way too often. "I've been really busy and I'm sorry I haven't talked to you in awhile, but I really need this... Or I could use some help with that." God's not stupid. He knows what's going on in your life. He created you and He sees everything you're doing. When we try to pull the "Long time, no see," thing with God, we might as well slap Him in the face. He doesn't want to hear us give Him excuse after excuse as to why we haven't made the time to sit down and talk to Him. HE ALREADY KNOWS WHY! God is a loving God, but He can't just be put on hold until its convenient for you! He is more than willing to help, but how long are you going to wait before you let Him help? When you're done with soccer practice... Or maybe after this movie is over... Or how about when you get evicted from your apartment, lose your job, and your girlfriend breaks up with you? Why wait until everything gets so bad that you don't know where your next meal is coming from, or if you will even have one? Don't fill your front seat up with so much junk that God has to take a back seat in your life. Don't even open the door for Him to sit in the front seat next to you. Give God the keys and let Him drive. Trust him. He knows where He is going and He will get your there safely. Think about the last time you really talked to God. Maybe you should make an effort to do it more often so you don't find yourself using that weird phrase "Long time, no see"... I know I do

If you can't stand the heat...go to church?

2009-08-10T12:28:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard the phrase "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen?" That saying has been running through my mind all day because its sooo stinkin' hot out! But the one thing that I keep bringing into the equation is, what if you can't get out of the kitchen? As I was running around town today, I kept thinking to myself how hot it was with the sun beating down, how I was sweating and how uncomfortable I was. All those feelings were taken away when I opened the door to the church and was hit with a cool breeze. It's like my body went from being in the uncomfortable shock of the heat to the normal feeling of air conditioning. We are lucky enough to be able to get out of the heat (or the kitchen) when it gets too uncomfortable for us.
But what about those who can't get out? What about all the workers in the Dominican who work outside all day, everyday in the heat and can't run and seek an air conditioned building to hide in, yet somehow these people continue to praise God for everything that they have. Praise him for life, health and the ability to walk and talk. They just live to praise his name. They praise God with everything they have even though they are stuck in the kitchen... no matter how hot it gets. Many times we have "hot" weeks. Weeks where sin is just pounding us down. It's always around us and it feels like there is no way out. Then, when Sunday rolls around and you step into the church, you get that feeling of comfort and relaxation and for those two hours or so that you are there, everything is gone. The only problem is that the sin of this world that attacks you daily is still out there waiting.
So many people rely on Sundays to recharge their batteries and cool down from the heat of sin. But we can't go about our lives just waiting for Sunday to roll around. We need to go about everyday as if it were Sunday. Fight the heat (sin) and praise God for all the good He has done and for all the blessings in your life. Stop thinking about how little you have or how much is going wrong that day, and start thinking about how blessed you are to be alive and how much you do have in life. The heat (sin) will always be there until Jesus returns. Don't run from the heat and seek the cool air once a week. Fight the heat with the Holy Spirit and praise. Once you change your mentality from flight to fight, things will begin to look a lot more positive. God is all-knowing and all-powerful. If you stick by Him, He will never let you fall victim to the heat. So if you can't stand the heat (sin), don't get out of the kitchen (hide from this world.) Do what you can to make the kitchen a better place for others and for Christ.

How to treat poison oak!

2009-08-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

So the other day I was messing around behind the church and turns out I touched some poison oak. How awesome is that!...NOT! I immediately washed my hands and thought that it was all taken care of...Man, was I wrong! The next day I was itching and scratching and didn't think anything of it. I was doing the exact same thing on Tuesday. When Wednesday rolled around and Shane showed up at work he notices it right off the bat. He tells me my face is messed up and that it doesn't look normal at all. After hearing that, I ran into the bathroom to check it out, and sure enough my face was all kinds of gross. So were my ears, neck, wrists, and nose. I bought some cream and lathered it on to stop the itching. The cream worked for about 30 minutes to an hour, then everything started itching again. Poison oak is so inconspicuous and once you get into it you are pretty much screwed whether you wash your hands and put ointment on it or not.
After I found this out yesterday, I made an appointment to go see a doctor. They gave me an IV of three different things and I have to take all this medicine to get rid of this poison as soon as possible. When I step back to think about it, the whole poison oak process is allot like our walk with Christ. The sin in our lives is the poison oak and the only treatment is to go to the doctor, a.k.a. God. Satan places all of these worldly sins (or poison oak) in front of us and makes them look so harmless that we can't help but to dive right in. Well once we realize what we are doing we try so hard cover up our tracks (or wash our hands). Whether that means deleting everything on our computer to hide porn, or showering to wash the blood off us after a fight, or even loaning money to someone to make you feel better about stealing. This kind of stuff might make you think that you got ride of the sin you have committed and that you hid it from everyone else, but Jesus is still there watching, and waiting for you to repent and confess your sins to Him.
Once I had my doctors appointment, as I said before, they gave me an IV of stuff and a bunch of medications. I have to keep taking this medication until my poison oak is gone. If I stop taking it, then it won't work, and if I don't take it correctly then it won't benefit me whatsoever. The same goes for the sin you have committed and how you should deal with it. The only way to truly treat and get rid of the sin in your heart and life is to give it to God. Give in, and go to God (the doctor) and He will take care of you and wipe away all your sins and start your life a new. Your medicine that He will prescribe to you is His word, the Holy Bible. If you don't read the Bible (take your medicine) and repent then that sin will always be there, lingering in your heart and eating away at you until judgement day comes. Dive into God's word, read, and take in what he has to say to you. Pray to Him and hear his instructions for your life. Just reading the Bible (not taking the medicine properly) won't get you anywhere. Memorizing verses might make you feel better for a bit, but until you understand His word and practice it, then it is meaningless.
If you take the correct steps in life and follow God, read His word, and put it into practice everyday, then there is no way that sin (poison oak) can permanently take over your life.
So the next time you see something that looks very promising and harmless, pray about it, and see what the Lord has to say. If you go to God (the doctor) before you sin (touch the poison oak) then he will help you avoid it and stay on the right path towards him (healthy).

