Ski Trip 12/22/2009
 
Hey guys and gals,

Hopefully you're keeping an eye on this...It's ski trip time.  We will have a final destination and cost by January, but wanted to let you know that we will definitely be heading to the mountains March 12-14 for some wintry fun!  Mark your calendars and get ready!  Check the "Upcoming Events" page for more info.
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In the Christian calender we are in the season of Advent.  Advent is the weeks leading up to the coming of Jesus at Christmas.  This time is meant for Christians to reflect on the coming of the Savior and look forward to his return.  

I was captivated yesterday by a news story about Mark Horvath.  Once a Hollywood executive, Mark was living the good life, until he lost his job and wound up homeless.  With the help of a faith-based organization, Mark got back on his feet and took a job in St. Louis.  Then the economy took its dive.  After several failed attempts at finding lasting employment, Mark was only weeks from being back on the street.  With the last of his money he went to Sacramento to interview homeless people; to give them a face and a voice.  Updating his story on Twitter, the internet community took notice, and soon Mark was able to take his idea on the road thanks to the support of several corporate sponsors.  

Mark continues to update his website:  http://invisiblepeople.tv/blog/ regularly with new videos.  I warn you, the videos are raw and uncensored, but that's the point.  They are real.  Real people, real stories, real struggle.  

As I visited Mark's site I was struck by the disclaimer at the top:  "CAUTION:  some content may be offensive.  Our hope is you'll get mad enough to do something about it."  

We should be like that.  The Bible talks about God's righteous anger, and we are told not to sin in our anger (Ephesians 4:26).  To me, that means God gives the ability to get angry at the injustices around us, we just have to watch how we react.  Do we lash out in an ungodly manner, or do we burn with a righteous indignation that leads us to act with the love of Christ?  When we see injustice around us, we should get mad.  And often we do.  We get mad and say, "God, why don't you do something about it!"  I've heard it said often, and I agree, that in those instances God often answers back, "I'm trying, why do you think you're there!?"  God wants to do something, and God is trying to do something, that's where we come in.  What can we do to help those around us?  What can YOU do to help those struggling around you?  

As I continued to look around http://invisiblepeople.tv/blog/ God began to work in my heart some more.  Not only did he break my heart for the people in the videos, but he showed me a glimpse of his heart.  Let's get theological for a minute:  The Bible tells us that we are all sinners, that we all mess up and fail to live up to God's standard (Romans 3:23).  And this goes all the way back to the beginning when Adam and Eve slipped up.  We are born into sin, we are trapped in it, and there is nothing we can do of ourselves to free ourselves from it.  See where this is going?--Many of the people in Mark's videos are homeless because of circumstances beyond their control, they are struggling against a system that has them trapped.--It is the same way with our sin.  The system has us trapped.  God looked down at us, at the people he loves more than anything, at his creation who he loves with a love more perfect than anything we will ever know on earth, and it broke his heart.  Sin is offensive to God, God was offended, and he was angry, not with us, but with the sin, and he decided to do something about it. That's the hope of Christmas:  God sends Jesus to us to lift us out of our sin.  To take away our sins and break the hold of our sinfulness over us.  As we move through Advent, prepare to celebrate the coming of our Savior.  And as we prepare to celebrate his coming, we anticipate his return.  The Bible tells us that Jesus is coming back, and when he does those who trusted in him will be taken up in his love to live forever in God's presence, where there is no sin, there is no hurt, there is no injustice!

God saw our hurt and acted.  How are we going to respond to that love?
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    Hey, I'm Robert, the Student Ministries Pastor at Galilee Baptist Church in Denver, CO.


    I'll use this blog to update you on news and share my thoughts on whatever I'm thinking.

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