Where you can find more Jesus and less crap!

2009-07-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

What are the requirements of being a Christian? What about the rules that must be followed in order to be called a church?
People are often turned away from church, God, and religion all together because of these so called "rules" and "requirements". The view of church and christianity has been skewed so badly because of the entertainment world and all of the church's out there that have God "figured out". Since when did it become a sin to not sing out of hymnals, or to say the word crap? Come on people seriously? So many people in church's nowadays try to put on a holy facade and make themselves look as perfect as possible. They memorize as many bible verses as possible and on Sundays they dress up and talk about Jesus, but as soon as monday begins they are back to work and that whole "Jesus outfit" gets put away until next Sunday. Sounds kind of like the Pharisees to me. Anyone who wasn't as perfect as they were and kept the Sabbath holy and praised God as they praised God was not worthy to be called a follower of Him. There is nothing in the Bible that says you have to wear a shirt and tie to church, or that if you say the word crap you are going to hell. People get turned away from church because many churches out there put on that "only perfect people allowed" act and therefore if you have sinned or if you have tattoos, or are an alcoholic, or addicted to porn, or you listen to secular music then you are NOT welcome in God's house. This kind of attitude disgusts me. In the eyes of God sinning is sinning, no matter how drastic. Saying the Lord's name in vain when you hit your thumb with a hammer is the same as cold blooded murder! No one on this earth is any better than anyone else, and those who judge while here on earth will be judged tens times worse when standing before Christ. Next time you start to judge someone based on their sins and their outward appearence remember what the bible says in Luke 6:37-42
37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
39He also told them this parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
41"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.'"

A Digital Case of the Mondays

2009-07-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

Temper is one thing I've never really had to worry about. I've always been extremely patient in traffic, in line, in everything i do...except for technology. As far as I can remember back in my past, my unfortunate encounters with technology have resulted in or were a result of my loss in temper. I'm not even talking about like hurry hurry I'm quite upset...I'm talking about explosion, yelling, punching everything around me for no reason...All because my dvr didn't fully record something, or my computer freezes, or my cell phone starts acting up. When stuff like this happens i go into hulk mode for a good 5-10 minutes. After I start to calm down i go into sulk mode and don't want to do anything the rest of the day like its the end of the world. What a spoiled baby! How is it that I can be so selfish and so upset about dvr and a cell phone...SERIOUSLY!?! These are luxuries that i can live without and have grown used to because of our highly technological society. How pathetic is it that i can sit on an on ramp for over 3 hours by myself in the middle of the night while traffic is at a stand still, but when my phone does turn on or wont send a text i flip my lid. Technology has always been a struggle in my walk with Christ. I'm always wanting the newest technology and the biggest TVs and nicest cell phones and its starting to make me sick to my stomach. What happened when my parents were growing up and they didn't have color TV, dvr, or cell phones...how did they ever survive! So many times God tells us to leave everything of this world behind and follow him, but time and time again i find myself saying "yeah I'll leave everything behind to follow you God...except my cell phone, what if there is an emergency?" or "Lord, I'm completely devoted to you...let me just watch my recorded shows till I'm too tired to pray and pass out on the couch." I'm finding myself in a position where technology is almost a necessity and it shouldn't be that way. Hopefully I can pull myself together enough to find a middle ground and continue running after god without having to stop and check my phone every 10 minutes.

Newbie

2009-07-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

I'm a little new to this whole blogging thing...actually i'm extreamly new to this blogging thing! I decided to start blogging after reading my pastor's blogs. I have so much on my mind all of the time and i figured i might as well share some of my experiences, beliefs, and questions with everyone else. Hopefully it results is positive and helpful feedback. I'm going to start blogging at least three times a week for sure, then if there is ever something important or big on my mind or heart, i'll post it! I'm kinda nervous, but oh well...you never know how something will turn out unless you try it right?

Here goes nothing!

Adam Williams